How do you game?

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Nathanak21

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Aug 3, 2012
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62
Most play with the default wasd, but if you are someone who does not tell me about how you play! I mostly play with rdfg, but I am trying out some new stuff for csgo. I am using wer for jump crouch shoot, d for backward, space for forward, and mouse left and right for strafing. I am still toying around with all of the other controls. ;)
 
i think it depends on the game more than anything else.

clearly your talking about shooter games.
 
I'm apparently weird as hell. For ALL FPS, I use right mouse for forward, s for back, q for left and w for right. Z is crouch, space is jump. The rest is I usually don't end up remapping.
 
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I generally try to put extra stuff on the mouse, but certain games have unorthodox control methods (see: Assassin's Creed) and result in me still needing lots of keyboard controls.

Ideally on the keyboard I'll just have WSAD for move, shift for run, ctrl for crouch, and space for jump. Hand sits flat on the keyboard, and I just bring the pinky up for crouch and middle finger up for back when needed.

Mouse always gets reload, use, grenade or whatever.

FM_Fixxxer said:
I'm apparently weird as hell. For ALL FPS, I use right mouse for forward, s for back, q for left and w for right. Z is crouch, space is jump. The rest is I usually don't end up remapping.
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Ok, I just tried to do this and I have no idea how you do this comfortably, lol. I cannot move backwards diagonally or alternate strafe/backwards while crouched without bunching my fingers all up. Am I supposed to use my thumb? :p

I like putting forward on the mouse though, in many RPGs and adventure games I've done this, but I tend to use a side button.

mpoon2489 said:
QWER

wonder if you can guess what I play :)
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Just IMO, QWER suffers from the same problem as the home row. AWEF would be more ergonomic and result in less finger strain over long gaming sessions. This is why I still like WSAD if I'm not going to be backing up a lot.
 
MrMike said:
I generally try to put extra stuff on the mouse, but certain games have unorthodox control methods (see: Assassin's Creed) and result in me still needing lots of keyboard controls.

Ideally on the keyboard I'll just have WSAD for move, shift for run, ctrl for crouch, and space for jump. Hand sits flat on the keyboard, and I just bring the pinky up for crouch and middle finger up for back when needed.

Mouse always gets reload, use, grenade or whatever.



Ok, I just tried to do this and I have no idea how you do this comfortably, lol. I cannot move backwards diagonally or alternate strafe/backwards while crouched without bunching my fingers all up. Am I supposed to use my thumb? :p

I like putting forward on the mouse though, in many RPGs and adventure games I've done this, but I tend to use a side button.



Just IMO, QWER suffers from the same problem as the home row. AWEF would be more ergonomic and result in less finger strain over long gaming sessions. This is why I still like WSAD if I'm not going to be backing up a lot.
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I love my razer naga, so I too try to bind a lot to my mouse. :D
 
MrMike said:
I generally try to put extra stuff on the mouse, but certain games have unorthodox control methods (see: Assassin's Creed) and result in me still needing lots of keyboard controls.

Ideally on the keyboard I'll just have WSAD for move, shift for run, ctrl for crouch, and space for jump. Hand sits flat on the keyboard, and I just bring the pinky up for crouch and middle finger up for back when needed.

Mouse always gets reload, use, grenade or whatever.



Ok, I just tried to do this and I have no idea how you do this comfortably, lol. I cannot move backwards diagonally or alternate strafe/backwards while crouched without bunching my fingers all up. Am I supposed to use my thumb? :p

I like putting forward on the mouse though, in many RPGs and adventure games I've done this, but I tend to use a side button.



Just IMO, QWER suffers from the same problem as the home row. AWEF would be more ergonomic and result in less finger strain over long gaming sessions. This is why I still like WSAD if I'm not going to be backing up a lot.
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Backwards diagonally I use middlefinger w/q index s. This is actually way more comfortable for me than wsad. With this I have half my hand over the side of my keyboard. With wsad I find that the top of my hand cramps up terribly. It just felt way more natural 15 years ago when I started pc gaming lol.
 
I use the arrow keys when I play CS:S. Been like that for years. It wasn't until BC2 that I eventually switched over to WASD.
 
