The fifth installment in Bethesda's Elder Scrolls franchise is set in the eponymous province of Skyrim, where the ancient threat of dragons, led by the sinister Alduin, is rising again to threaten all mortal races. Only the player, as the prophesied hero the Dovahkiin, can save the world from destruction.
As soon as my last final is done I'm so setting that up before I go on my week long Skyrim bender. I've played over 100 hours on the vanilla UI, but even after getting used to it, it is still awful. This looks so good.
Isn't it stupid you can't sort by weight to begin with? Anyway yeah make this work for controllers and hot damn, we are in business!
You're playing Skyrim on PC with a controller?
It feels much better with a controller.
Aiming the highly-sensitive physics-bound bow at a gang of frantic enemies mid action is better with a rubber stick moved with your thumb than a plastic mouse held in your hand? Same question goes for looting small items crowding a table and having to pick between them carefully? like a bunch of coins laying there? What about when you're shooting a straight line of fire into a moving enemy and trying not to let it touch your lunging horse?
Browsing a small menu every time you want to switch to a specific weapon during a heated battle is better than having 8 keys dedicated to 8 items?
Browsing a small menu every time you want to switch to a specific weapon during a heated battle is better than having 8 keys dedicated to 8 items?
I agree with you, but I will say that, as a PC user, I prefer the favorite menu to the hotkeys.
Watching you fight must be a real treat.. Switching from bow to mace when the enemies approach you, switching to the zombie staff to conjure one you just killed and then to a two-handed battleaxe to take on a powerful enemy, only to go back to the bow to finish off a couple of distant ones.
Browsing a small menu every time you want to switch to a specific weapon during a heated battle is better than having 8 keys dedicated to 8 items?
I agree with you, but I will say that, as a PC user, I prefer the favorite menu to the hotkeys.
Watching you fight must be a real treat.. Switching from bow to mace when the enemies approach you, switching to the zombie staff to conjure one you just killed and then to a two-handed battleaxe to take on a powerful enemy, only to go back to the bow to finish off a couple of distant ones. I didn't even mention the destruction spells.
Nah, I just need my two hander or sword and board (depends on my mood) for all of those situations. And even if I am switching between shit, the favorite menu is pretty fast with the mouse wheel.
@AhmadMetallic: Yeah, it really isn't that bad. This game doesn't require super precise aiming, and what this is asking of you is nothing more difficult than any other console game has done. Playing with a controller is fine, I prefer it, even with the ui change.
@AhmadMetallic: You're playing a console port on PC with mouse and keyboard?!
Oh hey, it's my favorite new-found Giant Bomb troll! He helped us drive them away and then he started missing them so much he took their place.
Did you read the post? here: @AhmadMetallic said:
@Gargantuan said:
@AhmadMetallic said:
@wolf_blitzer85 said:
Isn't it stupid you can't sort by weight to begin with? Anyway yeah make this work for controllers and hot damn, we are in business!
You're playing Skyrim on PC with a controller?
It feels much better with a controller.
Aiming the highly-sensitive physics-bound bow at a gang of frantic enemies mid action is better with a rubber stick moved with your thumb than a plastic mouse held in your hand? Same question goes for looting small items crowding a table and having to pick between them carefully? like a bunch of coins laying there? What about when you're shooting a straight line of fire into a moving enemy and trying not to let it touch your lunging horse? Browsing a small menu every time you want to switch to a specific weapon during a heated battle is better than having 8 keys dedicated to 8 items?
^ I'm counting 3-4 things that are done better with M+KB, much better. So yes, I'm playing a console port on PC with M+KB because while the controller gives me 9/10 quality controlling, M+KB gives me 12/10. While you're at it, answer my queston to Gargantuan. Bow? Small item pick-looting? Hotkeys?
@AhmadMetallic: Honestly, why do you care what other people like to use for input methods? I've played a lot with both and I like the controller better. Its not about what is the most precise and efficient way to play, its which one is more fun. Skyrim is not a twitch first person shooter.
@AhmadMetallic: Honestly, why do you care what other people like to use for input methods?
