"Controller is highly recommended"... how about nope?

[Shadowfury]

Afaik, this game has no extra functionality regarding the use of an analog stick (no omnidirectional movement, no switching between running and walking), so I really don't understand why would you recommend something less precise than a keyboard for a tight 2D platformer, especially one with controls as responsive as this one.

Maybe it's just that I haven't played enough to get all of the powerups that influence your movement (only one I got is the dash) but for now, I'd easily choose to play using my keyboard instead of my controller.

[Shadowfury]

Originally posted by Robodemon:

I'll let you in on the joke, Shadowfury. Most people find it easier to move their thumb across a D-pad or stick than it is to use seperate fingers on keys when it comes to precision platforming. One finger versus four. Kudos to you if you've got the dexterity for that, but you are a distinct minority. The number of blank-faced "ok" responses kinda attests to that.

Welp, I hoped that wouldn't be the case but oh well... seems I'm too old-school for this, lol.

Still baffled at how many people find a controller a much better choice for movement, though.

[Net]

A controller is def the worse choice for this game in all regards if you know how to platform on a keyboard. It's all about faster and more precise inputs and honestly a controller is crap at both due to being analog and having sticks or sliding your finger instead of two fingers as noted above.

However play with whatever you want? That's always a good choice if you ask me compared to certain platforms where you get forced to play with one another.

[BreadPit]

I don't understand games that recommend playing with a controller either. Super Meat Boy did that too and I had far more success once I said "screw it" and tried playing it on keyboard. Felt much better and got much further in the game.

For a game like Rocket League I understand that there's good reasons to play with a controller instead of a keyboard simply because there's some things that are literally impossible with a keyboard (like very slight rotations mid-air etc.), but I really don't know why people act like 2D platformers need a controller. I own a controller and the only thing I play with it are fighting games.

[Shadowfury]

Glad to see at least a few players agree with me

[lazymagpie]

... you do realise that most controllers ALSO have a D-Pad, yes?

[Nano]

Peripheral choice for platformer games is up to personal preference

Arguing that anyone is inherently better is factually wrong and makes you an annoying blowhard

[Icedfate]

not sure how a keyboard is better and more precise than an analog controller for a platformer. . . even if you use the steam controller with no right analog stick, it's so much easier to move with your left thumb and hit buttons with the right thumb
especially if a game has a run button and you have to hold the run button and then press the jump button while holding it.
or if a game has a dash button and you have to hit a sequence of buttons like "dash,jump,attack,jump,jump,attack" is so much easier on a controller than a keyboard.

I don't know what tricky movements you will have to do in this game but I remember playing super metroid on snes and having to move with the d-pad while holding R to fix my gun diagonally and then tap select to switch between missiles and jumping and shooting all at the same time and I just can't do those kind of finger gymnastics with a keyboard.

keyboards also seem to have issues when trying to hold multiple keys at the same time (unless you by like a top tier high end gaming keyboard for however much that costs...

I tried playing super meat boy with a keyboard and only got halfway before I was ready to smash my keyboard against the wall

[Robodemon]

Originally posted by Shadowfury:

Originally posted by Robodemon:

I'll let you in on the joke, Shadowfury. Most people find it easier to move their thumb across a D-pad or stick than it is to use seperate fingers on keys when it comes to precision platforming. One finger versus four. Kudos to you if you've got the dexterity for that, but you are a distinct minority. The number of blank-faced "ok" responses kinda attests to that.

Welp, I hoped that wouldn't be the case but oh well... seems I'm too old-school for this, lol.

Still baffled at how many people find a controller a much better choice for movement, though.

Load up your emulator of choice and play most any NES title with a keyboard. That'll do a decent job of explaining why people think that way, not sure why it'd "baffle" you if you're that old-school, unless you're not particularly open to different opinions. This is part of why the D-pad is still around after all these years.

