Advanced Play Style – Key Binding

[Gorroth]

1. Introduction:

Hello. In this guide you will find advices on how to best use hotkeys to activate your different abilities. While it may look too detailed and advanced for beginners, it is recommended for everyone looking to improve their way of playing games where the player appears in first or third person and, in particular, MMOG.

Indeed, the content of this guide was written with Warhammer Online in mind but applies itself to any game where you need to activate several different abilities, skills or spells while retaining a great amount of mobility.

This guide is the fruit of many years of trying to come up with a powerful, versatile, play style which took me a few years to refine. At first, I used ALT + 1-8 to activate spells and arrow keys to move around, despite using WASD for FPS (go figure). Then I started using WASD, keys from 1-6 and a few other keys here and there. Now I use the gamut of all keys available to my left hand, prioritizing which gets to activate what ability depending on several different logical and ergonomic arguments.

In this guide, you will find a detailed explanation of my current play style which, while not being entirely original, still took me a while to analyse and make the most out of.

I am convinced that if you spend the time to read at least the most important parts, your play style will improve.


1.1. Why:

I made this guide because I'm tired of seeing casters (ranged) stand still, desperately trying to cast spells while getting beat up by melee players (MDPS). I'm tired of seeing melee players easily losing track of their target just because it ran "through" them and now stands right behind them, sticking "kick me" signs on their backs. I'm tired of seeing players using arrow keys to move and taking an eternity to face the direction they're supposed to. And finally, I'm tired of hearing that people still use clicking to activate their abilities.

This isn't a debate about whether key binding is superior to clicking or not, because it is. This is not up for discussion. Not only do key binds grant you superior reaction time – simply pressing a button instead of dragging your mouse – they allow you to do several things all at the same time; the day I can find a clicker that can simultaneously target an opponent, move in a specific direction other than straight ahead, jump and use an ability all at the same time is when I'll concede that clicking is on equal footing to key binding.

Again, this is not a discussion about which is best.

Ultimately, I hope this will improve the play style of many and thus make playing against people more interesting.


1.2. Pros, Cons and Limitations:

Pros:



Superior Mobility. In PvP, mobility is king. All the DPS in the world won't help if it becomes impossible to close the distance with the target or get a clear shot. Thus, staying mobile as much as possible is the key to both surviving and being efficient on the battlefield. Having all your abilities bound to specific keys allow you to do just that.



Multitasking. With your abilities bound to specific keys, you have your mouse free to do other things, like targeting and helping you or the camera move around.



Reaction Time. It takes about a second to react to a proper stimulus and initiate an appropriate response. Delaying the response any further by, for instance, dragging the mouse around isn't wise when playing in a competitive environment (PvP).



Control. Once you get used to the play style, it becomes impossible to misfire a spell. Your brain will precisely register which ability gets activated when your finger happens to be extended just so. Just ask any professional musician how often they miss a note on a known tune; it doesn't happen very often.



Cons:



Adaptation. Getting used to this new play style will take a little time. Mastering it will probably take a few weeks. Again, your brain needs to learn just how far a finger must be extended to reach the proper key which won't happen overnight if you transition from a purely "clicking" style.



Exhaustion. Your hands will get tired at first, especially your left one! While I tried my best to setup each key according to proper ergonomics, there is no ideal way of hitting keys on a keyboard, whether it is in a WASD position or ASDF. Ultimately, this is a flaw of the traditional keyboard design itself. As you hand gets accustomed to the increase of activity, you'll feel much less tired and will be able to endure long gaming sessions. As always, it is a good idea to take frequent breaks here and there to not only relax your hands but your eyes as well.



Limitations:



Archer's Dilemma. Just like an archer cannot fire on his right side if he's right-handed since his right arm would get in the way (and vice versa), there are some keys that cannot be activated while strafing to your right. This is due to the fact that your index not only controls right strafe, in a traditional WASD position, but is also used to activate several skills. This, however, doesn't factor in the way you move very often, if at all. Again, this is more of a flaw of the keyboard itself; were it possible to customize a keyboard just so, you could use your thumb to activate the majority of your skills.

