Poll: WASD or Arrow Keys?

[Calax]

I use WASD ever since Half Life came out. Mainly because mouse shooting is so much better than keyboard aiming. I used to use the arrow keys (without strafe) based around the original control scheme in Dark Forces.

 

[Fraeir]

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

 

[mezger6]

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

 

[Erana]

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.

 

[Valiance]

I don't see the point of using ESDF unless you've actually broken you W key!

End of, no one really uses keys that are hard to reach. And your little finger now rests on the Windows key, AKA That Key That Boots You Out And Gets You Killed (Unless you have one that can lock it, or have prised the little fucker off).

Got the same amount of useful keys around, in the immediate vicinity also, and maybe now A... but that's not exactly an easy key to reach, much like X on WASD... merely annoying.

No. Your pinky rests on 'A.'

At least when I do it, it's my combat stance anyway. Maybe on shift now and then, or maybe it's just my hand, but keeping it on 'A' is natural for me.

 

[Russian_Assassin]

What an amusing topic

Well I belong to the majority that uses the WASD buttons. Why? because it is more comfortable I guess...

 

[Iron Mal]

When it comes to playing PC games it feels more natural to use the arrow keys (it probably also has something to do with the fact that I use the mouse left handed).

 

[Hippobatman]

WASD just feels right when playing for me.

 

[Faeanor]

I use WASD. Only used the arrow keys way back in the day playing quake 3. Once I discovered mousaim I never looked back.

I have a friend though with the craziest key setup and I'm surprised nobody's mentioned it. He uses right click for forward. It sounds crazy but it works well actually. That way he can keep his left hand free to do anything on the keyboard without having to keep his finger glued to W. I don't like using it, but in the time I have I can see how it does help. Does anyone else use this?

 

[theultimateend]

I like WASD but so help me when a game company won't let me use arrow keys period I get upgraded to a level of rage that leaves me dangerous to all things mortal.

I end up hulking out and crushing the very dreams of children between my massive thighs and devouring the souls of the innocent.

All the while shouting my name and some sort of verb.

 

[runtheplacered]

I use the arrow keys for Counter-strike: Source. I can't break that habit since it's one that started when CS 1.2 was released. But most other games are WASD.

The arrow keys actually make a nice arc.. which is why I originally went with it. In fact, I only really go for WASD because I got tired of changing the controls around (when BF2 came out).

R-Ctrl, R-Shift, Enter, Del, End, Page Down, Num 4, Num 1, Num 0 are all in a nice little circle around the arrow keys, which was very intuitive.

 

[Ace of Spades]

WASD definitely. There are more keys around them that I can map actions to.

 

[Playbahnosh]

The arrow keys actually make a nice arc.. which is why I originally went with it. In fact, I only really go for WASD because I got tired of changing the controls around (when BF2 came out).

R-Ctrl, R-Shift, Enter, Del, End, Page Down, Num 4, Num 1, Num 0 are all in a nice little circle around the arrow keys, which was very intuitive.

Totally agree. That's why I still use arrow keys, because it leaves me some space around my fingers. I tried to play with WASD, but I always pressed some other buttons accidentally (maybe because W and S is not in line) and it feels cluttered for my fingers for some reason. Whilst with the arrows and the arc of other keys around, it feels more intuitive.

But, I see the huge majority of people use WASD, and I can't really blame them. Every single FPS game comes pre-configured for WASD, so it's only natural new players get used to that, and the old players get tired of changing the layout again and again in every game, and once people get used to using a layout, they will stick to it.

There's a conspiracy going on to vanquish arrow keys, we must make it stop. ARROW KEYS! TO BATTLE!

 

[Varchld]

ESDF!
I still use WASD for fps' but for some games I move them over one step to the right to free up more keys within easy reach to bind.

 

[Woe Is You]

Soooo... no NUMPAD using lefties?

I feel so alone.

 

[CmdrGoob]

RFDG user here. Using RFDG instead of WSAD is way better because the pinkie can easily and comfortably reach ASZX, giving you 4 more buttons within easy reach for your pinkie to press without having to take any fingers off of the movement keys. With WSAD as your movement keys, you can only really reach shift comfortably and ctrl uncomfortably.