Ars Technica Hating on 360 Controls

[squerl]

http://arstechnica.com/journals/thumbs.ars/2008/09 /02/pax08-left-4-dead-is-better-with-a-keyboard (http://arstechnica.com/journals/thumbs.ars/2008/09/02/pax08-left-4-dead-is-better-with-a-keyboard)

"I'm no stranger to playing FPS games on the console - Call of Duty 4 is a nightly addiction - but the pace of Left 4 Dead was simply too demanding for the slower turning and anemic auto-aim afforded by the controller. The non-standard button assignment also proved confusing. The game bucks trends of modern Xbox 360 shooters in terms of button layout and control, and not for any particular reason. The B-button reloads, left trigger is melee, and right trigger both shoots your weapon and heals players."

and

"The most bothersome problem was the inability to effectively fend off hoards of zombies when surrounded. On the PC, spinning your view is simple—and necessary—given the sheer volume of zombies that can surround you at any one time. Even with sensitivity set higher on the 360, the level of precision and speed that these game play scenarios require is far beyond the capabilities of the controller."

He also really didn't like how the same button to fire is the button to heal, which makes sense.

In regards to the second paragraph I guess he never found out about the 180 turn right bumper button.

Is B for reloading really that uncommon? I swear I've played games with that.

Guess those of us that haven't played the 360 version won't know till we try.

[Dead Fish]

"Let that sink in: the same button that fires your weapon is used to heal your friends though there are other unused buttons on the controller. God forbid you don't get close enough to activate the contextual control in the heat of battle; you'll end up blowing away the person you're trying to help."

I don't undestand. With a weapon equipped RT shoots and LT is the melee attack. With the medkit equipped RT heals yourself and LT is the melee attack or heal another player in reach. That's what I thought after watching the 360 footage on GameTrailers. So, accidentaly shooting your teammates instead of healing them shouldn't happen at all.

[tripp36]

b for reloading is a lil weird tho...b's normally melee i donnos..

[krunsh]

I hate it when B is melee.

[Puscifer]

i thought mouse 2 was melee :D

[T Spoon]

I'm glad its the same'ish as the TF2 controls, they work well.

[gothichorror13]

i thought mouse 2 was melee :D
ummmm 360 dude get with the program but yea ur right. but B button to reload sounds good i guess...ill get used to it. But Melee with B button how odd....

[caboos]

dude, the same button heals teammates when you have the medi kit out, this means if its equipped as a weapon so it makes sence that its the same button. You cant heal a guy if your gun is out

[BlackScorpion22]

I consider "regular" shooter controls as X being reload, B being melee, A being jump, Y being switch weapons, and either LB or LT being grenades or alternate fire. That's how I see the generic buttons, with small modifications and uses for the D-pad being used for watever is left. The controls described in L4D should work fine but i will hate the X-B switch since it will mess with me if Im playing different games.

And as both a PC and XBOX 360 fps gamer imho if l4d feels anything like the hectic speed of counterstrike then no matter what happens I would prefer to have mouse sensitivity for turning, but w/e.

[Steve Cloud]

I think this guy was so busy cursing the controls that he forgot to look when the game showed that pressing RB lets you spin 180 degrees.

But maybe pressing fire does automatically heal your teammates when close?
Valve'll need to change that if so.

[Jesus123]

lol if they wanna be little pansies about it, buy a Xbox360 keyboard and mouse converter. It costs like 80$ dollars but its extremely useful.

[e mod]

lol if they wanna be little pansies about it, buy a Xbox360 keyboard and mouse converter. It costs like 80$ dollars but its extremely useful.
tah daa (for the pc whiners)

[Skeetles]

damn pc wins again!

[e mod]

damn pc wins again!
really if you think about it...the xbox is like a child pc didnt love...the xbox cared for pc....but pc just turned away to drink its daily bottle of counter strike...then it looked for porn.....then it took a memory shit......and xbox just drifted away........think about that

[Dead Fish]

damn pc wins again!

http://images.encyclopediadramatica.com/images/9/9e/Arguecat.PNG (http://images.encyclopediadramatica.com/images/9/9e/Arguecat.PNG)

[Oblivion165]

They should just give you guys what they gave us years and years ago.

