dr_st wrote on 2020-01-18, 17:50:Dunno what to tell you then. Maybe not everyone has the same hand-to-eye coordination, although I can't imagine what is hard about using the keyboard. Unless you were very young.
I didn't had any problems playing with keyboard, but in some games using a gamepad is better (also keep in mind that most console games and their ports were made with gamepads in mind, so it's no surprise that the best way to control them is using a good quality gamepad).
I mentioned Crusader because it had a complex (but flexible) keyboard arrangement, and using SNESKey allowed me to made a smarter arrangement of controls that made the game way easier. I guess that using a natively supported gamepad (without redefining keys) will be the worst option.
dionb wrote on 2020-01-18, 19:08:Of course, your keyboard was arguably about the third-worst in history (after the rubber key Speccy and the flat membrane ZX81), so compared to that it's no surprise (digital) gamepads were better.
Between that Spectrum and gamepads I used different keyboards of varying quality (worst ones: Fujitsu). My point is that I DO have experience playing games with keyboards.
dionb wrote on 2020-01-18, 19:08:My frame of reference is the IBM Model M, vastly superior to anything Sinclair (and yes, I started with a ZX81 and rubber key spectrum before getting an Interface 2 for joystick), but despite being legendary for typing on, its strict 2KRO made it less than great for gaming.
"Hard" mechanical keyboards (there are some mechanical keyboards that are softer than membrane keyboards) have the advantage that don't put unintended keystrokes (i.e.: that Fujitsu keyboard I complained about was so soft that registered keystrokes even when positioning your fingers over it) but it's harder to make rapid sequences. A "medium" keyboard (I liked a Benq 6512-TA, semi-mechanical) is hard enough to not get unintended keystrokes and soft enough to allow rapid sequences. Also, it was 3 or 4KRO.
dr_st wrote on 2020-01-18, 19:17:Another thing that I've observed over the years is that laptop keyboards are usually terrible for gaming - they are 2KRO, but also the bad kind of it
I've got a Toshiba Satellite Pro 4500 that seems to be NKRO.
But usually they're terrible for different reasons: key softness, size and distance between keys and (in some cases) horrible cursor placement. Also, I have a HP mini laptop that makes difficult to type without moving the mouse (the touchpad is way too sensitive).
cyclone3d wrote on 2020-01-18, 23:53:Uggghhh... fighting games are absolutely horrible to play with a keyboard.
Every try to do Mortal Kombat or Street Fighter 2 special moves on a keyboard? Or any fighting game with special moves for that matter?
I hope you refer to MAME emulation of MK or SF2... Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter 2 are very bad PC games, so it's difficult to know if your problems are keyboard-related or game-related.
I have traveled across the universe and through the years to find Her.
Sometimes going all the way is just a start...
I'm selling some stuff!