Octopus Overlords

Do you use WASD or the arrow keys to move characters around? I'm thinking of trying to re-train myself to WASD, but am not sure I want to go through the growing pains or not. I've been using arrow keys for like 15 years.

What do you all think?

ESDF. The same basic arrangement as WASD, but with an extra row of keys for the pinky, plus the advantage of having my hand in the normal typing position. It lets me use my typing skill to find keys, lets me use the F key pip to get on the right keys without looking, and lets me switch from gaming to typing (IE - chatting in multiplayer) without moving my hand.

I used the arrows on my first couple of shooters, then moved to the numpad for a while. When I started playing the original Rainbow Six, I ended up moving to the keyboard proper - there just weren't enough keys on the numpad for all of the necessary commands in that game.

I use WASD but mostly because 90% of games are already bound to those keys and its easier then having to reconfigure every new game I buy. That said, I really don’t see much of a difference from one system to the next so whatever works for you.

Using arrow keys is difficult because it's a long stretch for the "other"keys. But I'm used to the feeling of the _|_ config for my fingers...

um, WASD duhhhhh

Arrows always and forever. Those other keys are not spaced evenly.

WASD is the only way to go in my opinion (although ESDF wouldn't be bad either)...gotta have access to the spacebar and all those other keys 8)

Arrows. My mouse has 4 buttons, and I use 1 and 0 on the num pad for jump and crouch. Covers nearly all games (except GTA:SA which seems to have hundreds of controls)

I didn't find it very hard switching to WASD back in the day. I just had to find a new standard setup for my keys. It now looks like:

'F' = use
'Shift' = reload
'Ctrl' = walk
'Space' = duck
'Q' and 'E' = lean or switch weapons
'R' = flashlight
'Z' = prone

For every single first person or third person game. The rest I use for whatever special controls a game has, although sprint usually goes to 'Alt' (so I don't have to use any of my "movement fingers" to go faster). Another big bonus is that you have the number keys closeby for weapon switching. I'm glad I made the switch.

When given the choice I use the arrow keys. However I have a sterring wheel,joystick and a gamepad for my PC and so I don't find the need for the arrows or WASD usually.

Blackhawk wrote:ESDF.

I'm WASD but I may have to give that a shot because it would be nice to have another "useable" column on the left.

EADF

I'm a freak I guess

ten years ago I played a lot of action games and I always went for the arrow keys where possible - I think it was EverQuest which finally broke me of the habit and now I usually opt for WASD.

My standard setup is:

WASD

Space = jump

left shift = run/sprint

left ctrl = crouch

I have a five button mouse so I'll usually map action buttons there.

To clarify the rest of my standard setup:

ESDF are the basic keys
Space for jump
ALT for crouch
CTRL for prone
W for 'use/interact'
Shift for walk
R for reload
X and V for leaning
C for camera or fire mode

A and G are right next to the movement keys, so they are generally frequently used commands - aim/zoom, primary weapon/grenade, or sometimes next/previous weapon (I don't have a mouse wheel). That leaves TAB, Q, T, Z, and B free for miscellaneous commands.

Right hand, 5 button wheel mouse
Left hand, the CLAW
Both hands a rum.

WXQE for me.

Q/E are stafe, W/X forward/backward.

C: crouch
V: prone
F: use
R: stand
SPC: jump
A/S/D: situational depending on the game.
KP ENTER: reload
KP +: flashlight

The Preacher wrote:

Blackhawk wrote:ESDF.

I'm WASD but I may have to give that a shot because it would be nice to have another "useable" column on the left.

I'm intrigued, but I worry that the pip on the 'F' key would make me pull right.

Lefty mouse and number pad. All those buttons lined up nice and neat. It can't be beat!

Since I use the arrows for movement heres my other keys

shift = jump
ctrl = duck
alt = prone
middle mouse = use
4th mouse button = reload

I use my ring finger for the crouch,prone, and jump keys. My middle finger automatically takes over the ring finger's job on the arrow keys. Very fast and efficent.

WASD have become 2nd nature to me, I tried ESDF but it didn't really work out, I was to used to have ctrl be crouch and I kept hitting the windows key.

My normal style of controls is the following....

RMB = Move Forward
LMB = Shoot
Space = Backwards
Left Control = Strafe Left
Left Alt = Strafe Right
Left Shift = Jump
X or C (depending on the my mood Razz) duck (however if there's a prone, X would be duck, and c would be prone)
Z = special fire or scope
Q =Lean Left
W = Lean Right

That's the standard package for games I play. If there's other controls that are needed, I add on.

There's so much flexibilty, you hand has more room to move around, and the end of a gaming session, your hand doesn't hurt.

Mine's extremely close to being default for most games, and actually sometimes is.

WASD
Q: Previous weapon
E: Use (if no use button need, Next weapon)
R: Reload
F: Flashlight/grenades/enter or exit vehicle depending on game
Z: Prone
X: Wild (anything extra that a specific game might need)
C: Crouch*
Left Shift: Walk*
Ctrl: Crouch**

*Always the hold-key sort if possible. I hate the switch type. If I want to crouch or walk, I want to hold the button down, not hit it once to turn it on or off.
**If a game allows two keys for crouch I generally map it to both C and Ctrl so I can use either, depending on the situation. If not, then only C.

