Editorial – 3 Things All PC Games Should Do
January 12, 2013 1 Comment
The time has come folks. After Skyrim and Saints Row the III this should no longer be a problem but for some reason it still is. Here are a few thing to make your UI navigation less of a pain in the ass.
1. Let me have my game pad plugged in and use the mouse and keyboard
I can’t be alone in this. Spec Ops the Line gave me gamepad prompts while I was using a mouse and keyboard because my gamepad was plugged in. Skyrim forces the gamepad on me as long as I have it plugged in. There are solutions to this people, look no further than 2011 favorite Saints Row the Third. The last input the game detects dictate the prompts the player receives. So you can have your gamepad plugged in and not use it. Or midgame, change your mind. The game adjusts while not doing a sack check to the player. Sleeping Dogs also got this one right.
2. I have two hands, let me use them
Oh yes, I’m talking about map and menu navigation which Skyrim nailed. I can’t go back folks. Give me ASWD controls on the maps. Farcry 3 could really benefit from this. Using the mouse to scroll the map and then hit the enter key with is maddening! It can and has been better and there is no going back. Efficiency is what I’m talking about here people! Select a choice with one hand, navigate the map with the other. Do it! And you know what? Same deal with a gamepad’s sticks. Don’t bottleneck the game!
3. The escape key should only be used for system settings
One of Far Cry 3’s many UI mistakes, is using the escape key to reach your inventory, the crafting system, the character log, the item collection log. Why not use a key near where my hands are already operating? Like Tab, re: Skyrim. Escape is the button I press when I want to mess with graphics or turn the subtitles on.
About MusiM
I couldn’t agree with you more on #1. I’ve always played PC shooters by using the mouse and a controller. If the game has an option to turn off the controller, I do so to allow me to use my preferred set up and map the controller buttons however I please using Xpadder
But if the game keeps trying to force you to use the controller the way you would use it on a console just because it’s plugged in, makes things tricky and frustrating. I’m sure it’s just simple code to make EVERY game have an option to turn the controller off so pHiL and millions of PC games can be happy playing how WE chose and not be forced into making us feel like we are playing Xbox.