As much as I have tried to like it, I just can't get used to using the keyboard playing this game. For the record, I am a new PC player and coming from a long history of playing on consoles. No matter how hard I try, the keyboard is just clunky and hard for me to use. I love the advantages of the keyboard (hotkeys are great for a game like this), and the precision/control of the mouse is so much better than my xbox controller. However, when the action gets going I just can't get used to WASD. My fingers just refuse to be able to reliably find the Z key for the shouts as well.

So, with reluctance, I am going back to the controller. Sorry mouse, as much as I want to prefer using you, I just can't do it.

Any other console converts having this problem?

Same problem for me. I'm considering hooking up the 360 controller to my PC. Anyone else doing this?

Somwhat agree. I got used to it though and still kind of want to use a gamepad. There are some mods that let you have more hotkeys on your gamepad on Skyrim Nexus.

You're used to using a controller.

You can get a controller to work with your PC.

Others are used to using a keyboard and mouse and so the idea of using a controler is just as crazy for them.

In fact practically it's probably awkward as well.

It's great to actually have a choice at least.

Azrael
The Nord with the Sword

I have the opposite problem, I can't stand gamepads. In fact the lack of keyboard and mouse suppose on consoles is the primary reason I stay away from them.

When it comes to keyboards it's often important to reconfigure the layout, I don't know if there's a single game I play that I haven't modified, and some I change quite heavily. A multi-button mouse is also very useful, if you have a convenient Mouse 4 and Mouse 5 it makes things much easier.

I don't know if this will work with Skyrim, but Oblivion supported joystick+mouse controls and I found it extremely responsive.

controller is the winner because it is much more compact while a keyboard its a lot harder to get used to and also with a controller you can play anywhere whilst with a keyboard you are confined to your desk

I used to scoff at the idea of using a controller for PC games, but when every new game that came out was a console port, I finally caved and bought a http://www.amazon.com/Logitech-940-000117-Wireless-Gamepad-F710/dp/B0041RR0TW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1323877859&sr=8-1.

I was amazed how much easier it was to play Skyrim with this, and I haven't gone back to mouse and keyboard for it since. However, I'm able to switch between keyboard+mouse (a 5+ button gaming mouse like yours) and this in the middle of gameplay, if I so desire.

My only hangup with M+KB is the lack of anologue movement, which is nice for roleplaying when you want to move at a certain speed throughout a town, rather than just sluggish walk, running, and sprinting. Other than that, I'd take it over gamepad any day (and I do when possible).

if u give mouse/keyboard another go i recommend hot keying the shout to mb3 or f or something easier to get it than z

Just thought I would say I'm a long time PC gamer and Z is a pretty clunky key to try to press while in combat, that's why I bound my shouts to Mouse5. Other than that controls are fine for me.

I've been using a 3rd party 360 controller for Skyrim.

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_05832317000P?sid=IDx20070921x00003a&ci_src=http://forums.bethsoft.com/index.php?/topic/1315547-keyboard-vs-gamepad/14110944&ci_sku=05832317000



...you can turn off the lights.

agree. i cant stand A & D as strife, i use Q & E myself.

agree, controller is the winner

the 2 anolog sticks help enjoy the graphix more, slow straving/moving/looking/aiming is awesom in those beautiful landscapes!! ..., it just not as possible with a keyboard and mouse

I've watched some play it with a mous, it was often "jurkful/jumpful", it's almost not possible to move and look (strave and aim) fluid (and slowly) in all directions with a keyboard and mouse, and often also looked like "Stop & Turn" then move "Stop & Turn", then moved again....there and here he'd move a long distance with out "stopping" to turn, but noway was he able to enjoy the grafix the same as with a pad, and the mouse often tends to reach it's "surface limit"..

games in the first person view (with such beautiful landscapes) should be played with a pad..., the mouse is "faster" and you have more hot keys, but the mouse/keyboard just has less feeling when (slowly) moving/looking/straving/aiming at the same time.. (and using the "trigger" buttons give more feeling when useing the bow)

and when moving/looking smoothly, also the graphics tend to have a smoother framerate

^ This, Z is not the easiest key to use when you are also using WASD, I'd try putting shouts on G or V instead if you don't have a mouse with extra buttons.

But if you're used to using a controller and would prefer to then of course it would be silly not to

I had the opposite problem. I could not use anolog sticks to aim for the life of me, but by level 10 as an archer and I was comfortable. Just give it a little bit of time and you'll be fine

I agree about 'Z' shouting though, I remapped that to 'F'.

