I use this…
Which is… ok but it’s not perfect. I’d love to hear what mice other gamers use and what their opinion of/experience of using it is.
Erm… In case it isn’t clear: I’m refering to left-handed mice/gamers.
I’d been using a bog standard ambidextrous Logitech ball mouse for years, until recently the vertical axis started “sticking” no matter how clean the bearing was. So, a few days ago, I bought a bog standard ambidextrous Logitech laser mouse (LS 1).
It’s smaller and lighter than what I’m used to, but on the whole it’s OK. Precise, no jumping issues like with some optical mice I’ve dealt with. It’s not fantastic, but it’s night and day compared to a sticky ball mouse.
The scroll wheel is irritatingly stiff though, I might just do what I did with the old one and remove the “scroll notch” mechanism alltogether.
I use a regular mouse, some crap that came with my computer. Years ago a left-handed roommate set up my computer so the mouse’s buttons were reversed and it was to the left of the keyboard; it drove me batshit, until I was able to figure out how to fix it.
What’s the advantage of an alternate mouse for a left-handed person?
Extra buttons can be moved to the side where the thumb can reach them. Same for any comfort measures.`Most gaming mice have both.
I’m a little confused. Are you saying most gaming mice allow you to physically take the buttons from one side of the mouse and put them on the other?
No. Gaming mice (usually) have buttons on the side of the mouse designed for activation by the thumb. Most gaming mice are molded and unidirectional…and right-handed.
Most left-handers I know, including myself, use a conventional computer setup. The most (and really, only) important quality you need in a gaming mouse is precise, consistent pointing even under extremely fast movements. The best way to test this is to simply swipe your mouse as quickly as you can across your mousepad. A quality mouse will track the movement perfectly - cheaper ones will freak out, freeze, jitter, and throw your cursor around in jerky movements. This generally means all wireless, ball, and $10> optical mice.
You’re going to have a LOT of trouble finding the good “brand name” gaming mice in left-handed versions. Razer may be your only choice, as they make several quality neutral (ambidextrous) products.
Logitech G3 Laser Mouse. Works fine on either side I never switch the right click/left click though I keep it on the left hand side.
I keep the left-click on the left side too.
My main criteria for “good gaming mouse” is one with more than the standard three buttons, and the buttons in as near-to-perfect a placement as possible.
I guess what I was expecting was that people would have used and recommend a not-specifically-designed-for-lefties gaming mouse (with extra buttons) which happened (by unintended coincidence) to be very good when used in the left hand.
As an aside. I think I might try and play COD MW2 a few times using my right hand. I am competent with my right hand for normal computer usage, but I have tended to switch to my left hand when gaming, for that minute little extra bit of flair and speed that using my ‘good’ hand might provide.
I might fail badly… but I can end the game before the KD gets recorded to my stats 
ETA: Of course, it would mean using WASD instead of up,down,left,right for directions, which has always seemed ironic to me (that you have to be kack-handed to get to use the ‘appropriate’ keys for movement)
If you’re a lefty don’t use the arrow keys. Use the numpad and have 5=up I know it seems like you should use 8 but that makes 7 and 9 more awkward to hit and denies you an extra key. It gives you 789 for other commands in easy reach the 0 for whatever space should be (usually jump). It’s really a superior setup in my mind. Plus, 0 and Enter are large buttons easy to mash so they can be assigned to whatever I think is most important (usually heal etc) 7 is a great ‘use’ key and if I still need extra buttons I can go with / * -
I sometimes even use the right and down arrows as things like run and sneak as they are in easy reach of my thumb and can be held down continuously while my other fingers control movement.
The only drawback is the fact that some games don’t like you re-mapping these buttons. (Deadspace :smack:) and you’re either forced to use something like Glove Pie or just adapt to another control scheme.
I find the numpad extremely cramped.
Using the arrow keys, you’ve got the Suppr, End and Pagedown keys for rapid actions (usually lean left/right and action key), while Insert/Home/PageUp are for quick but not too common actions like grenades, sniper zoom levels, healing etc…
Numpad 0 on the pinky is the iron sight/zoom button while Numpad Suppr is the designated reload key (also on pinky). Thumb gets R_Ctrl, R_Shift, usually movement speed/position toggles.
All in all, more comfy than the numpad and more keys in range - in fact that way I even get to use the whole numpad too, for stuff like hotswitching weapons/abilities - basically what the numbers row does for right handed folks.
Kobal2, Either you have a smaller keyboard or much bigger hands than me. Anyway without lifting your hand or using extremely awkward movements I simply can’t see how you can get more keys then my setup. Not counting 1 and 3 which I do find too cramped to use if I have my thumb resting on the 0 key I can reach 14 non-movement keys easily. I can only get 10 with the arrow key setup and most of those seem awfully long to travel to. In fact I feel a little generous saying 10 non-awkward keys.
Obviously it’s up to personal preference and I imagine keyboard size/hand size changes people’s views.
I’m tempted to try out the numpad as per your suggestion Darkhold. But I imagine it will take some getting used to if I’ve used the directional keys for so long. Plus I kind of like the non-key space immediately surrounding them.
I have freakishly long fingers, yes.
And I probably do lose out on sheer number of usable keys - but shooters don’t generally use all that many, either. Like LOUNE, I like the fact that with my setup, all of my primary keys are relatively spaced out rather than scrunched up in a small area. Lots of explodey-thing-related keys right next to the movement keys is a surefire recipe for self-mutilation when you’re as clumsy as I am 