Poll: WASD or Arrow Keys?
- Thread starter Playbahnosh
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Depends.
I come from the old glory days of the FPS.
Arrow keys - Move
Ctrl - Fire
Space - Open Doors
Shift - Run
- Strafe
[] - Change Item
Enter - Use Item
Page Up - Look up
Page Down - Look down
And using a mouse was heresy.
I was really awkward with WASD when I first started using it, but now it's natural.
However, I still prefer ESDF. Why? It's the same thing moved over one space. My friends can't naturally find those keys, but I find F easy because of the notch on it. They find the tab and capslock keys easier.
Personally, I love having QAZ for extra keys. I change guns with W and R (previous and next) and don't use the scrollwheel for that at all.
It usually works like this:
ESDF = move, WR = guns.
T = generic talk
G = generic "use"
A = reload
Q = something else. (Flashlight, translocator, hoverboard, medkit, etc etc.)
C = crouch
X = prone or something else
V = some talk menu or something else
Z = something I don't need to hit much but when I need to, I can do it quick. Grenade or something.
Space = Jump
I don't use shift for anything much, tab is usually score, capslock is usually eh...
Jump is space or rightclick (depends on if I'm playing tribes or not, or if the game has alt-fires or not)
But yeah.
It's just WASD moved over so I can use my pinky for more keys. ie: be more efficient.
Edit: Yes, I voted Other.
I come from the old glory days of the FPS.
Arrow keys - Move
Ctrl - Fire
Space - Open Doors
Shift - Run
- Strafe
[] - Change Item
Enter - Use Item
Page Up - Look up
Page Down - Look down
And using a mouse was heresy.
I was really awkward with WASD when I first started using it, but now it's natural.
However, I still prefer ESDF. Why? It's the same thing moved over one space. My friends can't naturally find those keys, but I find F easy because of the notch on it. They find the tab and capslock keys easier.
Personally, I love having QAZ for extra keys. I change guns with W and R (previous and next) and don't use the scrollwheel for that at all.
It usually works like this:
ESDF = move, WR = guns.
T = generic talk
G = generic "use"
A = reload
Q = something else. (Flashlight, translocator, hoverboard, medkit, etc etc.)
C = crouch
X = prone or something else
V = some talk menu or something else
Z = something I don't need to hit much but when I need to, I can do it quick. Grenade or something.
Space = Jump
I don't use shift for anything much, tab is usually score, capslock is usually eh...
Jump is space or rightclick (depends on if I'm playing tribes or not, or if the game has alt-fires or not)
But yeah.
It's just WASD moved over so I can use my pinky for more keys. ie: be more efficient.
Edit: Yes, I voted Other.
If only I posted a second or two sooner.Slycne said:
WASD, for the first few months that I played pc fps games I used the arrow keys, but for some reason I get better control with WASD, and after all the years now I can't play with any other configuration.
Oh, add to that the space bar for jump, and right m button for fire.
Oh, add to that the space bar for jump, and right m button for fire.
Arrow keys, though I can understand using WASD now as it's easier to reach things, I inherited my arrow-key playing habits from my dad, and I'm far too settled into arrow keys to change, besides, I'm pretty good with my setup, though others might find it tricky.
Typical configuration (changes depending on games):
Fire: LMB
Jump: RMB (very weird I know but makes jumping puzzles a whole lot easier in my opinion)
Melee/Alt Fire (if no melee): MMB (easy to reach in case of being jumped by people at point blank range)
Zoom: NUM 0
Reload: Enter
Crouch: Ctrl
Prone (if there is one): Shift
Sprint: End
Grenade: Delete (as they 'delete' the enemy, how I decided to set it up years ago so I could remember it, second nature to me now)
Special Grenade/Switch Grenade: Page Down
If I missed some other common functions I can add them to that list later.
Typical configuration (changes depending on games):
Fire: LMB
Jump: RMB (very weird I know but makes jumping puzzles a whole lot easier in my opinion)
Melee/Alt Fire (if no melee): MMB (easy to reach in case of being jumped by people at point blank range)
Zoom: NUM 0
Reload: Enter
Crouch: Ctrl
Prone (if there is one): Shift
Sprint: End
Grenade: Delete (as they 'delete' the enemy, how I decided to set it up years ago so I could remember it, second nature to me now)
Special Grenade/Switch Grenade: Page Down
If I missed some other common functions I can add them to that list later.
I always use WASD, I find that using the arrow keys is too cramped in one corner. It also feels much more comfortable.
WASD controls are by far superior to arrow keys because by simplely putting my hand on them my 5th finger is immediately ready on shift and ctrl. my thumb has space bar covered. CXZEQR are all only a twitch away from being pressed. The numbers 1 to 4 are easily accesable too. right hand on the mouse.
using arrow keys your thumb becomes useless on 99% of keyboards and as i use a laptop for all my gaming then i dont have a num pad to the right of the arrows so the only nearby buttons are shift and ctrl and maybe enter.
