Doomer's Peripherals Thread

while looking for opinions on popular pc peripherals i noticed (again) that every gaming board has a bunch of threads like this, this and this where people like to show their shiny new mice, keyboards, mouse mats or headsets. the classic doom forums don't, or i haven't found such a thread. (there's this or this but these deal mostly with the key setup and no specific peripherals)

of course, people buy stuff because it's good on paper or some "pro gamer" uses it. i thought that classic doom players are less inclined to buy 5000 dpi mice than gamers with the newest hardware, and pixel accuracy matters less in doom than a light, reliable ( = not skipping) mouse. some might still use mechanical mice which worked perfectly for doom after all (i remember reading that a few here have pretty ancient computers). also i guess that huge mouse mats are not a necessity since you need to turn quicker and more often in doom than in tactical shooters and very low sens can't keep up with the games's speed. most players today seem to hold their mice with a palm grip and move the forearm or the whole arm, while earlier players were more flick-happy. at least that's my impression, but it might have to do with the evolution of doom speedrunning since.

so, what peripherals do you guys use and why do you prefer them? for example, i use a wingman mouse with an intelli sensor built in for gaming because i find it's shape perfect, a large allsop cloth pad for controlled movement since hard pads are too fast for my taste, an old ibm keyboard without those windows keys that only get in my way, and sony mdr-cd780 headphones collecting dust because i mostly use speakers anyway. i recently bought a razer salmosa, it's very light and never skips. mouse grip is fingers only, about 20-22 cm for a 360 degree turn, this hasn't changed for 10 years or so. i just wish i had more time for playing, that helps more than having the newest toys.

I'm currently using a ZBoard with the original insert (none of those stupid fancy ones that just make things worse) because it was the only corded keyboard I could find at my house, a cheap 7$ mouse I bought at Target (hasn't failed me yet), and a really old mousepad with a scanned picture of me and my cousins when we were little. Part of that mousepad is coming up though..

None of this has hindered me in my Doom playing.

I have Intel Core 2 Duo and GF8800GT etc

My mouse is a Razer Habu (2000DPI)and I don't have any mouse pad actually. My keyboard is from an old IBM Aptiva because every new keyboard I've bought has turned out to be a piece of shit.

I play Doom with a PS2 controller. XP

I use a Logitech MX 310, my second one since the left button on the first has worn down a bit.

I use some ancient PS2 keyboard, and an ancient PS2 ball mouse which gets stuck a lot. I don't really do much PC gaming apart from Doom.

I use the keyboard that comes with the first series of Vista Premium Acer Aspire.
PHILIPS USB game controller for some games, will try on Doom sometimes though.
Logitech Headset for CS:S + TF2 and instant messengers, and Vent.
And for my mouse is a Microsoft Intellimouse 2.0 Explorer, quite useful for web browsing with out clicking the Back and Forward button, yet to use the two thumb buttons of games though....

Krispavera said:

I'm currently using a ZBoard with the original insert (none of those stupid fancy ones that just make things worse)

The butterfly-WASD keyset is actually pretty nice, as long as you don't have to type. Other than that, though, typing, even with the standard keyset, gets to feel flimsy and cheap.

I'm using a Logitech MX518 with my laptop. It's a great mouse. The little buttons on the side can be used to go Forward/Back in a browser. Now I find myself tapping my thumb on nothing to go back whenever I use another mouse.

Logitech G15 keyboard (first model) and Logitech G5 laser mouse. The keyboard helps more with making mods than playing the actual game.

WildWeasel said:

laser mouse.

Are these actually better than opticals?

For gaming I use a standard straight keyboard and some Microsoft 5 button ambidextrous optical mouse. No real reason other than that is what I've always used and I like my equipment to be ambidextrous.

I almost switch from that 5 button mouse to the mouse that comes with the Wacom Bamboo fun. It works for the most part (I think it's more sensitive than my optical) but it just works too far into the air (roughly 4-5 times the distance of an optical).

DuckReconMajor said:

Are these actually better than opticals?

Are they better (as in more sensitive)? Yes. Will you be turning down the sensitivity? Yes. At least that is what I've seen from both my brother and my father.

I use Logitech MX518 and a wireless Logitech keyboard on my desktop and a small "traveller" mouse on my laptop. On the mouse, regardless of game, I use only the left and right buttons, but the thumb buttons and buttons around the wheel (re-configured) get use while browsing the web. Actually the reason I got the more expensive mouse was because it felt better in hand and it had a long warranty (I have a long history of mice eventually breaking down for different reasons, like a wireless mouse's battery connectors wearing down, buttons on an other mouse giving in and so on).

Microsoft Comfort Curve 2000 and Wheel Mouse Optical, though these choices are more based on good general computer usage than gaming. Despite the fact they make shit software, Microsoft's hardware department is right on the money.

Reevys said:

I play Doom with a PS2 controller. XP

I have considered the Analog Dual Shock to be the perfect gaming controller since they came out for the PSX. And there's an adaptor to couple them to pretty much anything. They're my controller of choice when playing emulator games.

A 10 year old KeyTronic "Lifetime Series" keyboard, a 6 year old Logitech optical mouse, a low-profile adhesive backed mousemat and a comfortable chair with good lumbar support.

Currently, an Eur 8 USB/PS2 laser mouse on my main box, along with an el cheapo Eur 7 keyboard. Plenty of keyboards and ball mice to spare, though.

