Gaming interface question

probiscus · 06/28/06, 2:30 PM

The targeting discussion in the "How is EJ doing in Naxx" thread got me thinking about how inefficient my current setup is for my Belkin N52 gamepad. Specifically relating to all the alt+ and shift+ functions.

When I first started playing my rogue I wasn't very serious about it, and specifically limited my key binds to thinks I used regularly in 5 mans - so the 15 (or so) keys were fine for me. Now that I PvP on occasion, and raid a few days a week, there is quite a bit more functionality I'd like to eek out of my investment.

Has anyone come up with creative applications for their N52's? The easiest way, I believe, to derive more benefit from it would be to change my movement keys from the directional pad, back to a WASD configuration (and use the directionals as alt+ and shift+, etc), but I literally have over 100 days /played using it the way I'd initially set it up.

Alternatively, if you guys think this is a better question for UI & Macro's, I'll run off in that direction.

Zyla · 06/28/06, 2:34 PM

you could do what i do...shift WASD to ESDF

This gives you q , w, r, t, y, a ,g, h, and 1-6 to keybind in a fairly comfortable position.

also for heavy melee, i suggest a double handed approach. using your "wasd" as movement, and the keypad bound to the numbers as the dpsin hand. Helps switch things up to take the stress off your left hand.

Elendril · 06/28/06, 2:37 PM

i actually found that the single biggest change to my effectiveness in terms of bindings, etc, was getting an 8 button logitech gaming mouse. i use wasd movement, and i'm able to bind lots of time-sensitive abilities to my mouse so i can keep more things on the easily accessible numbers on my action bars. i can easily reach 1-6, and have abilities bound to q, e, z, v, and `, along with alt-# and mouse buttons. there are pretty much zero abilities i use regularly (that i need to use in a timely fashion) that aren't bound to one of these keys.

Lurchington · 06/28/06, 2:47 PM

I use DAB with 4 rows of 10 keys each.

I have from left to right 1 2 3 4 r f v c x z (which if you notice, is roughly a semi-circle with WASD at the center)

and from first row to last: no modifier, alt, ctrl, shift

I have DAB switch pages corresponding to different categories (eg: hunter switching to page 2 when closer than autoshot, and page 1 when autoshot is usable).

I find this strikes a good balance between ease of remembering and ease of use. There are naturally easier kay presses than others, but I tend to use them for the common abilities. This has the side benefit of working on all of the keyboards I come across, since I've played WOW on about 5-6 different keyboards.

My mouse is a microsoft 5 button mouse, of which I only use left and right, and the middle mouse button as my PTT vent key.

Kalman · 06/28/06, 3:52 PM

I play with two hands on the keyboard 90% of the time, binding actions to the numpad (0123456789/.) and meta-numpad, with cooldowns on the keys accessible to my left hand (movement on qweasd). Vent is on ~, with private binds (class, raidlead, people I like to annoy) on the arrow keys.

Yeah, it's not ideal for PvP, but I really don't PvP a ton.

subscience · 06/28/06, 4:21 PM

I always hit my goddamn Windows key. Time to pry that sucker out.

I also tried using the ESDF movement keys and while very nice for going from movement to typing, it put a pretty big strain on my hand especially since I use shift a lot.

Out of curiousity, is there a way to have a mouse button act as a shift key? E.g., binding a key to mouse4 + 1.

• malthrin · 06/28/06, 4:24 PM

Originally Posted by subscience

I always hit my goddamn Windows key. Time to pry that sucker out.

http://www.diabloii.net/files/utilities.shtml

Scroll to "Windows Key Disabler" or just google "WinKey Assassin".

probiscus · 06/28/06, 4:39 PM

Some good advice in here already. For reference, the mouse I use is the logitech mx1000:
http://images.gfx.no/16/16793/mx1000.jpg

Which, while it looks like you could get away with binding a lot of its' buttons, only 3 function in WoW. I guess the others are "windows only" functions. And yes, I've tried using logitechs' software, eliminating the windows binds, then going into my WoW interface > key binds to see what they are... they don't work :(

Two changes that I think I'll make this evening are bind my mouse scroll wheel 'button' as PTT (used to be stealth, but I have a mashable stealth macro now), and changing one of the working buttons on the mouse to either shift or alt to give me access to (maybe): bombs, pots, mount, 'get naked' itemrack, health pots/tubers/self bandage - basically all the secondary stuff which I currently need to click.

