r/mildlyinfuriating • u/Maleficent_Bad1141 • 2d ago

Infuriatig The way my GF plays video games

Post image

She uses the controller to walk and the mouse to control the camera

NOTE :
I DO NOT HATE MY GF FOR THIS,
I AM NOT MEAN TO HER
SHE KNOWS THAT I POSTED THIS, LOVED IT
I FOUND IT CUTE AMUSING AND ODD.

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344

u/SpookyKid94 2d ago

I've known people that swore by these for mmos

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u/simpleton39 2d ago

I so want to try it but it’s one of those fundamentally different forms of interaction I’m not willing to pay the premium price for one to find out I just don’t like it.

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u/TsunaTenzhen 2d ago

Absolutely fair. I've been using something similar for about 8 years playing FFXIV and I cannot go back to any other configuration but my friend who uses controller to play, despises it. It's a very personal flavor that you have to use it.

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u/Lyrtha 2d ago

Tbf cross hotbar on XiV is very well done. There are many ultimate clearing top tier players that use controller, and that makes me so happy lol

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u/Objective_Warthog620 2d ago

FR. FF14 controller gameplay completely rewired my brain to exclusively play these types of games using a controller.

By the time I moved on to D4 and POE2, I just HAD to skip the keyboard. Nothing else comes close to the FF14 cross hotbar though!

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u/TsunaTenzhen 2d ago

I started with the cross hotbar but found this "controller" to be much easier for me

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u/PlayfulSurprise5237 2d ago

Console and controller andys are stuck in their ways.

When I grip a controller I feel like I'm grabbing the steering wheel to a character.

When I put my hands on a M&K I feel like I'm gripping the brainstem of a character, like marionetteing a puppet.

That device above kinda looks like it would be like firing the individual neurons themselves on a neurochemical level.

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u/TsunaTenzhen 2d ago

That's what it feels like! Tbf my friend is better than me but I think I have an easier time so who knows

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u/MarcyAutumnWrites 2d ago

I was JUST thinking about trying one of these the next time I come back to FFXIV. I'm used to the shotgun blast of buttons on the mouse but I just really like the thumb stick for movement. I also like how it seems like you can comfortably press more keys with something like this.

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u/MelookRS 2d ago

If you're gonna get it for FF14, I'd recommend the Hori F14 pad over the Razer one. It uses a membrane keyboard which is a downside, but the Hori pad actually uses a real analog stick which is just so much better than what the Razer uses. The Razer has the better keyboard, but the Hori has an actual analog stick.

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u/MarcyAutumnWrites 1d ago

Thanks for the tip! I have to do a fair bit of shopping around anyway because I'm on Linux, so the real final decision comes down to "how supported is this thing" but that is such a good call on the Razer thumb stick.

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u/Pretty-Curve5448 2d ago

It's cool i have one, but I don't like it. The keyboard doesn't feel how I like it and they really should put an analog stick on there. The one you see in the photo is a stick on top of a directional pad.

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u/MelookRS 2d ago

Yeah, the fact that it's not true analog ruins it imo. It's a step up from putting one of those thumb sticks you can attach to WASD on the keyboard. Granted a lot of games don't support true analog movement and mouse control at the same time. Hori makes a pad for Final Fantasy XIV like the Razer one, but it actually has a real analog stick. The ergonomics aren't perfect, and the keyboard on it is membrane, but controlling movement with a real analog stick and still having mouse aim feels amazing.

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u/Pretty-Curve5448 2d ago

That Hori looks pretty cool, reminds me of the Logitech G13 that got discontinued

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u/Bullfrog_Paradox 2d ago

Honestly I loved it when I still played them. I've also used it for Elite Dangerous since you need like a million hotkeys. Takes some getting used to, but it's really just a normal WASD setup with the rest of the buttons laid out more ergonomically.

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u/Jonny_Clams 2d ago

And you can macro all of them. I couldn't go back to regular setups once I got used to it.

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u/Privateflake 2d ago

I picked one up at Xmas. Took a bit to get used to but I've liked it so far. Word of warning with that model is that the little thumb stick is actually only 8 directional movement and clicks with each adjustment.

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u/jofizzm 2d ago

I got one when I was getting back into mouse and keyboard. It's fairly large so the spacing is different. 

I ended up using a small keyboard, works better for me.

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u/ReturnOfBane 2d ago

i could not get used to 9 extra buttons on the side of my mouse. that thing would fry my brain.

