Poll: Screw WADS

[viranimus]

Or use an xbox controller...just sayin.

Yes, I do use a 360 gamepad almost all of the time for PC gaming. However, and if this was not clear, my apologies for failing to express it properly. What I am proposing was a solution more to change to a proper standard instead of using a stop gap solution. (also, there are some games even with xpad it is impossible to play via a gamepad be it from complexity, or key conflictions)

One or two keyboards laid out like this will not help from the developmental side where many game developers have adopted WASD as a default. In many cases it takes extensive remapping to configure if you do not favor WASD and now were seeing games that are starting to abandon the option for remapping all together. By relocating the arrow keys on gaming keyboards much like the above referenced metalSteel design as more of a standard for gaming keyboards (its not practical for traditional Davorak centric functions of traditional keyboards) you could migrate the developers to at least give that option. Instead of abandoning control options because the developers assume all PC gamers love WASD, and dont find having movement keys clumped into an unidentifiable mess of misaligned keys to be problematic

So my issue isnt really the hardware side, as much as it is a hardware solution to grievous software neglect.

 

[The Shade]

I either use Arrow Keys or a controller, honestly. Controllers are just so natural to me. Seems weird to use a keyboard at all some days for gaming. If I need extra keys, I just bind them to my NumPad.

And to all you people saying WASD is the most natural - I remember the days when Arrow Keys were the standard, and the best games were all on Mac! Yeah, that's right - WASD is an abomination unto PC gaming...

 

[FirstPersonWinner]

I call it the left analog stick. And to fix the mouse I propose a right analog stick also.

 

[Jaeke]

well they made WASD method for the convenience(spelling?) of the typewriter because it used too be where the only way to delete letters was whiteout and before that you would have to retype. They originaly had all the keys in alphabetical order but people would type to fast so they invented the WASD so as to not inconvenience the writer until the technology could handle it. By that time though, people were already used to it, so.... same thing here... ahem.

 

[The Ghost]

you're poll needs a third option. I've never used WASD in my entire life. If I can't change my controls from WASD, I won't play it until the functionality is cracked into it. My keyboard setup is (my alternative for you) mouse 4 (or middle button depending on your mouse)-forward alt-backwards z-strafe left x-strafe right c-crouch v-prone a-jump spacebar-use w-reload s-melee (if applicable) d-grenade (if applicable) Mouse 2-Switch Weapons ctrl-ironsight shift-sprint q-lean left (if applicable) e-lean right (if applicable) q and e- if no lean then I use them for special abilities (magic, skills, etc) f-flashlight or flashgrenades (if applicable). Try it out if you wanna, it never cramps my hand and feels incredibly natural for me. Its how I was taught by my dad, back when we were playing Doom 1 and Quake years ago. I guess it just never caught on.

 

[Floppertje]

I find WASD controls problematic because they are so unbelievably commonplace almost to the point of an unmodifiable standard. If it were easier to get your fingers oriented around WASD buttons from touch I wouldnt have nearly the issues.

So, It got me to thinking that a solution for this would be to modify keyboards. If you moved the arrow keys to the left side of a gaming keyboard and make a more ergonomic 1 hand control layout around that set of arrow keys, it would alleviate many issues that are created with WASD configurations like tying up text capabilities with movement mapping

TL;DR: Would you use a keyboard with a specialized set of control keys to the left of the letter keys if available, over standardized WASD controls?

your complaint is that too many games use it?
most games actually let you manually reassign controls and pretty much every keyboard has a little bar or dot on the F key that you can use for orientation. 1 key too far to the left and you hit caps-lock, which is you can feel because it's bigger, 1 key too far to the right and you hit the F, which is marked. so what's the problem here?

 

[FalloutJack]

I find WASD controls problematic because they are so unbelievably commonplace almost to the point of an unmodifiable standard. If it were easier to get your fingers oriented around WASD buttons from touch I wouldnt have nearly the issues.

So, It got me to thinking that a solution for this would be to modify keyboards. If you moved the arrow keys to the left side of a gaming keyboard and make a more ergonomic 1 hand control layout around that set of arrow keys, it would alleviate many issues that are created with WASD configurations like tying up text capabilities with movement mapping

TL;DR: Would you use a keyboard with a specialized set of control keys to the left of the letter keys if available, over standardized WASD controls?

I have a silly question: Would this affect left-handers somehow?

 

[Lukeje]

I find WASD controls problematic because they are so unbelievably commonplace almost to the point of an unmodifiable standard. If it were easier to get your fingers oriented around WASD buttons from touch I wouldnt have nearly the issues.

You could always rebind to ESDF. It's much easier to tell that by feel because the F is usually ridged to help with touch typing. Also it gives an even greater number of keys within easy reach.

