Poll: Screw WADS

[ZephrC]

I honestly think the problem is that keyboards are inherently bad for gaming. Sure they have umpteen bazillion buttons for hotkeying every stupid little thing ever all at once if you're into that kind of thing, but they just don't work very well as a gaming accessory other than that.

The problem is that the mouse is so utterly and completely superior to anything a controller can do for quite a few different genres of games that you've really got no choice but to drag that stupid keyboard along for the ride.

I would love to see something kinda like the Wii nunchuck with a couple more buttons that was designed to be used together with a mouse. That would be the ultimate gaming setup, I think.

You have obviously never played an RTS have you? There is nothing superior to a keyboard in that genre.

Oh, I've played lots of RTSes. I guess technically I've been playing them for as long as they've existed, since I was a big fan of Dune 2 back in the day.

I just stopped playing them, because since StarCraft turned them all into lightspeed clickfests I have been completely and totally incapable of having any fun while playing them.

I guess what I meant to say in my earlier post is that setup would be totally fucking awesome for any game that I might ever possibly enjoy.

 

[ascorbius]

I'm left handed. So I use mouse with left hand and Arrows with right. WASD is annoying for me if it's the only option.

But then I used to us 8\/ 9/\ 0[] back in the day (cookie for reference)

 

[plugav]

I'm comfortable with WADS, but it's the standard to let you customise your controls. My friend, for instance, always plays on arrow keys on his ergonomic keyboard - a setting I can get used to, but don't find very comfortable.

Do I mind there being an even better solution? Of course not.
Would I get a special gaming-friendly keyboard, if it were available? Well, I use a laptop, so there's your answer.

 

[JediMB]

WASD (or more specifically ASD) are easy to find without looking on account of them being right next to the frigging Caps Lock. Knowing where Space and Ctrl are in relation to them helps too, I suppose.

 

[Yumore]

Doesn't feel broken, and your movement keys need to be close to other action keys so that you can use all actions from a single position

 

[Sabrestar]

I despise WASD because as a lefty, it makes it impossible to use my mouse with my left hand. It's fine for keyboard-only games where I never need the mouse, but I don't play many of them and when I do, I'm more apt to map the controls to a gamepad with JoyToKey anyway. I remap the controls to IJKL so I can use my right hand for them.

 

[JoshuaMadoc]

I can't play with reverse WASD at all. I grew up and started with console games to the point where my left hand is the fine control point for movement, and can't chain combos fast enough in fighting games. Same problem applies to my right hand.

If you're seriously suggesting I play with my hands crossed with each other, go find and pay someone else to do that.

 

[Denamic]

It's commonplace for a reason.
Not only do they work exactly like arrow keys, they have loads of other keys around them that have very useful applications.
Like E or F as 'use' buttons, space for jumping, c or ctrl for crouching, r for reloading, q for grenades or special actions, etc.

 

[Dr Jones]

Ive grown up with WASD. I wouldnt want it any other way.

 

[Elexia]

I play on a laptop and rely on a touchpad for playing. As a result of my laptop's layout, I usually have my hands on the right side of the keyboard and use the arrow keys and touchpad while my right hand controls attacks etc.

So using WASD is an alien concept to me and while it isn't any different to the arrow keys, it would completely change my style of play.

 

[Robert Ewing]

WASD is perfect for me, I wouldn't have it any other way. In fact, I get really annoyed when games use the arrow keys instead of WASD, it's just so awkward.

 

[randomsix]

A friend of mine has been trying to get me to rebind to ESDF in order to be able to bind actions to QAZ.

 

[ultimateownage]

Then get a fucking gamepad.

 

[somonels]

WASD is my natural keyboard stance..

However it's not unmodifiable, if I need more buttons I just use ESDF.

Smart man. Surprisingly few people experiment with new controls.

 

[TelHybrid]

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/lifestyle/technology-gadgets/splitfish-to-launch-new-ps3-mouse-controller--the-fragfx-shark-14909806.html

Wouldn't say no to something like this.

 

[feauxx]

I just use the Arrow Keys.

I can't be the only person.

Though, that might be one of the reasons why I'm not very heavy into computer gaming.

i use the arrow keys too cause i'm left handed.

 

[ultimateownage]

A friend of mine has been trying to get me to rebind to ESDF in order to be able to bind actions to QAZ.

That actually makes a lot of sense. Too bad barely any games need an extra 3 reachable buttons.

 

[TheTinyMan]

There was a time when I remapped everything to the number pad. Come to think of it, modern games require few enough keys that I could probably get away with doing that again...not like Tribes. Still, WADS is there for a reason - it's easy to find (look for the caps lock with your pinky, go over one with your other fingers) and it puts a good 1/3 of your keyboard in easy and convenient reach.

Now, if we had a way to give my left hand an analog stick, AND 20 buttons without moving my wrist much...I'd be all over that.

 

[Je Suis Ubermonkey]

Yeah! Screw WASD! It works far too well for my hand! I'm going to switch to RWDG.

This could go badly. I can't even make the ESDF switch easily.

 

[TheRightToArmBears]

I like WASD, it's a much more natural position than the arrow keys at least. The only games I play that use them are Oblivion and Minecraft (most of my pc games are strategy games), and I'm pretty sure that you can change them in Oblivion and maybe Minecraft.