[Gorroth]

2. Getting started:

While I realise that claiming superiority over something else is not a good way to entice people to listen to what you have to say, I'll still ask you to read this guide with an open mind.

First up, I will be asking you to do several changes, both to your key bindings and probably your interface. As such, you will want to back up both your "user" and "interface" folders. To do so, right-click the icon which you use to commonly start the game and copy and paste the address (X:\Blablabla\Blagh\Warhammer Online\warpatch.exe) to your windows explorer address bar and remove the last function (warpatch.exe). You now see your Warhammer Online install folder where you can find your "user" and "interface" folders.


2.1. The Basics:

As mentioned before, I use a traditional WASD control for this play style. This is for several reasons:



Easier to get accustomed to. While I know there are many other ways of placing your hand, namely the ESDF, the WASD just seems more familiar to the vast majority of players and allows easier access to modifier keys such as SHIFT, CTRL and ALT.



Keeping control. Some people only use A and D for strafing and keep the W and S keys for abilities while using the mouse to get around. This is fine for some classes but if you need to move and accurately target people on the battlefield at the same time, this doesn't allow you to do it, which is a deal breaker for me. Also, cycling targets using the keys is just grossly ineffective compared to selecting them by clicking and this isn't possible to do while you use the mouse to move your character around (L-click + R-click = movement).


So the basics are:

WASD: Forward, left strafe, backward, right strafe.

L-click: Selecting elements and moving the camera around (by holding).

R-click: Contextual menu and moving your character around (by holding).

CTRL: Access your second row of abilities (e.g. V = ability1, CTRL + V = ability2). I use CTRL because for some reason, I can't use SHIFT + key and strafe at the same time, which is a deal breaker for me. Not to worry though, CTRL gives for plenty enough of ways to activate your abilities and is more easily accessed than SHIFT by the pinky.

SHIFT: Despite its shortcomings (see CTRL), it can still be used to activate commands or abilities. Example: I use SHIFT + V/B/N when playing a pet class for pet attack, pet follow and pet stay, respectively.

Space: This is a tricky one because it's not easy to give it an appropriate function. For one, it's a huge key and takes a lot of room on the keyboard. Also, it is very, very easily and quickly accessed. Some people will want to have jump there, depending if they're a melee class or not (I have it bound to N). You can also have a contingency ability bound to space, such as an invulnerability spell or whatever, in case it needs to be activated very fast. I typically use space to cycle between enemies for lazy, mid-range DoTing since the cycle selection command range is limited to about 60-70 feet and CTRL space to select allies, just in case I can't target them using my mouse alone (behind my back and out of group, for instance).

Tab: Again, personal preference. I have auto-run bound on tab since I use it so much.


2.2. Recommendations:

First of all, I'll be using a QWERTZ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qwertz) keyboard as my reference so if you're using a different one, keep this link open to compare both keyboards. There aren't many difference though, namely the switching of the Z and Y keys (for QWERTY).

Also, all of the points ahead are valid for both the normal keys and their alternate usage with CTRL. I understand some postures might feel a bit weird when using both the CTRL and C key for instance but this is one of the cons of this method (cf. 1.2.).

When binding abilities to specific keys, it is best, if possible, to keep a certain "theme" (defence, offence, heal) for different "zones" of your keyboard, this is to help your brain memorize which key does what. It's more of a recommendation though and isn't a necessity.

Long duration buffs are not bound to any keys, see the part about the ALT key in 2.3.

The abilities I mention further are examples, meant to illustrate the ergonomics of specific keys. You don't have to bind the same exact abilities to the same keys. Also, if a key "feels" differently than what I say it does or should, go with how you feel and plan accordingly.

If you can use the keys the way I do that's great, but this guide is more about showing how one should go about prioritizing different keys for different abilities.

And finally, if you intend on trying to change a lot of things about your play style, give yourself an hour or so to find the best possible configuration for you. Give it a few tries first in PvE, then in PvP, then make some adjustments if needed and stick with it. Practice makes perfect.

