WHAT A DIFFERENCE!!.....so nice to move without all the screen jumping....and do everything with buttons instead of fighting the mouse to get it to the right spot to click ok......not very good at moving around so far....fell off a couple of narrow walkways....would appreciate any tips anyone has on ingame settings.....have played with the sensitivity a little but still not quite what I would like....mainly getting use to a whole new feel will take practice, practice, practice....also nice that if get in too hairy of a situation can just unplug it and go right back to mouse....
After playing this with the controller I now agree with all those that say this is a console game with the pc as an after thought.

(( I'm too old to have dexterous enough thumbs, it's todays generation. Same goes with texting, call me old fashioned, I prefer mouse and keys. ))

there is a mod that makes the UI pc friendly, I would download that and then go back to keyboard

For the life of me, I can't comprehend why a PC gamer would go with a standard console-type controller. Won't you miss out on mapping the hotkeys? Having less than eight programmed hotkeys would drive me insane! To each his (or her) own, I guess.

I use a mouse + a Razer Nostromo N52 gaming device. I've been using the Nostromo series since 2004 and I've never looked back at console controllers nor keyboards since the switch.

Preference... I dislike having to contort My hands and fingers just in order to be able to drink a potion 1/10 of a second faster. I don't like to not being able to sit in whatever position I like in my couch, that why I use a controller...

Same here, except for the age, maybe. By the way, what are these double brackets for? As this is a General Discussions board, is it still meant to mark an out of character statement? I really don't mean to be rude or something, I'm just being curious.

I plan on buying an Xbox 360 Controller. Not for Skyrim, but for numerous console ports, whose PC-controls are a pain in the [censored]. I'll still try out Skyrim with it.

I played for nearly 200 hours with mouse+keyboard, but have since switched to my controller.

why? comfort.

It's nice to lounge back, prop the feet up and just be comfortable.

There's a program that will let you config the pad to add more hotkeys.
http://skyrim.nexusmods.com/downloads/file.php?id=655

I have these custom changes:
B = favorite menu
LB + Back = Quick Load
LB + Start = Quick Save
LB + Y = Skills menu
LB + X = Inventory menu
LB + B = Magic menu
LB + A = Map Menu

Digital Pad
--------------------
Left = hotkey 1
Right = hotkey 2
Up = Hotkey 3
Down = hotkey 4
LB + Left = hotkey 5
LB + RIght = hotkey 6
LB + UP = hotkey 7
LB + Down = hotkey 8




It's also nice to get variable speed movement instead of just walk/run. Aiming a bow will take some practice but it's not hard at all.

The comfort of the controller is great, I like mouse and keyboard for games like Warcraft (not the disaster that is WoW) and the Sims or Simcity.

Yeah i used to be hardcoe mouse+keyboard. I still am somewhat, but i will use the gamepad whenever i have the chance these days. Guess im just getting old and like to relax more while playing. The force feedback is nice too, especially when a dragon flies over you wooooo!

Only using mouse+keyboard for multiplayer shooters like Battlefield 3, or for strategy games.

I absolutely hate using a controller for Skyrim because of limited mapping.

I've pretty much had to play this game on the 360 due to an aging PC and I was't sure how it would go but I find I really like the controller mostly for the movement. The ability to move at any speed is very nice. I like walking along slowly with NPC's even when I'm on my horse. I can go from creeping to walking in a natural fashion instead of only going slow or fast. The only thing I really miss about mouse/keyboard is the number of controls and aiming is a bit tougher for me on the controller. Well, fine aiming like when an enemy is far away and I want to get a bow shot. I struggle with that as the dexterity in my hands is not what it once was. Also, enemies moving around are a lot harder for me to hit than when I use a mouse. Still turning is a lot easier than I had thought. Once you get use to a high look speed you can turn very quickly and continuously instead of having to constantly lift and reposition the mouse. It's just different and takes some getting used to. There are positives and negatives with both and obviously people will prefer what they are most used to and what is comfortable for them. Honestly I'd still rather play with keyboard and mouse but I have grown to appreciate certain aspects of playing with a controller.