I don't care in a "fuckin' controller assholes!!" kinda way, but rather "That's interesting, they choose the, to me, seemingly, inferior input method, and I'm curious to know why they made that choice." I'm only discussing the two input methods in relation to Skyrim out of curiosity about people's choices.
I've played a lot with both and I like the controller better.
That's interesting. Could you address the several examples I gave though? You choose the comfort of the controller over the precision of mid-action bow aiming, "micro" looting, and multiple weapon hotkeys to switch between instantly during deadly battles?
Skyrim is not a twitch first person shooter.
M+KB are not only better for FPSes. That was an unnecessary derogatory comment.
@AhmadMetallic: Honestly, why do you care what other people like to use for input methods?
I don't care in a "fuckin' controller assholes!!" kinda way, but rather "That's interesting, they choose the, to me, seemingly, inferior input method, and I'm curious to know why they made that choice." I'm only discussing the two input methods in relation to Skyrim out of curiosity about people's choices.
I've played a lot with both and I like the controller better.
That's interesting. Could you address the several examples I gave though? You choose the comfort of the controller over the precision of mid-action bow aiming, "micro" looting, and multiple weapon hotkeys to switch between instantly during deadly battles?
Skyrim is not a twitch first person shooter.
M+KB are not only better for FPSes. That was an unnecessary derogatory comment.
Micro-looting, macro-archery, micro-archery, friendly-fire avoidance, and counter-momentum-stopping weapon/magic/power switching are all vastly superiour on a controller due to the guaranteed comfort and precision that frankly a mouse and keyboard can't come close to providing. It's a wonder they still produce them.
Word processing, programming, minesweeper, whatever your task might be, it is functionally more better to do so with an analog-stick-equipped controller on your personal computationing device application.
@AhmadMetallic: Sorry, you did come off as a "fuckin' controller assholes" kind of guy to me. But yes I'd love to elaborate. I think the examples you gave were great examples of the strengths of using a mouse. Bows and destruction magic are just more precise with it and that comes in handy when you have a companion/minion fighting someone and you don't wanna miss your target.
And hotkeys, oh hotkeys. Two is not nearly enough and I do miss having 8. Although I must say pausing the action in the favorites menu does come in handy sometimes. It is a good time to assess the situation and form a strategy when you have to snow bears barreling toward you.
The "micro" looting isn't really a great excuse though, when picking up gold with a controller all you have to do is put the cursor over one and keep hitting A and it will pick them all up individually without moving. And I have zero issue picking up potions, books etc.
Honestly the reason I prefer the controller is because it just feels better. I like the rumble feedback when charging up a spell and pulling triggers to attack. It just more satisfying to me. When I die in Skyrim its not because I was fumbling with the controls or because they weren't precise enough. I die because I run into a room of 4 expert mages and I my shit rocked because I wasn't prepared.
@AhmadMetallic: You're such a fundamentalist. There are echos of a certain Hitman in your flawed opinion stated as irrefutable facts.
Haha, nice try. Not only am I being friendly and stating that I'm curious, stressing that M+KB are "to me, seemingly" better (to show that I acknowledge it as a personal opinion only, rather than a fact), but I'm actually using multiple mechanicsfrom the game to back up my claims.
I wonder how you'll turn this around this time, rather than, you know, actually discussing (crazy right?) the game mechanics and input devices intelligently. Troll skill leveled up!
@TheHT said:
Micro-looting, macro-archery, micro-archery, friendly-fire avoidance, and counter-momentum-stopping weapon/magic/power switching
Let me stop you there and applaud your wording. Amazing!
.. are all vastly superiour on a controller due to the guaranteed comfort and precision that frankly a mouse and keyboard can't come close to providing.
Yes, "they are better" totally discusses actual in-real-time game handling. Not sure if serious?
Word processing, programming, minesweeper, whatever your task might be, it is functionally more better to do so with an analog-stick-equipped controller on your personal computationing device application.
@AhmadMetallic: I have no problem using bows and magic with a controller. If you're having trouble picking up small items then you're in no position to argue about controller vs mouse and keyboard.
