Razer Naga MMOG Mouse
I’m a PC gamer. I grew up on PC, and the platform will always be my first choice when it comes to picking up the latest and greatest titles. Don’t get me wrong; I love my consoles too, but if there’s a choice between a controller and a mouse and keyboard, you know which route I’ll go.
I don’t have to tell you PC gamers are hardware enthusiasts. Whether it’s that sweet quad core machine we just built or the glowing array of peripherals on our desks, we’re always looking for an upgrade to improve not only our games’ performance, but our performance in those games.
Being a fan of Massively Multiplayer games since the mid-90s, I was very excited to hear about Razer’s new “Naga” mouse. Although it isn’t the first mouse designed specifically for MMO gamers (the poorly received SteelSeries’ World of Warcraft mouse holds that award,) it is the first non-specific MMO mouse, and will work in any you throw at it.
I should note that although Razer has released drivers for the Mac, and the mouse works great under OS X, the configuration software has not been updated to match the macro recording functionality of it’s Windows counterpart. I expect they’ll be updating the OS X software to support this soon.
Features
Aside from the trademark Razer sensor and response time, the Naga features 17 buttons (12 of which are on the mouse’s “button grid” on the left side) which can be configured in a variety of ways using the driver software. Razer has worked with addon developers to provide customized hotbar layouts for World of Warcraft and Warhammer Online, though they are entirely optional. Since I’m a big fan of the Bartender addon in Warcraft, I opted to continue using that.
Although the Naga launched with somewhat limited customizability for the 12 grid buttons- which was a big complaint amongst MMO players- the latest driver firmware allows you to fully configure the buttons, including recording key-press macros.
Comfort
Although the Naga looks a bit intimidating and bulky at first glance, I was surprised to find it a tad smaller than the Logitech G5 I had been using for years. The mouse slants ever so slightly to the right to make the button grid friendlier on the thumb.
Size comparison: Logitech VX Nano, Razer Naga, Logitech G5, Logitech Performance MX
Razer includes training bumps (I’m not sure what else to call them) which can be attached to the grid buttons to train your thumb for placement. I attached mine to the “2″, “8″ and a smaller one to the “12″ buttons and was able to get fairly comfortable with the grid layout after about 4 hours of play. Once you become accustomed to the layout, they are easily removed.
The overall feel of the mouse is superb, rivaling even my beloved G5 in comfort.
Configuration
As I mentioned, each of the keys on the Naga can be configured however you like using the driver software. By default each of the grid buttons on the Naga are assigned to your 1-0, – and = keys, just as they appear at the top of your keyboard, and are listed from 1 through 12 on the mouse. This means, by default, your button grid will click the corresponding hot bar entry in your game.
This should work great for most players in most MMOs, but you can record macros to change this behavior.
Real World Use
UPS delivered the mouse to me last Friday, which game me the whole weekend to adjust and tweak it before my Warcraft guild’s raid on Tuesday and follow-up on Thursday.
I installed the driver software but opted not install Razer’s customized version of Dominos, as I’m a big Bartender fan. There is no additional functionality Razer’s addon provides; it just has a action bar layout that matches your Naga’s button grid. I ultimately customized my Bartender installation to provide a similar appearance.
On my Rogue, I found my thumb growing tired a few dungeon runs in. Being a melee class that pretty much constantly spams our attacks, the default grid layout didn’t work out very well. Sinister Strike, for example, ended up being the 2 key on my mouse. I dare you to try spamming that with your thumb on this mouse and liking it. Worse yet, in fights that required me to be more mobile, I found the “thumb spam” made it difficult for me to activate the right mouse button and move in a timely manner.
Certainly, I don’t think Razer’s intention for the Naga was to use the button grid in this manner.
Realizing this, I changed my Naga’s grid to use macros of CTRL+1, CTRL+2, CTRL+3 and so on; these are my buff buttons, and although they are used often most have a cool-down of between 30 and 120 seconds, so it works out perfectly for this kind of setup.
My Bartender Configuration
I kept all my spammy attacks on my keyboards 1-0 keys, which I was already used to using my other hand for, and all my buff keys to the grid on my Naga. This meant even as I was casting my melee attacks, I was able to remain mobile and pop cooldowns as they became available. Boom! There’s the efficiency boost I was looking for with this mouse.
By the time raid night rolled around I was well versed with my new configuration, and definitely saw an improvement in my overall performance. More importantly, I *felt* much more efficient and comfortable.
On my Priest, who is sadly still far below raiding level, I saw similar improvements. I kept my more frequently cast spells on my keyboard, and moved most of my Shadow and less frequent Holy spells to the mouse. Fortitude and Shield, for example, was great for moving to the Naga’s grid specifically for Battlegrounds, as you’re constantly popping those on your allies as they respawn or make a break with the flag for your base.
Final Thoughts
[rating:5/5]
I’ve seen a definite improvement in my efficiency since I began using the Naga, and I expect this to grow as I become more comfortable with the mouse, and adjust my play style and what spells make the most sense on the grid.
Considering you can configure the buttons using macros, this mouse makes a lot of sense not only for MMO gamers, but PC gamers in general. I can’t wait to try out the upcoming Dragon Age mini-expansion with this mouse. Switching party members, popping potions, casting buffs, etc. should be a breeze with the Naga.
Likewise, I could imagine more than a few uses for those 12 extra keys in everyday applications, like Photoshop.
At $79.99 I can see no reason why every MMO player shouldn’t be using one of these. Whether you’re a casual player or a end game raider, you’ll notice a great boost to your efficiency in the game.
My singular complaint is that the Mac drivers have fallen behind in functionality, as I play Warcraft on my Mac quite a bit on the road; I suspect Razer will resolve this issue in the coming weeks, however. That issue aside, this serves as a fantastic Mac mouse as well. I’ve always had issues with my Logitech mice feeling a bit wonky in OS X, especially the scroll wheel performance, but the Naga works perfectly straight out of the box.
Tags: gaming hardware, massively multiplayer, mouse, naga, razer
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