Am i the only person that uses the arrow keys in fps?

bpb101

lads a question for you all. I play fps a lot and i seem to be the only person i know that uses the arrow keys. So what do people here use?

Im quite good at them and usually have kill/death ratio of about 1.5 depending on the game(csgo is a good bit lower though). I 19 and have been playing with the arrows for 15+ years (also im right handed)

so here the questions what do people use?

Varik

Unless you've a very different keyboard to most that doesn't give much access to any close keys for other functions, maybe if you're using the mouse left handed but it's still awkward.

PeteFalk78

bpb101 wrote: »

lads a question for you all. I play fps a lot and i seem to be the only person i know that uses the arrow keys. So what do people here use?

Im quite good at them and usually have kill/death ratio of about 1.5 depending on the game(csgo is a good bit lower though). I 19 and have been playing with the arrows for 15+ years (also im right handed)

so here the questions what do people use?

I've arrows for 20 years. Could never ever ever get used to WASD.

Skatedude

wasd was only added to game controls later, the arrow keys were the default for years before that.
I've always used arrow keys, but i do have long fingers

bpb101

my keyboard is top of the line (and by top of the line i mean a very old one, but in them days them made keyboards to last)

This in navy.

daedalus177

I have always used arrow keys, its a small pain in the rear end having to re configure game controls the whole time, but i've playing this way since my early teens (first time I got a pc to play games on), now in my mid twenties. Most of my mates think i'm odd but i find it more comfortable, I have quite large hands so it makes it easier than having all my functions squished into one little corner of the keyboard. use a mouse with my right hand same as most other people. Never had an issue and doesnt effect my game play either. just a regular keyboard too, nothing special or fancy.

the_syco

Used arrow keys until I needed FGET for melee, grenade, use, talk.

bpb101

the_syco wrote: »

Used arrow keys until I needed FGET for melee, grenade, use, talk.

melee is up wheel as if you are stabbing down at somebody. nades are middle mouse button. smoke or flash is wheel down (under arm trow) i have a good rat 5 mouse so i reconfigured a the precision aim to f for use. mouse 4 is crouch mouse 5 reload. i also use end key for mic talk or overheads display these days. Recently using enter for some games that have enter cars


also just looked on ebay for my keyboard- similar models sell for 60 euros haha. got mine out of the back arse of a closet (think it was meant to be binned )

KonFusion

Arrow keys?

Blasphemy!!

challengemaster

This is my UT2k4 setup.

W - forward
S - back
A - left
D - right
Shift - crouch

Q - lightning gun
E - Shock rifle
F - Flak
X - link gun
3 - Bio rifle

Makes absolutely no sense to use arrow keys when you need other keybinds!

the_syco

bpb101 wrote: »

melee is up wheel as if you are stabbing down at somebody.

I don't think mice had wheels at the time...!

Use a "Razer Deathadder 2013" now, and have a side thumb button as the melee button.

bpb101

the_syco wrote: »

I don't think mice had wheels at the time...!

Use a "Razer Deathadder 2013" now, and have a side thumb button as the melee button.

the rat 5 has the thumb wheel as well, but it dosent work very well

bpb101

challengemaster wrote: »

This is my UT2k4 setup.

W - forward
S - back
A - left
D - right
Shift - crouch

Q - lightning gun
E - Shock rifle
F - Flak
X - link gun
3 - Bio rifle

Makes absolutely no sense to use arrow keys when you need other keybinds!

up arrow -up
down arrow -back
left,right, left right
small finger hits sprint or enter
middle finger can hit end
swap either hand for space or ctrl reload and crouch on mouse. use on mouse but even before this i was quick at going to f and r for use and reload.
1 or 2 swap weapons or number weapons (i use the normal 1 and 2 above q and w)
however the big advantage in my book is both arms have arm rests

sorry full discloser im not one of the bunny hopping gobshítes who jump in the air to survive getting killed and jump on the floor shít when they have to reload. as medal of honor allied assault told me when i was young. "always reload your weapon before going into combat " and switching to your pistol is always quicker than reloading"

bpb101

Also lads, who voted other ? Please stand up

glynf

Arrow keys all the way as I'm left handed.

Generally use for FPS'; Delete, End & Page down for lean/melee/other enter=use Ctrl=crouch, Shift=jump and Num pad 0= sprint. Anything else I bind to mouse thumbs etc.

