Poll of the Day > Why WASD?

(+) Yeah! (+)

Almost all games default to WASD for movement and that doesn't make any sense. Stretching your ring finger up to the W key and holding it there with your pinky and middle finger on the A and D keys is really uncomfortable to me.

I put my pinky, ring and middle fingers on the A, S, and D keys, which are in a nice straight line and thus very comfortable for long hours of playing, with X for backing up. It's a bit more awkward to reverse, but I tend to move forward much more often than backwards.

Putting all 4 fingers on the A, S, D, and F keys would be the most comfortable, but I'm totally not used to F for reverse.

I've heard of a few people who use Q, W, A, and S, (or a similar arrangement like ASZX) but that's just weird.

I haven't used the arrow keys or number pad since the days of early DOS games that didn't have mouse support.

My spouse would set up the buttons on his mouse to move forwards and backwards and would shoot using the keyboard.

It's because you don't need to move forward and backward at the same time, so your finger covers W and S at the same time, requiring only 3 fingers
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captpackrat posted...

I'm totally not used to F for reverse.

Is it because you're used to using that key to pay your respects?
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I keep my index finger on the D key, my ring finger on the A key, and my middle for W & S. I think my thumb stays on the space bar (or close to it) until I need it for other things...
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WASD is for right handed people.
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Revelation34 posted...

right handed people

But it's on the left side of the keyboard.
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EclairReturns posted...

captpackrat posted...

I'm totally not used to F for reverse.

Is it because you're used to using that key to pay your respects?

Quality joke

Revelation34 posted...

WASD is for right handed people.

That makes sense. Left handed could swap for the arrow keys or what ever feels comfortable.

@captpackrat Were either you or your husband left handed?
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LinkPizza posted...

I keep my index finger on the D key, my ring finger on the A key, and my middle for W & S.

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EclairReturns posted...

But it's on the left side of the keyboard.

Your hand is for the mouse.
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EclairReturns posted...

Revelation34 posted...

right handed people

But it's on the left side of the keyboard.

Because the right hand is for the mouse...

Kind of like how people make that one joke...
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Revelation34 posted...

for the mouse

Oh.
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WASD works if you need the mouse to play, but if its based around the keyboard, i prefer using the arrow keys to move.
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Oh yeah,but i'd rather use a controller than the keyboard.
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LinkPizza posted...

I keep my index finger on the D key, my ring finger on the A key, and my middle for W & S. I think my thumb stays on the space bar (or close to it) until I need it for other things...

Same here. Who the heck would use the ring finger for W&S? That makes no sense.

rogerskg1979 posted...

LinkPizza posted...

I keep my index finger on the D key, my ring finger on the A key, and my middle for W & S. I think my thumb stays on the space bar (or close to it) until I need it for other things...

Same here. Who the heck would use the ring finger for W&S? That makes no sense.

Because that's proper finger positioning for touch typing, the fingers of your left hand on ASDF.

captpackrat posted...

rogerskg1979 posted...

LinkPizza posted...

I keep my index finger on the D key, my ring finger on the A key, and my middle for W & S. I think my thumb stays on the space bar (or close to it) until I need it for other things...

Same here. Who the heck would use the ring finger for W&S? That makes no sense.

Because that's proper finger positioning for touch typing, the fingers of your left hand on ASDF.

But thats for typing. Not gaming. You set you fingers differently between the two. Like how youre mirrors are suppose to be set differently for going foraward in a car and reverse. At least for bigger vehicles, like buses. Or whatever...
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It's really easy to WASD

Just requires your three middle fingers which can at anytime slide one spacing over and hit F, E, Q and 1,2,3 and 4 for the secondary functions.

Thumb hits space and alt

Pinky is for shift and control

LinkPizza posted...

captpackrat posted...

rogerskg1979 posted...

LinkPizza posted...

I keep my index finger on the D key, my ring finger on the A key, and my middle for W & S. I think my thumb stays on the space bar (or close to it) until I need it for other things...

Same here. Who the heck would use the ring finger for W&S? That makes no sense.

Because that's proper finger positioning for touch typing, the fingers of your left hand on ASDF.

But thats for typing. Not gaming.

This. What works for typing does not necessarily work for gaming. For gaming, ring should be on A, index on D, and middle hovers between W and S. I thought that was how everyone had their fingers set for gaming...

