Mouse Pads

[imported_Ares]

Re: Mouse Pads

Im using some old dell one that i jacked from the computer lab at schol:) I would go with the razer Im thinking of getting that one too.

[-={Alpha}=-]

Re: Mouse Pads

Thanks again for your help guys, I now think that the Icemat and Ratpadz are pretty much out of the race simply because of their thickness - I don't want to get strain in my wrist.

Still, this only gets me marginally closer to ultimately deciding on a mouse pad

[evilzucchini]

Re: Mouse Pads

Saying "a mouse pad is a mouse pad" and that "it makes no difference" is like saying a videocard is videocard and it doesn't matter which one you have.

A good mouse pad can greatly increase performance.

All that being said, I bought a gaming mousepad at Microcenter. . . can't remember what it is called (at work now so i can't look), but it greatly improved my performance as all the little movements became MUCH more percise.

[The_Misfit]

Re: Mouse Pads

uh, whats a mouse pad?

Havent used one for years....helps a crapload with optical mice, better response - assuming you have a nice desk surface. And I dont run out of pad trying to pull my helo up from a dive bomb position lol

[3key]

Re: Mouse Pads

wrong wrong wrong!

mouse pads make a huge difference. This is one of those things most people underrate but in a nutshell, to get the "natural" aim/feel you need to take care in cosideration the following:

mouse feet: Mice like Microsoft's are notorious for having thin or almost no feet at all which makes dragging harder. Logitech's and razer know this better and have their mice usually with generous mousefeet thickness. Especially the new logitech's g5/g7/g15 are now coming with serious improvement in that department.

mouse weight: did you know logitech from series 500~ on has extra weight? there's a reason for that. Some people preffer the extra weight because it helps them to achieve that natural feeling. Basically a rule of thumb would be: if you prefer high sensitivity = more weight. If you prefer low sensitivity = less weight. (by the way, there's a way of taking the weight off on that line of logitech's by unscrewing it off.)

Sensitivity of the mouse/windows: Get it right. The sensitivity can be modified by windows default mouse sens (under control panel), by the mouse drivers, by in game sensitivity. Mice like logitech's and razers have a whole set of ways of changing gaming sensitivity. They will let you have a sens for windows and a sens for gaming. On top of this there's mouse acceleration which in most cases it's different from mouse to mouse and why it's so important to install the drivers for your particular mouse. There's no way to accurately say exactly how much sensitivity you need because everybody "natural" feel is different. Is a trial and error deal, but once you find it stick with it. Nothing greater than hitting where you want to under any circumstance because the aiming feels natural once you get it right.

The surface: ahhh the glorious mousepad. You have to ask yourself, what kind of gamer you are. casual? hardcore? preffer low sensitivity?
Mouse pads like ratpadz and everglide are great when they're new. They do wear off, specially ratpadz at an alarming rate. You'll need new mouse feet too which makes the pad useless to me since i'm a hardcore gamer (unless I could justify buying one every couple of months). Aluminum/glass pads usually make more noise and cloth pads will be a lot slower.

Don't believe the hype. You don't need to spend tons of money for a surface. I have a friend who uses a $5 cutting board (it looks almost like a ratpadz) and he's one of the best people I know at aiming. I tried that but didn't work for me, my sens is higher than his. What do I use? I've tried so many surfaces (and even combination of them) to find the very best for me and in the end I found... hardboard! To me, is the most natural feel I've found in any surface. $5 for a lot of hardboard mousepads. They eventually wear off (in about 6 months they lose their prime sensitivity) but with another $5 bucks I can go to the store and get more hardboard sheet that can last for over 2 years worth of mousepads.

In the end, it's all about the "natural feel". If your desk feels natural to you, then you don't need a mousepad. But you have to try different surfaces first to really judge yourself is you're not missing out. And yes yes yes, surfaces make a huge difference. Actually, many times they'll be the difference between getting in your stats another kill or another death.

[CS-Evolution]

Re: Mouse Pads

A mouse pad certainly should NOT affect the tracking of the optical beam. It does affect the level of effort it takes to move your mouse. But it doesn't make your mouse more accurate. What I'm saying is, invest your hard earned $ into a nice mouse, not a nice mousepad. I've used all kinds, and while I have preferences, I can't say it's given me an advantage in game.

[notbob]

Re: Mouse Pads

I have one of these.

http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?InvtId=USB-LEDMOUSE-BLUE&cat=MOU&cpc=HOT

I was really surprised how much nicer the surface was for playing.

[-={Alpha}=-]

Re: Mouse Pads

Well after thinking about it and reading more reviews, I think I'll probably be getting a Steelpad S&S - thanks for all your help guys!

[imported_The 13th Raptor]

Re: Mouse Pads

I have a glass pad..works fine o.o

[Kenny 10 Bellys]

Re: Mouse Pads

Everglide mousemats are the dogs nuts, makes a difference traction-wise and to cleaning too.

[AlphaNut]

Re: Mouse Pads

http://www.revelcell.com

Best mousepad ever imho. I use it with my Razer Diamondback.

[-={Alpha}=-]

Re: Mouse Pads

I just ordered a Steelpad S&S as it seems to be the most suited to me and my mouse style, according to most reviews.

[Berrern]

Re: Mouse Pads

Thanks again for your help guys, I now think that the Icemat and Ratpadz are pretty much out of the race simply because of their thickness - I don't want to get strain in my wrist.

Thickness? My Icemat is about 2.5mm thick.. The longest I've used it was 16 hours in a row (BF2), and I never noticed any strain on my wrist..

Anyway, good luck with your new pad! :)

[FFSConman]

Re: Mouse Pads

I use the Func 1050 pad with teflon tape for added glide(MX510). You can use your desktop but it will wear out your mouse feet.

[-={Alpha}=-]

Re: Mouse Pads

Anyway, good luck with your new pad! :)

Thanks!

And 2.5mm you say? Well I blame that idiot reviewer somewhere that said it was 6.2mm thick...

I'll be sure to try out an Icemat once my newly ordered pad eventually wears out, I guess.