Unusual Keyboard Configurations

[TinCow]

Alright, so who out there uses a non-standard keyboard configuration? (Where standard is WASD for movement, mainly in FPSs and RPGs.)

I used WASD like everyone else until about 1998-1999. Then one day I was looking at my keyboard and it occurred to me just how absurd it is to use WASD simply because it is crammed into the left edge of the keyboard. That severely limits the number of keys you can bind, as you have very few to the left of your hand. The pinky and ring fingers are greatly wasted in that configuration, especially since Caps Lock, the Windows key, and the tilda are not normally useful for binding.

So, I looked at the keyboard and picked the most central arrangement for keys I could find: YGHJ. With this arrangement, I have tons of keys available for use by my pinky and ring fingers, with the pinky getting SDFXCV easily, and QWAZ&LAlt with a stretch. Compare that to LShift and LCtrl on a WASD configuration. The ring finger gets TR65 and E&4 with a stretch. Compare that to QTab12 on a WASD configuration. In addition, the thumb not only has access to the big old space bar, but also to the large RAlt. I have used this YGHJ setup now for the past 8-9 years and I love it. Combined with a 5 button mouse, I never have any problems accessing important commands, no matter how complex the game is. Gamers look at me strangely when I describe YGHJ, but it makes so much more sense to me than WASD.

So, who else has come up with unusual keyboard configuration styles? Tell us what they are!

[Fragony]

So, who else has come up with unusual keyboard configuration styles? Tell us what they are!

Move it to the backroom and I'll tell you

[Xiahou]

Does this count?



Back when I started gaming, the default keys were always just the arrow keys. So, I've stuck with that. Additional easily reached keys are Enter, Shift, Ctrl, Delete, and anything on the bottom of the Num pad. For games that require more complex controls, I usually use the Nostromo (pictured above).

[Husar]

As a good left-handed guy I use the arrow keys and all the surrounding ones.

I like that for several reasons.
They're not in the middle of a bunch of keys so it's hard to accidentally press a wrong key.
They're on the right side of the keyboard right there were my right hand naturally ends up when my left hand is using the mouse.
They have ******* arrows on them which means they're destined to be used for movement!!!
They're close to keys like Enter for use etc. which isn't all that different from enter for ok in any windows application.
The keys around them are more or less sorted in blocks, I like having my keys sorted in blocks, for that reason I also don't want any other keyboard layout than what I currently have(well ok, hardly going to get that if I ever buy a notebook, but I might excuse that then).

That's about it without explaining what deeper philosophical meaning every key has to me.

edit: No, Xiahou, that picture insults me because it shows a device that is built to discriminate against left-handed people!

[TosaInu]

As a good left-handed guy I use the arrow keys and all the surrounding ones.

Right handed and I do that too.

[Kekvit Irae]

Usually, arrow keys for movement, Enter for Use, Right Click for jumping, Num 0 for ducking/sneaking, Left Ctrl for secondary weapon/sniper zoom, Page Up/Page Down for stand/prone, Middle Mouse for reload.

[Faust|]

Kind of similar, I use esdf. Pinky can then reach a, q, z, as well as tab, caps lock, or shift easily (the commands just have to be mutually exclusive ones). Also, the index finger goes on the f which is easy to find... that's where it goes during normal typing.

[Mikeus Caesar]

Back when i was younger the only fps i played was Tribes 2, and the keys for that were esdf. I found it rather unusual trying to get used to wasd, but eventually i managed it. I'm quite fond of it now, human fingers shape quite nicely to it, with your three longest fingers resting on wad, your little finger on l-shift, able to quickly tap surrounding keys and your thumb on the space bar, equally able to tap other keys while your character is moving.

[Zenicetus]

Does this count?

Yep, that's my solution... puts the WASD (or whatever) in the center, surrounded by other keys, and with a fire button, a multi-angle pad, and "spacebar" under your left thumb.

One big benefit is that I can mostly just ignore whatever option there is for re-arranging keys in the game interface (all of which have different, funky UI's), and do all the programming with the Nostromo software. So setting up a new game is relatively painless. And you can set up macro chains that are sometimes tricky to do on a standard keyboard. Neat little gadget, and it's inexpensive too.