Have used number pad since the 90s. It has fewer keys, but I like my hands to be close together, feels less awkward. I make up for the lack of keys by using a G700 mouse, which has 4 side buttons. It's enough for every function I use in Skyrim and BF3. Also use a autohotkey script that maps WASD to number pad to keep Skyrim from barfing on the numpad binds.
 
ESDF is what the cool kids use (if by cool you mean better at videogames).

edit: I also have the G700. The extra buttons are mapped to the four arrow keys, backspace, and ENTER key. Being able to hit ENTER along with using the arrow keys without taking my keyboard hand off the home row is useful and removes a lot of annoyance from stuff like grabbing spawn slots in BF3. It's also useful for work.
 
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Recently when playing Diablo 3 I remapped my keys around WASD and it made it much easier to *spam* spells lol
 
BF3:

- WASD (for movement)
- 1, 2, 3 for changing weapons (but I can also do that with the scroll wheel).

It's basically the generic key default key values, nothing special.
 
ballpoint said:
ESDF is what the cool kids use (if by cool you mean better at videogames).

edit: I also have the G700. The extra buttons are mapped to the four arrow keys, backspace, and ENTER key. Being able to hit ENTER along with using the arrow keys without taking my keyboard hand off the home row is useful and removes a lot of annoyance from stuff like grabbing spawn slots in BF3. It's also useful for work.
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Remapping enter also fixes that issue. I can't see how ESDF makes you better at gaming, considering it's all about comfort and what keys you can press quickly and comfortably.
 
I've tried ESDF and RDFG, but couldn't get use to them since I normally use ~ Tab and Shift Ctrl Alt as modifiers (MMO gaming mostly). ESDF and RDFG also made it awkward for me to use the number row and Ctrl Alt effectively and that was giving them each ~2 weeks trial. The addition of more possible key-binds was nice, but unnecessary with the use of several modifiers and Q E R T F G Z X C V.
 
I use this setup for gaming, g13 and a g700 (performance mx us shown in the pic)
game-setup2.jpg
 
I am a lefty so I use arrow keys for movement and nearby keys for other functions. For example, right control is always crouch, and num 0 is jump, num 1 to throw grenades, Delete to spot in BF3, etc. It is no doubt not as flexible as what a righty typically uses, but it works.
 
esdf....the indent on the f makes it easier to find the "spot" again if I have to lift my hand to hit something else without.
 
I've been using ESDF setup since the Quake days. It just felt more intuitive than WASD at the time and it gave me a few extra key bindings for CTF. I've kept it over the years and it goes as follows:

E - Forward
D - Backup
S - Strafe Left
F - Strafe Right
Space - Jump
R - Use
W - Crouch
Q - Random Action (Spot in BF3, drop weapon, etc...)
A - Run/Walk
Shift - Switch Weapon
Ctrl - Ventrilo Push to Talk
G - Reload

I briefly tried RDFG but I found that it put too much strain on my hand to reach Q, W & 1-3. I've also tried a Razer Nostromo but I just couldn't get into it, felt strange to me. I'm sure I would've eventually got used to it, but why stop using the keyboard as it's been working fine for me for over 20 years.
 
FM_Fixxxer said:
Remapping enter also fixes that issue. I can't see how ESDF makes you better at gaming, considering it's all about comfort and what keys you can press quickly and comfortably.
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You can't remap the ENTER key to some other key for doing stuff like activate menu selections. You have to use ENTER. G700 allows this.

Or any other mouse that lets you remap keys I guess. G700 just gives you a lot of extra buttons to work with.
 
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Illyria89 said:
BF3:

- WASD (for movement)
- 1, 2, 3 for changing weapons (but I can also do that with the scroll wheel).

It's basically the generic key default key values, nothing special.
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pretty much me with every shooter
 
FM_Fixxxer said:
Remapping enter also fixes that issue. I can't see how ESDF makes you better at gaming, considering it's all about comfort and what keys you can press quickly and comfortably.
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Moving the controls over from WASD to ESDF gives you access to an entire column of keys that are inaccessible using WASD(5TGB or 6YHN depending on your hand size). You have MORE buttons available for discrete actions. THAT is how it makes you better. For FPS's it doesn't matter so much, but for games like WoW and other MMO's that require lots of binds... WASD is significantly inferior due to the lack of key access.

Also, there's no difference in comfort... The keys are all uniformly spaced and sized unless you have some whacked out keyboard. Any difference is purely imagined due to force of habit(It's all in your head, man.)
 
