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Razer's New Mouse Optimized for MMO and RTS
An anonymous reader writes "XYZComputing has a review of Razer's new Krait mouse which is specifically designed for massively multiplayer online gaming as opposed to the usual design focus of first-person shooters. From the article: 'The criteria for an appropriate mouse for each style of gaming are different, or at least Razer would want you to think that this is the case. With the market starting to accept products like gaming mice and gaming keyboards, it was only a matter of time until someone introduced a mouse for a certain type of game. While it is easy to be skeptical of such an idea, Razer has a great reputation and may actually be onto something here.'"
As a left-hand mouse user it's nice to see that symmetric mice are still around, though.
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"IT'S JUST A MOUSE!"
With only 3 buttons, no way I'll be using this mouse in WoW. I ran out of buttons here on a Logitech G5: left and right for the usual select and action, thumb is an instant cast I use often so you can hold your hand on WSAD, tilt left is autorun, tilt right is the "oh shit" button, desperate prayer on my priest, ice block on my mage.
It may seem an overkill at first, but it really is much easier to keep moving / casting with your left hand and not have to worry about the actions mapped on the mouse.
It's a $40 USB mouse which looks like a normal mouse but has a fancy side rubber grip strip thingie that shines in the dark.
The mouse has more sensitivity and a wider data path and the manufacturer came up with an APM (Actions Per Minute) measurement to try and show that you can do a lot of "actions" per minute on the mouse so it's good for RTSs and MMORPGs.
In practice this mouse is but another decent gamers mouse, just as good for FPSs as it is for RTSs and MMORPGS. The whole RTS/MMORPG specific thing is just a marketing gimmik of the manufacturer to try and distinguish it from the competition.
By the way: FPTRTFA (First Post That Read The F... Article)
Because every RTS out there is a frigging starcraft-like clickfest right?
I can't even start to understand how the number of clics per minute you can perform with that thing may impact your RTS experience (you usually aren't limited by your clicking speed and most good RTS players use keyboard shortcuts a damn lot, making mouse much less important), and it's even worse for MMORPGs (which you can usually play pretty efficiently without even having a mouse if you know the keybindings).
In a word, this mouse is stupid and this article is pure slashvertisement. And if I get a mouse specifically for RTS and/or mmorpg it'd better has at least half a dozen buttons so that I can bind all kinds of actions to them and not an ass-sucking 2 buttons + roller.
"The way we can tell it's C# instead of Haskell is because it's nine lines instead of two." -- wadler
Still a damn mouse tho.
The major complaint about the Razer Copperhead that I hear is that the four side buttons are too easy to push. You would think a mouse marketed for First Person Shooters'ers would feature less buttons on the mouse, since fewer are required during intense gun battles (just aim, and click). An RTSer would benefit from the Copperhead's extra buttons because they could bind specific game events (select Group 1, Group 2, Attack, and Defend) to each button.
I don't play RTS's competitively, but it seems like the Copperhead would suit RTSers better, and the Krait would be better for FPS's.
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I paid $50 for a Razer Diamondback - cheap, chinsy buttons which literally squeaked and thumb buttons which neglected to click after a short duration. Can't believe I fell for the hype.
Logitech's offerings are MUCH more durable and robust. It's like comparing a Microsoft joystick to a CH product... the difference in quality is vast.
Don't waste your cash on Razer!
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According to the article, the mouse is not really distinguishable from previous mice by the same manufacturer, and probably not from $1 mice by $TAIWANESE_SWEATSHOP either, even though the review doesn't mention this.
Looks like a non-product: an expensive mouse, with a small form factor and nondescript design, with a 300 gram paperweight to prevent drag on the cable, where you could just have used a book instead, and from a manufacturer making a nonsensical argument about how this mouse was specifically suited to a specific style of computer game.
As a state gets corrupt, its laws multiply; the most corrupt states have the most numerous laws. (Tacitus, Annales 3:27)
It is a ... mouse. It has all that it should have to make it a mouse. But ... in what way is it different to the other mice that offer essentially the same things?
