Trackball Gamers

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Limp Gawd
Joined
Aug 20, 2002
Messages
404
About three or four years ago I posted asking users how they felt about gaming with a trackball. Over the years I have converted a few of my friends to trackballs but I wanted to know if the general opinion towards them has changed. Most people at the time found them to be cumbersome, but a few such as myself were very fond of them. I am also wanting to know what model trackballs people are using. I have been using various versions of the Logitech Trackman Wheel for the past five years, but I am willing to but that far superior models are on the market that would appeal to gamers.

e_t
 
Best trackball in my opinion was the Microsoft trackball explorer. I still have one left. (discontinued). I fall back on my kensington expert mouse inbetween. I dont like the kensington because its not very ergonomic and the ball is actually to heavy for serious gaming (my opinion of course). Ive tried the kensigton orbit and found its not stable enough.. The wireless trackman looks interesting, but I have shied away from wireless mice. I can use a regular mouse, but have never gotten used to them in a gaming situation. I have to say that I feel that trackball gamers are very rare indeed. I know of a couple..
 
edit_text said:
About three or four years ago I posted asking users how they felt about gaming with a trackball. Over the years I have converted a few of my friends to trackballs but I wanted to know if the general opinion towards them has changed. Most people at the time found them to be cumbersome, but a few such as myself were very fond of them. I am also wanting to know what model trackballs people are using. I have been using various versions of the Logitech Trackman Wheel for the past five years, but I am willing to but that far superior models are on the market that would appeal to gamers.

e_t
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Am using the same trackball as you. Have used it for just as long. Still love it and still do fine in online games with it. I can still use a mouse but would prefer not to. The only complaint I have for the Trackman is it's small size.

I did try the Trackman Optical from MS, liked it's size and layout and the 2 additional buttons as well. However it's track ball did not roll smoothly. And the hole that the pickup looked at the ball through picked up all sorts of fuz and gunk very quickly, blocking the pickup and making movement jittery.

I prefer the thumb ball to the center ball.
 
Thumball is the bomb. can't use anything else. Logitech thumball all the way. takes about a week to get used to but then it's ON!

anyone know if they have that little usb plug they make now for the wireless thumball yet? gotta get but not until bluetooth or the little usb reciever comes on thumball.
 
I suppose that is somewhat misleading as I do in fact mean a the "thumb ball." Although by definition that is still a trackball.

From Wikipedia:
Computer gamers have been able to successfully use trackballs in most modern computer games, including FPS, RPG, and RTS genres, with any slight loss of speed compensated for with an increase in precision. Many trackball gamers are competent at "throwing" their cursor rapidly across the screen, by spinning the trackball, enabling (with practice) much faster motion than can be achieved with a mouse and arm motion. However, many gamers are deterred by the time it takes to 'get used to' the different style of hand control that a trackball requires. Trackballs have also been regarded as excellent complements to analog joysticks, as pioneered by the Assassin 3D 1996 trackball with joystick pass-through capability. This combination provides for two-hand aiming and a high accuracy and consistency replacement for the traditional mouse and keyboard combo generally used on first-person shooter games. Many such games natively support joysticks and analog player movement, like Valve's Half-Life and id Software's Quake series.
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Agreed.

e_t
 
I've been using Logitech Trackman Trackballs since about 1995~1996. Refuse to use anything else, especially when I game.
 
Dude it is the bomb. i can fire and target tons faster than i ever did with a mouse. plus i don't get a stiif forearm or wrist. put the keyboard in my lap and the thumball on the armrest of my cahir and it is schweet. :)

it took a bit but so did everything else I do well. right?
 
i dig the wireless thumball (i game wired) but hate the reciever. does logitech make one of those small plug reciever for it yet? anyone know?
 
I used a thumball (before they had wheels) for years, but once I went to mouse earlier this century I haven't gone back. For me, the mouse is just generally better, even though I have to lift and re-center every so often. Flickshots are much easier to predict and execute, tracking is a bit easier. Sometimes I do miss the thumball though.
 
I loved my Logitech thumballs. One broke in a freak accident involving a toddler (my fault), the other got claimed by my wife for work. I like the fact that you can sit in any position and comfortably use the thing.

//goes looking for new ones now.
 
man i wish they would go bluetooth or use the reciever from the new nano's. i like the corded one ok but the wireless is really cool for surfing and such. jsut hate the reciever.
 
My wife uses a MS trackball mouse she's had for at least 6-7 years, maybe longer. It's just a 2 button trackball mouse. I've tried gaming on her PC and just cant get used to a trackball, no matter how much time I spend using it. She loves it tho, she games a little WOW and she just got hooked on bioshock. I've tried to get her to replace it, but she refuses.
 
I used to be heavily into competitive counterstrike and never saw a one. Probably the learning curve is what keeps most people away.
 
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