How do you PC people even play?

nordsavage

I have been a console player for many years but I switched to PC during the ESO beta waiting for console release. I ended up staying on PC. It takes a while for keyboard action to become reflex and for your hand muscles to reshape so you do not fatigue as fast but just like a controller it becomes instinct and muscle memory. I personally spit the difference and use a Logitec Trackball M570 mouse. It feels natural to roll my thumb and I seem to be able to turn varying directions to react faster than many. It has left, right, clickable wheel and two more index finger buttons that I use for weapon swap and ultimate. I use the WASD and 1-5 buttons for abilities. While there is nothing wrong with consoles I have found many advantages to using a keyboard in a game like this. I still use an Xbox controller for shooters and most other games.

By the way controllers are very much functional for PC as well and I will throw one on for node farming and fishing.

Voxicity

It's actually pretty easy if you set your skills up correctly.

For example having your spammable on key 2 would be awkward as hell while trying to move around, so I usually put a skill which I only have to recast every so often (trap beast for example) and put my spammable on Key 4.

Then again this is coming from a guy who spent 5 years playing traditional MMO's with a laptop trackpad...

Daemons_Bane

I like the look of that Naga Hex Problem is that Razer makes their stuff pretty small

sparafucilsarwb17_ESO

Steel Series Merc Stealth keyboard with Logitech G502 mouse. Works great.

mildlylucid

I just use an ordinary keyboard and mouse (got them for free some time back ).

I generally run sideways when hitting abilities but that's mainly because I'm circling whatever I'm hitting.
I also thumb spam X to get them synergies.

Personally I really can't fathom how you could accurately target anything on a console.... Playing ratchet & clank back in the day I only used the omniwrench because I didn't need to care about which way my guy was facing too much

RDMyers65b14_ESO

You know, as someone who has used a PC exclusively for gaming since 1984, I have a similar question about how anyone can use a controller. Don't you find it very limited? We are are used to what we know.

ArchMikem

RDMyers65b14_ESO wrote: »

You know, as someone who has used a PC exclusively for gaming since 1984, I have a similar question about how anyone can use a controller. Don't you find it very limited? We are are used to what we know.

It is actually limited yeah. It feels like having the right and left bumpers AND triggers in addition to the traditional four colored buttons was a god send to developers. lol Although having the Swap Weapon Bar action linked to the right directional pad is my only complaint since I have to either use my left thumb to do it, thus sacrificing my movement for crucial seconds, or my right which takes my view off whatever I'm fighting if I'm still moving around. So then I have to swap weapons and then reposition again.

I REALLY want to try ESO on PC, but I have four characters on Xbox I don't want to give up on/neglect. I really wish ZOS allowed more cross platform transfers.

The Uninvited

I have large hands, no problems.

Sylveria_Relden

I usually ask the same question of anyone who plays with controllers- I suppose it depends on what you're used to.

I started playing video games with the Atari (original) and analog single button joystick, but when PC's with keyboards and mice came along, I learned how to navigate with them and got used to them rather quickly. Over the years, consoles have evolved dramatically, and so have controllers. PC's have the advantage of using controllers or the standard keyboard and mouse. Personally, I think the K&M has more precision and control available- and it also depends on the game. If it's programmed as a "port" then controllers will seem more natural, but if it's programmed natively keyboards and mice will seem more natural.

Usually you use the mouse as your "look" (mouselook) or view, and the keyboard as your directional "steering" or movement (traditionally WSAD) along with direct input functions (numbers 1-0 for actions/skills) etc.

I've tried using a controller for FPS games, for example- and I cannot aim as precisely as I can with a mouse. Again, it all depends on what you're used to, and higher end equipment provides better/more accurate response.

Seri

ArchMikem wrote: »

How do you guys even play ESO on PC? Like, I noticed the abilities are cast using the number keys, so I'm assuming it's the keys above A, W, S, and D. But trying that myself as practice, trying to hit the keys imagining that I'm trying to move around and cast something just feels incredibly awkward on my hand.

Practice mostly. I use different fingers for the same buttons, depending which combination I want pressed at once. Conversely I have no idea how anyone plays an RPG type game with a gamepad either - I find it the most clunky input method possible

BlackEar wrote: »

Roechacca wrote: »

Macros are against the TOS. I wouldn't go advertising it.

Source? All I heard was it was a grey area and they have not explicitly told us it was forbidden.

What does that have to do with macro's? It doesn't take a macro to left click and then immediately press any 1-5 key to start a skill, and then right click to block.

Asmael

Only got 2 side buttons for my mouse, corresponding to abilities 4 & 5. Using a standard EU keyboard, so QZSD for movement, A for quickslot, R for ultimates, W for swapping, left alt for dodge rollz.

And, well, for ESO a controller is fine, but good luck playing some MMOs with a controller, when you got 50+ abilities, and need a combination of 1, 2, 3, 4... with Ctrl, alt, Ctrl + alt, caps, etc.

Mostly a matter of getting used to it and finding a comfortable position.

__

On a side node @BlackEar , what linked is relevant to animation cancelling, not macros. As mentioned, AC is allowed, macros are not.

Reykice

Seri wrote: »

ArchMikem wrote: »

How do you guys even play ESO on PC? Like, I noticed the abilities are cast using the number keys, so I'm assuming it's the keys above A, W, S, and D. But trying that myself as practice, trying to hit the keys imagining that I'm trying to move around and cast something just feels incredibly awkward on my hand.

Practice mostly. I use different fingers for the same buttons, depending which combination I want pressed at once. Conversely I have no idea how anyone plays an RPG type game with a gamepad either - I find it the most clunky input method possible

BlackEar wrote: »

Roechacca wrote: »

Macros are against the TOS. I wouldn't go advertising it.

