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WASD vs. Arrows

For FPS games, what controls/input do you use?

  • WASD

    Votes: 398 84.3%

  • Arrows

    Votes: 40 8.5%

  • Other (gamepad or what not)

    Votes: 34 7.2%
  • Total voters
    472
YGHJ >>> WASD

IMO. :)

From the YGHJ position, you have convenient access to all the keys on the keyboard.

The thumb controls spacebar, right alt, and the < > / keys, and the pinky controls all the keys left of, and including, R, F, and C.

I map keys so that I never have to interrupt any movement controls when accessing other commands (including leaning, crouching, swimming, rolling, etc). So I can make basic movements plus independently lean/crouch plus independently access other important functions simultaneously.

Ever since mechwarrior 2, I've always had the jump function on the mouse.
 
Other,(Got used to it playing Descent and could never change)

A- Left turn
S- Left Strafe/Down in Descent
D-Right Strafe/Up in Descent
F-Right Turn
Space- Forward
R-Reverse
Jump-Right Mouse

I found when I started playing FPS's with the Descent setup A+D or S+F equals instant circle strafe, then all you need to do is make minor aiming corrections with the mouse.

And it just fits my hand better.:D
 
I am one of the ESDF users as it is the "home" position and it is more comfortable. I also find it allows me to use an extra row of keys.
 
My first FPS game was Serious Sam First Encounter, and I just used the default WSAD. Since then, all my FPS games have been strictly WSAD. Even 3rd person adventure game too, if it allows.

I also use a lot of keys around WSAD including space bar and shift. So the arrow keys are almost impossible for me :p
 
I'm left handed and could never get used to WASD so I'm still using the arrows.
 
Other, but kinda mentioned here by some

8 forward
5 back
4 left
6 right
/ reload
0 crouch
(mouse3) jump
2 use ( or some time right arrow or mouse 4, depending on the game really)
7 weapons previews
9 weapon next
1 last weapon used
+ Microphone
Enter walk (sneak)
* nade or spray.
. medic
3 some rarely used function


if need be i have
up arrow main gun
right arrow knife
back arrow handgun

I also have =() and (backspace) above my keypad. (microsoft 4000)
Sometimes i use the page up page down set of 6 keys for weapons 1-6
 
I grew up playing Half Life and CS so I almost exclusively use WSAD. I occasionally use the double mouse click to move in MMOs when I'm lazy.

I've tried esdf and I kept missing the Shift/Ctrl/Alt keys :( Plus, who needs all those extra keybinds when you can just get a Razer Naga :rolleyes:
 
SPARTAN VI said:
My curiosity stemmed from a meta-discussion in the BFBC2 thread...

When playing FPS, how many people use WASD? Or the arrow keys?

I'm old fashioned, grew up playing with arrows in Wolfenstein 3D, and it generally stuck. I can switch to WASD when I absolutely have to (e.g. Fallout 3, Elder Scrolls, laptop gaming), but I'm only at home when using arrows.
Click to expand...

I was an arrows man until a decade ago when I played AVP. Since then I have used WSAD and loved it.
 
When I first started PC gaming back in the day I used the arrow keys , but started using the WASD option soon after.
 
bbenz33 said:
I am one of the ESDF users as it is the "home" position and it is more comfortable. I also find it allows me to use an extra row of keys.
Click to expand...
This... ESDF is the best, the pinky gets a hold of around 6 keys, the Q,A,Z, CAPSLOCK, Tab, and Left shift. It gives you more keys to assign to game functions. I wish WASD would go away, its so outdated.

Also the F key has the notch on it that you can feel, so you know your hand is in the control position without having to look at the keyboard.
 
AVT said:
BTW, the real pros use ESDF. :)
Click to expand...

I also use ESDF. I always remember esdf being the default in all the old shooters like quake and tribes. It always made sense, since esdf is your "home" position. To this day, I still do not understand how or why WASD came to be the default on all games.
 
WASD all the way. I recenty purchased a G13 though so it is not techinically WASD. Using arrow keys leaves you stranded and out of the reach of many important buttons. I use many, many, buttons and I would feel badly crippled on the arrows
 
I used arrows until the original Unreal Tourney, playing online there I just wanted access to additional keys near my movement ones. Moved to WASD and have been playing that way ever since.
 
RDFG.

Reload using mouse4 (thumb) and S/A for various things (crouch mostly) and I have lots of other keys around this to map to everything else. I don't how I got started on this but I've never thought of changing it no matter how many games I re-map.
 
WASD with thumb on spacebar and pinky on shift.

Left handed here, but used to gaming like a right hander. Everything else I totally use the left side of my body- snowboarding, soccer, basketball, writing, etc.
 
use wasd


do you guys always remap strafe left and right to a and d ? i have to even in mmo's. at least half of game are default this way but the ones that are not always boggled my mind.
 
WASD. Left-handed but use a mouse right-handed.
I started out with the arrows keys when they were the default. I forced myself to learn to use WASD, (I looked more uncoordinated than usual :D ).
I had to remap to WASD until games started using them as the default. :)
 
I always use arrow keys unless they cant be reconfigured - grrr. But then Im used to odd things - my little finger is on the ctrl key used to jump and my thumb on num pad 0 used to duck. Yes I use my pinky to jump and Ive done that a LOT in my gaming life and to good effect :p
 
right mouse for jump, space for crouch, ctrl for reload, middle mouse for melee, mouse 4 (lower thumb) for aim/zoom, mouse 5 (upper thumb) for use.
 
