The Importance of a "Walk" Key

[WolfThomas]

I get really frustrated that H1Z1 doesn't have a walk options. You can do all sorts of gestures but you can't walk. Walking would be useful when you're approaching another player and want to show you mean no harm. Because most people freak out when somone is jogging at them, good intentions or not.

People would still kill on sight I'm sure. But I'd like to be able to approach slowly with my hands raised to see if they'll chat.

 

[loa]

I don't like things that waste my time for no reason and forcing me to now walk at snails pace is one of them.
That's why I can't stand the "immersive" relays in warframe you have crawl through to access certain basic parts of the game such as a testing room for your loadouts.
Another thing is pokemon. Almost everything about it.
There are just so many artificial pauses (delay in menus, "IT'S RAINING, RAIN CONINUES TO FALL,..."), unskipable animations (watering fields, healing your team) and basic functions such as renaming your pokemon being tied to NPCS all over the world you need to travel to that are only there to waste your time in the name of "immersion", it's not even funny.

So in conclusion, let's say I care a lot less if they underdo the "immersive factor" by not including some walk function that has no use in the game whatsoever than if they overdo it and waste my time that get old after the 5th time.

 

[Redlin5_v1legacy]

Although when I'm in mission mode I never use it, when I'm just chilling or trying to make a good impression with the characters I want to side with, walking is a great option.

 

[DeliveryGodNoah_v1legacy]

I don't like things that waste my time for no reason and forcing me to now walk at snails pace is one of them.
That's why I can't stand the "immersive" relays in warframe you have crawl through to access certain basic parts of the game such as a testing room for your loadouts.
Another thing is pokemon. Almost everything about it.
There are just so many artificial pauses (delay in menus, "IT'S RAINING, RAIN CONINUES TO FALL,..."), unskipable animations (watering fields, healing your team) and basic functions such as renaming your pokemon being tied to NPCS all over the world you need to travel to that are only there to waste your time in the name of "immersion", it's not even funny.

So in conclusion, let's say I care a lot less if they underdo the "immersive factor" by not including some walk function that has no use in the game whatsoever than if they overdo it and waste my time that get old after the 5th time.

I understand your frustrations, but that's why I'm discussing about an optional key.

I wholeheartedly agree that sometimes there's enough things that waste our time in games and perhaps a key for walking would be redundant to many people, but it's nice to have options, you know? Especially if they seem to be minute and easy to implement, but yet offer something greater to the right players.

 

[BarryMcCociner]

This issue would easily be resolved if developers implemented a key/button that synchronizes your movement speed to that of the NPC you are walking with. Instead, we always have this awkward walk speed that is either too fast or too slow.

This. Why can't I ever match the speed of an escort target? I run faster and walk slower than them without fail.

 

[MysticSlayer]

I always enjoy a walk button. Sometimes I just like to move slowly through a place and take in the scenery. Other times I want to move more slowly than usual for tactical or just plain functional reasons.

So as far as I'm concerned, the walk button is always great to have. Alternatively, they could just make the base speed a walk and let the "walk" key run. Whatever works best for the game will do.

 

[Joccaren]

I never use them, except for in setting myself up for jumping challenges sometimes, but its not like a game would be worse off for having one. I mean, more options in how to play and control your character is never a bad thing, and that's about as far as this question really should go. I don't view it as hugely important, but its also not hard to implement, so where applicable - yeah, walk keys for everyone, even if I'll never use it myself.

 

[Addendum_Forthcoming]

Absolutely. Particularly in games that have a stealth mechanic attached to speed. TES games, when starting off especially. Always somehow to manage to get 40+ by lvl 20 without specifically going sneak heavy in Skyrim. Even with 'roaming' characters I like to roleplay as Lina Inverse, travelling about country roads, blowing the fuck out of bandits with dual-cast destruction spells.

Still manage to get decent Sneak. Given they marry sneaking to move speed, being able to toggle walk/run makes a difference. Even non mechanics-wise moving slower while crouched helps get closer to an enemy's field of vision without triggering them.