To be honest, I don't even know what I'd want in a "MMORPG mouse". How is a mouse supposed to make a difference when playing MMORPGs? You neither need ultra-high precision, nor perfect click timing, nor anything else I could think of.
So what makes a MMORPG mouse MMORPG?
We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
It targets MMRPG players - people with too much money. Its main feature is it costs more than a 15 dollar MSFT mouse.
I suppose if you were that fast, then you could afford to throw away £40 on this thing with all the money you were winning from Starcraft tournaments.
*Yes, I know its in $, but from my experience computer gear costs the same in £ as it does in $ despite £ being worth more. Sometimes it sucks being English.
If we can put a man on the moon, why can't we shoot people for Apollo-related non-sequiturs?
Riiiiight....
Phoronix still has yet to hear back from Razer Inc on whether they plan to port their drivers to Linux, release specifications, or do anything else to help the Linux community. http://phoronix.com/?page=news_item&px=MTQ1Nw==
they invent a mouse (pc) that my cat doesn't chase while i'm moving it, or chew the wires of. I just can't get excited about a smaller more sensitive mouse that glows orange instead of red.
...surely that means it's optimised for playing Elite?
...specifically designed for massively multiplayer online gaming as opposed to the usual design focus of first-person shooters.
i'd say as opposed to the usual design focus on productivity, the office, windows etc
- Frame rate over 6400 frames per second (5.8 megapixels per second)
- High speed motion detection, up to 40ips and 15g
- Zero acoustic Teflon feet for smooth motion over any surface
- Gold plated USB connector for maximum conductivity
- 7 foot, lightweight, non-tangle cord
On the other hand I completely missed such information as whether the scroll wheel has detents (making it click if you turn it). I for one can't stand those gliding wheels that offer no tactile feedback and which are a real pain if you try to select a weapon in a FPS game; not ahving this feature would be a dealbreaker for me, and much more important than the fact that it's got "non-slip side rails" (yeah, cause I can't remember how often my mouse went flying across the room... but maybe it's necessary for those 438 feet/sec people).That is... good? Better than 4 megapixels per second, I presume? If I use a 2 megapixel digicam, how do I have to set the shutter speed to equal the performance of this mouse?
Ok, 15 g acceleration, works out to 15*9.81m/s^2, that's about 438 feet/sec^2. If I have that kind of acceleration on my mouse I'm clearly doing something wrong.
Unlike all those noise mice we all know and hate. I keep waking up at night and hammering on the wall to keep my neighbour from driving my insane with the decibels created by his mouse. I only hope they do something about those deafening clicks next.
We're talking binary signals, right? The ones that are either "on" or "off"? That don't need a perfect connection as much as, say analog signals?
Ok, what's a non-tangle cord? One that magically uncoils itself? I see no rotating connection on either the mouse or the plug, so I assume that's just marketspeak for "a reasonably straight length of standard cable". Oh, it's "lightweight", so make that "a reasonably straight length of cheap standard cable"
-- Language is a virus from outer space.
Ultra Precision - nope Ultra Clickable - nope (only needed when I play Diablo II) Overpriced Aesthetics - I'm a geek, if I want aesthetics I'll mod it somehow. More buttons than a mouse can possibly hold - Definitely needed for lot's of key binds. This mouse meets none of my criterion. I think it would do just as well as any other mouse. It would probabily be less usable than the five button Intellimouse I got four years ago. My review: Stick with what you have.
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if its optimized for mmo's, lets see how soon we can see people complaining about bans "becuz teh admiz zaid im b0tting!!11"
yush
Just look at the mouse, it looks just like any normal Razer Viper with a new sticker. This has to be the most blatant case of bullshitting the consumer I've ever seen. I was expecting something with extra buttons that can be given programmable macros or something. Instead it's a mouse with a wheel that has quite a precise sensor. Given that MMOs and RTSs don't require lightning quick precision mousing I fail to see why this mouse is worth buying over a decent cordless Logitech one.
