Elite Dangerous & Keyboard + Mouse Bias

[MassiveD]

Hey guys,


One thing that always puzzled me in Elite Dangerous, is the advantage that some control setups have over the others.

Elite Dangerous being a simulator'ish game, allows for some incredible control setups. We all seen those amazing rigs that people put thousands of dollars in, with multiple monitors and cockpit like chairs, etc, that give a fantastic gaming experience.

I personally always played and enjoyed ED using an XBOX 1 controller, but doing that I noticed a lot of issues and a lot of Mouse + Keyboard bias when it comes to high level PVP play, especially when using fixed weapons.


Now I personally haven't used a joystick for long enough to consider myself decent with it, so my input regarding joysticks is a bit useless, but using something like an XBOX controller, makes it almost impossible to aim with fixed weapons even when fighting NPCS, utterly impossible when fighting players in PVP because there is no auto-aim compensation which is usually present to accommodate gamepad's play (which majority of the games do, even something like Tom Clancy's Division), and when I talk to people who use joysticks, they also confirm that it's way harder to aim and hit fixed weapons then it is with Keyboard + Mouse (especially when fighting with Flight Assist-Off).

Using Keyboard + Mouse on a game as fascinating as ED that allows such immersive play with joystick or gamepad, is a little bit.... dull and boring? In my opinion

But Keyboard + Mouse is also the most effective, so if you want to do well in PVP you are almost incentivized to use it...


My question, is it possible that in the future this might get looked at with intent of balancing and making it more rewarding to use other control setups than keyboard + mouse?


Cheers,
M.D.

 

[znôrt]

since there is no fair ground for pvp unless you agree on it i don't see this as an issue. you can agree on control like anything else.

i'm struggling with pedals and dual joysticks now. not by a long shot as efficient as my previous simple x52pro setup, and it will take me quite some time to get there, and of course no match for a good kbmer. but the immersion and reward far outweights the efficiency for me, and since pvp in the game is wrong at so many levels, why would i care. playing in solo atm.

 

[MassiveD]

since there is no fair ground for pvp unless you agree on it i don't see this as an issue. you can agree on control like anything else.

i'm struggling with pedals and dual joysticks now. not by a long shot as efficient as my previous simple x52pro setup, and it will take me quite some time to get there, and of course no match for a good kbmer. but the immersion and reward far outweights the efficiency for me, and since pvp in the game is wrong at so many levels, why would i care. playing in solo atm.

I just want to PVP efficiently with a gamepad, but currently impossible

 

[Bomba Luigi]

At the end of the day a mouse just will always allow more precise aiming then a controller, nothing you can do about it really other then aim assist which is already there in the form of gimbals (Edit: And to a degree on fixed weapons). Or maybe artifical making mouse movment worse, which would be bad Idea.

 

[znôrt]

I just want to PVP efficiently with a gamepad, but currently impossible

then just redefine efficiency in terms of fun [haha]

no clue why those aberrations called 'gamepad' were even invented, but there has to be something for everybody!

 

[Conch]

I just want to PVP efficiently with a gamepad, but currently impossible

It is, just go to xbox.

 

[znôrt]

now, on a more serious note, i think 'rebalancing' the game vs controllers could be a very hairy affair, would never suggest going down that road. i think it's better to try to maximize the experience for each controlling device, and let people choose.

 

[MassiveD]

At the end of the day a mouse just will always allow more precise aiming then a controller, nothing you can do about it really other then aim assist which is already there in the form of gimbals. Or maybe artifical making mouse movment worse, which would be bad Idea.

What's wrong with giving slight aim-assist for gamepad / joystick that is disabled once you switch to mouse?

Lots of games do it, I know Division does it on the PC for sure, and it's certainly not a problem, because mouse is still better, but this way gamepad is at least viable.


Obviously it doesn't have to be an aimbot, but slight aim adjustment to counter the inherent floatiness of thumbsticks / joystick , with good balancing could certainly make gamepads and joysticks as good as mouse

 

[MassiveD]

It is, just go to xbox.