Key mapping.

[Jesus123]

They should just give you guys what they gave us years and years ago.

Key mapping.

ROFL!

I prefer xbox360 for some games, not because its easier; but because my friends are too lazy too get a good computer. So I can play with them online. TF2 for computer fucking rapes the xbox360 version anyday :D

[Hauger]

Quoting: Jesus123
lol if they wanna be little pansies about it, buy a Xbox360 keyboard and mouse converter. It costs like 80$ dollars but its extremely useful.

tah daa (for the pc whiners)
This is only supported by a few games, almost not any at all. And even when you find a game that supports it, it still sucks. Nothing like a keyboard and a mouse for the Pc. Still inaccurate and awkward. No smooth aiming at all.

[Jesus123]

This is only supported by a few games, almost not any at all. And even when you find a game that supports it, it still sucks. Nothing like a keyboard and a mouse for the Pc. Still inaccurate and awkward. No smooth aiming at all.

You my kind sir are incorrect as I own a XFM XFPS 3.0 Sniper. It has worked for all my FPS gaming needs for the xbox360. Don't go around saying something, when you don't own one like mine.

[Halfeatendonkey]

Xbox fails when it comes to FPS games. Enough said.

[Jesus123]

Xbox fails when it comes to FPS games. Enough said.

Not totally true, but its about 85% percent lol

[maaatt]

Xbox fails when it comes to FPS games. Enough said.

i agree, all consoles suck when it comes to FPS games

[Z2ato]

I consider "regular" shooter controls as X being reload, B being melee, A being jump, Y being switch weapons, and either LB or LT being grenades or alternate fire. That's how I see the generic buttons, with small modifications and uses for the D-pad being used for watever is left. The controls described in L4D should work fine but i will hate the X-B switch since it will mess with me if Im playing different games.

Halo? lol

[gorgoth]

Halo did pretty much invent generic FPS console controls...

[elite hunter]

but because my friends are too lazy too get a good computer.

Do they have to be lazy to not get a good computer? what if they dont have the money. Matt and halfeat shut the hell up FPS are great on consoles, for me atleast. you think it suck I think its great, different opinions stop saying it suck. YOU dont like it but alot of us do. I bought a computer to search the web etc, not to play games on.

[gorgoth]

Whatever, lock it before the flames spread. To each his own, so shut up or lock.

[Skeetles]

PC is better FACT
zboz isn't as good as pc FACT
if you like zboz more than pc you are dumb FACT

[bumbousdude25]

He also really didn't like how the same button to fire is the button to heal, which makes sense.

But maybe pressing fire does automatically heal your teammates when close?
Valve'll need to change that if so.


The second video shows what looks like much improved Smoker tongue pull animation along with the ability for teammates to heal one another with medkits by using the left trigger instead of the right.

There ya go.

It was on the front page, too... :)

[gorgoth]

@ Skeetles: Yes, I agree. But I don't scream it from the mountain tops. :)

[lurk4dead]

I have Mac so pc games or at least the majority of them are a non-issue. I have a 360 to just have a bit of fun.

Belittling people on a forum is pointless FACT

[Z2ato]

I'm getting it for 360 so I can play next to my friend and not be a loner sitting at my computer. Insane mode is going to be a hell of a ride for us console players now, I like the challenge.

[gorgoth]

Mac still uses keyboard FACT

360 is fun.

PC is also fun.

My Xbox got RRoD.

Therefore PC wins IMO.

[lurk4dead]

I was simply pointing out that hardly any games are adapted to mac other than COD 4, and left 4 dead isn't so in my particular case I have a 360.

[elite hunter]

PC is better FACT
zboz isn't as good as pc FACT
if you like zboz more than pc you are dumb FACT

Those are your opinions.

