Hardware Interface -- Keyboards and Mice - Page 18

Kuthumii · 10/31/08, 11:24 AM

I found this while reading through my copy of MaximumPC today.

OCZ Technology | Products | OCZ Peripherals | nia - Neural Impulse Actuator

You can get it here:

Newegg.com - OCZ OCZMSNIA Neural Impulse Actuator - PC Game Controllers

From the reviews I am wondering if this has any potential for any aspect of WoW. Seems like it would free up the mouse buttons for skills if you could move using it. Possibly even key some abilites to certain patterns.

Ay thoughts?

Kjallstrom · 10/31/08, 5:32 PM

Originally Posted by Kuthumii

I found this while reading through my copy of MaximumPC today.

OCZ Technology | Products | OCZ Peripherals | nia - Neural Impulse Actuator

From the reviews I am wondering if this has any potential for any aspect of WoW. Seems like it would free up the mouse buttons for skills if you could move using it. Possibly even key some abilites to certain patterns.

Any thoughts?

I saw a demo of a competing device (the Emotiv controller) at a Best Buy demo trailer. The woman running the demo said at first they're only supporting the one game included, and also added that the controller takes considerable "training time", since everyone's brain is laid out differently.

It sounded like it wouldn't work for anything other than "single-tasking" games, where you picture one sensation/emotion/idea in your head, which activates a particular brain region, which is then a "keybinding" for some in-game action. Given all of the visual/spatial processing going on in a game like WoW, I'd be surprised if these early examples of the tech are capable of distinguishing specific commands from all the background processing.

Octaviann · 11/01/08, 9:45 AM

I read a couple of reviews of similar items in PCGamer magazine, and they stated that the items are extremely oversensitive and very hard to use. For example, when the guy who reviewed one of them was playing a shooter, the first time he saw an enemy he was startled and twitched, causing the controller to fire his weapon, startling him further, and creating a feedback loop that emptied his clip into thin air. However, once he got the hang of it, he said that it was fun, but not refined enough yet to be a replacement for traditional control systems.

Grayson Carlyle · 11/04/08, 1:21 PM

I think the Roccat Kone is going to replace my G5 as next mouse of choice: Roccat Kone � Reviews - XSReviews.co.uk - Trusted Hardware Reviews

Let me know if the images give hot-linking errors.

Kaubel · 11/06/08, 10:14 PM

OK, that's enough. This shouldn't be a thread where you can just sit back and post pictures of random KB+mouse combos. Have something to add, and give reasons why you use what you use, or don't post. It's either that or I'll just close the thread.

diospadre · 11/07/08, 4:17 PM

I picked up a Saitek Cyborg Control Pad today at Best Buy. It seems this is the older version of the Pro Gamer Command Unit. Looking at screenshots the two units look like the same thing except for aesthetics. Has anyone used both of these units? So far my main complaint about the one I have is that the palm button is almost impossible to press when moving or pressing other buttons, so it is kind of useless for using as a shift button.

• Sservis · 11/14/08, 8:20 AM

I'm looking for some advice. I was thinking about purchasing the N52TE and it occurred to me that if I could map the thumb button to mouse movement somehow, it'd be an incredibly neat mousing device (I'm left handed). It also occurred to me that it'd be even better if the thumb button was a trackball.

My questions

Does anyone have suggestions on how to remap keys to function as mouse movement? I see a bunch of pitfalls. ie mouse movement speed is hard to map into a binary key press. Does the N52TE thumb button have multiple "speeds" or is it binary?

Are there any trackballs (preferably lefty, but I'm willing to switch) with multiple buttons? Something like the N52TE but with a trackball instead of a thumb switch. None of the ones that I find on Newegg seem that appealing.

3Dconnexion and PI Engineering make interesting devices with 3D controllers that have a bunch of buttons, but their layout doesn't seem as nice as the N52TE. Although on the plus side, they're designed to be used in the left hand as a traditional mouse in the right hand is often assumed. Does anyone have experience with using these? Are there other 3D controllers with a neat layout I should consider?

PI Eng. products
X-keys Jog & Shuttle Professional by P.I. Engineering

3Dconnexion products
3Dconnexion SpacePilot 3D mouse
3Dconnexion SpaceExplorer 3D mouse (this seems the best laid out of the three)

diospadre · 11/14/08, 10:02 AM

The n52TE has a D-Pad, so it's binary by definition, isn't it?

Try the Saitek model people were talking about in the thread, it's thumb control is a little joystick that can be mapped to mouse functions.

Ajuga · 11/17/08, 11:26 AM

Anyone tried the new WoW mouse?

