Lately I've been a little dissappointed in first-person shooters - especially the tactical/realistic/simulation ones - because of their lack of customization. Now, I don't ask for much. In fact, I really only ask for one thing. More first-person shooters should have the option to fire weapons left-handed. I'm pretty sure Soldier of Fortune 2 and America's Army have this option, but I have yet to see any other games do this.

I realize it means extra work, but not much. Most left-handed rifles and shotguns eject spent cartridges out the left side of the weapon, otherwise, they would hit a left-handed user in the face. Others can be used by right-handers and southpaws because the shells eject out the bottom. Still others (such as the m16) have an attachment for lefties that deflects shells away from their faces.

Whenever I've seen this option, I've been greatly joyed by the extra work put in by the developers to help me feel a little more natural while playing.

Enemy Territory has a left-hand gun option.

So does UT 2004.

CS has this feature, but the model is merely mirrored.

I don't get it though, I'm left handed and I can use a gun like anybody else.

Well, games like Red Orchestra don't have a left-handed feature simply because there weren't left-handed rifles equipped in the war it's based on (WWII), which is exactly waht the game is aiming for. Total realism and still fun.

There are still a lot of people whining about it. It does actually take a lot of work to make proper left-handed models. A whole new set of animations must be made for each action while left-handed. Maybe that's why so many games don't have left-handed models. There's just not enough people who play that need this feature, so it's not worth spending the time on.

You obviously don't get it. With some weapons, it's *dangerous* to fire them this way. The other major point of concern is that if you're left-handed, chances are you're left-eye dominant. If you try to fire a weapon right-handed when you're left-eye dominant with your eyes open, you won't be able to hit to the broad side of a barn. Chances are, you won't be able to even line up the sights without resting the butt of your gun on your cheek. That would be bad.

Me, I'm cross-dominant. It sucks hard. I'm right-handed and left-eye dominant, so I have no choice but to wear an eyepatch over my left eye, or shoot left-handed. The first thing you should do when learning to fire a gun is find out which eye is your dominant one, then make a decision. Either shoot from your eye-dominant shoulder, or try to train your weak eye using methods like eyepatches, scotch tape over glasses, etc. The important thing is to be consistent, whatever method you choose.

I'm lefty, and yeah, it's a pain with some rifles. Bolt-actions are fine though, I don't have a problem with those.

.....are you even talking about video games??

.. er, no. I thought that was pretty obvious. :p

What with the topic and all, it's not.

For anyone who's shot a gun, yeah, that was obvious.

Freelancer, I think I'm cross-dominant too. It screwed me up a little bit when I did archery a few years ago.


But does it really matter for a video game?

Gun manufactures don't really make many guns for lefties. You just have to shoot them left handed, or force yourself to shoot right handed. I'm right handed but left eye dominant, but I forced myself to use my right eye when I shoot. It took a little while to get used to it, but after a little time, it's not a problem.

some guns you can get lefty conversion kits for.

How do you force yourself to be right eye dominated? I've never heard of either eye dominance before.

One eye is usually stronger than the other. To find out which one is, hold your thumb up to the corner of the ceiling in a room. Line your thumb up with the corner of the walls with both eyes open. Now, close one eye then the other. If your thumb "jumps" out of alignment from the corner, that's your weaker eye.

I find it hard to focus when trying that. The ceiling sort of blurs, and my thumb splits into two, kinda. When I did manage to sort of pull it off, it jumped for both eyes.

That's not a very good method to use. The best one I've seen is make an "OK" symbol with your fingers, focus on some object through the hole in your fingers, then slowly bring the circle to your eye. Whichever eye you're naturally looking through when your hand touches your face is your dominant eye.

Yeah, that's pretty much how they do it at the range.

My friend is left-handed... yet he's an amazing marksman shooting right handed.

My hand hit the middle of my face.

If I use my right arm to make an OK thing, I focus through my left eye, and if I use my left arm I focus through my right eye...

Use both hands and form a triangle hole with your index finger and thumbs. Hold it at arms length, and center an object in the hole without focusing on your hands. Then bring your hands in, making sure the object is still centered in the hole. You will come back to one eye, it's impossible to do otherwise.

I have a better method: Look through a camera. The eye you're more comfortable using is the dominant one.

Interestingly, when battles were primarily melee combat, left-handed fighters were more effective than right handed fighters. Since both right and left handed fighters, on both sides, are trained to battle with right-handed fighters, they have more difficulty duelling with someone who is left-handed.

BROUFFPT

Both Avenger and Free's tests set me as left-eye dominant. That's really cool - it explains why I shoot left in pool!

Hey, now you're in the right thread :p

With any of the suggested methods, my hands hit right between both eyes, I must be eye-ambidexterous :D.

Did you not try the camera method?

There we go, right-eye dominant.


Ever wondered why there are so many first class left-handed cricketers? Well possibly you haven't... but there are.

I use a camera with my left eye, but all the arm tests put me as right-eye dominant. Also, I shoot left handed. It just comes naturally for me to do it that way.