Author Topic: Games and keyboards  (Read 2784 times)

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Usually I'm a big fan of keyboards being used in games. Mouse + keyboard is a better control scheme than just about every gamepad ever devised.

Usually.

However, things start to go bad if the keyboard won't accept certain commands. For instance, if I already have two keys pressed down, it won't register a third key. This causes HUGE problems for games like R-Type, where I HAVE to be firing and moving and controlling the Force device all at the same time to succeed, where a split second's hesitation/lag on a comand can result in death.

So: is there anything I can do to fix this? Is it something that wireless keyboards are prone to? Should I invest in a gamepad? Or is this just a problem with the computer game itself?
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Offline redsniper

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Buy yourself a fancier keyboard. Some of them have the number of simultaneous keystrokes listed as a selling point.
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Offline Ghostavo

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This may sound stupid but... how do you execute Ctrl+Alt+Del if your keyboard can't register more than two keys pressed? I think it has more to do with the game rather than the keyboard.

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This may sound stupid but... how do you execute Ctrl+Alt+Del if your keyboard can't register more than two keys pressed? I think it has more to do with the game rather than the keyboard.

P.S.
Posting through Links is really weird.

:lol:

Nah, this is only an issue when playing games.
"You need to believe in things that aren't true. How else can they become?" -DEATH, Discworld

"You can fight like a krogan, run like a leopard, but you'll never be better than Commander Shepard!"

 

Offline CP5670

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Only certain combinations of keys have this problem. This issue used to cause me a lot of trouble in the Descent games until I got a G15 a few years ago.

In general, USB keyboards are less prone to this than PS2 ones, and some of the high end gaming keyboards are better than standard ones. However, I don't think there is any keyboard that is entirely flawless in this respect.

 
The keyboard is a wireless USB (receiver plugs into USB slot).
The game in question uses the arrow keys, Left Ctrl, Left Shift, and C.

Odd combination, I know. Unforunately they aren't customizable.
"You need to believe in things that aren't true. How else can they become?" -DEATH, Discworld

"You can fight like a krogan, run like a leopard, but you'll never be better than Commander Shepard!"

 

Offline Excalibur

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I think I heard somewhere that the old pin keyboards didn't have this problem.
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Offline BloodEagle

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Get a wired keyboard. Problem solved.

 

Offline Nuke

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i haven't seen this at all since the 486 era keyboards that had those huge ass plugs on em. on my first computer, the keyboard didn't last long, so i got this $50 ibm keyboard, and it still works to this day. probably was the best keyboard i've ever owned. i don't think i ever had a keyboard that annoyed me with a limit on how many buttons i could push at once. and i used to play descent and fps games with the keyboard only. i was one of the late adopters of using a mouse for fps games. mainly i used the keyboard and later a joystick. wasn't till i started playing quake 2 multilayer till i switched over. wireless keyboards never bothered me much. sometimes they have connection issues but never enough to piss me off more than having a limited range of cable to deal with.
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Offline CP5670

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What keys do you use for Descent? I use a combination of the arrow keys (sliding), the enter/apostrophe/slash keys (thrusting) and the numpad (pretty much everything else). On my earlier keyboards, I was basically unable to fire primaries (the 0 key for me) while tricording in certain directions, which needs a total of six keys.
« Last Edit: April 30, 2008, 01:39:34 am by CP5670 »

 

Offline Nuke

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i pretty much used the defaults, only changing around the left hand abit, using shift for missiles instead of the default space. my thumb would rest on alt which would control bombs, and space was my flare. i also used kp enter for downslide instead of the default kp+ and made the + slide up. i found the - difficult to hit with my pinky while working the other controls. i actually used that layout for alot of fps games as well.
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Offline Excalibur

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Re: Games and keyboards
How can people use their primaries effectively if FS2 using the keyboard? :wtf:
Mouse is accurate, but annoying and slow sometimes.
Joystick lets you survive, is not as accurate unless you get used to it.
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Offline CP5670

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Re: Games and keyboards
It's easy if you're used to it. I have no trouble with precise aiming on a keyboard.

 

Offline Davros

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Re: Games and keyboards
What keys do you use for Descent?

I use this bad boy

 

Offline Nuke

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Re: Games and keyboards
if you like using a crappy joystick. :D

How can people use their primaries effectively if FS2 using the keyboard? :wtf:
Mouse is accurate, but annoying and slow sometimes.
Joystick lets you survive, is not as accurate unless you get used to it.

well its not to dissimilar to the descent layout. still i prefer my stick in fs. descent had more arcade style physics and so it was acceptable to use the keyboard, because at the time you could get at most 4 axes on a good joystick, and descent calls for 6. that said my ch setup is perfect, cause unlike the x52 actually has a good thumbstick on the throttle, perfect for lateral and vertical thrust. just wish fs would allow binding to it for the same purpose.
« Last Edit: May 01, 2008, 03:27:23 am by Nuke »
I can no longer sit back and allow communist infiltration, communist indoctrination, communist subversion, and the international communist conspiracy to sap and impurify all of our precious bodily fluids.

Nuke's Scripting SVN

 
Re: Games and keyboards
ARGH!

I think I will try to get a new keyboard. The one I currently have is not letting me move and fire at the same time! Imagine how absolutely AGGRAVATING that is when playing a shmup. If the arrow key is pressed down, it will accept NO OTHER INPUT!  :mad:

I managed to beat Easy and Normal mode using this crap keyboard, but Hard mode and Boss Rush are simply impossible. I have to be able to fire and move at the same time!

Note: this isn't just a problem with the game, as I've seen videos of people moving and shooting at the same time. So it must be my keyboard. :blah:
"You need to believe in things that aren't true. How else can they become?" -DEATH, Discworld

"You can fight like a krogan, run like a leopard, but you'll never be better than Commander Shepard!"

 

Offline Mars

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Re: Games and keyboards
I still use the crappy keyboard that came with my first computer (the one I bought from HP) maybe 5 years ago.

It was a problem when I played Descent 2 a lot, as CP will be able to attest... if he remembers.

  

Offline colecampbell666

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Re: Games and keyboards
I get that with some key combos in HL2.
Gettin' back to dodgin' lasers.