[Gorroth]

2.3. The Meat:

I use 22 different keys, modifiers and common keys not included (cf. 2.1.), for a total of 40 different commands once modifiers are factored in. This should be more than enough for any class.

A note about assigning keys to the hotbar: if you switch between different sets (see ALT in this section), you will activate the skills present on your "new" bar using the same keys that you bound to your primary bar (see 2.4. Vertigo), as indicated by the little letters on the ability icon. Your alternate abilities (CTRL) will be activated as usual so plan accordingly.


C, V, B:

These keys are you money keys! They're the best keys available on your keyboard (yes, yes!) because they can be activated by your thumb. Why is it important? Because your thumb doesn't control a movement key, allowing you to use the abilities bound to these three keys in any direction (cf. 1.2. Limitations). Not only that, but your thumb is a powerful flexor and doesn't tire easily. Because of this, you will want to have your most commonly used, instant-cast abilities bound to these three keys.

Common: Because once again, the thumb doesn't tire easily.

Instant-cast: Since the thumb doesn't control a movement key, you don't have to let go of one to fire an ability (duh). This implies that most of your abilities requiring a casting time will be bound to other keys since you can't use them while moving around (possible exceptions: channelled spells such as Divine Assault (http://www.wardb.com/spell.aspx?id=8244)).


N:

This is a good key or a bad key, depending on if you have big hands or are flexible enough to reach it. Unfortunately, since you have to rotate your hand outwards a bit to press it, it can be mixed up with the M key right beside it.


Q and E:

They're both easily accessed yet aren't very practical to use all the time since they require the usage of the ring finger and the index finger, thus forcing you to let go of your A and D keys. Also, my hand feels a bit cramped when I activate both keys so I don't think that they're appropriate for abilities that are used all the time.

I find them best suited for defensive spells on a timer such as flee and silence for Q, detaunt, AoE detaunt, etc. for E.

The reasoning for flee bound to the Q key is that it's a useful spell that can save your life yet also kill you if you activate it by error. Since the ring finger doesn't see much action, you have to make a conscious effort to activate it and are then less likely to press the key by mistake.


R and F:

These are the keys that you will be using for abilities requiring a casting time or for less commonly used, instant-cast abilities. They're both easily accessed by the index finger but require you to let go of the oh-so-important D key (right strafe!). Also, accessing them with CTRL feels comfortable.


T:

T is easily accessed by the index, yet not (slight hand rotation). I like to bind defensive abilities on a moderate cooldown such as knockdowns, stuns or insta-heals (e.g. Protection of the Ancestors (http://www.wardb.com/spell.aspx?id=1606)).


G:

T's dumber brother. For some reason, it feels a bit less comfortable than T. Treat it the same as T but give it a lower priority.


< and Y:

These are odd ones because they seem pretty useless, but since they use the ring finger, their activation is more "conscious" than the other keys, a bit like Q. Unfortunately, they're a bit less easy to press than Q and thus cannot bear the burden of sensitive abilities like flee.

I typically have dispel and rez abilities bound to both of them with herald cloak dispel and AoE damage as secondary.

Of interest is that the < key can potentially be pressed by the pinky, depending on the person, opening up a lot of possibilities as for its usage since the little finger does not control a movement key. For instance, it can be used to bind a finisher for slayers or choppas.


X:

X is similar to Q and E because you have to let go of two (!) movement keys. Use it for long casting spells or channelled abilities such as Rune of Restoration (http://www.wardb.com/spell.aspx?id=1596) or Lots o' Arrers (http://www.wardb.com/spell.aspx?id=1834).


F keys:

They're easy to differentiate as both 1 and 4 sit on the border of a row on most keyboards yet aren't easily accessed. I find them best suited for morale abilities (F1-F4).


1-5:

The 1 to 5 keys are easy to press but all require to let go of movement keys and rotate your hand slightly. I typically use 1 to target myself, 2 for my /assist macro and 3 to 5 for different potions.