As far as joysticks/joypads are concerned, I'm still using a Quickshot 4-button gamepad from 1996 (superior feeling and control to anything I tried ever since) and a greek-made high-quality microswitch arcade joystick with two buttons, again, quite superior to anything I've tried. Both use the gameport, but luckily my mobo has a built-in one.

Logitech G5 with a zboard merc keyboard (which is awesome for FPS's and has lasted me for over 2 years of constant use).

I use an IBM Model M but I can't say I'd particularly recommend it for gaming.

I use an IBM model M keyboard. I'm glad its keys aren't ultra sensitive as in some other keyboards, as that allays the effects of accidentally pressing the wrong keys. Action gaming is just an art of hitting keys and buttons, and moving the mouse or whatever, in reference to a screen and a sound device, after all. What is good for typing text (which I do a lot of, anyway, on this system) can be good for it as well.

In addition, I use a regular two-button optical Genius mouse on average sized plastic mouse pad, two small PC speakers I got a long time ago (they seem pretty solid) and a 17" LCD.

I used to use headphones, and they have their benefits, but speakers are nice in the sense that you don't have to put something on yourself to play. I also used to use a ball mouse not too long ago. Obviously, the benefit of an optical is that you never have to worry about that ball getting grimed up or worn down, which can produce rather frustrating effects.

My keyboard is a Razor Tarantula, and my mouse is a Microsoft Intellimouse 3.0.

I use a PS2 controller for other games.

I use an old ZBoard I bought when Doom 3 came out and also a Microsoft optical mouse.

Logitech MX518 Mouse which is excellent
Logitech G11 Keyboard which has a whole load of Macro Keys down the left which I never use as they just aren't necisary but otherwise it's a good keyboard, if a bit large.
Then I have a set of Logitech 5.1 surround sound speakers which sound pretty damn good considering they were only £70.

As you can probably tell, I like Logitech stuff, I like the quality as I have never had anything made by Logitech go wrong.

There are some hardware threads here. That thread in particular helped me to find the Logitech G5, which I am still happy with. My keyboard is the generic Gateway-branded thing-a-ma-jig that came with this computer.

Speaking of all this. Is there any way to get a keyboard that doesn't lock up when you have several keys pressed at once? I have one keyboard that lock up different keys depending on what keys are pressed. And the IBM one that locks up if two or three keys are pressed.

Logitech MX510 mouse (I would prefer a larger mouse I think)

IBM UltraNav keyboard. It's the keyboard from a ThinkPad laptop (including the TrackPoint!) in USB format. Wonderful key travel and excellent tactile response. This keyboard also omits the useless numpad, which is phenomenal - no longer do I have to choose between having the keyboard too far left or having the mouse too far right.

kristus - Yes, if you get a keyboard designed for serious typing (or one of the "gamer" ones I guess). Most cheap keyboards have trimmed cost by limiting the keyboard controller. You want one with n-key rollover.

If there's a limit, it usually affects some key combinations more than others. I had some trouble managing to set up sr50 on this one, but got it to work using three keys and space (and it probably would have been easier without a run key).

Torr Samaho said:
i thought that classic doom players are less inclined to buy 5000 dpi mice than gamers with the newest hardware, and pixel accuracy matters less in doom than a light, reliable ( = not skipping) mouse.

It'll help, it seems, with a high screen resolution. My regular DM opponent and coop comrade uses a pretty accurate one, but I think he has to adjust it if he has to lower screen resolution. Personally I tend to play at low resolutions and get the impression the mouse I have is suitable for this.

some might still use mechanical mice which worked perfectly for doom after all (i remember reading that a few here have pretty ancient computers).

As I mentioned above, I was one of these up to not long ago. At the end, I was torturing myself with a couple of damaged ones that sometimes failed to turn. This affects performance directly, but is also discouraging in general. They're slightly more accurate than an optical when clean, but, as you might remember, keeping them thus and remembering to clean them before playing is a chore.

also i guess that huge mouse mats are not a necessity since you need to turn quicker and more often in doom than in tactical shooters and very low sens can't keep up with the games's speed. most players today seem to hold their mice with a palm grip and move the forearm or the whole arm, while earlier players were more flick-happy. at least that's my impression, but it might have to do with the evolution of doom speedrunning since.

Heh, it looks like I'm pretty old school here, then. I don't really move my arm much. The back of my palm generally rests on a frame at the end of the of the pull-out table for the keyboard and mouse, a flick of the wrist (one or two inches?) will do a 180° turn, and I generally have Novert and only rarely any free look.

Torr Samaho said:

this

Yes, this and a Logitech MX400 mouse, which I had bought mostly because it was in the shop the only available corded mouse that was in the price range I was willing to afford. I don't trust cordless stuff.

Oh, and for mouse mat? The black backside of a slim CD case. Works perfectly for my laser mouse.

Gez said:
I don't trust cordless stuff.

Same here, and they also need batteries.

Gez said:

Oh, and for mouse mat? The black backside of a slim CD case. Works perfectly for my laser mouse.

That seems... small.

I bought one of the luridly large super-thin mats, but that was as much to protect the desk as for anything else.

myk said:

Same here, and they also need batteries.

Why does our society fear wires? Not just with mice, but with everything. The benefits of wires outweigh their costs.

david_a said:

That seems... small.

I bought one of the luridly large super-thin mats, but that was as much to protect the desk as for anything else.

My laser mouse has always worked perfectly on any desk surface I put it on. Skipping is always the result of something getting trapped in the hole on the mouse's underside. In one instance, it was an ant.