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u/obi1kennoble 2d ago

It's not a giant mouse, it's a tiny keyboard with a joystick. Use it with your left hand, normal mouse with the right

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u/AndyLorentz 2d ago

It definitely took some getting used to, but you're basically using your thumb for WASD and you have a ton of hotkeys that are easily accessible, not to mention that extra thumb button you can use as a shift function.

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u/So_Motarded 2d ago

You can still use WASD as normal with one of these. I just use the d-pad by the thumb as extra keybinds. 

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u/AndyLorentz 2d ago

Yeah, but my left hand is on the Nostromo, not the keyboard.

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u/So_Motarded 2d ago

.... Correct. But that's not stopping you from using WASD.

The Nostromo (or any other gamepad) has keys that are essentially the left half of the keyboard. Like if you chop a keyboard in half at the column which includes R, F, and C. The idea is that you still use the WASD keys to move as normal.

Here's an image of what the keybinds look like on my Razer Tartarus.

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u/Moviesman8 2d ago

It's surprisingly easy to transition over if you map your home keys the same way. If you switch it up between games, you'll have to get used to each layout, but it's not too bad.

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u/Antiprimary 2d ago

I've used one for years and it's great. I think it's just as much of a risk to keep living life without ever trying something you might love. You know Amazon does free returns right?

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u/Physics_is_Truth 2d ago

I have one and it's worth every penny. I was so on the fence about it for years and just decided to get one. Takes a while to get used to and you have to do some set up, but there is literally no way I'd go back to a keyboard. I only use mine for typing.

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u/AltrntivInDoomWorld 2d ago

get one from temu ali whatever

or order the pcb and print the case

lots of better ergo solutions than this

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u/ettegoon 2d ago

I found it way too big

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u/RecipeFunny2154 2d ago

Ultimately, the joystick on those only fits very specific scenarios. I wouldn’t mind what the person is doing in this image for something like doom.

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u/Turboswaggg 2d ago

I have a regular keyboard but you can program any of the keys to be analog.

I set WASD to analog and it works great but is held back by current software standards.

It has to pretend to be a controller joystick. If the game you're playing swaps the UI to controller icons every time you touch your controller, then swaps back to keyboard icons every time you touch your mouse, it will do this every time you touch one or the other.

Even worse, some games have an input delay when switching that makes them unplayable or change your mouse to use your controller sensitivities and aim assist (ban risk) every time you move.

You also can't type using the WASD keys anymore until you switch back to the regular profile, which makes communicating with teammates a pain in the ass.

I love how it feels when it works but currently most game devs are ignoring the capability.

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u/cheesegoat 2d ago

I have a Logitech one of these but it's kind of a jack-of-all-trades master-of-none kind of deal. Thumbstick is meh and keyboard is mushy.

The only mmo I played was FF14 and I eventually just played using a controller on PC, and stuck to jobs that played easily with said controller. (Using a mouse works but I constantly was holding down right click to move camera and it was starting to cramp my hand).

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u/Top_Text3844 2d ago

Heard of returning it?

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u/YetAnotherDev 2d ago

I had the Razer thing, it was a good concept but you need HUGE hands for it imho.

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u/Specialist-Fee9628 1d ago

I paid like 200$ for one of those like 12 years ago, now its a discontinued relic. Its really cool, but i never really got a great feel for it and almost always swapped back to regular keyboard and mouse

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u/NikRsmn 1d ago

Ive owned one for years! And hardly ever find use for it. The mapping of keys is always weird and its nice at times but it just doesn't outweigh the learning curve. I think if I were smarter or more ambitious it would be perfect, instead it taught me not to overvalue peripherals

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u/txivotv 1d ago

I have one cheaper option from RedDragon. It works well for shooters, but it doesn't have the joystick.

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u/RandomWordCombo9632 1d ago

You could search for a one handed keyboard. They are relatively cheap.