It is to note that only 4 and 5 can easily be reached using a modifier key (CTRL) without excessive hand rotation.


ALT:

While ALT is a modifier key in itself, it gets its own little mention because it isn't exactly used as one. In fact, using it with another key to activate an ability would imply a lot of hand rotation and is then simply not practical.

However, its real use is to access different ability sets which, for instance, allow tanks to quickly switch between PvP and PvE mode (ALT + 1-5). It's also useful to switch to a less used set with some random junk cluttering the bar (see 2.4. Vertigo) where long duration buffs can be slotted, thus saving up precious key binds.


A note about the rest of the keys:

Just because they're not easily accessed by your left hand doesn't mean that they don't have any use. I have many non-essential functions such as guild window, group/warband window, inventory, quest log, map, chat reply, etc. all bound to keys on the right side of the keyboard.

[Gorroth]

2.4. Interface Customization:

While the goal of this guide is to help people develop a more efficient style of activating abilities, there are some unintended consequences to this method, namely the simplification of one's interface.

Indeed, having most of your abilities bound to your keyboard implies that you no longer need those double-decker, humongous hotbars cluttering the bottom of your screen. While some may choose to keep them out of habit, I recommend freeing the space it uses and either put something else in its place or simply enjoy more of seeing the game itself and less staring at your interface.

Unfortunately, choosing to remove your hotbars implies that you will no longer have them to track different cooldowns. For this, I recommend several add-ons meant to further streamline your interface and help you be more effective on the battlefield.

Because of both a small screen resolution (1024x768 ) meaning I have little screen to allot to addons and a desire to simplify things, I tried to come up with the most efficient and complete, yet minimalist interface possible. See this screenshot of my interface (http://img17.imageshack.us/my.php?image=gorrothx066.png), complete with notes showing which add-on does what.


Vertigo (http://war.curse.com/downloads/war-addons/details/vertigo.aspx):

This add-on allows you to manipulate your hotbars in several different ways, namely to make them vertical or truncate them. While it is possible to have no hotbar at all in your interface, I still keep a primary one because it's useful to keep track of short cooldowns (<30s) and have an indicator at eye level to show me if a target is in range of my spells or not (icons become red if not).

You'll notice the small, truncated hotbar at the bottom right of my interface; this is my "potion" hotbar. I basically cut the visual portion of the second hotbar (ALT + 2) and filled up the first four slots with potions. This way, I always know which potion can be used and how many I still have. The rest of the second hotbar I use for long duration buffs, quickly switching from my "primary" hotbar to this second one, buffing up and switching back.

I have been unable to find an add-on which also tracks potion cooldowns and number of potions left so I use this small hotbar as my "belt" hotbar.


Aura (http://war.curse.com/downloads/war-addons/details/aura.aspx):

This little wonder not only allows you to keep track of the cooldown of any ability by using different visual (timers, icons) and even aural cues, but can also help you identify buffs and debuffs on yourself, your allies and your enemies.


WSCT (http://war.curse.com/downloads/war-addons/details/wsct.aspx):

Warhammer scrolling combat text shows you what hits you, for how much and for how much your own spells hit your enemies in a better way than the default numbers.


Moth (http://war.curse.com/downloads/war-addons/details/moth.aspx):

Moth, or Mouse Over Target Hover is just what its name implies, a convenient way of getting info about the target right under your mouse cursor. A must have!


Squared (http://war.curse.com/downloads/war-addons/details/squared.aspx):

Squared allows you to keep track (health/debuff indicator, targeting) of people in a group or a whole warband in an efficient and minimalist fashion. While it is arguably more useful to healers, each and every class should be able to quickly assess the status of the people in his group to see if they need help.


CUF (http://war.curse.com/downloads/war-addons/details/cleanunitframes.aspx):

Clean unit frames is a replacement to the default bars covering your health, the enemy's and of your defensive target. If you can, use Pure (http://war.curse.com/downloads/war-addons/details/pure.aspx) instead. I still use CUF because Pure doesn't look very nice once minimized on a 1024x768 screen and shows too much unnecessary stuff.


