I had to gloat a bit about this. since I to am a lefthander.
So is there any other left-handed gamers out there on Strategycore?

Despite the low figures stated on that page, my bet is that most left handers make some adjustments in order to get by in a right handed world. Certainly the gamers do; You sit down in front of any random computer, you know the mouse is gonna be setup for a right hand.

Another sinister here!

We do indeed make some adjustments, although there are often left-handed options we generally just adapt to the usual right-hand set up. It's not our hands that are faster, it's our brains...

Well I do adapt to the situation in question as well as many other situatuions.
I learned to use the mouse in the right hand because it appeared to be the 'right' way when I started using computers.
The same thing said about rifle training in the army. I started out as a clumsy righthander and soon there after kicked everyones rear when on live fire exercises because I 're-learned' and avoided bad habits.
*More to follow of to work now.*

Sometimes I hardly think your general writing hand preference really matters.

I'm right handed for the purpose of operating writing implements, but there are some times when I'm doing something (blast, now that I'm talking about it, I can't think of any good examples) when I stop and think that my left hand is performing so much better than the right hand, and vice versa. You learn to adapt. After injuring my writing hand, I've since learned to use the mouse in my left hand as easily as in my right. Well, it doesn't have the same speed and percision, but it works well - and it has also translated across to my rigth hand where I can now operate the mouse buttons in reverse order - if that were ever necessary. I never swapped the buttons when I was using my left. A bit silly, but hey, some good came of it.


It's when I switch from playing with one setup, say mouse+keyboard , with another that differs greatly, like a console gamepad for example, that's when my mind rebels a bit. Once you've got the hang of it after sufficient practice, you can easily control movement with the left hand and control actions with the right, or go the opposite. I - uh, once tested a new game console system and held the controls upside down for half an hour or so without realising it. Wasn't too shabby either - I just wasn't convinced with the new fangled reverse axis it seemed to have.

As for having a gaming advantage because of your control orientation, you won't have one unless you're only just familiarising yourself with the new button placement for the first time. But that can happen even if you are playing with a control with matching orientation. Plus the difference your experience and your opponent's experience also matters.

- NKF

I can shoot quite well with my left or my right. I use the usual right-hand mouse set up for PC gaming. But I use joysticks left-handed.

I'm a right-hander, but my right eye is very weak. If I ever have to close an eye, I always close my right and see through my left.

What does that make me?

A victim of cross-dominance a.k.a. mixed laterality, perhaps?

Half blind?

Easy, CG, you can't just go around casting aspersions upon people's sexuality like that...

Same applies to me.
I'm a right-handed left-shooter.

I found something more here.
"Dual-core do more", Intel marketing slogan, comes to mind.
If a lefthander is capable of coping with multiple stumuli at once is there a chance of what I call 'information overload'?

People have a way of dealing with excessive stimuli - They ignore it.

And what if there are people that just can't ignore it?

They either learn to deal with it... Or they don't.

You might, for example, see kids walking around on tip toes because they can't deal with the sensation of putting the entire sole of their foot on the ground. They become able to handle it with practise, and in many cases you might never work out that it was a problem. If they become agitated or tired, the "symptoms" might return.

In some instances, it's more severe. Lights, colors, sounds, temperatures, and nothing to shut it all out. I assume medication becomes involved at that point, because day to day life is very difficult like that.

A normal person shuts sensations on and off subconciously. You don't feel your clothes unless you concentrate, because you never need to and they're always there. The effect becomes more pronounced the more you concentrate on something else. You might not realise that you're cold when playing a game, or in pain if you're in danger.

When it comes to stimuli that you cannot ignore, some people can process it, and some cannot. A pilot, for instance, cannot say "Pfft, altimeter. Who needs one of those.", they need to be able to process a huge amount of stimuli at high speed constantly, which some people simply cannot do.

This brings to mind the Daredevil movie. Because of his heightened senses, he sleeps in a sensory deprivation tank. That's out of reach from the general public, I'm guessing.

I'm a right-hander. I'm also quite capable of noticing movement, no matter how slight, if it's within my field of vision and it moves I'll see it. I'm pretty sure I drive my boss a little nuts because I'll stop working and look at whatever's moving nearby. I'll eavesdrop too if anyone starts talking within earshot. I'm quite incapable of giving my undivided attention. At best you'll get most of my attention, never all.

As well, every game I play I open up as many information windows/tabs as they'll allow. Heck, I'll even open up a live feed of the main engines if they'll allow it. But I can't stand obtrusive cockpits. You remember the original Wing Commander 1 & 2. The bottom half of the screen is pretty much obstructed and useless for flying.


Oooh, shiny!

*Raises his left hand* Yes indeed it is as i always thought i got the power muahahahaah

Indeed left handers have a different view which grants us to do things in a more creative way thanks to our right part of the brain, although in some aspects its a true handycap because the world is forged for right handers. Just for example my handwriting is evil, probably because my basic school teacher was an evil old witch who didnt like me because i never matched into the theme, we had to write with fountain pens but i smeared it over the whole paper it was just horrible.

Funny, I hate fountain pens for the exact same reason...

Well, I am a lefthander, too.
Maybe it doesn't add much to the discussion, but at least I finally managed to come out.