Xbox > PC anyday

That isnt true for YOU is it? thats why its just an opinon

[Psyche]

So what if heal and shoot are the same thing, you have to take out your med kit to heal in the first place, no idea why he is complaining there. :/

[Etheallmighty]

this guy is a dumbass. you can't blow away the person your trying to heal, you simply press right on the D-pad which switches to yur medkit

the controls on paper seem strange to a regular 360 owner (like me), but trust me when I played, after 10 seconds of playing I knew everything and it was easy as pie.

also I thought I was fine in the midst of the horde with *GASP* a 360 controller.

I'm getting it for 360 so I can play next to my friend and not be a loner sitting at my computer. Insane mode is going to be a hell of a ride for us console players now, I like the challenge.

amen bretherend

[armored cow]

Those are your opinions.

Xbox > PC anyday

That isnt true for YOU is it? thats why its just an opinon
To have a good PC console war that actually makes sense, you have to pick what level you want the computer to be at (performance-wise), since the Xbox's performance doesn't change.

[Tyr]

That's not the fault of the game it's the fault of the 360. A console controller will never be as good a a keyboard/mouse for first person shooters, a lot of shooters work around this by using auto-aim and stuff like that and I suppose a certain expectation is put on console developers to impliment these things. Personally I say "fuck 'em" and go for PC but I understand how that's not for all.
As for judging the controls based on a limited playthrough I guess all I have to say is "give it time". It'll take a bit of getting used to I'm sure but sooner or later the controls will become second nature and will cease to be an issue.

Why people bother with consoles and FPS games... I'll never know.

[gorgoth]

I'm still unsure whether to buy for 360.. I think I'm leaning towards buying both, simply because more friends on Steam and better graphics on xbox (My PC sucks).

[KingKon21]

Why people bother with consoles and FPS games... I'll never know.
Because i fail with a mouse and keyboard, but i dont want to waste time learning if im good with a joypad.

[Skeetles]

We already came to the conclusion that mouse+keyboard = better precision. When you are pro you use pc
when you want auto aim enabled you use a console. WIN
handicapped noobs gtfo.

[one of them]

The only game I know that B was melee was Halo 3.
B was reload in Half-Life 2 (for Xbox 360), and in some other shooter... might have been FEAR. But anyway, I think its a great reload button. Not so sure about the heal button, need more info on that.

[DeMoNsXWiThInnX]

Just becuase the button Layout is a little weird Doesnt mean you cant Simply go to the options menu and change them up.... Its not that hard. But instead they Rather Bash on the 360 controller buton layout. Thats pathetic IMO.

[lurk4dead]

Skeetels I don't know who blackened your soul a long time ago by may god have mercy on him.

[slurba]

If you want to play a fps in all its glory you need to play it on a keyboard and mouse. Playing it with a console controller would be like watching an amazing movie with great special effects on a black and white TV. I'm pretty sure it's still great, but you just won't get the entire experience. Sounds to me like the reviewer needs to stop whining and just get use to it.

[Chronos]

I'm getting it for 360 so I can play next to my friend and not be a loner sitting at my computer.
And I'm getting it for the PC so I can play with my friends and not be a loner playing with retarded 5 year olds which is the majority of the 360 population whether you want to deny it or not.

And what skeetle said.
PC is for pros, consoles are for casuals. If you like staying compute illiterate just keep playing console games only.

[Deek]

Oh hoo-ray. We haven't had a console versus PC "discussion" in what? Two, maybe three hours?

[gorgoth]

Less. One going on on another thread right now. Yes, PC is used by pros. We are not all pros, ergo some of us use consoles. We wish we could be a pro like you and use a PC. W/e.

[armored cow]

Oh hoo-ray. We haven't had a console versus PC "discussion" in what? Two, maybe three hours?
No. This one is growing, unlike most others. It's been awhile...
I say we feed it.

