Hello again, England I presume? Wish I was there, that's for sure! My ex-wife is there in Cornwall, lucky her!
Yes, I was an expert tank gunner in the US Army (1981-1988). I am a veteran, with 2 tours of active duty in Germany during the Cold War, and five holes in my head from surgeries the last year I was in (it was my intention to be a lifer). My military disability is why I'm 'semi-retired' instead of being gainfully employed.
My disability, and being semi-retired at an early age, has led to boredom, which in turn led to video games (initially on gaming consoles). I live in an inner-city in the US, which has led to a lot of the younger crowd hanging out, which only added to the 8+ hours a day gaming 'syndrome' I've had going for a while. (It also added to the challenge, being older playing against much younger people with potentially quicker response times) No compulsive disorder, just the only challenging thing to do on many days, boring as retired life can otherwise be.
The 'genetically superior' thing came from your comment about my possibly weak body structure ... nothing more. It isn't simply a matter of 'my hands are weaker than most', and I really am above average in most respects, just as my former posts imply. I don't brag on that, or live my life with some weird superiority complex. But in the world of Forums where people don't know me, I have to state my credentials somewhat in order for people to believe my opinions are based on knowledge, intelligence, and experience. Please don't 'pity' me, I've gotten enough of that from being labelled a 'disabled veteran'. It is okay to be somewhat impressed by my 'resume' though; it's all true, and I've earned the right to be a little proud of it.
To be fair, as I even stated in my first post, I agree that certain events in games are better played on the mouse/keyboard (examples: selecting targets, aiming and firing with a mouse vs. a thumbstick). There is a certain element of control and sensitivity that a thumbstick cannot match. It's why the mouse lives, while the original 'joystick' model never made it big in computers. But for many and even most things one does in a video game (travel by whatever means, for example), using a gamepad will inarguably save some wear and tear on people's hands (depending on how much they play). Example: travel in WoW consisted of constantly holding down both the left and right mouse buttons while using mouse movements to aim your character. That will get to everyone, over time. I would still have to recommend using a gamepad, because their operation is +90% thumb control, and the thumb is considrerably stronger and more durable than a finger. Even having a gamepad (and the dual option of keyboard/mouse for my PC games), I admit to using the option to jump to the mouse, or hit the occassional tab key. I'm not trying to get rid of important peripherals completely, and I do acknowledge their superior traits.
The only reason I can think of for me to have posted as a 'scare-monger' would be if I had a vested interest in getting people to buy gamepads. I do not. I don't sell them. I don't manufacture them. I don't own any stock interests in any peripheral companies (or any corporation, for that matter). I am not trying to stimulate any market. That would be the only logical reason I could have for trying to get people to buy gamepads, other than my sincere and factually-based belief that it's truly better for people in the long run, especially gamers who play their games a LOT. I want people to use their computers, and I also want people to be able to continue to use their computers.
Lastly, I am sorry about your cancer, but I'm happy that you are a survivor and that you are around for us to have this conversation. I didn't have cancer, I had some kind of sinus infection that was eating its way through the bone of my skull and into my brain. Of that, I am 'cured', although I have chronic sinusitis now, as well as severe trouble with weather changes (causing headaches, mood swings, personality changes, and unemployment) from all the holes in my head. All in all, I'd say, "nice meeting you".
Take care, Cheers, or whatever you may prefer!
Jim
