Buttons vs Touchscreen

Discussion in 'General Game Discussion and Questions' started by donner, Feb 5, 2014.

  1. donner

    donner Well-Known Member

    I've always preferred handheld / mobile gaming over big console gaming. Mostly for 2 reasons:
    1 - I like RPG's & SRPG's and handheld / mobile gaming devices are home to many of the best.
    2 - I like curling up on the couch or in bed with and epic RPG on a handheld. Not sure why I like this better than Gaming on my HDTV, but i do.

    Lately, I've been digging into some of the amazing RPG's that are on IOS. I've always thought that RPG's, SRPGs & strategy games were perfect for the touchscreen -- until lately.

    I'm realizing that constantly moving my hands around the ipad touch screen for menu / grid based games is pretty tiresome and a bit annoying when your goal is to wind down and relax. Yesterday I fired up a great 3DS game (Fire Emblem Awakening) and realized that buttons make a HUGE difference -- Even for a menu / grid based SRPg. My hands are in the same place all the time and I can buzz through menu's and such much easier.

    Even with so many great games now available on iOS, Im still gravitating to my handheld console devices (3DS for me) because of the buttons (and games of course).

    Anyone else still preferring buttons over the touch screen even for menu based games?
     
  2. kmacleod

    kmacleod Well-Known Member
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    Depends on the games. I've been able to get engrossed in touchscreen games, though I admit for most RPGs, it doesn't improve things.

    iOS game controllers really go a long way to fixing things, though. Oceanhorn and Across Age 2 feel really, really good with a controller.
     
  3. JCho133

    JCho133 Well-Known Member

    Jul 27, 2012
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    "Mouse and keyboard is the best."

    I'm not sure, I do console and iOS gaming, and I can't decide which I prefer. They're pretty even in my book, each with advantages and disadvantages.
     
  4. I like touch better overall, but some games like street fighters and the such beed a joystick. But touch is great.
     
  5. Bronxsta

    Bronxsta Well-Known Member

    Hmmm...I haven't used a controller in months, now that I primarily only play IOS and PC. I like touchscreen's instant response and versatility (since controls can be anything, from sliders to d-pads to multi-touch), but I feel that KB/M is more accurate and useful for more complex games due to how many keys are available

    Controllers are the most comfortable though
     
  6. xraydash

    xraydash Well-Known Member

    Jan 15, 2012
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    I stopped playing XCOM on the iPad because the controls were so clunky, particularly with rotating and panning/zooming the camera. For me, it ruined what was otherwise stellar gameplay. I bought it instead for the Xbox 360 and having buttons made all the difference.

    I've been playing Fire Emblem on and off since it came out and absolutely love it. Still haven't finished but have about 90 hours into a campaign. I never imagined going in that unlocking the support conversations and marrying off characters would be such a big part of the fun. That game seems like it would work well without buttons since you don't have to change the angle.
     
  7. psj3809

    psj3809 Moderator

    Jan 13, 2011
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    When I first got an ios device I was constantly moaning about not having physical buttons.

    Eventually I got used to touch screen buttons and now I love it. Completed many games with touch screen controls, a few games I like using my 8-bitty joystick but the vast majority I'm fine with touch screen.
     
  8. Anonomation

    Anonomation 👮 Spam Police 🚓

    For me, it
    really depends on the game itself.
     
  9. kesslerhk

    kesslerhk New Member

    Feb 3, 2014
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    It really depends on the game. X-COM works great with touch controls (or anything that is a puzzle or strategy game), but for 3D action games like GTA SA, I prefer a controller any day.
     
  10. Exact-Psience

    Exact-Psience Well-Known Member

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    Depends on the games.

    For strategy games i generally prefer the touch screen. Moving units around by touching or dragging them just felt more natural than using a cursor controlled by either a dpad or an analog stick, or even a mouse. Even card games like Magic 2014 just feels a lot smoother with touch controls than the mouse, and Playdek games are fantastic on the touchscreen.

    As for 3D shooters like FPS, 3DS and behind the back space combat sim, nothing beats the control precision provided by a mouse. The mouse is the "relative touch" of aiming in a 3D shooter.

    For precision timing required for platformers, physical buttons are king. You cant analog stick your way through Super Meat Boy, and the virtual buttons on the touchscreen will be a bit lacking as compared with having a physical controller.
    for games like Rogue Legacy.

    Of course, there are games that are specific only to a certain controller type, like Infinity Blade's swipe-based system which comes natural to the touchscreen.
     
  11. aikavari

    aikavari Well-Known Member

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    The lack of tactile feedback takes a bit of getting used to for virtual control games... It doesn't take too long to get used to it though, especially if ios is the only platform you use on a regular basis.
     
  12. psj3809

    psj3809 Moderator

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    Think touch screen buttons for platformers work so well (which surprised me). Also i play a LOT of First Touch Soccer which has a joystick on the left and control buttons on the right, so used to that now as i've played about 800 games on it.

    Also makes it far easier playing most touch screen games now

    I find it crazy/strange when devs come out with a game and try something new which is a huge risk, eg a bullet hell game and they dont use relative touch, or a standard platformer and they dont have left/right/jump buttons.

    I love Gridlee (MAME) but overall i find that much easier to use with an 8 bitty joystick
     
  13. kmacleod

    kmacleod Well-Known Member
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    I agree about platformers; they don't seem like they'd work well with a touch screen, but they generally are quite playable, if they're balanced well. Many of my favorites have been updated for iOS7 controller support, and I do think that even great touch screen games like Shadow Blade play better with physical controls, but they definitely can still be made quite good for touch.

    I never had the 8Bitty; I'm curious, was it good? If you've used any of the MFi controllers, would you say they're better or worse?
     
  14. Stormourner

    Stormourner Well-Known Member

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    when I got the iPad for myself in 2010 I wasn't good at touchscreen until I got used to it. I use stylus for the game like Infinity Blade series but I decided to ditch it and use own fingersssss. using physical controllers does not make me a real gamer. experience makes me a real gamer :D

    as a multiplatform gamer there's alot of gamers at IGN, Kotaku, Destructoid, Gamespot and any other websites are like:
    HUUUUUURRRRR!!!!!! I USE PHYSICAL CONTROLLER TO PLAY REAL GAMES!!!! DURRRRRRRR!!!!!
    DEEERRRPPPPP!!!! I USE PHONE TO CALL PEOPLE AND NOT FOR PLAYING CRAPPY GAMES!!!!!!!! DUUURRRR!!!!
    HHHUUUURRR!!!! MOBILE GAMES ARE NOT REAL GAMES!!!!!!! HUUURRRRR!!!!


    keep in mind that I'm not a fanboy like those gamers
     
  15. psj3809

    psj3809 Moderator

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    http://www.thinkgeek.com/product/ecea/

    Think you can probably pick them cheap off ebay nowadays. They are good and look really cool but the key mapping can be a nightmare. They're like a 'mini icade' but for some games i've had to use the shoulder button to jump as like i say the mapping is dire

    For Gridlee (MAME) its fine though and thats what i mostly use it for. Nice little gadget and something to take with me in my bag rather than my iCade !
     
  16. kmacleod

    kmacleod Well-Known Member
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    Thanks; I think the ship on the iCade has sailed somewhat now that there is an official standard, and I'm doubtful that many new games will support it. I always wanted one though, and I hope the company releases a newer controller with Apple's support
     
  17. donner

    donner Well-Known Member

    Being someone who's played iOS games exclusively for a few years and then just recently began gaming again on my 3DS, I can confidently say that I much prefer buttons for pretty much every genre.

    I wish it weren't true as I love the convenience of my iPhone and iPad,
     

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