I've used both mouse&keyboard and controllers for a good long time now. I pretty much divide up games by genre and style, as to which I'd rather play with which control option. First person games? Can't play with a controller. At all. Platformers, sports, driving, arcade action - yeah, those are fine with a console controller. But anything involving split second accuracy? Or lots of menu & command work? Keyboard & mouse all the way.

(And, yeah - this inability to play "accurate" games with a controller is somewhat annoying.. there's a good number of well-reviewed games that I'm just never going to be able to play. Like Resistance, Killzone, Gears of War, Uncharted, the later Halo games that never hit PC...... ah, well.)

I'm just the opposite. It took me a while to figure out how to get my F310 to work with the game (I feel kinda stupid- I just needed to flip the switch on the back, but in my defense, I was too intent on actually playing to spend much time messing with it), I had played with K+M for 40 hours or so. By that time, I found that aside from melee combat, I was much more comfortable with K+M than controller. Since, I've even gotten used to melee combat with the mouse, too.

At this point, switching to controller would just be gimping myself. I do need to find a better hotkey for shouts, though.... I may try one of my mouse buttons (Razer Naga, so I have many), and see how that feels.

IMO truth is this game was designed for gamepad and when it was ported over the PC version was not optimized for keyboard+mouse.

Given the above gampad is better for gameplay when playing the game unmodified.

HOWEVER, a few simple mods like remapping of the keys and installing script dragon allowing at least 18 vice 8 hot keys and the keyboard+mouse own. I play this game almost like an FPS with the said mods and it is a blast. I have near seamless game play with no menu interruptions during dungeon crawls and combat thanks to the mods, very rewarding game play.

Only time I know use the menu is level up and storing items after a serious of quest completions.

The controls are far too complex to work good with a keyboard. I hit the wrong buttons all the time and there are no shortcuts for spells and powers other than the single power button (which I moved to a different button) I'm getting by, but I'm seriously thinking of hooking up a controller as well.

I completely reconfigured the key and mouse layout to work better. (I also swapped Left and Right mouse button so when I click the right mouse button the right arm moves).

Keyboard and mouse work good when you only have to worry about move, shoot, reload, jump and strafe. There's many many more buttons to press so this would work far better on a controller.


Also: favorites menu su?ks balls.

Which mod is this? I might give it a swing.

lol... Me and my dad got into this argument... And I came to the conclusion that there both good, but for different reasons.

Controller:
Moving characters are easier, and more fluid.
Some actions can be preformed quicker.
Keyboard:
Tons more buttons to hotkey for whatever.
Huh...

So as you can tell I am mainly console, but I do envy the fact tha computer users can use both at the same time.
I've played games on PC and had 0 reaction time. I HAD to use a controller, but having the ability to have both was awesome!

To my mind, the fluid movement makes the controller the clear winner. I agree it is a pain not having hotkeys, though; not sure why we can't use keyboard and controller.

Well, gamepads are for a more laid back way of playing games that are simple to handle.
Keyboard and Mouse are for more complex games where you need to react fast and/or need hotkeys and simply more buttons.
That is how I handle it.

I seriously would love to use my my keyboard and mouse in my xbox as the controller feels way too limiting and unresponsive.

When I get my PC copy.... (whenever that is) I plan on hooking my gamepad up and mapping controls to it....

however I'm still going to use the keyboard and take some buttons off the controller.

'B' will be my favorites list

d-pad will have 4 quick map mappings (1-4 on keyboard... maybe 7-0)

I'll hit spacebar on the keyboard to pull up my menu

That will make my PC controller superior to 360 because I'll have 2x as many quick maps available.

Only issue with that might be "Accept"/"cancel" prompts... I'd still want 'B' to act as "cancel" button but I'd use spacebar for that if I absolutely had to.


I'm just not a fan of WASD anymore. This is coming from a PC gamer who started FPS back on wolfenstein using pure keyboard, and graduated to M+K in quake when I went online and got lolistomped. After a few years of that I was a precision marksman (along with a lot of other online players) and I quickly noticed that any OHK weapon quickly became defacto standard for winning any gunfight.

After playing on console the last few years... I actually appreciate the degradation in accuracy from using an anolog stick to aim instead of a mouse. Additionally movement with a left thumbstick is FAR more enjoyable (and immersive) than the finger-yoga WASD exercise.

Of course.... if I do go to play FPS on PC again... I have a feeling I'll NEED to use mouse aim again... though I'm seriously looking at left hand controller options that have a thumbstick and 12-24 key mappings available at your fingertips without moving your hand.