Phantom (http://war.curse.com/downloads/war-addons/details/phantom.aspx):

Allows you to hide any un-needed default bar, gadget or widget still present on your interface.


Waaagh Shockbar (http://war.curse.com/downloads/war-addons/details/wbshockbar.aspx):

Waaagh Shockbar keeps track of your exp, renown, friends online, location, money, etc. all in a minimalist fashion. There are probably better add-ons for this kind of stuff but this is the one I use.


2.4.1 Addendum - Class Specific Addons:

Twister: (http://war.curse.com/downloads/war-addons/details/twister.aspx)

This addon enables the Chosen and Knight of the Burning Sun classes to create a specific sequence of auras which will be kept rotated using just a single keybind!



Fin

That's it! This is the end of my guide. Any constructive criticism is very much welcome.

Thanks for reading!

[Gorroth]

This space reserved.

[Nateums]

best keybind info i've ever seen, good work... only made it about 50% through it though, its late and im starting to see double :confused:


anyway, bookmarked for later view.. i keybind a bit but i want to be a little more into it, this looks like a good start... i hate being a clicker, but i cant really figure out where the binds that already are there, should go, etc etc.. just need to sit down and work on it i guess.

thanks for all the tips!

[Tyain]

I can't belive mmo users, especially ones playing a primarily pvp-based one, would not have mastered the art of keybinding. And horrifically I do bump into them from time to time.


If ever there was a guide to spare them their needless pain however, 'tis this :)

[Leeroy Chumspray]

I can't belive mmo users, especially ones playing a primarily pvp-based one, would not have mastered the art of keybinding. And horrifically I do bump into them from time to time.


If ever there was a guide to spare them their needless pain however, 'tis this :)


There will always be newbies, and therefore this guide, and guides like this will always be needed.

[cellardweller]

I can't belive mmo users, especially ones playing a primarily pvp-based one, would not have mastered the art of keybinding. And horrifically I do bump into them from time to time.

I can't believe mmo users still use keyboard movement at all. By moving all your character movement to your mouse you'll be able hit any key on your keyboard without sacrificing your mobility.

[Gorroth]

Keeping control. Some people only use A and D for strafing and keep the W and S keys for abilities while using the mouse to get around. This is fine for some classes but if you need to move and accurately target people on the battlefield at the same time, this doesn't allow you to do it, which is a deal breaker for me. Also, cycling targets using the keys is just grossly ineffective compared to selecting them by clicking and this isn't possible to do while you use the mouse to move your character around (L-click + R-click = movement).



I can't accurately target people on the battlefield and move at the same time using exclusively the mouse. Targeting with the keyboard is horribly inaccurate, slow and has a limited range.

Care to share how you do it, cellardweller?

[cellardweller]

I have left and right mouse buttons and wheell assigned as default. Buttons 4/5 (the ones on the the top behind the wheel) assigned to autorun and move backwards. Buttons 6/7 (thumb) assigned to strafe left/right and 8/9 (pinky) assigned to select next ally and select previous ally (I'm a healer main). Using autorun liberally is the key because it lets you keep moving while letting you point when you need to.

You still can't turn and mouse select at the same time but you can't do that with any effectiveness with the keyboard either thanks to the truck-like circle of the keyboard turn. If you really wanted to simulate the keyboard turn you could do it with the pinky buttons.

[Gorroth]

There's been a misunderstanding, I don't advocate turning using the keyboard because, as you said, it is far too slow. Holding the right mouse button does a far better job. I only have strafe and run forward/back bound to the keyboard, as well as autorun.

Binding autorun, strafe and ally selection to the mouse are all valid ways of playing but don't fundamentally change anything in comparison to having them bound to the keyboard, unless I'm missing something. If anything, you have a little less control over your character because you can't walk backwards. However, this usually isn't an issue for most people since they'd rather use strafe and rotate the camera, which is usually a better option compared to walking backwards unless you like playing with the max range of abilities to annoy your enemies.