As you were saying, seems to be an rpg/stealth/shooter

 

[FPLOON]

In "key" form? No... In "Options Menu" form? YES! Then, you can toggle that shit On/Off at will!
http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/creepypasta/images/9/91/BRILLIANT.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20101214224745
Other than that, I do love a good walk once in a while... Running all the time can get tiring in its own right, you know?

 

[bdeamon]

I'm not sure why, but I like knowing that I am using a faster option, even if walking is redundant.

 

[Bad Jim]

I dunno about immersion. It's very rare for me to deliberately choose a slower movement speed just to take in the sights. I can always run and occasionally stop and look around if I want.

That said, I don't think it's hard to program at all, and you don't need an animation for it in a first person game like Far Cry.

 

[MrCalavera_v1legacy]

I don't think it's that important, unless essential to game mechanics(see: Hitman games). But i like to have an option.

 

[sageoftruth]

With some mouses, the scroll button can also be pressed. So you have the scroll for incremental speed, while clicking the scroll button will toggle max/min speeds.

I'd have to question when did you get this mouse without a middle mouse button and for how much. A mouse not without 3 buttons is a standard that's been around for more than a decade...Unless we're talking about Apple's macintosh.

I had mixed feelings about it. It made sneaking super easy, since I could just set the speed and then focus entirely on guiding Sam to his target

Okay then, just for you, you must also hold a spinning plate whilst sneaking when playing Splinter Cell. Wanting for bad controls in any game leaves you in the minority.

but it also made things awkward when I suddenly had to change from sneaking to running, since rolling the wheel and then moving takes more inputs than just pushing a thumbstick a few centimeters further than usual. It's possible I just never got used to doing it in high-pressure moments like when I suddenly had to run for my life.

I'm sure the extra effort made you exhausted. Fat, lazy people have a scroll lock/unlock on their mouse.

Never imagined I'd catch so much flack for an opinion on control preferences.

 

[sageoftruth]

I say do what Splinter Cell did - mouse-wheel to change speed. That mechanic was great.

I had mixed feelings about it. It made sneaking super easy, since I could just set the speed and then focus entirely on guiding Sam to his target, but it also made things awkward when I suddenly had to change from sneaking to running, since rolling the wheel and then moving takes more inputs than just pushing a thumbstick a few centimeters further than usual. It's possible I just never got used to doing it in high-pressure moments like when I suddenly had to run for my life.

That's what my fear was when this method was recommended; Switching between slow and fast movement speed quickly enough. Perhaps when pressing a sprint key it could reset the movement speed back to a default walk speed?

Yeah, that would pretty much fix it for me. I don't know if games like "Splinter Cell" on PC have a "Toggle Sprint" feature, but someone probably created a mod for it at some point. Even if that doesn't work, I'd probably get used to the control scheme eventually. I'm probably just slow picking it up since I played the console version long before I got it on PC.

 

[sageoftruth]

In MGS3, walking slowly with the D-pad allowed Snake to spot traps. An exclamation mark would appear over his head. That was neat.

Really? I've beaten MGS3 so many times and I never noticed that. I'll have to try it sometime.

 

[william1657]

I'd much rather have a "Walk" key/button than a "Run" key/button.

Too many games default to walking when everyone would rather run. I find it very annoying. Especially in games where walking serves no purpose other than to move slower.

 

[madwarper]

I remember in LotRO, in the RoI expansion...

Spoiler

In one Chapter, you get betrayed and sent to Isengard as a prisoner, which culminates in your escape.

But, first you have to toggle to Walk in order to get past a room of guards, which would instantly kill you if you were Running.

 

[Lindale FF]

There have been several times when a walk button saved me so much trouble. Say you are in a cluttered room. Without that walk button, everything in that room will fall over. That not only leaves a huge mess, but the noise alerts any guards.

Or you are on a cliff, and you need to delicately move to the edge to get a good sniping position. Without that walk button, you will run directly off the cliff. Then you will have a very long time to say goodbye.

Yeah. A walk button is an absolute must.