[Whacker]

I guess it really depends on the game, but 99% of the games I've played since '00 use WASD and it's what stuck with me. The most notable exceptions are some of the much, much older FPS that use the arrow keys, like Rainbow 6, and Mechwarrior games.

Hadn't really considered anything like YGHJ before, it does make sense, but I'm an old dog that doesn't learn new tricks well. Have a standard layout that I consistently use with WASD and it works for me.

I am curious about something here. What does everyone use for "jump"? Mine's always mouse2 instead of spacebar.

[TinCow]

I am curious about something here. What does everyone use for "jump"? Mine's always mouse2 instead of spacebar.

That depends on the game. If there isn't something else important like alternate fire, I will put it on mouse2. However, that button is usually taken up by something these days. Since most games that have jump as well as crouch, I've been using I for jump and K for crouch, with "," as prone, where applicable. (Off of a YGHJ base config.) In rare situations where jump is not that necessary, but still exist, I will use RAlt, or possibly mouse4 or mouse5.

[CBR]

I have always used arrow keys although righthanded. End key for jump.


CBR

[Csargo]

WASD, but I don't play many games that require me to do that.

[Ramses II CP]

When I first started gaming I changed all keys to the numeric pad, but the more games I played and the more different computers I had to play them on the more irritating it became to constantly change the keys, so I'm pretty much a standard WASD now.

[FactionHeir]

Used arrow keys up until the mid beta stages of counter-strike. Then figured that I was much more effective using WASD as the hands become more spaced out this way and weapon keys were more intuitive and faster to get to

[Veho Nex]

use the numpad for fps while a combo of tfgh is my rpg style along with rts scrolling and hotkeys

[Viking]

Whenever I play FPS it goes:

WASD

shift: melee
mouse2: aim
mouse wheel:change weapon
space: jump


It does make sense in some ways that e.g. YGHJ works better since you can reach more buttons, but I wonder if not the smaller buttons in use will reduce the accuracy when it comes to pressing the correct button.

[pevergreen]

WASD

Ctrl: Crouch
Spacebar: Jump
Shift: Run
1-9: Weapon Keys:
Mouse1: Fire
Mouse2: Alt Fire
Mousewheel: Zoom
R: Reload
J: Global Chat
K: Team Chat
L: Squad/Vehicle Chat
V: Voice Chat



E and Q are used in games like SOF2, otherwise E = Use

[Whacker]

Eesh, ok.

WASD = move
space = use
ctrl = run/speed
shift = alt fire
e = health
q = zoom
x = crouch
mouse1 = pri fire
mouse2 = jump
mousewheel = zoom levels
c, v = weapon switch
r = reload
t = global chat
y = team chat
f,g is/are usually force powers, grenades, or some other 'special' function

[Bellum]

I use WASD. I avoid shift/ctrl. My pinky doesn't like it. I use cfe for other stuff, usually, but if I need to, there are erfcxvgtyqz, more keys than I'd ever need, particularly when you take three mouse buttons and a mouse wheel into account.

[Bijo]

Alright, so who out there uses a non-standard keyboard configuration? (Where standard is WASD for movement, mainly in FPSs and RPGs.)

I used WASD like everyone else until about 1998-1999. Then one day I was looking at my keyboard and it occurred to me just how absurd it is to use WASD simply because it is crammed into the left edge of the keyboard. That severely limits the number of keys you can bind, as you have very few to the left of your hand. The pinky and ring fingers are greatly wasted in that configuration, especially since Caps Lock, the Windows key, and the tilda are not normally useful for binding.

So, I looked at the keyboard and picked the most central arrangement for keys I could find: YGHJ. With this arrangement, I have tons of keys available for use by my pinky and ring fingers, with the pinky getting SDFXCV easily, and QWAZ&LAlt with a stretch. Compare that to LShift and LCtrl on a WASD configuration. The ring finger gets TR65 and E&4 with a stretch. Compare that to QTab12 on a WASD configuration. In addition, the thumb not only has access to the big old space bar, but also to the large RAlt. I have used this YGHJ setup now for the past 8-9 years and I love it. Combined with a 5 button mouse, I never have any problems accessing important commands, no matter how complex the game is. Gamers look at me strangely when I describe YGHJ, but it makes so much more sense to me than WASD.