Kjallstrom · 11/17/08, 4:18 PM

Does anyone know how to easily post an n52 config file from a Mac? I'd like to share my configuration, but the newer version of the Nostromo Array appears to have removed the import/export functionality. The file I found in preferences appears to be just binary. If it's not easy, I'll just re-edit this post to include a text version of my bindings.

Armaul · 11/17/08, 6:32 PM

Originally Posted by Ajuga

Anyone tried the new WoW mouse?

I got an email about my pre-order on Friday. The status has been changed to "Delayed, product will be shipped later." They cite delays in shipping from their factories. So I doubt the mouse is in the wild yet.

Kuthumii · 11/18/08, 12:49 PM

Originally Posted by Kjallstrom

Does anyone know how to easily post an n52 config file from a Mac? I'd like to share my configuration, but the newer version of the Nostromo Array appears to have removed the import/export functionality. The file I found in preferences appears to be just binary. If it's not easy, I'll just re-edit this post to include a text version of my bindings.

I just do the text version. I tooled around and couldn't fine a way to export it either. (admittedly I didn't tool around long.)

Edit: Evidently no one cares about how you use the devices we are discussing in this thread. Kjallstrom, I advice against posting your binds.

Astrylian · 11/21/08, 2:07 PM

I have some questions about the n52te.

First, button sensitivity. How heavy of a touch do they require? I currently use the keyboard on my Dell Precision M6300 laptop, which is pretty light. Whenever I play on my wife's machine, I absolutely hate her old Mac keyboard (love most Apple keyboards, but not this one; it's the one that came with old G4s), because its keys are really stiff, plus she's got this rubber cover on it, making it even stiffer.

Second, button mapping. I'm not a 'keyboard turner', but I do keyboard turn, if that makes any sense. I heavily mix mouse and keyboard turning/strafing/movement. I never use mouse running, always use forward/backward keys, though. That precludes me from using the DPad on the n52te for movement (can't turn and strafe at the same time). And I'm pretty used to the spell keys I use being above my movement keys. Does anyone use the middle bottom 3x2 set of keys (I think that's N7-9+N12-14 ?) for movement, instead of the labeled < ^ > keys? I understand you can move the palmrest back, does it move back far enough to allow that comfortably?

Any other comments about it from anyone that plays like it sounds like I do? Thanks all!

Kuthumii · 11/22/08, 8:47 AM

The n52te requires a bit more pressure to move the key down than the n52 did. I haven't used a Mac but it isn't as bad as my keyboard at work, which is a HP media keyboard.

You play the same way I do, it would seem. I use the d-pad for movement in conjunction with my mouse for turning. I only use the top two rows of keys. The other ones aren't reachable without more arm/wrist movement than I like. I simply use a mouse button as a modifier so the top two rows serve as two sets of keybinds. You could make the left and right d-pad keys turn left and right when pressed and with a modifier key have them become strafe left and right.

Octaviann · 11/22/08, 10:37 AM

If you hold down the right mouse button (or both mouse buttons to mouse run) and hit a button bound to turning left or right, you automatically strafe in that direction instead. What this lets you do is turn with your mouse while strafing with the d-pad on the n52, exactly like if you were using WASD with A and D bound to turning.

Astrylian · 11/22/08, 3:41 PM

That's the thing; I use keyboard turning whenever I'm using the mouse for targeting, so can't replace it with mouse turning.

Kuthumii · 11/22/08, 4:14 PM

Originally Posted by Astrylian

That's the thing; I use keyboard turning whenever I'm using the mouse for targeting, so can't replace it with mouse turning.

You can easily press a mouse thumb button and press the left/right d-pad key and strafe that way, couldn't you?

Astrylian · 11/23/08, 1:59 AM

I need to be able to strafe, turn, and click things at the same time. That would still be mouse looking.

Ajuga · 11/24/08, 4:58 AM

The D-pad has 8 buttons in fact (N, NE, E, SE, S etc.) - you could try binding NW and NE to strafe. Also, many people use the D-pad for spells instead of moving, so if you can get used to that you wont lose any keys.

I'm using the D-pad for movement for now, but in my opinion it's inferior to the usual WASD setup.

Does anyone use the middle bottom 3x2 set of keys (I think that's N7-9+N12-14 ?) for movement, instead of the labeled < ^ > keys? I understand you can move the palmrest back, does it move back far enough to allow that comfortably?

It seems I have big hands. Everything on this device is just too close for me to rest comfortably (even with the palmrest all the way back). To answer your question: it's not comfortable at all (for me) to use the first row for movement unless you rarely move.

Erdluf · 11/24/08, 11:19 AM

Originally Posted by Astrylian

I need to be able to strafe, turn, and click things at the same time. That would still be mouse looking.

