How To Aim With A Controller

[LK]

I'm trying to find resources or information on how to more effectively aim with a device like a 360 controller. I came back to Modern Warfare 2 after 2 weeks off and my aim *sucks.* I've lost count of the number of times that good aiming would have rolled into bigger and better things, like killstreaks. I have the sensitivity set to High (their 5 out of 10) to help with non-aiming turning speed, but precise aiming that I find myself needing isn't happening. I move the stick and it jumps much farther than I want. When you're playing against pros (as evidenced by their prestige) who can point and kill, even more so. (Is the entire playerbase of Modern Warfare 2 now pro? Have all the scrubs moved onto other games? Seems like.)

I know that I need to start using the "line up and strafe for fine tuning" tactic more; I tend to like to use the right-stick for all aiming and try and keep moving with the left, which conflicts with aiming. But has anyone found any good resources for aiming?

Aside from "Get a Keyboard and Mouse".

I can't help but think Modern Warfare 2's auto-aim is affecting me and I don't know how.

Edit: Saw this and thought it might help: http://www.kontrolfreek.com/

[Sky]

I know that I need to start using the "line up and strafe for fine tuning" tactic more

I always hated that I couldn't play Oddjob in Goldeneye because my buddy used to aim that way, and Oddjob's head was right at his normal strafing level, so I'd constantly be getting headshotted.

[Trippy]

My suggestion is to play a game where there's not as much pressure to be able to aim accurately quickly. On the PS3 I used Infamous to do this as you can get onto rooftops and be (mostly) safe from nearby enemies and then take your time aiming. After I played that for a while I was able to aim much better in Uncharted whose combat system is a lot like Gears of War. Don't know what the comparable game would be for the Xbox 360.

[LK]

Ah, that's the rub. If it wasn't against other people I'd be just fine. I don't get frustrated / upset when fighting the computer.

I ordered those joysticks and I'll see how they do. Having more range on the joysticks may be a good solution. My right-thumb is trained to manipulating the camera on 3rd-person games with quick looks (flipping it) rather than subtle movement.

[Yegolev]

Sounds like you just need a glass of scotch before your play session.

Or, trial by fire: Resident Evil 4 on the Cube.   Nothing will seem hard after that.

[Rasix]

Uncharted 2 or RE4 could both improve your aim, but you don't do a lot of retarded circle strafing and bunny hopping, so there's no help if if that's part of your focus.  They are more stop and pop games with Uncharted 2 focusing more on cover.  RE4 sure does put a lot of pressure on you to make your shots count since your movement is so rigid and ammo can get scarce in a few parts if you're a particularly bad shot.

Halo 3 wasn't bad for improving my controller chops, but I pretty much had to force myself through that one.  Terrible weapons, terrible levels. Just boring.

[LK]

It could be my eyes too. The games tend to be pin-point accurate now. The bullets will go EXACTLY where the crosshairs are at time of firing, and if that's a pixel off to the left or right, you're whiffing.

[Mrbloodworth]

I just got this for x-mass : http://www.splitfish.com/

[Morfiend]

Don't know what the comparable game would be for the Xbox 360.

Saints Row was the game that really helped me learn to aim and shoot with a console controller on xbox.

[jakonovski]

I read somewhere that the thumb is not naturally very accurate compared to your other fingers, but it can become equal through practice. I suspect the case here is that you're up against people who've grown up using analog sticks and cell phones. So nothing will help except playing for years and writing dozens of text messages per day.

[Yegolev]

I can attest that practice helps.  Like with anything.  But I think he says he gets panicky when up against other players.  This might be old age setting in.  In any case, you can become a faster and more accurate aimer with practice playing the games that the bulk of this board complain about "damn thumbstick aiming" on.  I refuse to believe that I am just that much GENETICALLY DIFFERENT at thumbstick aiming that the lot around here, so it must be practice.

[LK]

Old age... Oi. I'm only 28. >_< I'll keep practicing especially if the response is akin to muscle memory on how to get good at something like this.

[Yegolev]

Well, practically speaking I had to really concentrate on making small movements with my right thumb due to the fucked-up little-ass C-stick on the Wavebird.  Varies by controller and game, of course, but being sensitive to the feel of the stick in different positions from center is important since it allows for fine movement.  Finding that angle at which the controller detects pressure is important because that is your minimum, and that takes practice.  Even switching between the 360 and PS3 controllers will cause some adjustment due to the way you have to put your thumb on them (concave vs convex), but eventually it will come.

[Hayduke]

It is strange that everyone suggests practicing with third person shooters when your problem is with a first person shooter.  To me I've never been able to overcome the inherent deficiencies of using controller for precision aiming combined with very low FOVs on console first person shooters.  And yet when it comes to third person shooters (Uncharted, inFamous, Dead Space) I have a blast on consoles.