@AhmadMetallic: Sorry, you did come off as a "fuckin' controller assholes" kind of guy to me. But yes I'd love to elaborate.
Yeah, I give the wrong impression sometimes. My bad!
I think the examples you gave were great examples of the strengths of using a mouse. Bows and destruction magic are just more precise with it and that comes in handy when you have a companion/minion fighting someone and you don't wanna miss your target.
And hotkeys, oh hotkeys. Two is not nearly enough and I do miss having 8.
My point exacty
Honestly the reason I prefer the controller is because it just feels better. I like the rumble feedback when charging up a spell and pulling triggers to attack. It just more satisfying to me. When I die in Skyrim its not because I was fumbling with the controls or because they weren't precise enough. I die because I run into a room of 4 expert mages and I my shit rocked because I wasn't prepared.
Fair enough! You're free to enjoy your preferred devices, I was just curious. Personally, I just can't endure it when I'm aiming the bow/switching weapons with the controller, KNOWING that I could be doing this much better and quicker with M+KB. I mean, it's only normal to desire the better option when it's possible. But if it irritates me, doesn't mean it should irritate everybody.
On-topic, the new inventory interface is AMAZING! I love the search bar, just type in "pelt" in there and boom it shows up. Installing it was a little tricky though.
The so called mechanics you list don't have any impact on the actual game. They're all tiny based upon tiny tweaks to the mouse, which doesn't matter in this game. As others have stated, if you cannot pull these things off with a controller, it's your own ineptitude. You keep talking like this is Battlefield where you need uber control to get the jump on dudes and shoot them in the back, when instead you need merely to have a dude on your screen to hit him when he's in melee range. Even eight isn't enough hotkeys to play pause-free and still have your entire repertoire available. All of the "mechanics" you list might be necessary for you, but others don't have the same issues you seem to.
The mods have told me to flag your insults instead of responding directly to them.
@AhmadMetallic: Really though, personal preference is often comfort based, not only because of any technical advantage. Most people aren't equally proficient with a controller and a M+KB so there's an inclination towards one over the over solely because they're better with their choice. So sometimes the comfort stems from that.
Those who are able to use either though might consider situations like those you've presented and decide one to provide a greater level of control, but again, that doesn't necessarily guide personal preference, given it's tendency to consider comfort centrally, a factor that surely none would argue varies from person to person.
Although, if someone was actually equally proficient with both controller and M+KB, those situations would really be executed with equal effectiveness, making the preference, if there is any for someone like this, always only a matter of comfort.
@AhmadMetallic: That does sound pretty awesome. The vanilla inventory browsing, while much better than Oblivion's, still left something to be desired. I might have to check that out.
@TheHT: If it was possible to use a controller in one hand and a mouse in the other, I probably would. But Bethesda has the input method hard coded to be mutually exclusive. Instead I choose to sacrifice the twitch accuracy of the mouse for the smooth roll of the analog movement. It has nothing to do with proficiency.
Got this a couple days ago and it's definitely a ton better. Only downsides are that the "sort by weight," etc. settings don't save for the next time you open the inventory, and that the mod only has an effect on the actual inventory screen, not for shop menus or loot menus. It's a work in progress, though, with much to come. Also, it's still a ton better than default.
@TheHT: Now that I think about it, I suppose a few factors in my decision fall into that category. I wanted to avoid frustrating stuff like cursor lag in menus (has been an issue since Fallout 3), haptic feedback feels cool, and this is a lean-back type of game.
Just wanted to point out I'm playing it with a controller because I have my PC running through HDMI to my 46 inch tv. Skyrim is a game where long sessions are a regular thing, and the fact I can sit on my couch next to my girlfriend within my kick ass sound system, and still enjoy amazing visuals is very much pleasing to me. I have played over 100 hours of the game as a full mage and aiming my destruction magic or going through my quick select menu has been the least of my troubles. Also the menu feels so much more natural (albeit still uncomfortable to use) with a controller over mouse and keyboard.
Bottom line, big ass tv, sound system, lady, and comfy couch beats out my desk any day.