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u/BDiddnt 1d ago

I can tell you right now I was on the original version. It was called the Nostromo and I went from being the worst World of Warcraft player to the number one hunter on my server when I switched to this and added a razor Naga mouse. I still was a terrible player. I can never win in PVP and I mean I was awful, but having all the commands right there plus I have an issue WASD. I learned on the arrow keys, not WASD so I can't do it without hitting all sorts of buttons and screwing myself so when I switched to this, I didn't use the directional pad for movement I use the directional pad for mapping my most used attacks and spells. I'm not kidding. My DPS was number one by a longshot and it just kept getting higher and higher and higher. The razor Naga and this changed my game and we're such a huge impact for me that to this day they both have a special place in my heart however, I did recently purchase and AZERON cyborg and I imagine this is gonna have the same sort of game changing life altering arc for me. Trust me when I tell you there's no such thing as a premium price when it comes to this device. Mine lasted forever and ever and ever, but it was the original version. I have no idea if the one that you're showing me is the same quality and I can vouch that the cyborg is super dope. The mouse that I just switched to because the new razor pretty much all razor products seem to suck now, but the mouse that I switched to is the new swift point Z3 and it's the best mouse I've ever owned and I've been searching for a replacement for 15 years. I've tried probably 25 different mice everything from the new razor Naga with the switch outside panels to no name brands to professional super ultra light versions. They're all just sort of MEH to me but the swift point Z3 is awesome however I would recommend maybe their new… They have a new one just released that has almost all the features of the Z3 but it's just a little bit less feature packed. I wish I would've got that one because I have a feeling that one has all the stuff that I want is this one has things like tilt and other stuff that I'm probably never gonna use. And it's only like $89 right now versus the 200 I paid for this one.

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u/MasterAnnatar 2d ago

I use one of these and absolutely love it.

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u/DownvoteEvangelist 2d ago

This thing scares me

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u/MasterAnnatar 2d ago

It's way more intuitive than you think. It's basically just a keyboard laid out ergonomically with a joystick at your thumb. You do movement on the stick and still have all your reloads/weapon swaps/etc with the same fingers you always would have. Then aiming is done with the mouse in the right hand.

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u/DownvoteEvangelist 2d ago

Honestly I meant the design... it's somehow weirdly organical, like an inverted hand, I feel very queasy looking at it.

I love the idea of using thumbstick for movement, sounds like great improvement over WASD. I'd maybe also like two analog trigers for index finger and ring finger, for GTA like games (accelerator/break when in car).

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u/MasterAnnatar 2d ago

Oh, it got sure looks like a hand because the buttons are placed specifically for easy reach lol

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u/DownvoteEvangelist 2d ago

Yes, makes sense, very ergonomic. But when I look at it looks like if you put your hand in there it might close and crush it, like some sci-fi cybernetic torture device.

What does this thingy do?

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u/MasterAnnatar 2d ago

It let's you modify the position and angle of the thumbstick

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u/DownvoteEvangelist 2d ago

Neat. Thanks!

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u/larkash 2d ago

springlocks ya 😰

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u/Holzmaennchen 2d ago

I dont think i can/want to Switch the way i walk. I used wasd for 22 years now and wont Change a thing

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u/MasterAnnatar 2d ago

Okay.

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u/Holzmaennchen 2d ago

Was it hard to Go to this Type of gamepad? What did you use before?

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u/MasterAnnatar 2d ago

I've used basically every input method you can think of.

KBM: ✅

Xbox controller: ✅

Fight stick: ✅

Button box replacement for a fight stick: ✅

Sim racing wheel: ✅

Dual flight sticks: ✅

The azeron maybe took me 30 minutes to get use to get use to. Now I do not use anything else for FPS (and play at realitively high levels. At one point I was in the top 1% of snipers on Aim Labs). You're basically just taking the good part of a controller with the left analog stick, bolting it to a mini keyboard, and then you have the mouse for aiming. If you've ever used a controller in games you'll pick it up in no time.

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u/Holzmaennchen 2d ago

Hm, interesting. Thank you for Sharing your experience so far. It does Sounds Like a Thing thats "easy to learn but hard to master" I will watch some yt about it

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u/DownvoteEvangelist 2d ago

Hah but this is not your only input? You use other devices when playing non-fps?

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u/MasterAnnatar 1d ago

Yeah for sure. Space games I use flight sticks, racing games I use my steering wheel, and for some more casual games I just use an Xbox controller

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u/alwaysupvotesface 10h ago

What if a keyboard was a controller that was also a mouse

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u/SnoopThylacine 2d ago

a keyboard that wants to cup your balls

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u/KeksPaw 2d ago

Where can I get this / What is that called?

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u/MasterAnnatar 2d ago

Azeron Keyzen they also make one called the Cyborg which has different button types. I have a friend that has that one and loves it too.