I'll probably figure it all out for the rogue, try to apply it to my warlock and have to redo everything though.

• Shalas · 06/28/06, 5:09 PM

You can bind buttons 1-5 in WoW, and for the rest you can bind to keys in the mouse software. I have every button and wheel tilt do something in WoW.

Brissa · 06/28/06, 5:46 PM

Originally Posted by Zyla

you could do what i do...shift WASD to ESDF

This gives you q , w, r, t, y, a ,g, h, and 1-6 to keybind in a fairly comfortable position.

also for heavy melee, i suggest a double handed approach. using your "wasd" as movement, and the keypad bound to the numbers as the dpsin hand. Helps switch things up to take the stress off your left hand.

So true!
I cant believe why so many people stick to the WASD configuration when ESDF is clearly superior.

Elendril · 06/28/06, 5:48 PM

Originally Posted by Brissa

Originally Posted by Zyla

you could do what i do...shift WASD to ESDF

This gives you q , w, r, t, y, a ,g, h, and 1-6 to keybind in a fairly comfortable position.

also for heavy melee, i suggest a double handed approach. using your "wasd" as movement, and the keypad bound to the numbers as the dpsin hand. Helps switch things up to take the stress off your left hand.

So true!
I cant believe why so many people stick to the WASD configuration when ESDF is clearly superior.

i think it would be far too hard for me to retrain my muscle memory to hit different keys at this point. adding/changing a hotkey here and there is one thing, but completely remapping all of my buttons after over a year and a half is like learning a new language. :-P

Brissa · 06/28/06, 5:50 PM

Its hard at start of course. But I believe its better to suffer a week or so of pressing the wrong keys than to endure the rest of your life(!!) with an inferior keyset :>

Kalman · 06/28/06, 5:53 PM

Originally Posted by Brissa

Originally Posted by Zyla

you could do what i do...shift WASD to ESDF

This gives you q , w, r, t, y, a ,g, h, and 1-6 to keybind in a fairly comfortable position.

also for heavy melee, i suggest a double handed approach. using your "wasd" as movement, and the keypad bound to the numbers as the dpsin hand. Helps switch things up to take the stress off your left hand.

So true!
I cant believe why so many people stick to the WASD configuration when ESDF is clearly superior.

Easier access to metakeys, mostly. The natural position for my hand for the WASD is with pinky over shift/ctrl. For ESDF, it requires an uncomfortably long stretch, or a move of the position of the hand.

And yeah, I use the 2 hander approach; actions on right, movement/cooldowns on left.

probiscus · 06/28/06, 5:54 PM

Originally Posted by Shalas

You can bind buttons 1-5 in WoW, and for the rest you can bind to keys in the mouse software. I have every button and wheel tilt do something in WoW.

Well, to be honest, I only spent about 10 minutes bouncing between the logitech software, and the game key binds to see if the game recognized all the keys on the mouse. Seeing as how you got it to work, I'll go DL and RTFM tonight to see if I can get it to work. Thanks for lettin me know it *can* work though.

The thing that immediately comes to mind is the mouse wheel tilt left or right being shift / alt.

It doesnt appear that many others use the Belkin/Nostromo N52 though, huh? I honestly figured quite a few people would be commenting on that.

Brissa · 06/28/06, 6:27 PM

Originally Posted by Kalman

Easier access to metakeys, mostly. The natural position for my hand for the WASD is with pinky over shift/ctrl. For ESDF, it requires an uncomfortably long stretch, or a move of the position of the hand.

And yeah, I use the 2 hander approach; actions on right, movement/cooldowns on left.

That is true i suppose but I have never been a fan of having to use shift and control to acess more keys.
My setup comes from Quake where you needed to hit all weaponkeys fast but there was never any real need to use quite as many keys as you have to in wow.