McSasquatch II

bpb101 wrote: »

Also lads, who voted other ? Please stand up

I voted "other" just now - I have an old ZBoard from Ideazon, with a separate section for gaming on the left side of the keyboard (although technically they're still WASD etc). Time to get rid though, and go for one of these new-fangled mechanical doodahs.

bpb101

Oak76 wrote: »

I voted "other" just now - I have an old ZBoard from Ideazon, with a separate section for gaming on the left side of the keyboard (although technically they're still WASD etc). Time to get rid though, and go for one of these new-fangled mechanical doodahs.

I never used the new fancy mechanical ones but the very old ones like the picture. And especially for typing they just give such a good feel. Even though I don't type much but even google searchs are quick and clean. I have a normal 15.6 laptop and I can't type on it at a fraction of the speed ( mainly because I was rared on desktops) also my palm gets in the way of touchpad. I don't know about all mechanical ones but your hand feel like they slot into place on each key. Compared to the modern day 3 for €3 keyboards that are completely flat keys and small sticks for stands on the back that break off after one heavy press of the space bar

The rat 7 keyboard (something like that its called ) strike 7 * looks really nice if you want to splash the cash. It's set up for wsad like all "gaming keyboard" and has all the remappable keys on the side but it also has a screen . Now I don't know that much about it or how it works but it had a web browser or a clock or whatever so you could have football scores or something on screen while playing. I know with the steam web browser it may not be the most neasary thing in the world but hey. Nice feature

* http://www.cyborggaming.com/prod/strike7.htm

BeerWolf

I used to play with arrow keys (with using the right mouse button as Jump, not space bar, instead of secondary wep function ), til late into CS:S [still a fair while ago] til games started using a lot more bindings where playing with the arrow keys just started becoming unfeasible.

Find using WASD a lot more manageable and comfortable in the long run.

glynf wrote: »

Arrow keys all the way as I'm left handed.

Idea --- play using the keyboard with the F-keys facing you!

Nody

I've switched to the numpad arrow keys from normal arrow keys because that gives me access to any additional buttons (if required) and with my big hands it simply works better (being a lefty as a side note).

Yawns

Used to always use arrow keys on a keyboard just like the pic. Then for some reason, started to switch to wasd and been there since. But years on years of arrow keys ftw. I think I switched to wasd cos I was too lazy to keep rebinding keys for new games etc

john the one

Out of interest, does anyone use a gaming pad or have previous use of one??

the_syco

Yawns wrote: »

I think I switched to wasd cos I was too lazy to keep rebinding keys for new games etc

I think some game forced you to use them? I think Battlefield 1942 or Soldier of Fortune had them, with no option to change them?

EoghanIRL

I don't play pc much anymore but I think wasd is better. Your hand is closer to other buttons as well. It's much easier to access the f keys I find.

Yawns

the_syco wrote: »

I think some game forced you to use them? I think Battlefield 1942 or Soldier of Fortune had them, with no option to change them?

Possibly. I still remember being at Lan's and having ppl gawk at me. CS played with arrow keys, with the keyboard on my lap.

Maximus Alexander

Could not live without TAB QERTFGCVB SPACE in easy reach.

Shiminay

Similar discussion not too long ago...

glynf

IMO the ideal gaming keyboard would be something customisable like the Ergodex dx1, but with mechanical keys. Nearly got one but after reading a few reviews it came out in the wash the keys are complete rubber domed sh!te, and tend to loose their adhesiveness after a while. Ah well.

-Al-

When we got our first PC in the mid 90s my first FPS was Doom (1) and I got set using the arrow keys with that, no mouse just arrow keys, even later games like the delta force series I would use the arrow keys (with mouse for those games) I resisted WASD for years but at some stage I just started using it. Id find it very hard going back to arrows now.

bpb101

the_syco wrote: »

I think some game forced you to use them? I think Battlefield 1942 or Soldier of Fortune had them, with no option to change them?

battlefield 1942 could use arrows as a veteran i can confirm. Its nice to know that i was just a stubborn bastard and refused to change instead from arrows and that everybody used to use them with in the doom years which would be roughly around when i started. I remember having to change the keys in mohaa and was like why on gods earth were wsad mapped. Must have been random i thought

Maximus Alexander

bpb101 wrote: »

battlefield 1942 could use arrows as a veteran i can confirm. Its nice to know that i was just a stubborn bastard and refused to change instead from arrows and that everybody used to use them with in the doom years which would be roughly around when i started. I remember having to change the keys in mohaa and was like why on gods earth were wsad mapped. Must have been random i thought

Ah MOHAA, I remember playing that at a LAN event on my Pentium 2 with a 3Dfx Voodoo 3. The frame rates were... poor.

