Game controllers, wireless keyboard ?s.

My still semi-new LCD television in the living room has a computer input, and I'm
leaning towards setting up a computer with it to allow me to play COH on an extra large scale!

I have some questions, though.

1. I know that some people play the game using game controllers. How does that work? Do you map the powers to buttons or do you simply use it like a mouse to select the powers on the power tray or what have you?

2. I plan on using a wireless keyboard to play the game. Any recommendations on one that works well for COH? Is there one you can buy with a built in mouse? or mouse-like interface?

3. I've seen something called an air mouse ... it's not cheap, but it looks like it might work well in place of a game controller if I should find that awkward. Anyone had any experience with that?

Do they come with rechargeable internal batteries or do they eat batteries like nobody's business?

Any information would be appreciated.

Thank you! 8-)

I played EverQuest on a 36" monitor via a Gateway Media center several years ago. I used a remote keyboard and a mouse plugged directly into the keyboard.

Personally, I thought it was great and I'm planning on getting another media system when I get my new 55".

Keyboards and mice have gotten a lot better about battery use, and I don't change my keyboard batteries all that often (every few months). Cordless mice are generally okay about it as well, the ones I've used had their own stand you set them in to charge, and I'd have to charge every week to two weeks or so.

I do not like using game pads for MMOs, because I end up doing a lot of "pick up and put down" when I need to type something, and there never seems to be enough buttons for everything that I want. However, I've heard of people using them with great success so YMMV.

I'd stay away from air mice for an MMO.

I currently use a wireless keyboard and mouse hat cost me all of...$50, I think. I change batteries maybe twice a year.

Check Best Buy for wireless keyboards before you go all out.

You can pick up a decent wireless keyboard and mice for pretty cheap (I bought one several years ago for like $30... it included its own battery charger). The response time was very good, it didn't cause me any issues in fast twitch FPS games so there should be no issue in CoH.

Personally, I'd recommend a real (wired or wireless, doesn't matter) keyboard and mice over a controller or "air mouse" any day. Controllers might be neat to toy around with for a while, but at the end of the day they'll just be a toy. And air mice... I hope you have a steady hand! Also, wireless keyboard+mouse will be pretty cheap (there's lots of wireless laptop mice... logitech makes a VERY nice one which has an obscenely long battery life).

Of course, the real question is... bluetooth or usb + radio? I've personally only used usb + radio, so can't say how well BT works for this.

We've been saving Paragon City for eight and a half years. It's time to do it one more time.

I have a similar setup with my TV - I just use a cheap wireless mouse and keyboard, however, comparable to what folks have mentioned here. The batteries in mine are not rechargable, but I keep a couple of spare AA and AAA packs...and it's not really been a problem. Only once has the mouse conked out in the middle of something.

The main thing, though, is making sure you're comfortable playing like that. I actually found that I don't really like sitting on the sofa with the keyboard on my lap. It's not really a natural position at all. Not so bad if I'm playing a single-player game, but if I'm in CoH, I probably want to type...

Game controllers will depend on what character you're playing as well as your style and what controller you have. I've seen online guides to converting NES and SNES controllers to PC compatability! (though of course I don't reccomend using them... well, maybe the SNES one)

Point is, if you use more powers than you have buttons, you'll either need some fancy macro work or it just might not be worth it.

I've always played with a Belkin Nostromo game pad, the thing has 16 programmable buttons, a scroll wheel and an 8 way thumb rocker switch; I've set it up with the first 10 buttons mapped as 1,2,3 etc.... they directly correspond to the bottom power tray. I map the rest of the buttons to useful powers and of course Crtl and Alt for using the middle and top trays. The thumb rocker I map to the arrow keys and use it for movement and strafing. It sits under my left hand anytime I'm not actually typing on the keyboard and the mouse sits under my right.

I really can't see playing while sitting back in the recliner; it'd be a bit tough working the mouse and those "air mouse" things are a huge pain in the butt to use. If you really want to use the big screen TV you'll probably want some flat space in front of you for KB/controller/mouse... a TV tray would probably work for that.