Default gaming keyboard config?

[lexluthermiester]

Just watched the following and some interesting points were made by Peter.

Created a poll as it would be interesting to know how many people played with the "Thresh" scheme or something else.

My personal scheme has always been Q W E R D, which was assigned as follows: Action, Strafe/Move Left, Forward, Strafe/Move Right, Back.
This config made more sense and was MUCH more comfortable given my huge hands.
The scheme varies from game to game depending on the needs of the game in question, but has always been that base combination. I just don't play games that don't allow custom key binding.

 

[Onasi]

WASD just because of decades of muscle memory, even though if I start thinking about it it’s probably not the most efficient scheme. ESDF is most likely the most obvious gaming home row, but that’s not what history remembered.
As a wild card, I would throw in the crazy idea that toxjq, a well known Quake and UT player, has a seemingly bizarre setup where left and right mouse buttons are for moving forward and backwards. He strafes, jumps and, most importantly, shoots with the KB button. His reasoning is that his aim is better this way since the tension of the finger on the LMB doesn’t throw him off. Sounds wacky, but sorta makes sense.

 

[lexluthermiester]

As a wild card, I would throw in the crazy idea that toxjq, a well known Quake and UT player, has a seemingly bizarre setup where left and right mouse buttons are for moving forward and backwards. He strafes, jumps and, most importantly, shoots with the KB button. His reasoning is that his aim is better this way since the tension of the finger on the LMB doesn’t throw him off. Sounds wacky, but sorta makes sense.

Wow! That one is weird. Never herd of it.

 

[Sak]

I've wanted to get into ESDF or even ASDF (more ergonomic) just simply to have access to more buttons. I just don't wanna deal with getting rekt in the meanwhile but after this thread I might give it another shot. Thanks OP.

 

[Chrispy_]

I grew up with Q+A, O+P on the zx spectrum and used to play PC games with those keys too. When Quake came along I was the first person I knew to try the mouse, something I wanted to do because the pre-recorded demo footage (timedemos) all looked so smooth and well-controlled compared to my O+P, {+} for turning and strafing.

Without knowing any better, I setup ESDF+mouse because that was the natural position of my left hand from touch-typing and I was a decent, competitive FPS player in the days of Q1 Q2 and HL when online and LAN gaming was mostly just mods of those three games.

At some point - I'm not sure exactly when, I just adopted WASD instead of ESDF because every game came with those as default and I grew tired of always remapping the keybinds.

 

[ThrashZone]

Hi,
When I don't have or couldn't hook it up my gaming mouse or controller I'd use arrow keys seeing they are the easiest to get to.

 

[WhiteNoise]

Arrow keys all the way.

I taught both my kids WASD though.

 

[KrazyT]

Arrows too, always the same config :

Arrows : walk, back, strafe
End : running
Del / Page Down : lean
Control Right : crouch
0 : jump
Enter : Activate
etc ...

Tried WASD, but as said Onasi, 25+ of muscle memory here, and I don't get lost in the sea of keys using Arrows, the Arrows are like a landmark on the keyboard, even eyes closed

 

[Frick]

WASD just because of decades of muscle memory, even though if I start thinking about it it’s probably not the most efficient scheme. ESDF is most likely the most obvious gaming home row, but that’s not what history remembered.
As a wild card, I would throw in the crazy idea that toxjq, a well known Quake and UT player, has a seemingly bizarre setup where left and right mouse buttons are for moving forward and backwards. He strafes, jumps and, most importantly, shoots with the KB button. His reasoning is that his aim is better this way since the tension of the finger on the LMB doesn’t throw him off. Sounds wacky, but sorta makes sense.

I've tried this, I think a game had it by default. I can't remember which one though, it was a long time ago. Maybe Jedi Knight or something?

 

[AusWolf]

I never even heard of WERD until now. Interesting.

What does it rhyme with? Weird? Nerd?

 

[Onasi]

I've tried this, I think a game had it by default. I can't remember which one though, it was a long time ago. Maybe Jedi Knight or something?

I mean, technically a lot of older shooters had firing on keyboard. A lot of them didn’t even default to mouselook, let alone LMB fire. Don’t remember if JK was like that, I think it was already in the LMB era (I definitely played it like that), but Dark Forces, being a Doom engine game, probably came with keyboard fire out of the box. I think Quake was the first game to default to full mouselook?

 

[Frick]

I mean, technically a lot of older shooters had firing on keyboard. A lot of them didn’t even default to mouselook, let alone LMB fire. Don’t remember if JK was like that, I think it was already in the LMB era (I definitely played it like that), but Dark Forces, being a Doom engine game, probably came with keyboard fire out of the box. I think Quake was the first game to default to full mouselook?

Sure but I mean moving by clicking the mouse and the keyboard stuff.

 

[Onasi]

Sure but I mean moving by clicking the mouse and the keyboard stuff.

Ah, right, Tox’s config. In that case, I don’t think any FPS that I have ever played or have knowledge of used that as a default. Definitely none of the Jedi Knight games, that’s for sure. You… might be thinking of them using LMB+directionals for different lightsaber moves? LMB+RMB for a pre-baked combo in Academy (and maybe Outcast, I forgot) was also a thing.
Might be some extremely obscure game used mouse to move, but it doesn’t seem right since it’s an extremely unintuitive setup that would make very little sense to default to.