I have used all 3 of these configs, WASD, ESDF and RDFG, I have also run into some odd people with some other crazy configs like the one posted in the OP.

Right now I use ESDF, the reason I abondoned RDFG is because of key rollover issues. The simple reality is almost no keyboards are NKRO so you need access to the modifier keys. The big problem is that since game companies have learned about key rollover problems they have actually started making their keyboards EVEN WORSE. I recently went on a very long 5 month journey to find a laptop, and while you might be able to replace any desktop keyboard with a nice mechanical NKRO keyboard that is not a reasonable option for a laptop. And guess what, Alienware, MSI, and ASUS all sell keyboard where you CANNOT use ESDF. I ended up settling on a samsung series 7 gamer that allowed it, but jeeze what a mess, I had almost no choices and I am not even 100% satisfied with the choice I had. And the most stupid thing is that half the gaming keyboards have keys that are designated for movement, so I use ESDF now but my stupid laptop highlights WASD and I cant change that.

So if you are a WASD gamer I suggest you stick with that because at the very least the hardware makers have come to think of that as the standard and they tend to build keyboards that will work for that. Also its a bit of a pain to go into every game you ever play and reconfigure the whole setup. Then if you have kids you gotta help them with that, and if you share computers half of them dont have the right config at any given time. I actually could see this changing with more cloud based configs.

Now you might say well I only use a desktop but going forward that is going to start changing, if you ever sit at another persons computer you are at the mercy of their keyboard be it laptop or desktop too. I used to buy ergonomic keyboards and I gave up because of this very issue. I sat down at a community computer and could not type as fast. Good luck finding and ergonomic laptop as well. In fact I believe the main reason the game companies settled on WASD was actually because they had a feeling it was most likely to work with the most keyboards out there. Nothing more annoying than a support case on a game where the real problem is the persons keyboard. Then they figure other people who have NKRO keyboards will just change it.

My final issue is that in reality games are just getting simpler, game companies dont make games that require as many keys as years past so having all that extra goodness in my RDFG config is becoming less relevant.

So the TL;DR is I have been completely around the config block and if I had it all to do over I would have just stuck with WASD, yes others are more efficient but they hardly seem worth it in the end.
 
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Zoson said:
Moving the controls over from WASD to ESDF gives you access to an entire column of keys that are inaccessible using WASD(5TGB or 6YHN depending on your hand size). You have MORE buttons available for discrete actions. THAT is how it makes you better. For FPS's it doesn't matter so much, but for games like WoW and other MMO's that require lots of binds... WASD is significantly inferior due to the lack of key access.

Also, there's no difference in comfort... The keys are all uniformly spaced and sized unless you have some whacked out keyboard. Any difference is purely imagined due to force of habit(It's all in your head, man.)
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I find WASD to comfortably give more key bindings through the use of modifier buttons. ESDF and RDFG both made using Ctrl and Alt very uncomfortable or awkward and the loss of one modifier is the loss of potentially 16 key binds using WASD ( ~ 1 2 3 4 5 Q E R T F G Z X C V).

Either way I've got access to 64 possible key binds using WASD and don't think that becomes a limiting factor in MMOs and other games that allow the use of modified binds. Now, for FPS and action games that don't allow the use of modifiers in key binds I can understand ESDF and RDFG giving a real advantage.
 
Logitech G700 (Wired, Battery Taken Out)
Ducky Shine DK9008S - White LED Mechanical Keyboard (Blue Cherry MX)
C4NGen (Would not recommend)

1) W,A,S,D - for Arma2/DayZ
2) Mouse 1, D, S, F - For Everything Else

M1 = Forward
D= Strafe Left
S = Backward
F = Strafe Right
Shift = Crouch
Mouse 2 = Fire
Space = Alt Fire
G = Next Weapon
E = Use
R = Reload
W = Walk
Q = Drop Weapon
C = Lean Left
G4 (Mouse Thumb Button) = Mele
V = Lean Right
Mouse Wheel Up = Throw Grenade
 
Skull_Angel said:
I find WASD to comfortably give more key bindings through the use of modifier buttons. ESDF and RDFG both made using Ctrl and Alt very uncomfortable or awkward and the loss of one modifier is the loss of potentially 16 key binds using WASD ( ~ 1 2 3 4 5 Q E R T F G Z X C V).

