20 replies to this topic

[Buckminster]

So I've been a fairly die hard joystick & mouse guy with MWO. Joystick off hand for movement, mouse for aiming. I'm thinking that it may be time to upgrade the mouse to something a little more purpose built for gaming, as a replacement for my current two button.

It's also had me rethinking my controls as a whole. Looking at mice, they seem to cover a broad range - from the basic 5 buttons up to 20+ buttons. So before I buy, I'm looking at what commands in MWO that I would want at my fingertips, to make sure that I get a mouse that covers it all.

My current setup:
Joystick buttons:

• Hat switch - zoom, advanced zoom, thermal and night visions
  
• Trigger - weapons group 3
  
• Thumb1 - weapons group 4
  
• Thumb2 - jump jets
  
• Thumb3 - target lock

Mouse:

• LMB - weapons group 1
  
• RMB - weapons group 2

So fairly useful, but I feel like I'm missing out on some stuff. I don't have an ECM toggle, and I'd like to be able to pull up the battle map. So here's the controls I'm thinking I'd like to have:

• show target overlay ('q')
  
• free look (left ctrl)
  
• override shutdown ('o')
  
• weapons group 5
  
• toggle ECM ('j')
  
• show battlemap ('b')
  
• show scoreboard ('tab')

and maybe:

• UAV
  
• artillery strike
  
• air strike
  
• weapon door toggle
  
• weapons group 6

I figure I can leave the chat keys where they're at, since I'll need to use the keyboard to chat anyway.


So it looks like I really need a minimum of 10 buttons, but there's a part of me that feels that's overkill. What are other people doing? Any commands that you feel are invaluable? What's a good mouse?

Edited by Buckminster, 28 January 2014 - 05:39 AM.

[Bront]

The Naga or Hex from Razor are popular and give you numerous options. I have a somewhat simple Asus gaming mouse with 2 thumb buttons I use for weapons 3 and 4, which freed up some control numbers on the keyboard (Which I used for UAV and strikes)

I'd personally use my mouse for most of my weapons needs, and use the joystick for the piloting and information controls. So move all your weapons and strikes to the mouse, and the other stuff on your stick.

Edited by Bront, 18 December 2013 - 06:48 AM.

[Fang01]

If you are on a budget, hit up ebay and search for a "ajazz ray eagle" Its a five button adjustable dpi gaming mouse out of china and the value is unbeatable. I got mine for $6 shipped and its been kicking *** for 4 or so months of solid nightly use. No failures, no blemishes, and unlike some other cheapos it registers multiple key presses at once.

Edited by Khajja nar Jatargk, 18 December 2013 - 08:17 AM.

[Zordicron]

I read bad reviews on the Hex from Razer, but saw good ones for the naga. IMO, it was too damn many buttons, and i like buttons.

I bought Roccat Kone XTD. The software allows for tons of custimization and calibration, and can do macros. I havent made any macros yet to try that part of it- MWO doesnt seem to need any. Ilike it because it fits in my hand pretty well, and the buttons are nice. There is the typical left and right, and a thumb. There is the wheel, and wheel also goes left and right, so there are 3 "clickable" wheel buttons. Below wheel is another button, but it is awkward to use. In front of wheel is a plus/minus pair of buttons used to adjust DPI on the fly, which you can set custom levels for in the software. Nice for going from lights to assaults, or game to game.

Additional thumb button on side is a "switch" which allows you to have left click as one thing, nd then when you hold down "switch button" on the side, left click can do another function. I prefer this functionallity to having 20 buttons like the naga, as left clicking is easier then hunting down the one button IMO.

So far it has been a good quality mouse for me, and adapted well to my 1998 mouse pad(it has a gel wrist pad, ooooo!!!) after i calibrated it, so i didnt need to fork out 20 bucks for fancy gaming mouse pad to go with hypr sensitive gaming mouse.

plus it has fancy changing lights on it.

[SaltBeef]

I am gonna get that razor need weapon group 3 and 4.

[Modo44]

No need to buy Razer disposable products. The Logitech G602 is out.

[sneeking]

I use belkin n52te and logitec 5button wireless ( one of those darkfield jobs that even works on glass top tables ) keyboard sits in between those ( k800 backlit wireless )

apart from the n52 its just my normal surfing gear, mines a lounge room system hooked up to sixty inch display. also have a projector for special occasions but hardly use that in summer here its way too hot.

[Buckminster]

I'm trying to keep the mouse at a budget price. $50 was what I was thinking, but $80 doesn't seem like much of a stretch, especially if it gets me what I want.

I have to admit that the Hex looks nice - I like the 6 thumb buttons on the side - I think I have to agree that the Naga just looks like too many buttons. Although the Kones look decent too... the XTD may be more than I was looking to spend, but some of the other models seem to fit the bill.

[Bront]

FYI, I have this mouse. It's not bad, supports macros, is accurate, and works for office and gaming apps. My only "complaint": is that the DPI adjustment only cycles one way, and I'd love for it to be able to switch between 2 different modes. Given I got the mouse as a gift, and the first time I've found any "complaint" about it is nearly 3 years later, I think I'm ok.

[TamCoan]

I've been using the Naga Epic for the past few years and love it. The buttons take awhile to get used to but once you are comfortable with it, pretty easy to toggle through.

The new logitech looks nice too. Logitech is a master of battery life, always impressed with the amount of time those things run. (I use wireless logitech mouse and keyboard at work.) Altough I'm a sucker for lights so I'm sticking with the naga.