:C mean

 

[Andovar]

well, this explains why i suck at pvp.
no, there can be no other explanation!

 

[EUS]

I can't use a gamepad to save my life.
As a PC gamer, when I try to use my ps4, I end up giving up, I cannot stand how my hands have to be so close together, and those thumb sticks, argh.
I'll never understand those that choose to use a gamepad with their PC.

 

[pck3]

Same for any game. I noticed a big difference in war thunder

 

[SCTrojanbulldog]

If you're playing with a regular xbox controller without extended (sniper) sticks, you won't be as effective. Mouse Keyboard are an asset in combat but make the routine stuff like landing and maneuvering on planets a bit more difficult.

I play with an XB1 Elite controller and can use fixed if desired (FAoff). IMO playing this game with a M&KB takes away some of the nuances that are appealing. But, if PVP is your thing, you only have one real choice if you want to have all the advantages.

 

[Kamiyoda]

I can't use a gamepad to save my life.
As a PC gamer, when I try to use my ps4, I end up giving up, I cannot stand how my hands have to be so close together, and those thumb sticks, argh.
I'll never understand those that choose to use a gamepad with their PC.

You know that uncomfortable feeling you get when holding a Gamepad?

Imagine having that feeling when using a Mouse and Keyboard.

Thats... it, really.

 

[EUS]

You know that uncomfortable feeling you get when holding a Gamepad?

Imagine having that feeling when using a Mouse and Keyboard.

Thats... it, really.

That's unpossible.

 

[Kamiyoda]

That's unpossible.

Well in that case have you tried using the Force?

Heard some guy from a farm solo'd a space station with it.

 

[EUS]

Is it sold at Hutton?

 

[Kamiyoda]

Is it sold at Hutton?

Who knows, probably what they use to make the mugs Im guessing

 

[h347h]

Hey guys,


One thing that always puzzled me in Elite Dangerous, is the advantage that some control setups have over the others.

Elite Dangerous being a simulator'ish game, allows for some incredible control setups. We all seen those amazing rigs that people put thousands of dollars in, with multiple monitors and cockpit like chairs, etc, that give a fantastic gaming experience.

I personally always played and enjoyed ED using an XBOX 1 controller, but doing that I noticed a lot of issues and a lot of Mouse + Keyboard bias when it comes to high level PVP play, especially when using fixed weapons.


Now I personally haven't used a joystick for long enough to consider myself decent with it, so my input regarding joysticks is a bit useless, but using something like an XBOX controller, makes it almost impossible to aim with fixed weapons even when fighting NPCS, utterly impossible when fighting players in PVP because there is no auto-aim compensation which is usually present to accommodate gamepad's play (which majority of the games do, even something like Tom Clancy's Division), and when I talk to people who use joysticks, they also confirm that it's way harder to aim and hit fixed weapons then it is with Keyboard + Mouse (especially when fighting with Flight Assist-Off).

Using Keyboard + Mouse on a game as fascinating as ED that allows such immersive play with joystick or gamepad, is a little bit.... dull and boring? In my opinion

But Keyboard + Mouse is also the most effective, so if you want to do well in PVP you are almost incentivized to use it...


My question, is it possible that in the future this might get looked at with intent of balancing and making it more rewarding to use other control setups than keyboard + mouse?


Cheers,
M.D.

Different controller types are always and will always be unbalanceable due to their inherit nature.

M+KB is the harder controller set up to master but it has the highest skill roof because it is naturally more precise.

A HOTAS is easy to learn and easy to master but has a lower precision capability.

Gamepads have the lowest skill cap to use and master and have the least precision of all but offer the most comfortable play experience.

You can't change that.

 

[MassiveD]

You can't change that.

Why not? What exactly would be wrong with giving a slight aim-assist (like other games do) for gamepad or joystick? O.O