Argh…using a gamepad for 1st time
 

I have always been a mouse+kb player…but thinking of games I might have missed which require a gamepad/controller I finally bought a wireless one (logitech F710). Man, I suck! What games are these supposed to be good for? I fired up Skyrim and was soon crashing about like a drunkard, wiggling those two evil little joysticks. I used the default config. Everything feels alien and unnatural - I managed the first basic Embershard mine after 2 attrempts (I couldn't even move to avoid enemies properly %#@!!) As it stands I loathe the device… So…any tips, hints for me?

You don't suck I need to buy the wireless one myself.

Scratch my previous line. You suck! :p

Brothers.
http://store.steampowered.com/app/225080

KB+M is superior to controllers in almost everything except portability. On a desktop PC, I would never use a controller, but while playing a console game on my TV while lying in my bed, then yes, a controller is better.

I like mine for GTA / Sleeping Dogs type games as driving just feels better on the gamepad imo.

Also useful for action RPGs like Jade Empire and Darksiders. A lot of games ported from consoles work really well with a gamepad.

Anything sidescroling
Valdis story
Game has great combat but it's pain on M+KB
Dust works good with M+KB but it's still better on controller.

I would recommend both games, I am not big fan of the genre but I enjoyed the nonetheless.

I know for me, when I switched to M+Kb for awhile and then went back to a controller, it felt so weird and awkward. But like anything, you will adapt to it the more you use it. Eventually you will become a pro with it, just give it some time and patience.

thanks for the comments and suggestons…. I've always had bad coordination ;-) OK, so I should just keep bashing away at it and hopefully I'll get some …skillz… To be honest, I was thinking of trying Dark Souls which supposedly "should be played with a controller"…but I can't seemyself doing well at anything that requires great dexterity. My brain is just hard-wired by now to use mouse+kb…

For me, the gamepad is mostly a matter of comfort. It's rare that I think it actually helps the controls in a significant way - and when it does, it's mostly with really bad console ports. Dark Souls would be a perfect example of that, and most driving games feel a bit better with the pad. Problem being that most driving games have some shooting as well - certainly the ones I enjoy. Shooting is always better with M+KB, so that's a compromise in the name of comfort.

But the comfort of not having to sit by a desk can be a relief - and for certain games, it can be really pleasant. I use a Profiler thingy that I paid for (quite cheap) - which means I can get profiles for pretty much any game out there, including a lot of old titles. It also has a Windows profile - which means I can navigate Windows without ever touching the mouse or keyboard, which means extra comfort.

So, I've come to think of my Xbox 360 controller as an invaluable part of my overall setup.

That said, I think I use my pad less than 10% of the time with games.

Youre talking about pinnacle? I actually bought it yesterday (with discount 7€) and it was kind of eye-opener for me. I can finally (re)play all those great pc games that i didnt play before because of the lack of gamepad-support i.e kotor, shadowrun, baldur gate(?), oblivion, call of duty, gothic, risen, divinity2, etc. I dont need to buy inferior console versions anymore!

Also the gamepad support for windows might be perfect for the new big tiles in the main screen of windows8. Allthough I might want to wait for windows 9.

I didnt like gamepad originally but after starting career in which I sit 8 hours infront of computer each day I changed my opinnion. If I use mouse & keyboard more than 8 hours per day I start to have pains in my back and mousewrist.

Yup, it's Pinnacle :)

Pinnacle is absolutely amazing if you use the gamepad a fair amount.