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WASD + mouse VS gamepad in TPZ - which one's the better gaming experience?

Pantagruel's FriendPantagruel's Friend
edited June 2010 in Sam & Max
I bought a gamepad recently, and was really curious how The Penal Zone plays with it, as there were some people full of praises for the fluency and natural feel of the game when playing with a gamepad.

Up to this point, I'm somewhat disappointed with the results - it's OK to play with the gamepad, moving around is definitely better than WASD, but then, environment interaction is much better with the mouse. I'm interested in what others think about the issue, so I put up this poll. And especially those who find the gamepad solution superior - why do you think / feel so?

Comments

  • AvistewAvistew
    edited May 2010
    Pantagruel's Friend wrote: »
    I bought a gamepad recently, and was really curious how The Penal Zone plays with it, as there were some people full of praises for the fluency and natural feel of the game when playing with a gamepad.

    Up to this point, I'm somewhat disappointed with the results - it's OK to play with the gamepad, moving around is definitely better than WASD, but then, environment interaction is much better with the mouse. I'm interested in what others think about the issue, so I put up this poll. And especially those who find the gamepad solution superior - why do you think / feel so?

    I started playing with the gamepad and it just didn't do it for me. I ended up switching for click and drag which I found much better and not as awkward as in ToMI. I find both superior to WASD though.
  • Harald BHarald B
    edited May 2010
    I love how using the gamepad lets me play while leaning backward instead of forward. With a good chair that makes for a really good experience. Mouse + WASD is pretty good too, though, and I like it more than click-and-drag.
  • der_ketzerder_ketzer
    edited May 2010
    arrowkeys + mouse is the best.
  • Rather DashingRather Dashing
    edited May 2010
    I like how playing with a gamepad feels with my computer hooked up to a television. It lets me sit back and relax, and because the Sam and Max games aren't particularly intense or detail-centric, playing on a TV isn't a disadvantage(as it might be for a game of Civilization, for example). I played all of episode 1 with a gamepad, and I never once had trouble selecting things or performing any action. It's also nice that I can push a button to perform some actions, like going into Max mode, and not having to click an icon in the top right corner of the screen.
  • RipcordRipcord
    edited May 2010
    Arrow Keys Seconded.
  • adventureaddictadventureaddict
    edited May 2010
    I'm a huge fan of click'n'dragging.
    Haven't had the experience of a gamepad though, so I can't contribute anything. (Other than I'm not really a fan of the keyboard.)
  • The GentlemanThe Gentleman
    edited May 2010
    WASD + Mouse.
  • GTALostHeavenGTALostHeaven
    edited May 2010
    It all really depends on the game , things like Tomb raider, Resident evil, Metal gear all play very fluidly with gamepads, most PC elitists will say that keys and mouse are better for everything. Even FPS games, personally i prefer to pull a trigger than to click a mouse, but for any point n click game, prefer to use the mouse to .. point and ... uh .. click,

    I also think the wiimote is a great way of playing sports/sword games but for playing a point n click games , i think my arm would just get tired.

    I think as humans we tend to imprint ourselves on the first medium we encounter so I bet the people that prefer gamepads had a console before a pc/mac (or ZX) and vice versa
  • AvistewAvistew
    edited May 2010
    Dage wrote: »
    I think as humans we tend to imprint ourselves on the first medium we encounter so I bet the people that prefer gamepads had a console before a pc/mac (or ZX) and vice versa

    I had consoles first. Had had a nintendo, super nintendo, game boy, game gear, game boy pocket, N64 and possibly gameboy advance before I had a computer.
    I had played at least the frst 3 before I played on a computer (which was long before I had one).

    And obviously there are people who prefer click and drag even though its new. I put your theory in doubt.
  • Rather DashingRather Dashing
    edited May 2010
    I wonder how many people who voted have tried playing with a gamepad. Not doubting the validity of poll results or anything, but I don't know how many people have actually tried every control option.
  • The HighwayThe Highway
    edited May 2010
    I have!
  • Pantagruel's FriendPantagruel's Friend
    edited May 2010
    Rather Dashing wrote: »
    I wonder how many people who voted have tried playing with a gamepad. Not doubting the validity of poll results or anything, but I don't know how many people have actually tried every control option.

    Good question, but you can never know - so I might as well assume that the voters did. Anyway, it did need some persistence on my part to discover some of the gamepad values at all (I've never owned a console), so I wouldn't be surprised if someone with less patience gave up earlier.

    Thanks to everyone for sharing your views. The results up to this point (11/3/1/6/4) are quite polarized, which is interesting - it probably means that there is a clear distinction between mouse people and gamepad people, and Telltale did well to cater for both audiences. I'll invest some more time into the gamepad experience, and I'll definitely try the comfy armchair and the large TV screen when I get the chance :)
  • Rather DashingRather Dashing
    edited May 2010
    All control methods are VERY well-implemented, which is a lot better than previous gamepad titles that seemed to have one or the other system feel wrong when playing.
  • guitarsareboringguitarsareboring
    edited May 2010
    Click and drag is the 'best' but I use a gamepad so I can play it comfortably on my TV.
  • puzzleboxpuzzlebox Telltale Alumni
    edited May 2010
    Pantagruel's Friend wrote: »
    The results up to this point (11/3/1/6/4) are quite polarized, which is interesting - it probably means that there is a clear distinction between mouse people and gamepad people, and Telltale did well to cater for both audiences.