 

[Frick]

Ah, right, Tox’s config. In that case, I don’t think any FPS that I have ever played or have knowledge of used that as a default. Definitely none of the Jedi Knight games, that’s for sure. You… might be thinking of them using LMB+directionals for different lightsaber moves? LMB+RMB for a pre-baked combo in Academy (and maybe Outcast, I forgot) was also a thing

No, I'm thinking left click move forward. It probably wasn't Jedi Knight, it was a long time ago.

 

[lexluthermiester]

I never even heard of WERD until now. Interesting.

What does it rhyme with? Weird? Nerd?

W=Strafe Left
E=Forward
R=Strafe Right
D=Backward
Q=Usually an action button of some type
S=Crouch
F=Another action button assignment, usually Reload
T=Another action button assignment, usually Zoom
Space=Jump
All other button assignments are customized for the individual game in question.
I know this seems like a "weird" config, but I've got big hands. WASD has never made sense to me because of the finger cramps it causes, plus my pinky rests on the CAPS lock button and ends up being useless in that config. Heck WASD is just silly to me and always has been.

WERD is far more comfortable and useful. To me...

 

[AusWolf]

W=Strafe Left
E=Forward
R=Strafe Right

That sounds awesome! But...

D=Backward

How? I need to push my middle finger below the pointer one to reach D, unless I'm only pressing the top left corner of it.

S=Crouch

That's impossible unless you're Carlos Santana or something.

I'm glad you found an alternative input method that works better for you, but I think I'll pass.

Scratch that, I found the way! I'm a total imbecile sometimes. R and F with pointer, E and D with middle finger. Gotcha! Strafing right and backwards is still quite uncomfortable, though. Crouching as well.

 

[lexluthermiester]

Scratch that, I found the way! I'm a total imbecile sometimes. R and F with pointer, E and D with middle finger. Gotcha! Strafing right and backwards is still quite uncomfortable, though. Crouching as well.

Remember, big hands. What works for some doesn't always work for all.

I once did the SDFC config(S=Left D=Forward F=Right C=Backward) which is very comfortable, but had trouble getting at the number row and as many game assign weapons to the number keys...

 

[Chrispy_]

W=Strafe Left
E=Forward
R=Strafe Right
D=Backward
Q=Usually an action button of some type
S=Crouch
F=Reload
T=Another action button assignment, usually Zoom
Space=Jump
All other button assignments are customized for the individual game in question.
I know this seems like a "weird" config, but I've got big hands. WASD has never made sense to me because of the finger cramps it causes, plus my pinky rests on the CAPS lock button and ends up being useless in that config. Heck WASD is just silly to me and always has been.

WERD is far more comfortable and useful. To me...

Yeah, WERD and ESDF are basically identical layouts but the one that's more comfortable for you will depend on how much longer your middle finger is than your ring finger and index finger. I tried QWES once to see if it was more comfortable than WASD and decided that I found very little difference, so I stick to WASD for "default keybind" convenience.

 

[lexluthermiester]

Yeah, WERD and ESDF are basically identical layouts but the one that's more comfortable for you will depend on how much longer your middle finger is than your ring finger and index finger.

It also depends on how you rest your arm and position your wrist. I have wide shoulders, so my arm rests at a wider angle in relation to the keyboard.

so I stick to WASD for "default keybind" convenience.

So what do you do with your pinky finger?(this is why I never understood WASD)

 

[AusWolf]

So what do you do with your pinky finger?(this is why I never understood WASD)

Shift or CTRL (depending on how flexible you are) for crouching or sprint.

 

[lexluthermiester]

Shift or CTRL (depending on how flexible you are) for crouching or sprint.

How?!? Just tried that and good grief ouch! I couldn't hold my fingers like that for a gaming session if my life depended on it..

 

[Sithaer]

Shift or CTRL (depending on how flexible you are) for crouching or sprint.

Aye, I think I have an average sized hand/fingers and with the WASD config I've always used CTRL for crouch and Shift for sprint or in very rare cases jumping. 'o ye and it was the voice acitvation key back in my Ventrilo/TS days'

 

[lexluthermiester]

Aye, I think I have an average sized hand/fingers and with the WASD config I've always used CTRL for crouch and Shift for sprint or in very rare cases jumping. 'o ye and it was the voice acitvation key back in my Ventrilo/TS days'

Dear goodness! No wonder people are getting carpal tunnel from gaming. It's all the crazy button configs!

 

[AusWolf]

How?!? Just tried that and good grief ouch! I couldn't hold my fingers like that for a gaming session if my life depended on it..

Aye, I think I have an average sized hand/fingers and with the WASD config I've always used CTRL for crouch and Shift for sprint or in very rare cases jumping. 'o ye and it was the voice acitvation key back in my Ventrilo/TS days'

I admit, CTRL is a bit of a stretch for me, and I try to avoid using it if possible (or I set it up as a toggle key), but Shift is not a problem.

 

[Sithaer]

Dear goodness! No wonder people are getting carpal tunnel from gaming. It's all the crazy button configs!

My left hand doesn't have any pain from gaming so far, its my right hand's mouse click fingers that hurts sometimes when I play ARPGs for longer than my usual sessions for days/weeks. 'Like when its a new season start or a new relase like D4 was'