Check out the go faster stripes down the side! This is the kind of mouse Vin Diesel would use if he was a nerd.
It is just a normal mouse, except that middle-click is bound to chatting "[Arcane Crystal][Arcane Crystal][Arcane Crystal]" by default.</wow bias>
I don't know about anyone else, but as soon as I sell off a bit more gold, I'm getting one! ;P
Back then they made a whole fuss about not switching to optical because a wheel mouse was more responsive and had a better feel - now they are making a fuss not switching to laser because optical is more responsive and has a better feel. I owned one of their mouses and all I can see is never again, it was an absolutely horrible experience:
1) The cable was stiff and sticky and was constantly dragging the mouse not letting me play.
2) The mouse wheel was very still and loud, and clicking it was a real mission.
3) The mouse was extremely flat and huge so was hard to move yet extremely uncomfortable and felt like I'm just resting my hand on the table it was so flat.
4) The rubber buttons didn't help with grip and just felt strange, the buttons were also far too sensitive - since you can't pick up the mouse because of it's flatness, you constantly press the buttons by mistake.
And that was for a $50 mouse - I bought a cheap microsoft optical and my FPS accuracy improved instantly. Just say no!
Yeap.
Nethack - No Mouse
Splatter-penguins-flash-game - A mouse button.
Sol.exe - A mouse button AND the ability to move the mouse.
See, lots of different mice!
Wow, I should not post when knackered.
So it's pretty clear that they've just made a mouse which is just like all their other models and without any clear benefits marking it specifically for MMORPG. Personally I expect any gear designed for a specific case would end up being less usefull in generic cases, which might be a good indication of how much thinking actually went into this generic mouse. But what features WOULD make a mouse specifically suited for MMORPG's?
;)
Here's some of my ideas which may or may not be ridiculous, but feel free to add your own.
I'd like the ability to disable the clicking of the mousewheel. Or atleast make it's resistance configurable. It's all too easy to click it in hectic gaming situations.
How about "multifire" buttons? Imagine the left mouse button being split horizontally, the bottom part acting like a normal mouse button, the top part firing off a click every half second or so (configurable ofcourse). Usefull to automatically attack some monster without having to click continuously.
A mouse that detect rotation (around an axis perpendicular to the desk), might be usefull to rotate the camera axis.
Mousebuttons with surface grip (similar for the wheel), against sweaty fingers
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Surely those enhancements would give you more of a gain if you were playing an FPS rather than an mmo, something that requires speed and precision.
I hope it works equally well for MUDs, considering that they're the precursor to the MMORPG.
So glad I bought one of these things, because now, I can say with authority and experience that they are the most uncomfortable peices of shit I've ever had the mis-fortune of owning.
I picked up their top of the line copperhead because it's a "small" mouse designed for finger gamers.
What I got however was an extremely long yet thin mouse which is very difficult to control without jamming it into your palm all night long, the rubber decorative edging was sharp and uncomfortable, the LED distracting etc.
The mouse buttons felt great, perhaps it was just the marketing convincing me but they felt quality, the smoothness of the teflon pads was unmatched - yet it was dreadfully uncomfortable, so so disapointed as NO ONE makes a 6 or 7 button optical SMALL mouse which is good for finger mousers (not palm mousers)
In conclusion,... meh.
...when do we get our Pr0n optimized mouse?
I want something with a zooming wheel, snap-to-naughty-bits software, and maybe a navigation straw so I can use it hands-free!
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This has been another embarrassing post by,
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-Tom
i have an original boomslang 2000, that i'm using RIGHT NOW!
i wonder when thier going to make a slashdotting mouse. it should have a special button to automaticly submit a witty comment!
I thought it was going to be a mouse with a single button that's permanently bound to Frostshock or the pally bubble. Then it would be a true MMO mouse.
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