 

[ppsh41]

I'm so used to gaming WASD that in the computer lab at school by default my fingers go to WASD. I see no problem with the current setup, because you have a good 10 keys touchable by one quick snap of any finger

 

[mjc0961]

like Q and E can be used as strafing

I don't know what game I'd be playing where they put strafe on Q and E instead of on A and D where they belong, but unless they let me fix the controls in the options menu I never want to play it.

 

[Titan Buttons]

Really? You've never seen this before?

Well, allow me to introduce you to the beautiful Steelseries Merc Stealth. Ive had it for about a year now, love it. Had a Zboard before this one, but I find this one to just feel better.

Oh, the Zboard -

Really? Never seen these? Seriously?

That actually looks pretty useful, especially the bonus arrow keys.

OP: I've never had a problem with WASD it has always seemed pretty ergonomic to use for since my middle finger is longer then my ring and pointer finger. Although I hate it when the camrea in games is fixed to where your facing so there is no useful way to spin around

 

[BlindMessiah94]

I only use motion controls.


Seriously though, WASD is fine. And there are PLENTY of other keyboard options as most people on these forums have posted. I suggest next time that the OP uses google before ranting about a problem that already has several solutions.

 

[captaincabbage]

Personally, I think WASD is just about perfect. You've got plenty of keys around it so there's a lot of room for allocation of custom controls and if you've got a functioning touch sense, you can tell where you are by feeling for the shift and ctrl keys.

 

[Cowabungaa]

ESDF would technically be a bit more handy, as your fingers are then in range of a few more keybinds while still being able to reach the shift, ctrl and alt keys, even smaller hands.

But whatever, I'm used to WASD now. Each time I boot up my PC my hand already hovers over those keys.

snip

Those must be horribly expensive.

 

[RagnaThePig]

I never got used to WASD because I started playing old computer games (mainly Descent) with an AZERTY keyboard, but most games would still use WASD by default even though it would not make sense. So I reconfigured the keys the way I felt more natural for me : F is moving forward, D is strafe left, G is strafe right and W (or Z on a QWERTY Keyboard) is going backwards. Every other function is mapped somewhere around those keys. That way, I have my four fingers on all four directions at the same time.

 

[pwned123456]

The only thing I'd really want to change about WASD isn't even about the keys themselves, is the stupid key limit that you can press. For example, a lot of driving games wont allow you to press W (accelerate), D (turn right) and Ctrl (boost or whatever) at the same time, so you end up boosting yourself straight into the oncoming wall. I never got the point of that key limit, especially when it works with some key combinations and not others.

The best one is when you press shift too many times in quick succession and the game alt-tabs out so that Windows can tell you how much it disapproves of your actions.

you realise windows will let you shut that off

 

[pearcinator]

I use the arrow keys cos I am left-handed. I use the mouse with my left hand so the arrow keys are perfectly spaced with my pinky finger sitting on num0/INS and num1 keys and thumb on Right Ctrl/shift. My middle finger also easily reaches the delete/end/pg down keys and thats all you really need for FPS PC gaming.

I dont use WASD and never have.

 

[bakan]

All problems mentioned here can be solved by changing controls ingame, changing stuff in windows or getting an actual gaming device and not your 5 bucks keyboard which gets shipped with your pre-made computer.

 

[Catalyst6]

No... WASD works perfectly fine because where you hand rests on the keyboard in that position you have easy access to other keys for other functions, like Q and E can be used as strafing, space bar with your thumb for jump, caps locks to activate a voice chat function, tab to open inventory, number keys for abilities, ctrl for crouch, and etc.

PC gaming with a keyboard does take some getting used to if you use a controller mostly, but after your used to it it becomes pretty proficient in all it can do as is and doesn't need to be modified. All of this is IMO of course.

I'll back this up. WASD doesn't have any great thing about it, however it's the ability to access the *other* keys that gives it power. While something better might work when you don't need to use the mouse, keyboard controls are always much more complicated than WASD and usually incorporate at least the spacebar and r or f or whatever. You *can* retool it if you want, but I suppose the standard was developed for a reason.

 

[KefkaCultist]

like Q and E can be used as strafing

I don't know what game I'd be playing where they put strafe on Q and E instead of on A and D where they belong, but unless they let me fix the controls in the options menu I never want to play it.

Yeah that wasn't the best example, but I was coming up with those off the top of my head and it's late. There are actually a few games that had the default bindings set up as A and D only change the direction you're facing and strafe with Q and E (KotOR was like that I believe, but I may be wrong on that as I haven't played it in a while).

I suppose better example would be using those keys as reload or weapon quick swap or whatever. Point of the matter is that using a mouse and keyboard for gaming is awesome.