[cellardweller]

There's been a misunderstanding, I don't advocate turning using the keyboard because, as you said, it is far too slow. Holding the right mouse button does a far better job. I only have strafe and run forward/back bound to the keyboard, as well as autorun.

Binding autorun, strafe and ally selection to the mouse are all valid ways of playing but don't fundamentally change anything in comparison to having them bound to the keyboard, unless I'm missing something. If anything, you have a little less control over your character because you can't walk backwards. However, this usually isn't an issue for most people since they'd rather use strafe and rotate the camera, which is usually a better option compared to walking backwards unless you like playing with the max range of abilities to annoy your enemies.
Walk backwards is bound to mouse button 5.

The advantage you get is that your left hand is free to move over the whole keyboard. With keyboard strafing, its difficult, if not impossible to the keys on your right hand side of your keyboard while moving. As a result of having all your movement on your mouse, your keyboard setup becomes much simpler. As an example mine is '1'->'=' action bar bar 1 (heals), 'q'->']' action bar 2 (debuff/damage), Alt+'1'->Alt+'6' action bar 3 (detaunts, knockback, flee, res). ctrl+'1'->ctrl+'=' action bar 4 (potions + ooc skills like mount), 'A'->'G' (targetting binds), 'Z'->'V' Morales. When playing, my left hand is sprawled over the keyboard with my pinky resting on q/1 and my index finger resting in the groove between 8/9

Maybe its just me, but having my keyboard layout match my skillbar significantly reduces time my brain needs to do the the action<->keypress mapping.

[Aiiane]

Maybe its just me, but having my keyboard layout match my skillbar significantly reduces time my brain needs to do the the action<->keypress mapping.

The thing there is that you're still relying on your action bars. I personally have never really cared about making keyboard and action bar layout match, because the action bars never become involved in the mapping process - the skills just become mapped to the key, the action bars are really just a side effect of that process.

Furthermore, using the entire keyboard is somewhat overkill; there are plenty of buttons available within reach of a stationary hand. In addition, a stationary hand means faster reaction times pressing buttons, because all that's necessary is a finger movement.

For example, with a WASD layout, Q12345ERTFGZXCV is 15 keys, plus 3x again that many when you consider modifier keys (all of which are within easy reach). That's 60 keys, easily enough to cover all of the hotbar pages. Yes, by default some of them are bound to other UI things like the character window, but there's no reason why they can't be rebound.

With an ESDF layout, there are even more keys available (though Ctrl becomes a little more annoying to reach).

[cellardweller]

The thing there is that you're still relying on your action bars. I personally have never really cared about making keyboard and action bar layout match, because the action bars never become involved in the mapping process - the skills just become mapped to the key, the action bars are really just a side effect of that process.
I still look at my action bars for the cooldown timer, and I see ooh law of age is recharged and its down the end, so my finger thats down the end moves. I'm more than willing to accept that thats a personal prefererence thing.

Furthermore, using the entire keyboard is somewhat overkill; there are plenty of buttons available within reach of a stationary hand. In addition, a stationary hand means faster reaction times pressing buttons, because all that's necessary is a finger movement.

For example, with a WASD layout, Q12345ERTFGZXCV is 15 keys, plus 3x again that many when you consider modifier keys (all of which are within easy reach). That's 60 keys, easily enough to cover all of the hotbar pages. Yes, by default some of them are bound to other UI things like the character window, but there's no reason why they can't be rebound.

With an ESDF layout, there are even more keys available (though Ctrl becomes a little more annoying to reach).
Remember that when you free your fingers up from held in a tight bunch over the wasd/esdf keys, you can splay them out over the keyboard and hit most keys without needing to move your hand. Even if you want to have meta-heavy action bindings, its still easier to hit your them if your movement is on your left hand. Try strafing left with "A" while hitting ctrl-1for example, hitting ctrl-1 while holding down a mouse thumb button by comparison is much easier.

[Gorroth]

Ctrl/Shift + 1 sounds like a bad idea no matter your hand configuration as it requires you to move your hand too much and delays your next action response.