Also to be actually on topic, the inventory mod along with the better sorting mod have been complete godsends. Now I actually know how many dragon claws I have and it doesn't look like I puked potions into my inventory. I can't wait until they do the magic menu. Also I just beat the main quest, so I feel that modding is go! The skyrim nexus download manager is making this way too easy, so I'm going see how far I can push the game until I break it from too many mods. It's my own weird metagame that I like to do with ES games once I spent a good amount of time in Vanilla.
Now it looks like this:
There's a dynamic UI mod that shuts off the HUD when you don't really need it. Makes for better screenshots and not having to keep turning the HUD on and off. As long as people are having fun with the game, that's all that really matters. Who cares how they play it?
@FunExplosions: I know it's already been linked, but this wonderful mod ( http://www.skyrimnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=2730) at least cleans up merchant and loot menus in a way that makes sense. Makes selling stuff way less tedious.
Also to be actually on topic, the inventory mod along with the better sorting mod have been complete godsends. Now I actually know how many dragon claws I have and it doesn't look like I puked potions into my inventory. I can't wait until they do the magic menu. Also I just beat the main quest, so I feel that modding is go! The skyrim nexus download manager is making this way too easy, so I'm going see how far I can push the game until I break it from too many mods. It's my own weird metagame that I like to do with ES games once I spent a good amount of time in Vanilla.
Now it looks like this:
There's a dynamic UI mod that shuts off the HUD when you don't really need it. Makes for better screenshots and not having to keep turning the HUD on and off.
I don't understand, if you have the option to turn the HUD off for screenshots and then back on to play the game, why would you use a mod that disables it?
@Afroman269 said:
I'm using a gamepad to play the PC version of Skyrim because I can.
@AhmadMetallic: I get were you're coming from, but just try not to stress yourself over something so small, because you are coming off as crazy, which your not.
And as for the hiding the UI thing, it's because, this is personal use I don't know what other people use it for, but I like the immersion. You know that feeling of actually being there.
@AhmadMetallic: I get were you're coming from, but just try not to stress yourself over something so small, because you are coming off as crazy, which your not.
Haha, yeah, sometimes when I'm discussing things, in an absolutely curious and friendly manner, I come off as aggressive, stressing out and what not. Then after seeing people's reactions I'm like "What? Are we reading the same posts?" I guess I can be a little.. imposing with my posts, too enthusiastic with my opinions, which occasionally sends the wrong message and amplifies my words.
So to be clear, I don't hate controllers, I use my Dualshock 3 for many games and I love it. I was curious as to why someone would choose a controller for a game that partially depends of precisions and a lot of weapon swapping and looting.
@AhmadMetallic: I don't know if you're aware of this, or maybe it's different when in mouse mode, but you don't have to aim at every single coin to pick them up from a table. That's a null point.
I don't understand, if you have the option to turn the HUD off for screenshots and then back on to play the game, why would you use a mod that disables it?
It's not just for screenshots. It's mostly for when I want to explore around and take in the scenery without having a HUD. However when combat comes along, I ready my spells or bow or do something that takes stamina, my aiming reticule turns back on so I can get right into the thick of it. After 30 seconds of inactivity (i.e. walking around) the compass and reticule fade away leaving uninterrupted visuals. Your compass turns on when you sprint, and also when you sneak. Dragon shout cooldown still shows up on screen regardless.
Basically I really wanted a Dynamic HUD and this delivers it in the best way that I could find.
Isn't it stupid you can't sort by weight to begin with? Anyway yeah make this work for controllers and hot damn, we are in business!
You're playing Skyrim on PC with a controller?
It feels much better with a controller.
Aiming the highly-sensitive physics-bound bow at a gang of frantic enemies mid action is better with a rubber stick moved with your thumb than a plastic mouse held in your hand? Same question goes for looting small items crowding a table and having to pick between them carefully? like a bunch of coins laying there? What about when you're shooting a straight line of fire into a moving enemy and trying not to let it touch your lunging horse? Browsing a small menu every time you want to switch to a specific weapon during a heated battle is better than having 8 keys dedicated to 8 items?
The game is not that demanding. Playing the game with a controller is not difficult.
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