[Trippy]

Practicing on a 3rd person shooter (Infamous) worked for me in terms of improving my aim in first person shooters (Resistance, Killzone 2).

[ffc]

I just got this for x-mass : http://www.splitfish.com/

Do you like it?

[Mrbloodworth]

I just got this for x-mass : http://www.splitfish.com/

Do you like it?

Yes I do, good for internet browsing too.

[Yegolev]

It is strange that everyone suggests practicing with third person shooters when your problem is with a first person shooter.

Had not thought of that, but I find them interchangeable as far as accuracy.  Or, rather, I find the variances in individual games large enough that it had not occured to me.  Mentally, I file the differences under the "Camera Style" category and I suppose my mind doesn't differentiate between the two types of movement.  Although I find aiming to be easier on a TPS, I usually assume it is due to the controls/autoaim and not my head/hands.  I did suck a lot at Borderlands on 360 but I assumed it was just the sensitivity; turns out I had to decrease the sensitivity on PC as well.

[Jimbo]

http://www.xcm.cc/XFPS__3.0_Sniper_Plus.htm

Almost bought one...still thinking about it, but have gotten better at 360 games using the controller.

My son is able to do amazing things on the 360 or PC, he is a teenager so they are used to all the digital stuff and switching on the fly.  It didn't bother him at all, took me a while to get used to the controller.

[schild]

Splitfish mouse is horrible. We've been over this.

Old age... Oi. I'm only 28. >_< I'll keep practicing especially if the response is akin to muscle memory on how to get good at something like this.

You have no excuse for making this thread then. 

[Sheepherder]

Halo 3 wasn't bad for improving my controller chops, but I pretty much had to force myself through that one.  Terrible weapons, terrible levels. Just boring.

I found Halo 3 to be slightly different in controls than the earlier ones.  It felt like they fucked with the deadzone or acceleration on the joysticks.

[Mrbloodworth]

Splitfish mouse is horrible. We've been over this.

The version I have is rather awesome....

[tmp]

I know that I need to start using the "line up and strafe for fine tuning" tactic more; I tend to like to use the right-stick for all aiming and try and keep moving with the left, which conflicts with aiming.

That's the hard but crucial part i think. From personal experience, having played PC games for years and little else i never remember this "leave the aim stick the fuck alone and aim by moving" idea -- way too accustomed to aiming just with the right hand while moving with the left. It's like you have to switch to very different mindset so you can actually work with the limitations of the controller rather than have them hinder you compared to these who play the 'right' way.

[Kageru]

If they're that accurate maybe they're using one of these xfps 360. Wow, what an amazingly ugly web page though.

I've been considering putting a console through my computer monitor so this actually sort of interests me. Wonder if you can get WASD movement off my gamepad (Ideazon fang) and mouse accurate targetting.

[Yegolev]

Eh, why don't you rig up an old-fashioned foot-pedal mouse for your PC so you can "overcome" that crap RTS interface limitation where you have to move and click with the same hand.

Babies.

[tmp]

I think they evolved the concept of foot-mouse into these newfangled "hotkeys" now.

[Goreschach]

I don't understand why we haven't seen any of the console makers add a small optical trackball onto the controller in place of an analog stick. I've used a logitech trackman, and they're pretty nice. Sensitivity and precision are good, and it didn't have any trouble with tracking or binding. A mouse is still superior, but a small trackball could be added right into a standard controller, operated with the thumb like a regular analog stick or d-pad, and would be a lot more precise and mechanically stable.

[Fordel]

Trackballs are for crazy people. You'd have to be doubly crazy to want one on a perfectly good controller.

[Ingmar]

Also operating a trackball with the right hand for a left hander is god awful. I can manage the thumbstick ok, but give me a trackball and I may as well just shut the machine off.

[Azazel]

If they're that accurate maybe they're using one of these xfps 360. Wow, what an amazingly ugly web page though.

I've been tempted by these before, but I'm put off by the combination of high cost, MS updates that might nuke it's compatability at any time, and most importantly, the fact that there's no desk for a KB+M near my TV in the lounge.

[Venkman]

Aside from "Get a Keyboard and Mouse".

Serious question (as in, will avoid rant), does anyone know if MW2 would work with a k+m on an X360?

[Azazel]

Games don't do that. Microsoft said it's not allowed. Buy the xfps360 if you want to do so.

[Venkman]

Huh, wow. Never saw that before. So it converts keyboard and mouse inputs into something the Xbox sees as a controller? Anyone have any experience with it?

[Nerf]

I just ordered the fpsfreek/speedfreek combo, I'm stoked to have it for racing games - my thumbs always get sore from the pressure after awhile.