[Icedfate]

I mean, I've seen people play terraria and with keyboard (which I do too, because as nice as it is that they added controller support, it's still practically unplayable with a controler. . .)

and these people somehow, use the wasd keys while holding spacebar, while tapping the 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,0 keys in the top row, with a graviton potion flipping upside down, while keeping the mouse cursor trained on a boss that moves 3 times as fast as you do.. .

I dunno about other people but when my middle finder is on the wasd keys, my index finger only extends far enough to reach the 5, while it can comfortably get the 4 so I keep my most commonly used items in the 4 and 5 slots.
my ring finger can snake around and get the 1, but the middle finger causes interference when I want to hit the 2 and the 3.

the 6-0 keys, I have to remove my entire hand from the movement keys to get it over there.

I've seen some ub3r 1337 gamers on youtube that seem to be able to ull these gymnastics off but I just can't do it.

I have like 2000 hours on terraria and still haven't even seen the new bosses added in the most recent patch (I've seen others beat them so i know what they look like, I just haven't gotten that far)


this is the same problem I've had when playing mmos when some of them (like WoW) give you dozens of hotbar abilities, so many that you have to create multible hotbars and not only have to hit 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,0,-,=, but also have to hit shift + all of those and then hit ctrl+ all of those and then hit alt+ all of those and maintain a constant rotation of managing cooldowns and I just can't do it.

(I recently tried neverwinter and they only make you use wasd for movement and then Q E R and tab and and 1 and 2 for your skills but meh, I dont like mmos anymore, I'd rather play a good Metroidvania or a nice crpg or maybe a jrpg or binding of isaac or some precision platformers like They Bleed Pixels with a controller )

[BreadPit]

Originally posted by Robodemon:

Load up your emulator of choice and play most any NES title with a keyboard. That'll do a decent job of explaining why people think that way, not sure why it'd "baffle" you if you're that old-school, unless you're not particularly open to different opinions.

Guess I'm doing something wrong (or right?) then because it feels extremely convenient for me to play those with keyboard, along with many DS games (mainly Castlevanias). Is there anything I'm missing? Am I just too used to keyboards? Do people own keyboards that are extremely inconvenient for gaming? Honestly curious here.

Originally posted by Robodemon:

This is part of why the D-pad is still around after all these years.

Care to elaborate? What can a D-pad do (especially in 2D platformers) that WASD can't?

[AuburnRDM]

It's personal preference. That's pretty much all it comes down to.

[stevo]

Learning the piano would be easier than learning to play platformers with WASD

[DangerMoth]

Originally posted by FeMaiden:

not sure how a keyboard is better and more precise than an analog controller for a platformer. . . even if you use the steam controller with no right analog stick, it's so much easier to move with your left thumb and hit buttons with the right thumb
especially if a game has a run button and you have to hold the run button and then press the jump button while holding it.
or if a game has a dash button and you have to hit a sequence of buttons like "dash,jump,attack,jump,jump,attack" is so much easier on a controller than a keyboard.

I don't know what tricky movements you will have to do in this game but I remember playing super metroid on snes and having to move with the d-pad while holding R to fix my gun diagonally and then tap select to switch between missiles and jumping and shooting all at the same time and I just can't do those kind of finger gymnastics with a keyboard.

keyboards also seem to have issues when trying to hold multiple keys at the same time (unless you by like a top tier high end gaming keyboard for however much that costs...

I tried playing super meat boy with a keyboard and only got halfway before I was ready to smash my keyboard against the wall

everything you described is incredibly easy on a keyboard

[DangerMoth]

also platforming is best with arrow keys, and using your left hand for modifiers and abilities

my mmx setup in shift for dashing, z jump, x jump. beat a controller anyday for me.
for metroid shift from tilt, z jump x shoot
for castlevania, shift is backdash, z jump, x shoot. and theres tons of key arondthose for additional modifiers. zx as cd space, shift, are my most used keys for anything and the arrow keys are really easy to use. im also an experience fighting game player on keyboard. once you are used to using keys instead of pads or analog, the speed and precision is much better, its why the hitbox controller was developed.

[DangerMoth]

infact any dustforce player will probably tell you keyboard is better