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Poll: WASD, Arrow keys, or other?

Chaotic42

Chaotic42

Lifer
I installed Call of Duty 4 today, and I found out that it defaults to WASD. I've always hated WASD, as it makes just about zero sense to me, but I decided to try it a little. It still sucks.

So my question is, do you use WASD, the arrow keys, or something else? Why do you use what you do? I use the arrow keys because up and down are centered on each other and the keys around them are in groups (Ctrl, \, and ' are on the left, DEL, End, and PgDn are above, etc).

If I had to switch, I guess I'd use something like TFGH so that there are keys all around for me to use as crouch, secondary fire, etc.
 
I used to use arrows all the time, but I switched to WASD since I got a G11 keyboard so I could be closer to the marco keys.
 
used to use arrow keys but then I got tired of having to remap keys for every new game. the default mapping is always optimized for wasd.
 
I think WASD is pretty convenient, with shift, control and the spacebar all right there. Anyway, the way my desk is set up it would be very awkward to use the right side of the keyboard and the mouse at the same time.

This thread made me think back to the days of Wolfenstein 3d and Doom though, before I used a mouse to play first-person shooters. Good times.
 
I can't imagine how you would play anything besides the most basic FPS games with the arrow keys. Just taking BF2 as an example, you need almost a third of the QWERTY button section, especially Z, CTRL, SHIFT, space, WASD, 1-6, Q, E, R, and G. And that's only the critical keys, not the various secondary functions mapped to keys near WASD.

You'd have to pull off some insane finger gymnastics to be able to get all that critical functionality with your left hand on the arrow keys.

@ OP, if the off center position of the forward and back keys bothers you, there are these keypads. As for me, I mainly like the fact that they take up so little desk space.
 
The numpad is the way to go if you have a big desk like me. There are plenty of other keys around there (unlike the arrows) and at the same time, they're properly aligned (unlike WASD). I push the keyboard about a foot to the side when I play games so that I can spread out my arms.

I started playing FPSs with the Descent series, which were initially keyboard-only and basically required 12 keys to perform the full range of movements, and kept using a similar setup when conventional FPSs with mouse control came out later on.
 
Originally posted by: AmberClad
I can't imagine how you would play anything besides the most basic FPS games with the arrow keys. Just taking BF2 as an example, you need almost a third of the QWERTY button section, especially Z, CTRL, SHIFT, space, WASD, 1-6, Q, E, R, and G. And that's only the critical keys, not the various secondary functions mapped to keys near WASD.

You'd have to pull off some insane finger gymnastics to be able to get all that critical functionality with your left hand on the arrow keys.

@ OP, if the off center position of the forward and back keys bothers you, there are these keypads. As for me, I mainly like the fact that they take up so little desk space.
Click to expand...

I use WASD now, but when I used to use arrow keys, I used every key on and around the numpad, the entire cluster around DEL and all the keys on the right edge of the main part of the keyboard. So yes, there was some stretching involved.
 
CS:S --

wasd for directions
q for previous weapon
r for reload
shift for walk/run
space for jump
ctrl for crouch
tab for score

I've recently switched to one of those zboards game pads because BB was clearing them out for 5$. It works rather well and gives me much more mousing area.
 
Originally posted by: DangerAardvark
I use WASD now, but when I used to use arrow keys, I used every key on and around the numpad, the entire cluster around DEL and all the keys on the right edge of the main part of the keyboard. So yes, there was some stretching involved.
Click to expand...
Out of curiosity, back when you still used the arrow keys, what key did you map to jump? I feel like 0/Insert on the numpad would be the most obvious answer, but I personally can't reach it with my thumb without turning my hand almost 45 degrees (yes, I have really small hands 😛).
 
Originally posted by: Tiamat
CS:S --

wasd for directions
q for previous weapon
r for reload
shift for walk/run
space for jump
ctrl for crouch
tab for score

I've recently switched to one of those zboards game pads because BB was clearing them out for 5$. It works rather well and gives me much more mousing area.
Click to expand...

:thumbsup: for everything except q; I use f for my previous weapon and q for voice. In other games, E is my use, and when I have lean buttons, F becomes my use.

I cannot, however, stand gamepads. The most comfortable one I've tried is the Belkin Nostromo N52, and even that one feels alien to my hand. Give me a good old-fashioned non-natural keyboard any day.
 
Originally posted by: Aflac
I cannot, however, stand gamepads. The most comfortable one I've tried is the Belkin Nostromo N52, and even that one feels alien to my hand. Give me a good old-fashioned non-natural keyboard any day.
Click to expand...
I'd like to see a Nostromo with an extra row or two added for the number row. Add that, and change the position of the space button to a more natural place, and it'd be perfect in my eyes.

As it is, I have the entire D-Pad on it mapped to space instead.
 
Originally posted by: Aflac
Originally posted by: Tiamat
CS:S --

wasd for directions
q for previous weapon
r for reload
shift for walk/run
space for jump
ctrl for crouch
tab for score

I've recently switched to one of those zboards game pads because BB was clearing them out for 5$. It works rather well and gives me much more mousing area.
Click to expand...

:thumbsup: for everything except q; I use f for my previous weapon and q for voice. In other games, E is my use, and when I have lean buttons, F becomes my use.

I cannot, however, stand gamepads. The most comfortable one I've tried is the Belkin Nostromo N52, and even that one feels alien to my hand. Give me a good old-fashioned non-natural keyboard any day.
Click to expand...

Give it time, I felt the same way at first, now I can't live without the n52.
 
WASD
e. voice
r. reload
ctrl. alt-fire
c. crouch
mouse2. jump

If you want to do a perfect rocket jump every time, use mouse2 for jump. Look at the ground and hit both mouse buttons at the same time. Viola!
 
i got the G15 keyboard and its the best format to me. I use the 6 middle Gbuttons for the movements and the peak left and right, the buttons are aligned and are Fbutton sized keys couldnt be more confortable. Then i use the bottom 6G buttons for stuff like flashlight, grenades, and other secondary or non action buttons. Then the other 10 buttons on my mouse is the rest. And i use the bottom 3 set of the top 6G buttons for quick load n save (single player stuff) etc

im curious whether other G15 users do the same 😀
 
I have a G15 too but don't use the extra keys much in FPSs, maybe just for bringing up map/objectives screens or something if I run out of keys on the other side. I use them a lot for targeting commands and other stuff in space sims though (namely FS2 and IWar2), and they have occasionally come in very handy for me in a few annoying games that don't let you remap keys, such as Grim Fandango. WASD or similar things feel unacceptably weird to me in such games after having used the numpad for so long. 😛
 
Originally posted by: AmberClad
Originally posted by: DangerAardvark
I use WASD now, but when I used to use arrow keys, I used every key on and around the numpad, the entire cluster around DEL and all the keys on the right edge of the main part of the keyboard. So yes, there was some stretching involved.
Click to expand...
Out of curiosity, back when you still used the arrow keys, what key did you map to jump? I feel like 0/Insert on the numpad would be the most obvious answer, but I personally can't reach it with my thumb without turning my hand almost 45 degrees (yes, I have really small hands 😛).
Click to expand...

Right CTRL. Pinky Jumping FTW.
 
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