You might consider using three keys for run/turn, and then two d-pad positions for strafe.

I have the n52 (not te). The n52 takes a lot of key pressure. The n52te takes much less.

With my large hands, I couldn't see using the bottom row for high-frequency operations. I use the bottom-left for SHIFT without any problem, but the other three are bound to things that aren't spammed (for my Moonkin, unshifted, they are Hibernate, Assist, and TargetEnemy).

I find myself sometimes hitting the middle row, when I'd intended to hit TargetEnemy. That mostly happens when my hand was away from the n52 for a while (I'd been running somewhere with the mouse).

syeren · 11/28/08, 11:20 PM

Originally Posted by Ajuga

Anyone tried the new WoW mouse?

I noticed that mouse today while looking through hardware on Overclockers, at first I was rather dubious and just wrote if off as a some stupid franchised-crap, however the sheer amount of buttons on the mouse is rather impressive to be quite honest :p

I can't really see the mouse being much use to people who solely PVE, however I imagine providing it gets some positive reviews, a bunch of PVP'ers will probably pick it up due to the amount of extra binds it will provide (as a Shaman, I am certainly considering it).

I'm also rather interested in the Roccat Kone, and was most likely going to pick it up before I noticed the WoW Mouse. The sad thing is that it's probably a better mouse overall, but the WoW Mouse is more expensive simply because of the WoW logo / packaging, as shown with the stupid prices of the WoW mouse mats by SS. :<

• Disiesel · 11/30/08, 1:04 PM

That Roccat Kone looks quite interesting and might pick it up. I am just wondering one thing which I can't find back in the reviews. Does it have the free scrollwheel like the Logitech MX Revolution has? I got quite used to it and dropping it would suck.

negozin · 12/02/08, 1:12 PM

Keyboard Gamer Xtreme K3803g with Gamepad

Cyber Snipa S.W.A.T.

==
I´m interested on discuss, the best way to use those gadgets in wow.
Do you usually creates your macro witht he application provided by the hardwares?
Or do you just create keybings with those extra buttons inside wow options menu > keybindings

Come on guys, post your keybindings with those hardwares.
I´m just waiting for the server finish the maintenance to create my macros.

Noraj · 12/02/08, 3:06 PM

Originally Posted by negozin

I´m interested on discuss, the best way to use those gadgets in wow.
Do you usually creates your macro witht he application provided by the hardwares?
Or do you just create keybings with those extra buttons inside wow options menu > keybindings

Come on guys, post your keybindings with those hardwares.
I´m just waiting for the server finish the maintenance to create my macros.

Depending on what sort of macro you create in the hardware's third party software, you could potentially be banned from Warcraft, and unless you're sure it's allowable, you're always better off assigning keybinds in-game.

Personally, I use a Logitech G15 (the older model with 18 macro buttons and LCD panel both), with the 18 macro buttons set to send these keys:

Laid out as the G1-G18 buttons appear on the left of my keyboard:

t y u
g h j

n m i
o k l

p [ ]
\ ; '

I then use Bartender to bind them to action buttons in WoW. All of the bars also swap to a second set when I press SHIFT.

I bind my map to the C key. Pet commands are F1-F4, with follow and attack being Shift+R, Shift+F

Short duration buffs and less commonly used abilities go on the standard 1-6 buttons, and shift+1-6.

Insert, Home, PGUP
DEL, End, PGDWN

Character, Spellbook, Talents
Social, Questlog, Achievements

On the number pad, I bind consumables to 1-9, and Oh shit! abilities to 0, . , and + since I can easily reach them with my mousehand's thumb.

I use one of the two thumb buttons on my mouse (Intellimouse Explorer from Microsoft) for auto-run, and the other for my ventrilo / teamspeak push-to-talk.

Any long-duration buffs / stances / etc. get handled by mouse gestures using the mod Opie.

As for movement, I use the standard ASDF + mouse. I'm a PVE player primarily, but this setup has worked out pretty well for me in PVP also.

Zibro · 12/08/08, 11:34 PM

I got my Steelseries WoW mouse today. I like it. The software is very ugly and kind of hard to figure out at first, depending on what you want out of it. Overall, it works well in game once you have it set up. The pinky button is a bit hard to hit, and the scrollwheel "guard" (the area around the wheel that isn't a button) is a bit too big... at least on the bottom, I would have preferred the buttons underneath to be closer to the wheel. Binding the two side left buttons to "Windows Button4" and "Windows Button5" makes them not do anything, but it doesn't matter since you can just bind them to Shift+NumPad* or whatever.

Worth the money? Well... probably, depending on what class you play and how well you can manage the buttons. It'll definitely take some getting used to, though.