Edit - Also SEDF is probably the best movement combo but i never use it as that requires rebinding the controls for every game i play and i cant be bothered just to get 3 slightly better placed buttons.
using arrow keys your thumb becomes useless on 99% of keyboards and as i use a laptop for all my gaming then i dont have a num pad to the right of the arrows so the only nearby buttons are shift and ctrl and maybe enter.
Edit - Also SEDF is probably the best movement combo but i never use it as that requires rebinding the controls for every game i play and i cant be bothered just to get 3 slightly better placed buttons.
Fire: MB 1
Grenade: MB 2
Zoom: MB 3
Weapon select: mouse wheel, ins, home, delete, end, MB 5
Move: arrow keys
Jump: ctrl
Crouch: num 0
Prone: num 1
Reload: shift
Use: enter
Flashlight: num 2
Melee: backslash (it's easier to hit than you think)
I don't like using WASD in shooters. It puts too many buttons below my hand.
Grenade: MB 2
Zoom: MB 3
Weapon select: mouse wheel, ins, home, delete, end, MB 5
Move: arrow keys
Jump: ctrl
Crouch: num 0
Prone: num 1
Reload: shift
Use: enter
Flashlight: num 2
Melee: backslash (it's easier to hit than you think)
I don't like using WASD in shooters. It puts too many buttons below my hand.
I use WASD, again it's just for reach purposes, but reading what Valliance was saying about ESDF makes sense, I might just have a go at that *reaches for FEAR*.
Taking a typical FPS configuration:
Movement: WASD
Fire: LMB
Secondary Fire / Scopes: RMB
Use: E or F (depends on what game, and if there is a flashlight or lean option...)
Jump: Space
Crouch: Shift
Prone: Ctrl
Drop weapon (to pick up another) or Grenade: G
Reload: R
Sprint: Alt
Score: Tab
Weapons: 1-9
Weapon scroll: Mouse wheel
Works like a dream, anything awkward, like RMB as... jump... is the doing of a heretic! D:<
I did use the arrows early in my computer gaming 'career', though xD
Movement: WASD
Fire: LMB
Secondary Fire / Scopes: RMB
Use: E or F (depends on what game, and if there is a flashlight or lean option...)
Jump: Space
Crouch: Shift
Prone: Ctrl
Drop weapon (to pick up another) or Grenade: G
Reload: R
Sprint: Alt
Score: Tab
Weapons: 1-9
Weapon scroll: Mouse wheel
Works like a dream, anything awkward, like RMB as... jump... is the doing of a heretic! D:<
I did use the arrows early in my computer gaming 'career', though xD
RFDG ftw 
It must have been around Quake time when I decided that the arrow buttons were inconvenient to use (what with the mouse and all) and I had to choose something from the left of the keyboard.
Since then it's always been RFDG for movement, which puts the little finger over Z for jump, and sends crouch to Space, because you usually hold down crouch but press jump repeatedly, and the spacebar isn't convenient for that.
From this position I have A,Q and ALT easily accessible with the fifth finger and W,S,X with the fourth. I can also easily reach CTRL or Shift for some seldom used action if I like. That's about six more useful keys to bind, so my hand never leaves it's place whatever the game.
If I have to play WASD I always feel that my pinky goes to waste
It must have been around Quake time when I decided that the arrow buttons were inconvenient to use (what with the mouse and all) and I had to choose something from the left of the keyboard.
Since then it's always been RFDG for movement, which puts the little finger over Z for jump, and sends crouch to Space, because you usually hold down crouch but press jump repeatedly, and the spacebar isn't convenient for that.
From this position I have A,Q and ALT easily accessible with the fifth finger and W,S,X with the fourth. I can also easily reach CTRL or Shift for some seldom used action if I like. That's about six more useful keys to bind, so my hand never leaves it's place whatever the game.
If I have to play WASD I always feel that my pinky goes to waste
I can't trust my right hand with any smooth movement-
In other words, I need the arrow keys.
I recently figured out how to hook up my 360 controller to my PC, but its just about as bad as using the mouse and keyboard...
*sighs*
As I've said before, I'm a console girl at heart.
In other words, I need the arrow keys.
I recently figured out how to hook up my 360 controller to my PC, but its just about as bad as using the mouse and keyboard...
*sighs*
As I've said before, I'm a console girl at heart.
What an amusing topic
Well I belong to the majority that uses the WASD buttons. Why? because it is more comfortable I guess...
Well I belong to the majority that uses the WASD buttons. Why? because it is more comfortable I guess...