First time console owner(Xbox)-controller acclimation? (1 Viewer)

[KevinHunt]

I've never owned a console before, not including the Atari 2600 whenever that was(early 80s?) I've just purchased the Xbox with Halo and NFL Fever 2002 so far. Ofcourse I started right off with Halo in easy mode. Now.... I've played many a FPS shooter on the PC of the likes of Halflife, Quake 1-3, Unreal and UT, Counterstrike, all HL mods etc, etc. I've spent a few hours now trying to get the hang of using the microsoft controller with all variations of modes(default, SP, legendary) default pitch, inverted pitch etc, and I can't for the life of me get accostomed to the controls. The keyboard and mouse is a little slice of heaven in contrast. Moving back and forth is easy enough, but trying to rotate right and left and aiming is killing me. My look sensitivity is currently 3. Is 2 too sluggish or will it allow for more precise aiming of weapons? The look pitch is what really gets me. Whichever configuration I use, when I want to look up, I go down and vice versa. You all know how frustrating this can be. Any advice for a former PC gamer or do I just keep practicing until I can vanquish the keyboard and mouse mindset? Thanks in advance.

 

[Rob Varto]

Well, until MS releases a peripheral for us FPS gamers, you're just going to have to get used to the clumsy controls. I can't stand them either. I know people say that they get used to it, and you might, to a point. For me, give me a mouse and a keyboard and I'll be in Halo heaven. Even still, Halo is awesome but the controls are a downer.

 

[Leroy]

Kevin,
It took me a bit to get accustomed too, although I had previous experience with Q3A on the Dreamcast (I ended up getting the mouse/keyboard for it ).
I have my look sensitivity set to 10(the max.) Also, what really helped me was using the d-pad rather than the analog stick for movement as it gives you more exact left right movement for circle strafing. I use the analog stick when I need to crouch and creep along from time to time.
After a hour or so of just ruinning around to practice I became quite accurate. Just practice and you'll get the hang of it. Fells totally natural to me now.

 

[Chris Bardon]

I'd had some experience with similar controls on Medal of Honor for Playstation, so Halo's scheme was completely natural. I shifted the sensitivity down to 2, which makes things a little sluggish, but more accurate as well. I found that the learning curve was no worse than learning to use the KB/Mouse combo at first, and I think that I might actually like the Halo scheme better now. Great game...

 

[KevinHunt]

Well let me see a survey of what controller and button layouts ya'll have chosen to play Halo with. I'm currently default and default respectively. Maybe I'm a freak. I'm right handed but some things I do strictly left handed. I'm not fully ambidextrious, but some would say I am. It makes the different layouts hard to choose. They all have their advantages and disadvantages and I can't seem to get comfortable. I'll just keep practicing and maybe change controller and button layouts depending on the majority response here. Scratch that, just controller layouts. Buttons are easy. Thanks. Leroy, you da man with sensitivity at 10. I'd be like grand mals seizure master chief out there.

 

[Jay H]

Since Halo is probably my first FPS game I've played since Doom, and I also just got Return to Castle Wolfenstein for the PC for xmas along with Halo, I'm new to both the keyboard/mouse combo and the Xbox controller. In Halo, I'm currently using the inverted flight control as well as the inverted aiming controls for the right thumbstick. I think I am now fairly adept at both although the mouse/keyboard is the more natural of the two. The problem with the mouse/keyboard seems to be when in combat the jump left/jump right is real handy but when not in combat, you need to be able to turn left/turn right, the keyboard kind of makes it awkward, at least that's how it is in RtCW, for me. I tried changing the controls to make the right and left arrow the jump keys with the up and down being forward/reverse and use the mouse to turn but I never got used to it.
Playing HALO, I do really miss the peek left/peek right command like in RtCW although they do give you a scanner in Halo.
Jay

 

[JustinT]

I have not had a hard time adjusting to the control schemes for Halo, since I had lots of experience playing Goldeneye on N64.

I find that the Southpaw control scheme with the inverted view works the best for me. (for inverted, go to advanced options and select invert thumbstick). This consists of aiming with the left thumbstick (like in Goldeneye) and moving around with the right thumbstick. I would say that about 90% of my friends prefer this control scheme as well.

The only difficult part about this control scheme is that some people have a hard time reaching the buttons while moving. I have big hands so it isn't a problem for me. I can use my right thumb while moving to hit the 'A' and 'X' buttons, and I use my right index finger for the other buttons.

You should really pick one scheme that feels the most comfortable and just spend a few hours learning how to use the controls. If you go back and forth between control types it will be difficult to learn. The most important thing to learn with the controls is getting good at strafing while aiming. You can practice this by strafing left and right while trying to keep the marker on a single spot.

Personally, I love the controls, and really don't have a preference between my MS controller and Mouse/keyboard. Just give the controls some time and you should start to feel comfortable with them.