Arrow keys, I find totally foreign playing with WASD keys.

Dead Space was a good example of how WASD made it unplayable for me. So much so I had to use GlovePie to remap the keys to the arrow keys.
 
WASD, of course, without a doubt. With the arrows, how can I jump, open a door, or lob a grenade easily?
 
rflcptr said:
WASD, of course, without a doubt. With the arrows, how can I jump, open a door, or lob a grenade easily?
Click to expand...

Easy with arrows too.

R-CTRL = Jump
Enter = Action
Grenade = Mouse 4

It's games like Oblivion, STALKER, Jedi Knight, and such that leave me scratching my head.
 
I use WASD now but many years ago I used left ctrl, left alt, and shift for strafing and backpedaling. Right mouse button was forward.
 
in the days of JKDFII I used the arrow keys... without a mouse. dont ask me how i learned it that way, i just did. people watching me were like holy shit, it looks like you are playing the piano!

arrow keys = forward backward turn left/right
page up= look down
page down= look up
r ctrl = primary fire
numpad 0= secondary fire
numpad 1,2= strafe left/right
home=recenter crosshair
space= jump
enter=type
e= use
r= cycle force powers
f= use force powers

i think i got good at that game because i was young and it like programmed into my brain. idk, but i was fucking good at that game.
 
im of course used to WASD now, but I've always felt that ESDF was probably a better set up. I'm just way too lazy to get used to the idea of shifting my fingers over a bit and redoing all my controls for every game ever.
 
SPARTAN VI said:
Easy with arrows too.

R-CTRL = Jump
Enter = Action
Grenade = Mouse 4

It's games like Oblivion, STALKER, Jedi Knight, and such that leave me scratching my head.
Click to expand...

Similar, very easy and natural with arrows.

R-Ctrl - Crouch
Enter - Action
R-Shift - Grenade
Sprint/Run - Delete
Jump - Mouse 4
Reload - Mouse 5

Works a treat in FPS games
 
WASD is uncomfortable to me, holding that triangular position all the time. Years and years ago (Jedi Knight) I switched to SAXD instead (just move the centre column down one key), which I found more comfortable. Less long ago (DoD, CS) I shifted it over to the right one as well to gain access to more keys easily. So now I use DSCF as my main movement keys, lshift as crouch. Sometime in there I also tried out using the numpad since it gives comfortable access to quite a few keys, and since the columns are aligned and not staggered it's better for that use. But I just couldn't get used to it and went back to the main keys.

And I use reverse mouse.

But I'm a weirdo.
 
I used to play WASD, but I would fat finger a lot of stuff. My hands are large and I like to have my keys spread out. I do use all the buttons on my mouse including side buttons, middle scroll, middle click, and DPI changes when entering vehicles (BC2).
 
Arrows on Desktop.
WASD on Laptop.

I grew up playing with arrow keys, since at one point that was the norm.

Its not that i cant play with WASD, its just that i prefer arrows, since i like to have empty space around my movement keys.
I will play using WASD when I'm on a laptop, since i cant physically shuffle my keyboard around on a laptop.

I mainly play FPS, so I don't really need a lot of keys like you would on a RTS, thus arrows works fine for me.
Plus there are plenty of extra mappable keys usually around the arrow keys on a standard layout keyboard, also it helps to have a mouse with multiple buttons.
I do find it is essential that I use a Standard Layout Keyboard, which surprising enough is not as common as you would expect.
Fortunately the G15 has a standard layout and thats what i use.
 
I've always done WASD, my kid however finds the arrows to be easier. I imagine its because there is more "definition" as to what keys are what, since there is a nice spacing. Hes 7 though.
 
I use the numpad, which has arrows on it, so I voted arrows. :) I can't stand WASD because of the diagonal slant of the keys - just doesn't seem comfortable to me at all. I like the nice orderly grid of the numpad and the fact that everything is labeled and makes sense.

Num8 = forward
Num4 = left
Num6 = right
Num2 = back
Num9 = jump
Num3 = crouch/sneak
Num7 = sprint/boost
NumEnter = Use
NumPlus = Reload
Num5 = Last-Used-Weapon or Inventory
Num0 = usually mele or grenades
NumDel = Prone or Quick-Health
Delete = Scoreboard or Objectives (instead of Tab)
Home = map screen, or other game-specific interfaces

Quick-Keys for weapons, items, party-members etc go on:
End, PgUp, PgDn, arrow keys, NumSlash, NumStar, NumMinus, etc.

Oh, I forgot to mention, I have to use keyboards with the Home-through-PgDn keys turned vertically for this to work best. That way my pinky has access to all the weapon keys and the big delete key for scores etc.

Also, another advantage of useing the right-end of the keyboard as a righty is that I can spread out my input devices and have room for a big plate of food on my desk between keyboard and mouse! :D Consider that for a moment, WASD users! :p
 
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