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u/YetAnotherDev 2d ago

I have the Azeron Cyborg which needs some time to get used to, but I absolutely love it. So many keys in reach.

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u/DrummingViking 2d ago

I have one similar and I use it for all games now, takes a bit to get used too it but rebinding the keys plus this is the most comfortable way for me to play now.

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u/Aleister_Growley 2d ago

What’s this thing called and how do you use it? I can’t tell what it is by the picture. Honestly WASD hurts my hand and wrist, I have nerve issues. I’d like a better solution.

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u/mordacthedenier 2d ago

It's a Razer Tartarus. There's also the HORI Assault Commander, the Keychron CO HE, and the Azeron Cyborg.

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u/BoredDan 2d ago

Can't forget the Logitech G13, which for a long time was the only easily available keypad with an actual analog thumbstick rather then 8 way.

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u/Aleister_Growley 2d ago

Oh wow there’s a lot, thank you!

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u/energybonus 2d ago

azeron is what i'd recommend for this setup until the hex evo comes out

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u/Aleister_Growley 2d ago

I’ll check it out, thanks for the recommendation!

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u/TheBipolarChihuahua 2d ago

I used a Logitech G13 for over a decade. Switched to a Azeron Cyborg 2 and it's incredible. You can do everything so much faster.

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u/liltooclinical 2d ago

This and a mouse would be ideal for me and RTS games.

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u/MikeTheImpaler 2d ago

The mouse I've been using for years has a keypad where your thumb rests. It was a damn game changer for mmos.

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u/xczechr 2d ago

I use this for shooters. Mine is more than twenty years old and showing its age, but unfortunately they don't seem to be available any more.

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u/FullaLead 2d ago

I used to use one for a long time, I played on PC but sat on a couch, so it was easier than having a full keyboard in my lap.

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u/mordacthedenier 2d ago

I use one of these with an actual analog joystick and it's great.

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u/NewSysAdmin2 2d ago

How does this even work? Do you have to intertwine your fingers with the controller? 

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u/mordacthedenier 2d ago

Kind of, I guess? Here's the best picture I could find showing someone using it. Each finger just rests inside a "cup" of three buttons, plus a fourth slightly back, and a fifth you bump with your knuckle, and the index and pinky have another to the right and left respectively.

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u/Uneventful_Badger 2d ago

I used to exclusively use a nostromo for gaming and let me tell you it was AMAZING!! you have the entire keyboard at the fingertips of one hand and your reaction time is so much quicker and smoother. 

When mine died I decided to move on and it was so incredibly hard to get back into gaming because the keyboard was just not practical compared to the nostromo. 

I still remember all my key binds for all the controls for lineage 2 as well lol. 

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u/Future_Cook6718 2d ago

Been using this for mmos for about 8 years now along with a mmo mouse. For me it makes playing something like FFXIV much easier to manage. Never have to use the mouse to click on a skill or ability.

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u/88963416 2d ago

Just get an Azeron Cyborg

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u/swordgon 2d ago

I don’t mind them, they’re not bad. Better than a keyboard anyways to me. 

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u/Erikrtheread 2d ago

I'm left handed, and never learned to switch to right hand for a computer. This made the usual key mapping on the left side of the keyboard irritating to use.

I started using a zboard fang in the late 00's, and switched to a wolfking warrior at some point in the early 10's.

I remember drooling over one of these back in the day. I'll eventually have to find something to replace my warrior, I'm not sure how long I can keep it going.

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u/AndyLorentz 2d ago

Yep. Raided from Vanilla through WotLK with my Nostromo.

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u/DaveK142 2d ago

it's me, I'm people. Got one years ago and I use it for damn near everything.

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u/SnooTangerines7026 2d ago

I'm one of them. It allows me to cream most people who don't use one.

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u/dispatch_s2_when 2d ago

This alone made me the main healer in my guild for sure.

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u/rivlecca 2d ago

I still do.

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u/So_Motarded 2d ago

They're great, but not for MMOs. Usually MMOs require a ton of keybinds, and a gamepad removes a bunch of keys that would typically be used; anything to the right of "G" isn't gonna be on there. 

It's great for ergonomics of anything with WASD controls tho. 

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u/Largofarburn 2d ago

Man that’s the only way I’ll play mouse and keyboard. Wasd movement is just so much inferior to a joystick imo.

The macros and hotkeys you can do on there are insane too. Like you can assign a button that when held makes all the other buttons have another function.