[Kai Harper]

I use a Logitech G500s, myself - has 3 side buttons, right, left, and mid click, and adjustable DPI - I find that all of my firing solutions work just fine on that. I try to keep weapon groups at only 3 total in my loadouts though, and use chainfire to differentiate between them. I'd take awhile to adjust to six + thumb buttons, just because I've gotten used to this one. I'm pretty sure if I wanted to, I could squeeze ECM and battlemap on there, since those are the two most out of the way keys on the board to hit relative to everything else. Anyway, just my thoughts. =)

[der baer fm]

One thing that is important when considering a mouse: Try it out.
Unfortunately hands are not the same size on everyone. go to a shop and try if you can reach the buttons easily and comfortably, if the mouse is not to large or to small.

I used a R.A.T. 9 for a while and found the adaptability great. Unfortunately it did not last long enough for the high price - the buttons wore out and became unreliable - very irritating. It was very hard to clean as well.
My Logitech G600 is a great mouse, lots of buttons, well made. But: It is not to compatible with my hand, the many buttons leave no place for my thumb to rest, so I often accidentally press a button when i don't want to. The second right mouse button for the little finger I found awkward to use.

I tried out a couple of mice in a shop and in the end am quite happy with the G602 which I gifted my self for Christmas.

Oh, one more thing: More buttons is only more good if you are able to use them fast and can reliably hit the right one without having to look. In the End the G600 really had to many buttons in a (relatively) small area.

Edited by der baer fm, 21 December 2013 - 05:25 PM.

[Petard]

Was gonna buy a Razer Naga Hex, but after reading this thread, and having had great satisfaction from all of my Logitech gear.....Love my new G602, performs well, and the button placement works well for me. Thanks Modo44....

[Buckminster]

I have a Logitech for the wireless trackball with my lappy, and I'm happy with it. But a big part of me really likes the placement of the buttons on the Hex. I really need to get to Best Buy or something and see if I can get my hands on one.

[1453 R]

Gonna throw out a recommendation for the basic Naga, actually. I have cats, so wired equipment is a must, and given that Logitech hates me and anyone else who needs cords - and also given that for me, Logitech has all the reliability and 'disposable Razer' problems everyone accuses Razer of - I went for the Naga. Have not once regretted it since, nor have I had any problems with the mouse in the year since I've gotten it.

That keypad under the thumb looks intimidating as all get-out, but I caught on to using it within a week. It's great, because the buttons are stiff enough for your thumb to rest lightly over them without ever having to worry about a mispress, but they're not so stiff that they become difficult to use without a punch hammer. And it gets a significant percentage of my game controls comfortably under my fingers, WHERE THEY BELONG. Ahem: longtime console gamer. Keyboards are NOT proper gaming interfaces.

I use my Naga alongside an old Nostromo keypad I inherited from my brother when he joined the Army, and frankly that control set-up is the only reason I can tolerate playing PC games as often as I do these days. I have to rebind my controls from scratch in every single game I play, but it's a small price to pay for having every bind I need comfortably under my thumbs instead of spread across half a desk. If your joystick ever cracks, take a look at those keypads. I really recommend them for any kind of gaming, not just MWO.

[WM Wraith]

I was in your same boat back in October last year.

My solution after trying most of the top listed gaming mice (and a few of the cheap amazon chinese imports) on the market and returning them I finally decided on a hybrid approach.

I chose the Thermaltake Level 10 M Gaming Mouse paired with a Logitech G13 gaming pad.

link

and

link

Took me a few days to weeks to get used to the mouse (I am a claw grip mouse gamer), and once I did, my scores went up, accuracy went up, emjoyment of the game went up. The best of the reviews on Amazon got it right, the negatives for me proved to be wrong.

Pairing this with a Logitech gaming pad made the mouse easier since I did not have to remember 20 buttons on a mouse, and put the familiar and necessary keys easily in reach in the programmable space the G13 provided.

Have not regretted these two purchases in any way. Highly recommend both.

Edited by CyBerWraith, 04 January 2014 - 08:33 AM.

[p8ragon]

Use a g500s as well. Use the thumb buttons for weapon groups 3-5

You don't need no naga ********. (Well some people might, but personally I get confused by all the frigging thumb buttons )

[slash b slash]

Use either this:


Or if that's not enough buttons for you, use this:

[Selfish]

I look for:

• Wired
  
• Optical (doesn't require specialized mats)
  
• No Hardware Acceleration, or ability to toggle it off
  
• Durable

You will be hard pressed to find a mouse that gets all those things. You need to research your sensors, the mouse hardware, and just pick one that's 'near' the perfect mouse. Don't fall for sales traps like high DPI. You only need a high DPI if you're using massive resolutions or specialty setups, but even the base variants of mice these days have enough DPI to cover that. Wireless has come a long way, but it's still prone to more possible disruption than wired (interference, battery, cats).


I'm currently using a near decade old MX518 and will probably upgrade into a G400 if it ever decides to break. My only gripe with the mouse is that even in the G400 it still has hardware fixed angle-snapping, so it's a hindrance if you edit images, use CAD's, etc. In spite of that, I'd take angle-snapping over acceleration any day.

[SolCrusher]

I like my naga http://www.razerzone...ice/razer-naga/

It works great and you have 12 buttons on the side. It took me a bit to get use to having 12 buttons, but now I have zoom, override, weapons group 3,4,5 on the side. I've been thinking about using other buttons. Heck the scroll wheel is 4 buttons altogether. I honestly only need my mouse and directional control on the keyboard. This mouse would be great to combine with a joystick and forgo touching the keyboard altogether.