    The nerd in me is so pleased that you actually care about interpreting your results. :D

    I use arrow keys + mouse (well, trackpad, because the only computer I have is my laptop).
  • AvistewAvistew
    edited May 2010
    It also seems that people who prefer the WASD keys prefer them by a lot, while those who prefer the gamepad are more equally split (the difference is probably well within a margin of error right now).
  • Pantagruel's FriendPantagruel's Friend
    edited May 2010
    puzzlebox wrote: »
    The nerd in me is so pleased that you actually care about interpreting your results. :D

    The nerd in me never understood polls for the sake of post collection. That's so dweeb, isn't it? ;)
    Avistew wrote: »
    It also seems that people who prefer the WASD keys prefer them by a lot, while those who prefer the gamepad are more equally split (the difference is probably well within a margin of error right now).

    That's probably no surprise - I imagine most of Telltale's audience comes from the PC world. For anyone who's been used to WASD/mouse for a long time, it really takes a lot to find a different approach better, let alone vastly superior.

    @Harald B: while I have no armchair, I was curious and redesigned my sofa a bit. It was a very relaxing experience (to the extent I almost fell asleep around 11:30PM during one of the longer dialogs :) ), but I had to switch off the subtitles, and I do need a larger monitor or an LCD TV. To be continued!
  • AvelAvel
    edited May 2010
    I prefer mouse + ESC key, but since that's not here I'll go with gamepad. WASD cramps my fingers.
  • seagulseagul
    edited May 2010
    I played with mouse, without WASD. Didn't even know it was possible.
    But now that i think of it ... 2 or 3 times i had the strange impression that there is somthing complicated with the way you have to move Sam&Max. :D
  • HubertHubert
    edited May 2010
    For me it was just click and drag; mouse only(no keyboard).

    The gamepad method just didn't seem to work out for me(too imprecise).
  • ZodlerZodler
    edited May 2010
    This poll is just wrong. not enough options.
  • AvistewAvistew
    edited May 2010
    I'd like to add that I'm currently play Wallace and Gromit with gamepad + mouse and enjoying it more than WASD + mouse.
  • WinterSnowblindWinterSnowblind
    edited May 2010
    I prefer point & click gameplay, but I really dislike the new click and drag/wsad movement system, I find it physically painful to play. When it comes to comparing playing Tales/S&M season 3, a gamepad is definitely the way to go.
  • AvelAvel
    edited May 2010
    WinterSnowblind wrote: »
    ...I really dislike the new click and drag/wsad movement system, I find it physically painful to play.

    If that's so, you might try a trackball.
  • Pantagruel's FriendPantagruel's Friend
    edited May 2010
    Zodler wrote: »
    This poll is just wrong. not enough options.

    Yes, I imagine that adding eg. two further levels of awesomeness to both control methods would have REALLY helped things along ;)
  • JohnJohnJohnJohn
    edited May 2010
    WASD + Mouse is the best way, I played all of the game like that and had no problems with it.
  • Power46Power46
    edited May 2010
    Pantagruel's Friend wrote: »
    Yes, I imagine that adding eg. two further levels of awesomeness to both control methods would have REALLY helped things along ;)

    I am sure he/she is referring to the fact that you do not have Click & Drag as an option.
  • pwblainepwblaine
    edited May 2010
    i concur that it depends on your setup, i play with my gamepad because it simplifies the buttons in front of me and i don't need to remember any keyboard mapping, especially if its bothersome to me. most importantly though, my computer goes through my television, i just lie to lie back in bed and not have to worry about a mousepad or whatnot
  • DPBDPB
    edited May 2010
    I use the mouse exclusively, somehow the click & drag controls seem much more refined and easier to use than they did in Tales of Monkey Island, when I sometimes resorted to using the keyboard too.
  • Bloody EugeneBloody Eugene
    edited May 2010
    To me TOMI mouse controls (click'n'drag) were better.
  • Sir Primalform MagnificoSir Primalform Magnifico
    edited May 2010
    I prefer gamepad, but I'd actually prefer total keyboard control if it were available.
  • Pantagruel's FriendPantagruel's Friend
    edited May 2010
    Power46 wrote: »
    I am sure he/she is referring to the fact that you do not have Click & Drag as an option.

    Possibly. Why doesn't he say so? :confused:
  • HubertHubert
    edited May 2010
    Pantagruel's Friend wrote: »
    Possibly. Why doesn't he say so? :confused:

    He did. So did I. Mouse-only isn't listed as a choice, so I didn't choose anything.
  • Rather DashingRather Dashing
    edited May 2010
    I'm finding myself switching between the two for episode 2, which I haven't finished yet and I'm playing in short bursts. When I play on the TV, I'm using the Gamepad, when I play on the computer monitor I favor WASD+mouse(I use DropBox to sync my saved games).
  • Pantagruel's FriendPantagruel's Friend
    edited May 2010
    Hubert wrote: »
    He did. So did I. Mouse-only isn't listed as a choice, so I didn't choose anything.

    No, he didn't, unless under a different identity :)
    And click-and-drag was left out intentionally.
  • AndorxorAndorxor
    edited May 2010
    Mouse only,with keys for the places that are too narrow for it.
  • RubarackRubarack
    edited June 2010
    For me it's click/drag, but I've not tried all the options on any one game. I tried WASD versus gamepad on W&G and the gamepad was vastly superior there. I'm glad Telltale managed to get click/drag working in time for ToMI because I really don't like WASD at all.
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