As for binding movement exclusively to the mouse, I can see how it can be useful, especially considering the "blind spots" of a WASD configuration. Some people don't have the option though because they use a smaller mouse with less buttons, either by choice, habit or due to an unorthodox hand grip (e.g. claw grip).

By the way, do you also bind the forward key to the mouse or do you just use autorun? If you do use solely autorun, do you feel that having to deactivate the auto function slows your movement control or is it no issue?

[Malick]

Great post Gorroth! I use a lot of the same binds. I also use an add-on called Binder (http://war.curse.com/downloads/war-addons/details/binder.aspx) that stores per-character key bind profiles, so you can have different key bind set ups for all of your alts!

[Anglakhel]

Excellent Guide, Gorroth.

We've chosen your Guide for this week's Spotlight on: Guides.

You can view it here (http://www.warhammeralliance.com/forums/showthread.php?p=3974898#post3974898).

[Odsox]

While your interface layout seems strange and foreign to me (IT IS DIFFERENT AND MUST BE DESTROYED), I see you play a Runepriest, which is my choice of character on Karak Azgal, so I'm going to have a fiddle with this tonight.

I doubt I'll use all of these tips and certainly won't be using all of those addons, but this is a very well-constructed guide and therefore it gets my seal of approval.

/thumbsup

[Gorroth]

Thank you to the WHA staff for giving this guide more exposure! Here's hoping it improves the play style of many people, even if by a tiny amount. =)

I'm looking forward to reading more readers' feedback.

[Mandagorin]

If only someone would create a gamepad where most of the buttons are at the thumb!

Thanks for the guide, and also for others contributions. I think I'm going to go buy myself a better gaming mouse and tryout doing all my movement just on the mouse.

[Xerose]

OP QFT - and that is no lie

nice to see someone go out of their way to let everyone into what those of us that have played shooters for a long time (in my case way too long) have been doing. I have to agree with virtually the entire post but keep in mind you always want can change it in a way that fits your class and style a little more. Never just do what someone says is best without thinking through why it its better or the best.

Again Great work and i hope to see more following through with the changes. now if mythic could get the responsiveness of the game to a good point in mass rvr we should be good. i ran through about 60 destro spamming ae spells for 2min before they could target me and focus me down. This is not exactly a fault of the game well ya in a way it is because they could move input and networking tasks to a different thread than the game main loop runs in. The bulk ofthe problems comes from the users computers and mythics particle system is a killer even to the best for some reason.

i really wish i had a good reason as to why my they did not (as far as i can tell) seperate the networking and input/ui to seperate threads to take advantage reducing the load in the main game thread.

[Ancient Crone]

You gave me some great ideas. My hands are very small (female) and I lost my left ring finger to a spider bite years ago (I use thumb and 3 fingers to play), so I use a Fang gaming pad for easy reach to the number keys. Still, I could make better use of my thumb than I do, and your guide got me to thinking. Thank you!!!

[Lordalpha]

Good job, really !

I was a "clicker", since i played FPS mostly, but i decided to try a new play style to improve, thanks to you !

After some weeks, i decided to go with my old joystick, with a "camera rotation tool" on it, in ordre to make all the "moves" with the right hand and all the abilities with the left one ! It works great, even if targeting with the joystock button was hard at the beggining ! Thank again for the guide and the thread !

[Four]

Try a gaming controller like the N52.

This opens over a dozen buttons without losing control of your movement. The downside is the time needed to familiarize your left thumb to use the thumbpad which replaces the WASD keyboard keys.

[Rubex]

While I totally agree that using the keyboard is VASTLY superior to clicking styles..I have to admit WAR is the most friendly PvP MMO to clickers ever made with the global cooldowns.

If an experienced clicker knows what hes doing he can almost match speed in WAR due to the cooldowns, saw a friend do it while over his house ./shrug.

In a game like DAoC, if you clicked styles you were dead....period. In WAR I've seen people get away with it rather easily.

[Mo0rbid]

And here I was thinking that keybindings were basic