XCOM: Enemy Unknown
Game » consists of 19 releases. Released Oct 09, 2012
- PC
- Xbox 360
- PlayStation 3
- Xbox 360 Games Store
- + 8 more
- PlayStation Network (PS3)
- Mac
- iPad
- iPhone
- PlayStation Network (Vita)
- Android
- PlayStation Vita
- Linux
The classic tactical turn-based combat returns in this modern re-imagining of X-COM: UFO Defense.
KB&M or Gamepad?
The XCOM: Enemy Unkown demo is out on Steam. The game supports the 360 gamepad natively, as well as a proper KB&M interface with hotkeys et all. What interface device did you prefer?
I much prefer the gamepad. KB&M seemed too nervous. Since I've all the time in the world in a turnbased game, I don't need the split-second speed advantage of the KB&M setup - and the gamepad controls are well thought out and intuitive. At least for the combat centric content of the demo. Hopefully the management part will work equally well with the gamepad.
I've been playing turnbased strategy/tactics games with K&M since i started playing games so yeah K&M. Also the dexterity of shortcuts and menu navigation. TBS games are already slow enough, i don't want to slow them down even more with a gamepad. Speeding them up is the imperative for me.
@Seppli: How can you be nervous in a turn based strategy games, they are like about the most mellow slow paced genre there is. You play shooters ffs. o.O
@Tennmuerti said:
I've been playing turnbased strategy/tactics games with K&M since i started playing games so yeah K&M. Also the dexterity of shortcuts and menu navigation. TBS games are already slow enough, i don't want to slow them down even more with a gamepad. Speeding them up is the imperative for me.
@Seppli: How can you be nervous in a turn based strategy games, they are like about the most mellow slow paced genre there is. You play shooters ffs. o.O
With all the environmental elements fading in and out, when the mousecursor flying over the screen - the game's respond to my input is just too nervous for my taste. The picture becomes noisy. The movement jerky. I much prefer the smoothness of gamepad input, and the much cleaner picture. The gamepad is per default hotkey based, so there's really not much slowing down, other than cursor control.
I am not stressed out by the game per se, if that's what you've been getting out of my opening post.
I'll probably do I like have done with most other PC games that have gamepad support. Sometimes I'll play with a gamepad, sometimes with a KBM. It all depends on which one I feel like using at the moment (and whether or not the game in question is a multiplayer shooter - sorry, BF3, can't play that with a gamepad)
If I can, I'll generally choose Game-pad over the KB+M. I like the ability to recline in my chair and play the game comfortably. Playing a game for 3-4 hours straight tends to wear on the back when you're sitting up straight in a chair the entire time.
I tried both in the demo, and I think I prefer the gamepad. Keyboard and mouse is fine, but the controls just seem to have been put together with a gamepad first mentality.
Having said that, I'll be playing the full game on 360 anyway, but even if I was playing on PC, I'd still use a 360 controller.
I've just played through the LA mission and I went with the gamepad. I tried K&M until they told me to shoot. I don't know why, but I didn't like the keyboard controls and found the UI too spread out for a mouse. Or something. I dunno...
I restarted the game with a 360 controller and it was awesome. (Note: you can't change you control scheme during missions, which is a problem in the demo because of all the unskippable stuff.)
I've never played a single game where a controller was superior to a [properly supported] Keyboard+Mouse combo. Ever.
BAD ports, on the other hand...
@Delta_Ass: There's no standards to demos on PC, if you want standards then check out what Live does with demos and stuff. Each game is very different, Skyrim for instance is something closer to 3GB total, where as Max Payne is closer to... 30GB. a 500mb or 1GB demo of Max Payne would be like 1 room or something (hyperbole! Yay!). 1Gb demo of Skyrim would be hours, or could be.
What's your internet situation like, this demo took me under 20mins to grab at 5-6MB/S.
@Seppli:
I posted this in another thread. Try turning off vsync. (i also had framerate smoothing off) That completely fixed the mouse for me and made it go from a sluggish mess to a smooth buttery perfection after trying the demo for myself.
@Delta_Ass said:
Demos are now... 5.5 gigs? wtf...
Finally, we're in the fucking future!! It's exciting isn't it :D
I might try this with both. Keyboard and mouse seems more appropriate, but damn if I don't like sitting on my couch playing PC games with a controller.
I might mix it up depending on how serious I'm playing. Laying back on my couch with a controller for the casual game, hunched over a screen with a keyboard and mouse for the Ironman play through.
@Giantstalker said:
I've never played a single game where a controller was superior to a [properly supported] Keyboard+Mouse combo. Ever.
BAD ports, on the other hand...
Depends on the game I'd say, platformers like super meat boy always feel better with a controller even if keyboard and mouse are catered for properly.
@Terramagi said:
If the demo is anything to go by, the KB/M controls are fucking GARBAGE. It's like it's emulating a goddamn analog stick.
I'm actually really surprised the company that made fucking Civilization managed to fuck up mouse control.
I totally agree. Probably getting this on 360 instead of PC just because of those poor KB/M controls, (also I'll have more friends to play with on 360). Maybe if we're able to rebind some of the stuff to the extra mouse buttons (thumb buttons, etc), it might work for me.
@Giantstalker said:
I've never played a single game where a controller was superior to a [properly supported] Keyboard+Mouse combo. Ever.
BAD ports, on the other hand...
Street Fighter.
Assassin's Creed.
Burnout Paradise.
@Loafsmooch said:
@Terramagi said:
If the demo is anything to go by, the KB/M controls are fucking GARBAGE. It's like it's emulating a goddamn analog stick.
I'm actually really surprised the company that made fucking Civilization managed to fuck up mouse control.
I totally agree. Probably getting this on 360 instead of PC just because of those poor KB/M controls, (also I'll have more friends to play with on 360). Maybe if we're able to rebind some of the stuff to the extra mouse buttons (thumb buttons, etc), it might work for me.
Turn off vsync. Mouse will become super responsive and smooth.
With that i found the K&M controls to work perfectly. There are tons of shortcuts for all actions.
@Funkydupe: Yes a bit, when using the K&M you will see the old school Xcom grid around your cursor and the rectangular selection box. Also every UI action has a keyboard shortcut, you can tab between squaddies real fast, double tap a space bar for example to enter engage mode and then perform the shoot action.
@Tennmuerti said:
@Loafsmooch said:
@Terramagi said:
If the demo is anything to go by, the KB/M controls are fucking GARBAGE. It's like it's emulating a goddamn analog stick.
I'm actually really surprised the company that made fucking Civilization managed to fuck up mouse control.
I totally agree. Probably getting this on 360 instead of PC just because of those poor KB/M controls, (also I'll have more friends to play with on 360). Maybe if we're able to rebind some of the stuff to the extra mouse buttons (thumb buttons, etc), it might work for me.
Turn off vsync. Mouse will become super responsive and smooth.
With that i found the K&M controls to work perfectly. There are tons of shortcuts for all actions.
I always turn off vsync. It's not the responsiveness. It's how the interface works with the keyboard. It just feels designed for a gamepad, then ported over to PC.
@Loafsmooch: Yes I agree it feels that way (designed for controller first). But that did not impair it's functionality for me in any way, once i got the hang of the keyboard shortcuts. The K&M controls are far from "total garbage".
@Delta_Ass said:
Demos are now... 5.5 gigs? wtf...
You haven't seen any Total War demos recently have you? Several PC demos have been that size or larger in recent years. :P
As for the question itself- KB&M for me, since I don't have a 360 controller. >_>
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