Source? All I heard was it was a grey area and they have not explicitly told us it was forbidden.

What does that have to do with macro's? It doesn't take a macro to left click and then immediately press any 1-5 key to start a skill, and then right click to block.

Even the mice that allow stuff like multiple clicks so you weave easier do just that, make it easier so you don't have to get tired as fast... anyone can do that with no special anything its just more clicks so you get tired faster.

drakhan2002_ESO

I use what the other PC gamers have already pointed out...I use a Razer Naga Elite and a Razer Nostromo; using this combination is more like being a fighter pilot with all the commands at my fingertips. I can play more efficiently and I have more options available to me than the console controller by far.

Elsonso

BlackEar wrote: »

Roechacca wrote: »

Macros are against the TOS. I wouldn't go advertising it.

Source? All I heard was it was a grey area and they have not explicitly told us it was forbidden.

That is about animation canceling, not macros.

You can animation cancel, but cannot use macros to do It. Comments from ZOS in the forums. Not hard to find, but on my phone right npw.

More to the topic, I use a G13 and a G600 mouse. No macros. On key, one action.

Vaoh

PC players are not different from us console players on this topic.

We look at the mouse and keyboard and think about how tough it probably is to play ESO like that. They look at our controllers and think there is no way it'll work.

Both work perfectly fine. PC has more buttons to assign. That's honestly it.

nine9six

With an air of smugness.

Psyonico

Since MMOs were originally created for PCs, the real question is, how do you play on a console?

Browiseth

like anything, you get good at it as you practice

i can say the exact same thing for playing with a controller; i'm bloody awful at it, and it feels so clunky and limiting

Daemons_Bane

Logitech G13 Advanced Gameboard

Now THIS looks interesting

Runs

I use an XBox One controller, with chatpad and 2 paddles on back that can be mapped to any of the normal controller buttons....



The "A" button is Jump/Interact just like on Xbox... I tried just moving that to jump for awhile, which is why it's listed that way, but I couldn't stop jumping like a fool every 3 seconds trying to interact so it got changed back.

idk

I use a multi button mouse similar to the one posted on the first page. Others use something like an Orb Weaver. I do know some solid players that just use the keyboard.

It varies. Personally, I have wondered how someone plays on Console with just a gamepad.

Smasherx74

Just use a xbox 1 controller.

Danksta

I don't know how it is on XB1, but on ps4 you have to either stop moving or take your right hand and push the button all the way on the other side of the controller just to change weapons. That's extremely awkward to me.

Gargath

I can say I use an easy combination on my budget Trust keyboard.


In the right hand a simple budget cable mouse with 2 buttons and roll ball, nothing fancy .

EternalEther

IcyDeadPeople wrote: »

At some point I tried this device (razer nostromo), and got hooked on using it for any game. It fits the left hand perfectly and has directional pad for your thumb as well as various trigger buttons and more than enough keys for all abilities, menus and add on functions

Borrowing this from my roommate is the only way I am able to play. Growing up I only played console games so I had no experience with WASD movement. When I tried WoW 12 years ago (man I'm old) I could only do it by resting my left fingers on 1234 and using the mouse to move. In WoW and many other MMOs you can hold left and right mouse buttons to move forwards and steer with the mouse. With light and heavy attacks this is not possible in ESO. Luckily my roommate bought this and hated it so now I get to use it.

As the OP mentioned, I think I'd be stopping and stuttering if I tried to use a keyboard. That being said I can imagine using a controller to play this game.

Scamandros

I find console controllers to be really weird. I use mostly standard setup for keyboard, with some practice with rotating your hand it feels easy to maintain movement and use keys 1-5. I have target enemy and weapon swap keybinds inversed because it simply feels more natural to me. Have a cheap mouse with some extra buttons, but only have them set for push to talk and roll dodge as double tapping movement is rarely reactive enough.

Tandor

I use the keyboard for movement and one or two commands like sheathe/unsheathe and auto-run, and an old Logitech mouse (4 buttons plus wheel but I only use 2 plus the wheel routinely, plus the third button for activating synergies). I don't PvP or do competitive PvE so the mouse is fine for me so far as hotbar skills are concerned, I never use shortcut keys for those in any game.

missjackieb14_ESO

Being someone who's played MMO's on the PC for the past 12 years, one gets used to playing on the PC rather than a console. I can't imagine playing ESO on XBox or Playstation. Dear lord, I'd be throwing that thing against the wall.

Etaniel

I don't even know why people bother with a mmo mouse on eso, you only get 6 spells at once....
I had about 4 times that many keys when I played wow, and I've always played everything on keyboard (quickslot and dodge on mouse > deathadder)

When you work on a pc and play on a pc, your hands get used to the keyboard, and it offers much more possibilities than a controller

BlackEar

Asmael wrote: »

Only got 2 side buttons for my mouse, corresponding to abilities 4 & 5. Using a standard EU keyboard, so QZSD for movement, A for quickslot, R for ultimates, W for swapping, left alt for dodge rollz.

And, well, for ESO a controller is fine, but good luck playing some MMOs with a controller, when you got 50+ abilities, and need a combination of 1, 2, 3, 4... with Ctrl, alt, Ctrl + alt, caps, etc.

Mostly a matter of getting used to it and finding a comfortable position.

__

On a side node @BlackEar , what linked is relevant to animation cancelling, not macros. As mentioned, AC is allowed, macros are not.

Can you please link to the official ZOS response saying that? I post because I can not seem to find the official answer and a lot of people seem to know but can't post their source. @Asmael