Either way I've got access to 64 possible key binds using WASD and don't think that becomes a limiting factor in MMOs and other games that allow the use of modified binds. Now, for FPS and action games that don't allow the use of modifiers in key binds I can understand ESDF and RDFG giving a real advantage.
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I moved over to ESDF specifically to reduce the need for modifier keys. By nature using a modifier key is less comfortable and, this is the big one, slower than just having another bind to hit(go ahead and try to argue that you can hit two keys sequentially as fast as I can hit a single key, lol). I just wanted faster and more comfortable access to my actions.

Even when playing WoW I didn't need 64 binds, and I was really good(really). I had exactly 50 binds, including mouse keys and modifiers. I only used shift and ctrl for modifiers, and made alt my PTT key. That was for two specs bound at once(so we're looking at 25 for a more reasonable less hard-core player).

I've been using a Logitech DiNovo Edge for the last 7 years(seriously, when are they going to make a v2?), which fails the NKRO test miserably.
HE QUIK BROWN FO JUPS OER HE LA DOG
I have never run into keyblocking issues on any of my laptops either with this same config.
 
The reality of ESDF is that it only gives you 4 more unmodified keybinds than WASD, while RDFG gives a possible 8 depending on your hand size and orientation. I haven't personally run into situations where I need more than 16 "critical" binds and I would never put a critical bind on a modifier if possible. There are situations where I have for multi-spec and being lazy, but I've never encountered a situation where hitting a modified bind hindered my ability to succeed in a situation because it took too long.

Like I said earlier, WASD is just more comfortable for me when modifiers are available (and most of the time when they're not). When they're not available I could see ESDF/RDFG giving an advantage, but haven't encountered many games that have more than 16 critical binds.
 
Zoson said:
Moving the controls over from WASD to ESDF gives you access to an entire column of keys that are inaccessible using WASD(5TGB or 6YHN depending on your hand size). You have MORE buttons available for discrete actions. THAT is how it makes you better. For FPS's it doesn't matter so much, but for games like WoW and other MMO's that require lots of binds... WASD is significantly inferior due to the lack of key access.

Also, there's no difference in comfort... The keys are all uniformly spaced and sized unless you have some whacked out keyboard. Any difference is purely imagined due to force of habit(It's all in your head, man.)
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I use the standard wow layout for wow, and I'm pretty damn good. And for FPS, there is a massive amount of difference in comfort. I'm mot comparing WSAD to ESDF. I said using whats comfortable for that person, which in my case is neither, there for, its not in my head at all, man.
 
Skull_Angel said:
The reality of ESDF is that it only gives you 4 more unmodified keybinds than WASD, while RDFG gives a possible 8 depending on your hand size and orientation. I haven't personally run into situations where I need more than 16 "critical" binds and I would never put a critical bind on a modifier if possible. There are situations where I have for multi-spec and being lazy, but I've never encountered a situation where hitting a modified bind hindered my ability to succeed in a situation because it took too long.

Like I said earlier, WASD is just more comfortable for me when modifiers are available (and most of the time when they're not). When they're not available I could see ESDF/RDFG giving an advantage, but haven't encountered many games that have more than 16 critical binds.
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RDFG doesn't give you anything on an ergonomic keyboard, in fact it gives you less than WASD since most peoples pinky fingers are less dexterous than their index fingers. Prior to my logitech, I had a microsoft natural, with the split between 6 and 7, separating 7YHN. With ESDF, you have 17 discrete keys, not counting shift, ctrl, alt, tab, and tilde.

FM_Fixxxer said:
I use the standard wow layout for wow, and I'm pretty damn good. And for FPS, there is a massive amount of difference in comfort. I'm mot comparing WSAD to ESDF. I said using whats comfortable for that person, which in my case is neither, there for, its not in my head at all, man.
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Were you high warlord and 2400 gladiator ranking good? Were you top 5 US horde guilds good, beating all new content in a week after release? That's how good I was. 'pretty damn good' doesn't cut it in my league of player. I eat pretty damn good for breakfast, and poop it out by lunch.

Hrm, check your quote again, at no time did you say 'for that person'. You made an overarching statement that ESDF doesn't make you better at gaming because it's less comfortable. You didn't make it about what YOU like. LOL@U.
 
