01-13-2012, 05:24 PM
Nostomo and G13 are basically the same thing. G13 is overall superior in my opinion but I did prefer the Nostomo thumb-pad over the G13 thumb-stick. I got used to it, though.
The big reason to own a keypad is the thumbstick. That gives you a lot better gaming control than any keyboard.
Typical keyboard user layout #1:
Right hand on mouse
Left hand controlling WASD or some variation and there's only so many buttons you can hit while moving unless you move your hand from your mouse or your WASD keys. e.g., you need to turn to follow your target while running backwards and hitting control-9. Easy on a numpad, hard on a keyboard.
Typical keyboard user layout #2:
Right hand on numpad
Left hand for activating abilities
Now you're a "keyboard turner" and we will all make fun of you as some rogue-type flits around backstabbing you and you can't turn fast enough to deal with him.
Typical keypad user:
Right hand on mouse
Left fingers on keypad with easy access to 22 buttons (G13)
Left thumb controlling WASD via the thumb-stick
Now you have the best possible setup with maximum access to abilities, mouse-turning and movement. I only switch to my keyboard if I need to type.
(I also use a mouse that has 9 buttons... Logitech MX Revolution. There's probably a better gaming mouse than that but I'll probably keep using this one until it dies.)
The ability to create simple macros is nice too. I macro, for example:
Short range attack on a timer ->
Short range attack not on a timer ->
Long range attack on a timer ->
Long range attack not on a timer
So it will automatically mash each of those abilities in one button push. If I'm in range and the cooldown is up for the first ability, that fires and the rest get ignored due to the global cooldown. If the first one is on a cooldown, then the second ability will fire if I'm in range, etc. Macros like this can be setup in seconds from the Logitech application.
I think it's a tremendous advantage to have one of these keypads.
I vote G13 over Nostomo for the extra buttons. The LCD is nice too, though. There's a gadget that will show you your CPU load and temperatures, for example, or the one for Vent that shows you who's talking.
You could do most of this with the Logitech programmable keyboard (with LCD) but that doesn't have the thumbstick.
It's all about the thumbstick.
The big reason to own a keypad is the thumbstick. That gives you a lot better gaming control than any keyboard.
Typical keyboard user layout #1:
Right hand on mouse
Left hand controlling WASD or some variation and there's only so many buttons you can hit while moving unless you move your hand from your mouse or your WASD keys. e.g., you need to turn to follow your target while running backwards and hitting control-9. Easy on a numpad, hard on a keyboard.
Typical keyboard user layout #2:
Right hand on numpad
Left hand for activating abilities
Now you're a "keyboard turner" and we will all make fun of you as some rogue-type flits around backstabbing you and you can't turn fast enough to deal with him.
Typical keypad user:
Right hand on mouse
Left fingers on keypad with easy access to 22 buttons (G13)
Left thumb controlling WASD via the thumb-stick
Now you have the best possible setup with maximum access to abilities, mouse-turning and movement. I only switch to my keyboard if I need to type.
(I also use a mouse that has 9 buttons... Logitech MX Revolution. There's probably a better gaming mouse than that but I'll probably keep using this one until it dies.)
The ability to create simple macros is nice too. I macro, for example:
Short range attack on a timer ->
Short range attack not on a timer ->
Long range attack on a timer ->
Long range attack not on a timer
So it will automatically mash each of those abilities in one button push. If I'm in range and the cooldown is up for the first ability, that fires and the rest get ignored due to the global cooldown. If the first one is on a cooldown, then the second ability will fire if I'm in range, etc. Macros like this can be setup in seconds from the Logitech application.
I think it's a tremendous advantage to have one of these keypads.
I vote G13 over Nostomo for the extra buttons. The LCD is nice too, though. There's a gadget that will show you your CPU load and temperatures, for example, or the one for Vent that shows you who's talking.
You could do most of this with the Logitech programmable keyboard (with LCD) but that doesn't have the thumbstick.
It's all about the thumbstick.