[syfCabracan]

I have been using budget peripherals from microsoft since starting to play Starcraft: Brood War. I was wondering how much of an effect people felt that having good quality peripherals made. I'm not looking for "spend money => get good at game" just wondering if I am being held back at all by using paper as a mousepad and the cheapest possible keyboard and mouse combo I could find.

[TABjornbrandr]

Good peripherals feel comfortable so playing for longer is less of a strain.
You won't become Flash, but you might need a little less effort to move your mouse and maybe not have to hammer your keyboard as much.
That's about it.

[Pandan]

Originally Posted by Cabracan

"spend money => get good at game"

With regards to this quote; some of the best peripherals of all time cost < $50.
Most of the 'generic' Microsoft hardware is of pretty good quality, just need to ensure it suits your personal circumstance.


In general on this topic though: as long as you're referring to 'good gear' as relative to the person, their tastes, physical circumstances and quality of build (completely unbias from brand, popularity or availability); then yeah - it's like any sport or work activity; the easier, more comfortable and fluid/fun it feels, more likely you are to produce higher quality efforts.

EDIT: For example, some Razer gear might actually be worse for your circumstance than the Microsoft equivalent - but one can never underestimate the effects of placebo. that being said, I'd probably at least get a mousepad just for comfort if nothing else.

[Matt93]

Deathadders are about $50, goliathus mousepads are about $20 and I'm not one to talk about keyboards.

[Fenner]

i think that as long as your gear is consistent, upgrading your periphs doesnt make you better at the game. Shitty keyboards are generally consistent, my microsoft one was at least. Shitty mice might spaz out if you move them too fast. The part that may make you slightly better is getting a mousepad, I can't imagine a piece of paper has a consistent surface as it would wear down really quickly.

[syfCabracan]

Originally Posted by fray`fenner

i think that as long as your gear is consistent, upgrading your periphs doesnt make you better at the game. Shitty keyboards are generally consistent, my microsoft one was at least. Shitty mice might spaz out if you move them too fast. The part that may make you slightly better is getting a mousepad, I can't imagine a piece of paper has a consistent surface as it would wear down really quickly.

I'm up to page 50 of my current "mouse pad"

[faithHunter]

Been using a HP brand keyboard to play games at Platinum level for quite a while now (around 1 year or so). Still works fine and I'm still comfortable with it, so I don't see the reason to get a new keyboard unless yours is broken or not.

Just stick to what you're using with if you find it comfortable.

[Another]

yeah as fenner says, as long as shitty gear is reliable, youre going to be as good as you would be with a $150 keyboard. the main difference is comfort, especially for long sessions. headphones can be a lot more comfortable the more you spend, same with mechanical keyboard, i bought one recently and its worth it, but i got by with a $20 keyboard for 10 years of RTS gaming as well.

[souljah]

Use your moore's and dalley's as a mousepad. Mine has pretty much been my monitor stand for the past year since I haven't found a need for it.

[|Erasmus|]

Originally Posted by souljah

Use your moore's and dalley's as a mousepad. Mine has pretty much been my monitor stand for the past year since I haven't found a need for it.

Solid advice... I had University Physics as a monitor stand for a few years.

[Reere]

Out of all my gear, I felt moving from a normal keyboard to a mechanical one was the biggest change. Especially for a game like SC2 where it's heavy on mechanics and keyboard use.

Other than that, gaming mouse/mousepad/earphones/glasses imo are just bonuses on top of decent stats from normal gear~

[syfSoundwave]

Others have already stated my opinion so all I'll add is that a mousepad made a really big difference for me. My Razer Goliathus Speed Edition really provided a nice surface that felt both nice to move the mouse along and nice for my thumb and pinkie which scrape the mousepad when I move the mouse. In general my mouse is a lot easier to use.

[ToRSpookToR]

i recently got a new deck of cards for poker they are really good i havent lost a hand since

Quick Comments

	Reere:	brown switches?~
	Pox:	lmao

[AxS.Xenovia]

i had a membrane keyboard before my red switch full mech one from max keyboard.

cost me a hefty 200$ nzd but it really put the strain off the fingers (for one my keys were sticking due to long usage, making 1000 zerglings ez) and generally made life easier typing wise and gaming wise i guess..

as for a mouse, i wanted one with high dpi (i only ever had a standard non gaming mouse before) so i went and brought one. a mouse is the biggest thing you should upgrade along with a mouse pad if youre using paper if you want to play with better equipment

[SLCN.ARze]

agreed with most of what is said here, basically consistency is what you want. you probab'y arent going to get that with a paper mousepad and a terrible mouse.

however that doesn't mean you have to spend a lot to get good gear, there are tonnes of very economical items out there, and can probably get a good mouse+pad for $50