Steelseries Qck
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Steelseries Qck+ *

I use the Steelseries QcK Heavy and it's pretty satisfying. The only complaint is about a year (maybe more?) in I wore out the middle of the mousepad a little bit, which screwed with my mouse gliding, and thus my aim. It's not too big of a deal though since the pad is only ~$20.

http://www.amazon.com/SteelSeries-Heavy-Gaming-Mouse-Black/dp/B000V7ARAU

if you want a large mousepad try corepad.com, they make good mousepads with all types of different shapes and sizes. i think they have the largest mousepads on the market

Another vote for QcK+

Razer Goliathus Control and Puretrak Talent are good too

Artisan makes very good pads that last for a few months then die
http://www.artisan-jp.com/

Qck heavy is definitely the best I've used

Steelseries Qck+
Steelseries Qck Heavy
Puretrak Talent
Other options

In my opinion, it all depends on how big your sensitivity is, I use a very low sensitivity in cs, 20.5 inches, and 16.1 inches in tf2, so for me, i found even the qck+ and alot of other mice to be pushing it a little as I aim with arm movement as opposed to wrist movement, so for me i bought a deskmat, the razer goliathus extended to be exact, its a little much but its really nice to have the extra space when i need it, but it all comes down to your needs, there are alot of other great pads out there, mainly the ones previously mentioned.

My PureTrak Stealth (smaller version of the Talent) seriously looks like brand new after over a year of daily abuse.

No real fraying edges or anything and is a lot smoother than the QcK that I used previously. If the Stealth ever gets too dirty I just toss it in the washing machine with some clothes and it looks like brand new again.

unless you use more than 16in/360 qck+ or heavy is the way to go

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16826991120&cm_re=xtrac_xxl-_-26-991-120-_-Product

I really like the Zowie G CM, great cloth pad. The TF Speed and Rough are pretty nice too, but they aren't really cloth pads and are pretty expensive.

glass cutting boards are all the rage now

zowie g-tf rough > g-tf speed > steelseries qck heavy > razer goliathus speed > puretrak talent > steelseries qck+
thats my opinion, having owned all of them.

in terms of friction from fastest pad to slowest it would be gt-f rough, g-tf speed, goliathus speed, puretrak talent, qck+/ qck heavy

its very close between the goliathus speed and the heavy (depends on your aiming style)
the solid color of the heavy is better than the dumb graphics on razer pads tracking wise usually
goliathus control could be good (its lower friction than speed, and supposedly lasts longer) but I haven't personally tried it

theres no reason to use a qck+ when you can get the qck heavy.

corsair gaming mousepad with g502 logitech i like

Artisan mouse pads (just figure out which one you like there are tons of options) >>>>>>> all previous mentioned mouse pads.

my friend from work is looking into getting a hard mousepad, since he want precision while still being able to move his mouse quickly. any suggestions for that specifically, or reasons not to get one at all?

well hard pads tend to have less friction, be less comfortable, more expensive and or smaller, and more durable.

I've seen a lot of people just assume the lowest friction is the best and it's what they want. I think you need a balance.
being a good aimer is often about stopping the mouse or holding it steady which can be surprisingly difficult with the lowest friction setup possible. how much friction is perfect also depends on your aim style/the game and stuff

but anyway for low friction I'd put it in 3 categories

-classic hard pad (there's like a million, func 1030, corepad)
-glass pad (icemat, cutting board) - lasts forever, can have tracking issues depending on mouse and the pad.
-hybrid cloth (zowie g-tf, razer control, artisan shiden/shidenkai mid -hybrid glass pad)

mouse feet are just as important in overall friction though. fastest to slowest:
puretrak HD > hyperglides > stock teflon, ebay teflon feet > puretrak perfectglide, stock plastic

I don't really have a recommendation, most hard pads are very similar. I guess I'll try in each category:
hardpad: qpad heaton XL is my favorite but goodluck finding one. same for steelseries sx. func 1030 maybe, its a classic. xtrac hammer (big, cheap, square instead of retarded-hard-pad-shaped aka cant-rocket-jump-unless-I-put-the-pad-upside-down)
glass: vance industries frosted glass cutting board http://www.vanceind.com/15x12clearelitetemperedglasscuttingboard-1.aspx
hybrid: zowie g-tf rough is what I use. speed version is very similar. solid color, stiched edges, waterproof, cloth xl sized

I use the PureTrak Talent and have zero complaints. It's a larger mousepad, so make sure you have the room for it.

artisan mousepad

had my puretrak talent for 3 years now and it still looks/feels like new

Speaking of those puretrak HDs for the WMO 3.0/1.1 would those fit the Ninox Aurora since it's based on the same shell? It looks like they'd fit but not sure. Maybe they wouldn't even make a difference off the stock Aurora feet.

the 3.0 feet won't fit the aurora.
ms-2.0 feet (hyperglides) or logitech (puretrak hd) may fit but I don't really know I don't have an aurora.
puretrak HD feet would be faster than the aurora feet pretty much guaranteed (not always desirable though)

i love the qck+ and puretrak talent. perfect thickness for cloth pads is great, i honestly don't know why people like using hard pads it destroys mouse feet so easily, scratches the surface, pain to clean. i know its all personal preference but i used a few hard pads and just didn't enjoy it

a set of new mouse feet cost 50c to $5. and certain types take forever to wear out.
with cloth the mousepad wears out instead of the feet, and that costs $15-45 to replace

to clean a hard mousepad you just wipe it with a cloth and some soap and dry it with a towel or put it in the dishwasher (depending on the type)
cloth mousepad isn't any easier, you have to scrub the shit out of it or put it in the washing machine and let it air dry

I don't get it

i had my puretrak for over 3 years now and it still hasn't worn out no signs of it happening anytime soon, i used a hard pad ages ago but after a while i just hated the feel of it. i dont really care about the cost of mouse feet its just obnoxious how they get destroyed so easily on hard pads

my puretrak talent is so worn out its ridiculous.
surface is worn out, all 4 sides are peeled cause they don't stitch the edges. it is taped back together.
have you tried your pad vs a brand new one. cause I'd eat my hat if it has the same glide after 3 years of use.

it takes years to wear out a 1.2mm mouse skate on a hard pad in my experience.
something like the stock zowie ones with 0.1mm tolerance before the mouse scrapes on the pad and they are kind of soft might wear out fast I guess.

I'm not saying hard pads are better but mouse feet wearing out is kind of a bs reason for hating them. takes 30 seconds to change them, if they even wear out in the first place, and I have like 100 mouse feet right here. its such a non issue

I had a Steelseries mousepad, highly recommended. Don't remember exactly which model, but one thing to be noted is take measurements of your desk space. The one I ordered was a lot bigger than I expected it to be, and took up all of my free desk area (which was nice, but I had to rearrange some other computer accessories so they wouldn't clutter the mousepad).

I purchased the Glorious XL Heavy Gaming Mouse Mat off of amazon to replace my 3rd Razer Goliathus.

It is basically a combination of the Qck Heavy and the Goliathus. Really thick, stitched edges, and plain black with a small logo. I'm really enjoying it.