WASD is second nature to me as well. What game started this? The earliest one that I remember was the first Wizardry on the old Apple ][.

The Claw!

With all of the typing I do from my day job, and the amount I used to play FPS games using either the arrows (in the Doom days) or WASD, I've developed a carpal condition that gets inflamed fairly easily. I can play about 3 hours with The Claw until I start feeling a twinge and stop.

Actually I used to swear by the arrow keys because I could find them without looking at the keyboard and much less chance of hitting the wrong key. The bummer was reaching awkwardly across the keyboard with the left hand. Then somewhere along the line I had to play a WASD game that couldn't be remapped and I gave in to the dark side. But I have since refined my taste to WQSE.

LawBeefaroni wrote:WXQE for me.

Q/E are stafe, W/X forward/backward.

C: crouch
V: prone
F: use
R: stand
SPC: jump
A/S/D: situational depending on the game.
KP ENTER: reload
KP +: flashlight

I don't get it... Isn't going for "x" hard to do with it being so low?

Jaymann wrote:Actually I used to swear by the arrow keys because I could find them without looking at the keyboard and much less chance of hitting the wrong key. The bummer was reaching awkwardly across the keyboard with the left hand. Then somewhere along the line I had to play a WASD game that couldn't be remapped and I gave in to the dark side. But I have since refined my taste to WQSE.

I'm going to try that. That sounds about perfect for me.

naednek wrote:My normal style of controls is the following....

RMB = Move Forward
LMB = Shoot
Space = Backwards
Left Control = Strafe Left
Left Alt = Strafe Right
Left Shift = Jump
X or C (depending on the my mood Razz) duck (however if there's a prone, X would be duck, and c would be prone)
Z = special fire or scope
Q =Lean Left
W = Lean Right

That's the standard package for games I play. If there's other controls that are needed, I add on.

There's so much flexibilty, you hand has more room to move around, and the end of a gaming session, your hand doesn't hurt.

Your setup is just crazy, AND interesting! Doesn't your your finger get really fatigued holding down the rmb all the time?

I used to religiously use the arrow keys...I think it was pre-patch KotOR that wouldn't map the arrow keys and I now I'm gully converted to WASD.

Dhruin wrote:I used to religiously use the arrow keys...I think it was pre-patch KotOR that wouldn't map the arrow keys and I now I'm gully converted to WASD.

Not sure what gully means, but are you glad you're now used to WASD?

QAOPM.

or 56780.

i haven't actually used those since 1991, but hey. they worked good back in the day.

naednek wrote:My normal style of controls is the following....

RMB = Move Forward
LMB = Shoot
Space = Backwards
Left Control = Strafe Left
Left Alt = Strafe Right
Left Shift = Jump
X or C (depending on the my mood Razz) duck (however if there's a prone, X would be duck, and c would be prone)
Z = special fire or scope
Q =Lean Left
W = Lean Right

That's the standard package for games I play. If there's other controls that are needed, I add on.

There's so much flexibilty, you hand has more room to move around, and the end of a gaming session, your hand doesn't hurt.

Your setup is just crazy, AND interesting! Doesn't your your finger get really fatigued holding down the rmb all the time?

how's that any different from holding down W all the time to move?

Also, I should mention, I have a logitech trackman. So I'm not constantly moving the mouse, just the ball.

WASD.

I used to be an arrow keys guy, but when I switched to laptop gaming, WASD just seemed to make more sense for most games. Now it just stuck with me.

arrows all the way. i use my left hand though, so i have to twist the keyboard.
still leaves enter, backspace, numpad 1, pageUP, / (next to shift), and home for whatever else i need.

I'm setup almost identical to Blachhawk's with the ESDF method. Been using that since I attended a LAN party where one guy using ESDF and mouselook destroyed the rest of us in Duke Nukem 3D deathmatch.

For me though, z = crouch, and I generally use g = use/interact. The fact that my left hand always stays on the home row anchored on F, makes transitioning between playing and typing very simple.

I'm intrigued by the idea of ESDF, but I know it wouldn't work for me. Since having RTS problems a few months ago, I've switched to an ergonomic keyboard. That massive break down the middle means that the row I'd gain for my pinky would just be lost to my pointer finger.

Plus I'd probably hit the windows key all the time.

I went with the arrow keys for the longest time until I started getting into shooters that had functions like lean and reload then the need to switch over to WASD was forced. It didn't take long at all to switch. I do have a N52 laying around here but always forget I have it and when I do remember it just feels like it takes too much time to set it up.

It's interesting that this is coming up now, considering some people on irc have been making fun of me for using the arrow keys. I've used these since the Doom days and while mouselook obviously took over, I still continued using the arrow keys for movement. That setup works great for me - there are a ton of keys within easy reach (including the whole insert/home/page up block) and I never have had problems having enough keys to bind everything I need... even in a game that requires a bazillion keys like Jedi Outcast.

Until BF2, anyway, which wouldn't let me bind some stuff.

I'm a lefty so I use JIKL. It is basically ESDF but left handed. I used to use the keypad and I like it but JIKL gives me more usable buttons.

If you don't have a Claw, you're not really playing.