In Gothic 1 , getting things into focus preceeds everything else. This is a major advantage as seen by the following 2 examples:
1. You've just killed a bunch of orcs and you wish to selectively search their bodies. Just as simple as holding down control and pressing the left and right arrow keys.
2. You want to test if nameless is able to climb over a particular ledge. If climbing is possible, holding down the Alt key will bring the ledge into focus. You can then perform the actual climbing by pressing the up arrow key.
Trying to do either of the above in Gothic 2 is really a pain. Why people say that Gothic 2/3 controls are an improvement and why the devs abandoned such a superior control scheme is beyond me.
PS Using keyboard only controls is the best way to play. You get to use only one input device and it is much more convenient to use your right hand to control the hero's moves, which is very important in fighting. Left handed players may adjust the controls accordingly.