So, who else has come up with unusual keyboard configuration styles? Tell us what they are!

Hmmm, indeed logical and efficient.

I used to use the arrow keys very long ago and not even a mouse like a real noob. Later a friend introduced me to the keyboard and mouse combination with arrow keys for character movement and very slow targeting. Then later I used the WASD setup with fast targeting.

Like you, I tried to find an alternative setup but never truly could appreciate the process, but now that I notice this thread I might have to change my habits. Your setup makes perfect sense and it even reminds me of a cousin whom I think also utilized a similar setup which, at the time, astounded me if I recall correctly. With yours I can reach many buttons, though I think I would tweak yours a bit to my taste and move the movement keys one step left to TFGH as it would allow direct access to the left ALT key with the pinky on my keyboard while the thumb effectively takes the spacebar and the right ALT key and even the right control key. (I have big hands and long fingers, heheheh.)

Thanks for sharing. Very good stuff. I like these... "unorthodox" approaches.

[Kekvit Irae]

Back in the days of Wolfenstein 3D and Doom (anyone remember these?), I never used a mouse. Right hand used the Arrow keys were for movement and turning (something I never do today... strafing is SO much better than turning when using a mouse), left hand for Space was firing, Alt for use, Ctrl for misc usage like sniping (for games that allowed it). This was long before the crappy Windows Start Key keyboards, so there there a space between the Alt and Ctrl keys, allowing me to know where both keys were without having to look down.

[Charge]

Using wasd as movement in almost every game, same with space-jump; ctrl-crouch; shift-run (in vice city had used e); r -reloading; q-previous weap.; numbers - weapons; + tab,z,x,c,f as special keys. LMB - shoot :), RMB special ability; Mwheel - scrolling weapons; M3 button - knife in CS (very useful with instant switch ).

In racing games left hand handles arrows, while right takes handbrake(space), nitro(alt), shifting (zx, in RBR alt).

Hate when hands in obliquely direction.

[Whacker]

Back in the days of Wolfenstein 3D and Doom (anyone remember these?), I never used a mouse. Right hand used the Arrow keys were for movement and turning (something I never do today... strafing is SO much better than turning when using a mouse), left hand for Space was firing, Alt for use, Ctrl for misc usage like sniping (for games that allowed it). This was long before the crappy Windows Start Key keyboards, so there there a space between the Alt and Ctrl keys, allowing me to know where both keys were without having to look down.

That's funny and brings back memories, you know I was still using both hands on keyboard like that when Quake rolled around. The first game that truly taught me to use (and master) WASD/mouse was firstly Jedi Knight, then Action Quake 2. Guy down the hall in the dorm from me my frosh year when JK was released taught me and a few friends to use that after he stomped us repeatedly in MP. He ended up regreting it in the end, as once we got past the learning curve we were mopping the floor w/him.

Speaking of wierd keyboard/gaming configurations, here's another one for everyone.

I use a flight joystick for driving games.

Nothing else gives me the same level of control and feel, no idea why. Never really did racing games seriously until Need For Speed 5 came out, which is where I started using my MS Sidewinder. My friend's racing wheel, keyboard, joypad... nothing worked remotely as well as my joystick for driving. Since then it's been the only control I've ever used.

[TosaInu]

I use a flight joystick for driving games.

Nothing else gives me the same level of control and feel, no idea why. Never really did racing games seriously until Need For Speed 5 came out, which is where I started using my MS Sidewinder. My friend's racing wheel, keyboard, joypad... nothing worked remotely as well as my joystick for driving. Since then it's been the only control I've ever used.

That's because of the 'analogue' signal. When you use the keyboard or a digital stick you either steer full right or full left. Steering requires subtle movements. Analogue sticks divide the hard 1 signal into 256 slices iirc. The further you move the stick to the left the harder you steer.