Zoson said:
RDFG doesn't give you anything on an ergonomic keyboard, in fact it gives you less than WASD since most peoples pinky fingers are less dexterous than their index fingers. Prior to my logitech, I had a microsoft natural, with the split between 6 and 7, separating 7YHN. With ESDF, you have 17 discrete keys, not counting shift, ctrl, alt, tab, and tilde.


Were you high warlord and 2400 gladiator ranking good? Were you top 5 US horde guilds good, beating all new content in a week after release? That's how good I was. 'pretty damn good' doesn't cut it in my league of player. I eat pretty damn good for breakfast, and poop it out by lunch.

Hrm, check your quote again, at no time did you say 'for that person'. You made an overarching statement that ESDF doesn't make you better at gaming because it's less comfortable. You didn't make it about what YOU like. LOL@U.
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If you read the rest of the posts you'd see it. And I don't really care how big your E-peen is, I have a life and go outside while also playing. And even IF you just take the post as is, who are you to say what I feel is more comfortable, you'd have NO idea what I find comfortable, so you really need to chill out and mind your own business, I see there are little know it all smart asses even on this forum too, one more to add to the avoid list.
 
Zoson said:
RDFG doesn't give you anything on an ergonomic keyboard, in fact it gives you less than WASD since most peoples pinky fingers are less dexterous than their index fingers. Prior to my logitech, I had a microsoft natural, with the split between 6 and 7, separating 7YHN. With ESDF, you have 17 discrete keys, not counting shift, ctrl, alt, tab, and tilde.
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Who ever mentioned ergonomic boards? I mentioned comfortability while having quick and easy access to modifiers; and the truth is that you don't get that using ESDF or RDFG. So while you've gained access to 4/8 more critical key binds (let me repeat that that's 4/8 more from the initial 16 using WASD) you've lost quick, comfortable and easy access to 16/32; in most games that won't matter, but then again having more than a dozen critical binds doesn't matter either.

Zoson said:
Were you high warlord and 2400 gladiator ranking good? Were you top 5 US horde guilds good, beating all new content in a week after release? That's how good I was. 'pretty damn good' doesn't cut it in my league of player. I eat pretty damn good for breakfast, and poop it out by lunch.

Hrm, check your quote again, at no time did you say 'for that person'. You made an overarching statement that ESDF doesn't make you better at gaming because it's less comfortable. You didn't make it about what YOU like. LOL@U.
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This just makes you look like a child, swing it a little higher and a few more might see it.
 
Whenever this comes up, WASD people are pointing out that it's easier to hit modifier keys from WASD position. I guess if CTRL and ALT are big in your key configs. I personally never use ALT and CTRL is usually bound to something rare like a chat bind, if at all. But as for SHIFT... hitting SHIFT from ESDF could not be more natural or faster.

I get completely disoriented in games that won't allow you to change the WASD binding. Transformers War For Cybertron did this... played the whole game constantly hitting the wrong buttons because it forced WASD.
 
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Nostromo and Naga generally. I have never found the keyboard a viable gaming controller. Having a D-pad for gaming is the best thing that ever happened in my life. When my kids asked me someday if they were the best things in my life, I'll say "Yes, just after my Nostromo".
 
I used the typical WASD layout. I tend to set Z for prone and CTRL for crouch. Shift is typically run depending on the game. Many games I just deal with the defaults unless they are particularly bad, then I'll switch it up.
 
Before gaming pads, since I never could get used to WASD, I used Long left-shift as Forward, CTRL as back, A and S as left and right and nearby keys for the rest. Makes your hand into a claw.
 
Arrow key pro here.

Of course you know what the arrows do up = forward back = blah blah, sides are strafe.

Right Ctrl = jump
Right shift = crouch
' = walk
space = reload
e = use
t = type public
u = type team
/ = mumble mic
. = server mic
num_end = previous weapon
num_ins = spray logo
g = drop weapon


I play CS Source and GO basically and any other FPS's are the same. Sometimes I'll use WASD, but I like my keyboard on the tray with my mouse and since I use low sens, half my keyboard is off the desk. Also I have big hands so arrow keys kind of work out for me, but I plan on switching to WASD once I can get support under the keyboard so it doesn't front flip off my desk.
 
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