High CPI and lower ingame sense versus high ingame sense and low CPI

[xd]

Hi there. Couple of questions to ask.

I use a CPI of 800, have an ingame sensitivity of 3.80 and use raw input+no mouse acceleration. This is considered high as my laptop screen isn't very big. Not sure if this affects anything but the native screen resolution (resolution ingame too) is 1366 x 768. Screen size is like 13.5 inches. Mouse is Aquila-X2 from Armaggeddon.

I have been advised to use a higher CPI and lower ingame sensitivity.

#1. Should I follow his advice?
#2. How do i adjust the increase in CPI and decrease in sensitvity to be the same as my current sensitivity?
#3. Is it possible to set the CPI differently ingame and when doing non gaming stuff? My mouse has 4 buttons, left/right click, scroll wheel and a button which can be used to switch CPI, but I use it to swap windows.

[Ace42]

You want higher CPI on the mouse and lower sensitivity in game.

If you do it the other way around the high in-game sensitivity adds fake "counts" (units of mouse movement) to your input, which will cause you to skip pixels.

If you lower in-game sensitivity, then worst case scenario is the game "ignores" counts (units of mouse movement) - which is the same as just lowering your CPI via your mouse.

As for your "current" sensitivity - you could calculate the ratios between the two; but it's easier just to fiddle about and find a new sensitivity that's comfortable.

To do so, start up a practice game as a Scout - pick any fixed point on the map (a bullet hole you make will do fine), and strafe left and right whilst trying to keep your crosshair fixed tight on that spot. If your sensitivity's set too high in-game you'll "overshoot" that point; if it's too low you won't be able to "keep up" with it. When you can comfortably keep your crosshair on that point consistently - you've got it just right for yourself.

use zoomed_sensitivity_ratio X to lower your zoomed-in sensitivity with Sniper Rifles if necessary- it's set to 1 by default; most people find 0.6 or so the best value for Sniping - as you'll find your comfortable mouse sensitivity too "twitchy" for pixel-perfect Sniping.

You can use the DPI switch on your mouse to adjust its CPI on the fly for windows - that's the best option; as the Windows Sensitivity Slider can mess up pixel accuracy. It's important you have that set to neutral (the 6th or 7th notch IIRC?) so that your mouse doesn't skip pixels or lose accuracy.

Also make sure you use one of the windows registery fixes available online to disable mouse acceleration for Windows too.

[xd]

Originally posted by Ace42:

You can use the DPI switch on your mouse to adjust its CPI on the fly for windows - that's the best option; as the Windows Sensitivity Slider can mess up pixel accuracy. It's important you have that set to neutral (the 6th or 7th notch IIRC?) so that your mouse doesn't skip pixels or lose accuracy.

What i mean is that is it possible to script/configurate it such that ingame, the CPI is x but in windows, the CPI is y

Also, I have been using this sensitivity for pretty long, I dont really want my ability to aim/airshot to be reset to 0, so is there an accurate way to determine the same overall sensitivity with a higher CPI and lower ingame sensitivity?
And does enabling raw input negate the CPI changes?

But overall this is an excellent answer, keep up the excellent work!

[Ace42]

Originally posted by relinquished:

What i mean is that is it possible to script/configurate it such that ingame, the CPI is x but in windows, the CPI is y

The mouse's CPI is determined by its hardware and drivers; there's no way that the game can "tell" the drivers what CPI to use - that's why using the mouse's built-in CPI buttons is preferable. Some drivers for gaming mice allow you to configure different profiles and auto-load them when it detects different .exes running; but it depends on the driver software.

so is there an accurate way to determine the same overall sensitivity with a higher CPI and lower ingame sensitivity?

Yes, via maths.
For the lazy there's various calculators online, such as:
http://www.mouse-sensitivity.com/convert.html

However, if your aim is that good, then you should be able to set the right value from the "feel" alone using the method I described above. Sensitivity should be working to help you land shots comfortably; not be something that causes you to fight your mouse in order to land your shots.

And does enabling raw input negate the CPI changes?

Raw input just means the mouse's data gets transmitted directly from the drivers to the game rather than being handled by intermediate software like DirectX. The mouse's CPI is determined by the hardware and how the drivers handle that input; not by Direct Input, etc.

So no, the CPI won't be impacted by Raw Input either way.

[xd]

okay!

i have no idea how to use the calculator so i guess it's up to math
Does it work in a way that if i double my CPI, i should halve my ingame sense?

[Bags]

Holy shot! Your sensitivity is high. I use 2.10

[Ace42]

Originally posted by relinquished:

Does it work in a way that if i double my CPI, i should halve my ingame sense?

Pretty much, but there can be confounding factors. The best way to do it is use the method I suggested. It doesn't matter if you don't have the same *effective* sensitivty as before if you are more accurate with the *new* sensitivity - does it?

Originally posted by Bags:

Holy shot! Your sensitivity is high. I use 2.10

Effective sensitivity is a product of in-game sensitivity in ratio to the mouse's CPI. Without considering a number of factors (such as CPI, polling rate, screen resolution, FOV, etc) you can't know what his effective sensitivity actually is.