Didn't even put ESDF which is also pretty common. Lets you keep hand on homerow like typing and such. Probably the most used after WASD, but idk.
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I really wish the number pad was on the left side of the keyboard instead of the right.
It provides the ideal arrow key configuration, including diagonals. And most laptops have the touch pad shifted left...in order to align with the space bar and center of the main keys...because the number pad shifts it all to the left.
I hate that shit. I'd rather the touch pad be right-shifted, if anything.

Signed,

A right-handed person.

apparently being 90% of the population isn't enough to get a comfortable keyboard layout

I use a hori single hand.
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streamofthesky posted...

I really wish the number pad was on the left side of the keyboard instead of the right.

It really should be. As it stands, lefty mouse is actually ergonomically superior to righty mouse for everyday use because it means the main part of the keyboard is centred under the monitor instead of being shifted way off to the left. For gaming, WASD is on the far left and that means the monitor is centred properly, so that's fine.

Back when I was on PC it was always the arrow keys. Didn't like having so much else nearby to get confused with.

captpackrat posted...

rogerskg1979 posted...

LinkPizza posted...

I keep my index finger on the D key, my ring finger on the A key, and my middle for W & S. I think my thumb stays on the space bar (or close to it) until I need it for other things...

Same here. Who the heck would use the ring finger for W&S? That makes no sense.

Because that's proper finger positioning for touch typing, the fingers of your left hand on ASDF.

Who taught you how to play video games?
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captpackrat posted...

Stretching your ring finger up to the W key and holding it there with your pinky and middle finger on the A and D keys is really uncomfortable to me.

dude what? put your middle finger on the W, use your pinky for ctrl crouch or something, thumb for space jump. works perfectly

I switched to WASD last year simply out of convenience. Comma, period, and right mouse had been my movement keys since the Quake days.

But I'll occasionally use the arrow keys if I'm playing a port of a game that used a joystick for movement.
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KJ StErOiDs posted...

I switched to WASD last year simply out of convenience. Comma, period, and right mouse had been my movement keys since the Quake days.

But I'll occasionally use the arrow keys if I'm playing a port of a game that used a joystick for movement.

Some games don't even have switchable controls. I just have to move the keyboard more to the left so I can use arrow keys.
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For fighting games, I prefer using the arrow keys for movement and ASDF (for four-button games) or ASDZXC (for six-button games) for the 'buttons'.

For games where a kb+m setup is required or highly recommendable (twin stick shooters, post-Quake FPS games, etc.), I usually just use the WASD configuration that's seemingly nearly universal, although I think ESDF may have some possible advantages (i.e. you can use WQAZ for extra functions) as long as you don't frequently need to use Left Ctrl or Left Shift or Caps Lock or Tab or ~.

Roman Niucumir posted...

For fighting games, I prefer using the arrow keys for movement and ASDF (for four-button games) or ASDZXC (for six-button games) for the 'buttons'.

For games where a kb+m setup is required or highly recommendable (twin stick shooters, post-Quake FPS games, etc.), I usually just use the WASD configuration that's seemingly nearly universal, although I think ESDF may have some possible advantages (i.e. you can use WQAZ for extra functions) as long as you don't frequently need to use Left Ctrl or Left Shift or Caps Lock or Tab or ~.

I will never play a fighting game without a controller.
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Revelation34 posted...

KJ StErOiDs posted...

I switched to WASD last year simply out of convenience. Comma, period, and right mouse had been my movement keys since the Quake days.

But I'll occasionally use the arrow keys if I'm playing a port of a game that used a joystick for movement.

Some games don't even have switchable controls. I just have to move the keyboard more to the left so I can use arrow keys.

Oh, yeah. I think when I played Crypt of the NecroDancer for PC, you had to use the arrow keys to move. And all the other stuff were combinations of the arrow keys. Just pushing one arrow key allowed you to move on that direction. Pressing any combination of 2 was either to use one of two items, one of two spells, switching weapons, or throwing a weapon. And I got them mixed up all the time. Or would accidentally push 2 buttons when I didnt need to. You post just reminded me of that...
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Revelation34 posted...

I will never play a fighting game without a controller.

After playing fighting games on a keyboard for so long, I can't go back to controllers easily. I feel like I have more precision with separate fingers on separate arrow keys. Some motions are really difficult for me (720s, quite a few early SNK DM inputs), but they're difficult for me on controllers, anyway.

It's gotten to the point where I'm thirsting for a keyboard or keyboard-like arcade pad that can be used on consoles.

I also never got used to using joysticks, which kind of hampered my fighting game experience at the arcades.

Gamepad because analog movement is faaaar superior.
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