I use a specific gaming keyboard, Razer mouse and Nostromo gamepad, and a console type controller (in either 360 or keyboard emulation modes)...and, to be quite honest, where I found the controller to be great for Oblivion and Fallout/FNV, I only use either the keyboard or gamepad and mouse for Skyrim.

I don't know how anyone plays it using a PS3 or Xbox type controller...I found it shocking, and the hotkey issue in 360 mode was ridiculous.

If I was to use the controller, I would only use it in keyboard emulation mode, and I would re-map virtually everything to something more sensible...plus I would definitely sensitise the settings.

Edit: If you need an emulation programme for a controller, google 'Xpadder'. Best freeware I found some time back.

Again, in case you missed it...

There's a program that will let you completely reconfigure the pad to add more hotkeys and functions you can't map in the interface.
http://skyrim.nexusmods.com/downloads/file.php?id=655

I'd use that over xpadder any day, because you aren't limited to 1 button per function, you can make combo buttons to do different things.

It's amazing what you can adjust to when you have no choice in the matter.

How the hell do you install that thing? It has a pretty bad readme. There is the Skyrim pad thing that has you configure the keys to whatever you want. But what do you do next? Put the completely unrelated control.map.txt file in there. Or does the Skyrimpad config modify that file?

I think I know what to do but I dunno which file to put in. I am not sure how to modify the control.map.txt file but the Skryimpad config is easy as hell to use.

Would you mind breaking the install process down?

I've only ever played games with a pad so I could never switch to a mouse and keyboard as my number one concern is comfort, I have nowhere to put a huge keyboard on the sofa.

I don't like how fast people have their movement/look sensitivity set on pc, I struggle to watch vids online from Skyrim pc users as they are always flinging their characters view around really quick, makes me feel sick watching it.

Totally jealous of the keyboard hot keys though, especially quicksave. If only Beth had put in hold xx then press xx for saves.

(( A few of us KHajiit folk like to RP in our posts, since last week and the arrival of the mighty J'Rahzir. it keeps us amused. The brackets are for when I cannot possibly think of a reply that would be In Character, so I become lazy and post OOC. ))

Run the program and open:
\skyrim\data\interface\controls\pc\controlmap.txt

and edit away

make a backup first. I just put the program in that same folder to make things easier.

What program? Skyrimconfig? Does the program modify the control.map.txt file somehow? That is where I am lost. I dunno why, I normally have zero problems installing mods manually or with managers. I think im brainfarting hard today

The one i linked earlier
http://skyrim.nexusmods.com/downloads/file.php?id=655

A lot of why people prefer one to the other simply comes from not giving the "inferior" tool the time you need to learn to use it... and by learn I mean at a subconscious level. We like our mouse and keyboard because we're hardwired to use it. The controler feels awkward and clumsy.

You have to force yourself to play with one for weeks before you realize it was you that was clumsy and not the controler.

Thanks all for the input....I don't use the hot keys so that is not a concern for me....I had a lot of hotkeys setup in Oblivion but would always forget what I put where....LOL....probably early stages of alzheimers.....My main thing now is learning to get my thumbs to work together and try to quit falling off things.....

Ahhh, that is a mod. Calling it a program is just odd to hear so I suppose there lied the confusion by program I assume you mean the mod manager then?

I can understand where you are comming from but im also a pc gamer who uses a controler for non-shooters most of the time. It generally comes down to im more comfortable with a controller in my hand, less acurtate but comfortable

I play on console and the only complaint is that I don't have the control I would like while aiming my bow. My bro. plays on PC and it seem that the accuracy with a mouse is just a little better then that of the controller, in order to get a good head shot I need to zoom in to get a better aim, if I just aim without zooming in I hardly ever score a nice head shot.