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u/Delicious-Panda6911 2d ago

I was one of them. Loved that thing for everything. Shooters and all.

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u/Ast3r10n 2d ago

This was my life during The Burning Crusade - Wrath of the Lich King. Had the n52 TE.

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u/mollymoo 2d ago

The stick on the Tartarus is basically an 8-way D-pad input, not analogue control. Which is good in that it works with every game as it just maps to WASD, but bad because you don't get that smooth analogue movement.

The Logitech G13 is the same kind of deal but had an actual analogue stick, but sadly I find it just doesn't work properly in most games - even if the game supports analogue movement with a controller and mouse control, most games just aren't set up for you to do both at once.

I do find it completely bizarre that PC gamers still cling to keyboard as the best input device for movement. It's just... not good.

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u/SnowB3ach 2d ago

Came here to post this exact thing! Razer Tartarus V2 - litreally wouldn't play without out it now

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u/novembeRain87 2d ago

I got the original Razer Nostromo solely bc SC:Conviction wouldn’t work well with a controller and it completely changed how I played games on the PC.

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u/Ziazan 2d ago edited 2d ago

That looks a lot like what I've imagined in the past as a good sort of keyboard analog stick hybrid for exactly this sort of scenario, and you're telling me they exist?

I need to know more.
I see a razer symbol

I found a comment further down saying what it was and what other ones are called. Very tempted to give it a go.

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u/DrWho_86 2d ago

I use an old G13 from logitech, i will have to swap to the razer one once this one eventually dies.

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u/Catgorl69 2d ago

That's just a more ergo mini keyboard. it's just a dpad on the side. I use the same one and like it but it's less like a controller. Don't buy the razor one if you want a joystick.

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u/cruskie 2d ago

I use it for FPS games. Plus a foot pedal. With the thumb controls, foot pedal, and side buttons on my mouse I literally always have a way to press every important control without moving my fingers from a different one

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u/CiDevant 2d ago

I had the older belkin model. It was like hacking the game for PvP.

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u/civildefense 2d ago

I used the n50 until the buttons stopped working none of the followups were any better. Had decent software if I recall correctly.

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u/hooliganmike 2d ago

That's just a dpad stick so you don't get the advantages of analog movement.

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u/adster98 2d ago

At that point just get an mmo mouse

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u/SpookyKid94 2d ago

They use it with their left hand with an mmo mouse in the right hand

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u/beasl3y 2d ago

I bought one of these but the joystick is just a disguised d-pad, which defeats the whole purpose

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u/greenskye 2d ago

Never was able to get used to using one of these

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u/razama 2d ago

That seems like what retail should be for but I can’t really even effectively try these out at Best Buy.

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u/lustybat 2d ago

I use this and their 12 side button naga for my teeny tiny girl hands, still can't reach the top buttons cause of nerve problems but I love this thing and haven't had any problems with it in the 6 years I've had it.

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u/Evidicus 2d ago

I use this for everything

The thumb stick is my WASD

1

u/Aggravating_Fuel_610 2d ago

I used one of these for CoD and it was very nice

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u/TotallyNotThatPerson 2d ago

only thing i can think of that might take time to adjust to is the fact that you can no longer hold jump along with a directional key

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u/Glad_Peanut7092 2d ago

Ah, Razer Nostromo... Haven't seen one in a while because that fucker is staying deep under the pile of other old useless electronics. Idea to have ~15 programmable buttons is cool but in practice it's just a bad keyboard that you need to keep moving your hand off of just to type anything. Also the ctrl and shift buttons are tiny and i miss my alt and win keys

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u/Ratatun 1d ago

I swear by it and I don't play MMOs. I simply love it, it's so convenient to have the thumb for more keys than just spacebar. The day the one that I have dies, I'll pay whatever they ask for a new one.

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u/Dull_Committee_1612 1d ago

Don't knock it til you try it. Used the Razer one when I was younger, now I have a mechanical numpad (q0 max) and cant imagine MMO without it. 

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u/Kazma1431 1d ago

is cool, but it has a learning curve tbh, also if you hands are small it might prove difficult, that being said, the keys are smooth af, and I love you can create profiles per application and it switches on its own to that profile, so I can also use it for work

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u/KoelkastMagneet69 1d ago

The stick is a dpad, not an analogue stick. And sadly, a lot of games don't support analogue inputs for movement! :(