[DeMoNsXWiThInnX]

I must Disagree with all of you who say PC is for Pro's becuase I play PC games all the time ( FPS ) Im not bad but im deffinelty not teh 1337 You speek of. Im am Far better on a Controller. I dont see a Difference, Well I mean obvliously theres a difference between a mouce and Keyboard to a Consol controller, but I Think there both the same in my book. *Pre pairs for Negative feed back*

[Bren]

I am wiith you demon.I play counterstrike on my pc and i am decent.Im just naturally better with a controller than a mouse.You can't compare skill level between PC and 360, it is mostly just based on what kind of controls you want to play with and if you are playing with any friends.

[gothichorror13]

buy a Xbox360 keyboard and mouse converter
keyboard and mouses should burn in hell!!!

[dontleave]

Who hating on what?

[Duke51]

Wow that's got to be the dumbest thing I've heard. What if they made it like Siphon Filter, and made L2 and R2 to strafe, or what about Metal Gear Solid where you have to hold down 5+ buttons at the same time to aim and shoot, or even CoD4, melee is the right thumbstick in that game and you don't hear people saying "OH MY GOD WHY ISN'T MELEE THE B BUTTON THIS GAME SUCKS."

But no, just because this game is different and not your run of the mill FPS it has to be bashed. Maybe if they made it more like Halo or Call of Duty it would be more respected amongst console players. Some people are so damn ignorant it aggravates the hell out of me.

Well I guess I shouldn't say that... I own a 360 but it pisses me off how people will only play games that don't make you think at all and as long as you're shooting things - that's a good thing. But turn friendly fire on throughout the coarse of the game and suddenly it's "OOOHHHH I SHOT MY TEAMMATE MAYBE HE SHOULDN'T JUMP INTO MY BULLETS, WHY CAN'T I TURN FRIENDLY FIRE OFF THIS GAME SUCKS".

Aghhh, that is all.

[dontleave]

There's only one button to shoot in MGS4.

[Duke51]

There's only one button to shoot in MGS4.
Sorry, I owned MGS3 on my PS2. Never did buy a PS3 and there for MGS4.

To give you an idea, you had to hold R1 to go into first person, lightly hold down the square button to bring up your gun, L1 to aim down the sights, L2 or R2 to lean, and firmly press square to shoot.

Still a kickass game though.

[Dead Fish]

keyboard and mouses should burn in hell!!!


Now that's just funny. ^^

[Etheallmighty]

I mean one of my best friends has steam with all the mods/games,etc...and for a while I played on it a lot (some of you MIGHT remember me playing with you guys a few times on some zombie mod) . I do admit you can look around a lot faster with a PC, but I'm still better at AIMING with a console....basically ditto what demon and Bren said

[Chronos]

I must Disagree with all of you who say PC is for Pro's becuase I play PC games all the time ( FPS ) Im not bad but im deffinelty not teh 1337 You speek of. Im am Far better on a Controller. I dont see a Difference, Well I mean obvliously theres a difference between a mouce and Keyboard to a Consol controller, but I Think there both the same in my book. *Pre pairs for Negative feed back
I meant it from a general standpoint. The majority of console players are casual gamers while there's a larger strand of hardcore games on PC's.

[ShaneInFlames]

IMO p.c controls are only superior when it comes to fps games. Other games dont require you to react quickly and aim with precision.

I own orange box for xbox 360 (too poor to afford decent p.c) and it has fully customizable controls so L4D control layout should not be a problem for anyone.

One problem I saw is that the doorways are narrow in this and are hard to move through.

[BaldingSteve]

Why people bother with consoles and FPS games... I'll never know.

[krunsh]

Why people bother with consoles and FPS games... I'll never know

I was thinking the same thing... before I had my xbox with some fps... and then some Fun.

[one of them]

And I'm getting it for the PC so I can play with my friends and not be a loner playing with retarded 5 year olds which is the majority of the 360 population whether you want to deny it or not.
I don't think 5 year olds will be very attracted to this title.
I own orange box for xbox 360 (too poor to afford decent p.c) and it has fully customizable controls so L4D control layout should not be a problem for anyone.
I had that for a little bit because my friend let me borrow it for one of his games... wtf is with no one on TF2? I found ONE server with ONE person in it.