I was already well used to WSAD at that stage though, courtesy of Half-Life.

bpb101

Maximus Alexander wrote: »

Ah MOHAA, I remember playing that at a LAN event on my Pentium 2 with a 3Dfx Voodoo 3. The frame rates were... poor.

I was already well used to WSAD at that stage though, courtesy of Half-Life.

just finished replaying it there yesterday. Jesus that was a good game though. When you got hit (on hard) you didnt stick your head up again. I think modern fps with this auto generation of health sucks. Another thing is i like to be able to save my game where i bloody want to. I think there is such a lack of care that goes into the story. With call of duty the new games are just a map pack and a few perks and a new attachment or 2.

devlopment flow chart for the new call of dutys

generate a new weapon
add to game
publish
collect millions
MONEY FIGHT:pac:

melw

Quake demo was my first FPS game and in the text files it described John Romero's keyboard config which was based on the arrow keys. I copied this at the time, and for many years after I reconfigured new games to use this config, but it led to wrist pain. I also got fed up of having to reconfigure every new game, so at some point which I can't remember, I decided to just accept the default config in games, WASD, and while I'm not as proficient with this, I no longer have wrist pain when playing.

briany

I'm an arrow guy, without a doubt. I've tried WASD and I couldn't get used to it. Maybe I could give it more time, but it didn't feel right. Also, I'm left handed for anything that requires fine motor movements like writing, aiming with a mouse, etc. It's a pain, because I have to remap controls for each game but it only takes about 2 mins tops nowadays.

bpb101

i would start to try wsad , i would be moving fine and then somebody would start shooting and i would straight away move back ( on games that allows 2 sets of controls)

Interesting figures. Even if you consider that arrow people would attracted to this thread, it still means ~ 10% of people use arrow keys
great info to know

bpb101

bpb101 wrote: »

melee is up wheel as if you are stabbing down at somebody. nades are middle mouse button. smoke or flash is wheel down (under arm trow) i have a good rat 5 mouse so i reconfigured a the precision aim to f for use. mouse 4 is crouch mouse 5 reload. i also use end key for mic talk or overheads display these days. Recently using enter for some games that have enter cars


also just looked on ebay for my keyboard- similar models sell for 60 euros haha. got mine out of the back arse of a closet (think it was meant to be binned )

Ugh this is such an ugly set up to me. The keyboard is nice, I love the old mechanical ones, but binding as much as possible to the mouse? Why? There are some schools of thought that say you should remove all binding to the mouse as it will impair your accuracy. Gripping the mouse and pressing a button on it will shift it. There is already so much complexity going on with the mouse (two analogue y/x axis), I really think you are handicapping yourself by adding more.

D

For most games I user wasd, however, for few games I use, esdf.

It allows me to make more use of keys to the left.

Tried moving one right again to rdfg but with the index finger resting on the f like you type and the ergonomic bump it made things very natural.

TheDoc

Most proffesional CS players in the late 90's early 00's used the arrows keys, seems to be a shocking fact for a lot of people

Personally I moved to WASD when I started playing World of Warcraft, and it just stuck from there. My Da still uses arrows keys playing his FPS games

Maximus Alexander

TheDoc wrote: »

Most proffesional CS players in the late 90's early 00's used the arrows keys, seems to be a shocking fact for a lot of people

You mean all three of them? :pac:

TheDoc

TheDoc wrote: »

Most proffesional CS players in the late 90's early 00's used the arrows keys, seems to be a shocking fact for a lot of people

Personally I moved to WASD when I started playing World of Warcraft, and it just stuck from there. My Da still uses arrows keys playing his FPS games

There is also the trend of turning your keyboard vertically

orchidsrpretty

I'm left handed and use arrows, although not exclusively but most of the time.

Marcus Antonius

WASD is the only way to go! Used the arrow keys when I started but quickly learned WASD is far handier with all the other buttons you use clustered around them

The_Valeyard

Always used arrow keys for near 15 years


Im left handed, so WSAD made no sense