Posted 18 June 2012 - 11:23 PM
I've been playing computer games since the late 80s, action games starting with Doom II, and then all the iterations of quake/Call of Duty, etc. I've found that at the current time, having a dedicated gaming mouse is really a luxury, and an unneeded one at that. Back when I first started playing, a mouse was built around a rolling ball that detected movement. now laser and optical tracking technology have matured to the point where they never miss or skip movement.
ideally you should get a mouse that has laser and optical tracking, but if you only want one, make sure to pair a laser mouse with a textured surface or it won't track well; pair an optical mouse with a patterned surface. neither will work on clear glass.
other than that, i've been more than happy with a generic wireless 5 button doohickey i bought from Frys electronics. i like it better than the wired 5 button logitech i used to use. good weight, small size, long battery life (several months on a charge). if you need buttons that's what the keyboard is for. you almost never find a situation where, between your mouse and kb, you'll run out of buttons. you don't need to blow a ton of money on a gaming mouse; if you're on a budget (and it sounds like you are) all you need is a mouse that has a scroll wheel, 5ish buttons, and works reliably. i bought mine for like $25 i believe. I'll splurge on a rock solid KB and other equipment, but i feel a fancy gaming mouse is just money wasted.
really, i think the more important investment is for a good gaming mousepad. it should allow fluid movement while not being too floaty, and has a surface your mouse can track reliably. i haven't checked the current options, but that's only because i've been completely happy with my oversized Everglide pad; smooth yet with enough texture to stop the mouse from sliding around like a hockey puck. a friend of mine loves that floatiness but it bugs the **** out of me.
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