[pkerq32]

Thw controls are fine go play COD4 noob you havent playd TF2 have you on TF2 you could chose what your controls where hopfully you can do the same on this cos i wnt b to be x 2 mella b 2 reload right trigger 2 shoot left bumper to turn 180 left trigger 2 heal taemates cos when you have medic kit out its a whepon so i spose it gona be right trigger anyway for both teamate and yourself y is fine for the changing of weapons and d pad is grate for pill granades health kits and tourtch

[freakypred]

Ok, seriously, post an arguement when you can actually spell-check and punctuate correctly.

[Warheart]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6-yfLL_Apc

The control menu can be seen at 1:00.
Seems like you can adjust the controls to your likings, so no need to argue.

[Nilbog]

You could map your controls on 360's Orange Box, so I see no reason why you couldn't do it in L4D.

Also, a major reason why people play 360 versions of games or vice versa is to play with friends. I had Orange Box for PC but rarely played TF2 online because all my friends played on 360. So I went ahead and bought the 360 version and play it a ton.

The controls aren't as precise, but it is way more fun to play with friends.

[USS_Stud]

Ok, seriously, post an arguement when you can actually spell-check and punctuate correctly.
Pfftt... being a grammar nazi is just a sign of desperation at--Thw controls are fine go play COD4 noob you havent playd TF2 have you on TF2 you could chose what your controls where hopfully you can do the same on this cos i wnt b to be x 2 mella b 2 reload right trigger 2 shoot left bumper to turn 180 left trigger 2 heal taemates cos when you have medic kit out its a whepon so i spose it gona be right trigger anyway for both teamate and yourself y is fine for the changing of weapons and d pad is grate for pill granades health kits and tourtch
Holy fuck, nevermind.

[degeneration]

Whatever, lock it before the flames spread. To each his own, so shut up or lock.

Yeah i agree, and they are retarded. Who cares about the controls- learn them and have fun. jEsUs...

[KingKon21]

Pc Rs 4 Teh Lozers, XboX 4 Teh wINs. PC MoUse n KeybordS Are teh GAY loozers.

[Z2ato]

And I'm getting it for the PC so I can play with my friends and not be a loner playing with retarded 5 year olds which is the majority of the 360 population whether you want to deny it or not.

Easy, I will stick to my friends who aren't little kids and play with them instead. All my friends are 17 years or older. ;P

[Jimmyboe]

PC is better FACT
zboz isn't as good as pc FACT
if you like zboz more than pc you are dumb FACT

i lol'd

[Blackmist]

I would rather quick- turn with LB, heal with RB, reload with X, aim with LT (iron sights), and melee with B. Sort of COD4 Halo3 style controls. They need to find some better use for LT.

[gorgoth]

You'd like to use your ironsights by hitting LT? Wow, it's like this game doesn't have ironsights! You must know something that all of us don't. Or maybe you don't know. No ironsights.

[Z2ato]

This game should not ever be compared to COD4... Ever!

[gorgoth]

Pc Rs 4 Teh Lozers, XboX 4 Teh wINs. PC MoUse n KeybordS Are teh GAY loozers.

Really sorry, I'm a 360 nub and can't afford a good computer to play like a man, and I'll never be rude again ever!

Fixed, you're welcome.

[Stupoider]

really if you think about it...the xbox is like a child pc didnt love...the xbox cared for pc....but pc just turned away to drink its daily bottle of counter strike...then it looked for porn.....then it took a memory shit......and xbox just drifted away........think about that

PC users have porn?

[Xaos Falcon]

I like the XaosBox more. Or the XC.

[darkmessiah]

CORRECTION

If you've ever seen The Orange Box on the 360, you'll know that full button mapping is available. B can be everything. U can be anything. B all that U can B.

[12GaugeFacEBrEAker]

anyone who has a problem with the 360 control is pathetic, it a controller get used to it, I mean it can't be that hard to learn the controls in a couple of minutes