Curse

Kuldebar Valiturus · May 10, 2007, 11:33 PM // 23:33

Some people are entirely keyboarders, other mouse clickers, and some a mixture of both. And, of course, peeps customize their game user interfaces around their particular input device usage. When I first started Guild Wars, I attempted to use my arrows keys to navigate the game world. This was a habit from my WoW days, I quickly learned that click-to-move was the superior method in Guild Wars. But after that, I settled into a routine, until very recently.

As for me, I recently dusted off my Nostromo SpeedPad n50 and am enjoying good results. It's hard to change play methods after having been a mouse-clicker and keyboard tapper for so long. But, my old n50 is making Guild Wars even more of a blast.

I own the Nostromo SpeedPad n52 as well, but it had entirely too many keys for what I needed, so I reverted to the n50 which has a simpler design.

Now, I bought my Nostromo's several years back, but I know their are other gaming devices on the market. Zboard comes mind, I had used the WoW version in a previous MMORPG life, but unfortunately the cat spilled beer all over it. :/

So, let's talk "how" you play, things like:

Does anyone turn off the UI (shift+ctrl+H) and play free-style?
Is the keyboard only used when you need to type in chat?
Does your hand ever leave the keyboard?

Who knows, maybe some people may feel inspired to change their gaming methods like I did... after all, it's good to rewire your brain on occasion.

MSecorsky · May 10, 2007, 11:36 PM // 23:36

Left hand always on the keyboard, right on the mouse.

Both hands where they can be seen.

tenshi_strife · May 10, 2007, 11:52 PM // 23:52

yea im a combo guy i walk and use skills 1-5 on keyboard but tend to click to do skills 6-8*hard to reach ^^*

i also pick up loot via the mouse and select targets via the keyboard.

inventory is all mouse.

i was thinking of getting out my old gamepads but idk you would still need hands on keyboard to type and i type in the middle of other stuff quite well now and i think that would slow me down ^^

Spazzer · May 11, 2007, 12:27 AM // 00:27

Left hand keyboard, right hand mouse.

Main differences between the standard contol scheme and mine is that i have "CANCEL ACTION" bound to one of my mouse buttons and "TARGET NEAREST ITEM" bound to a key closer to my hand on the keyboard.

This lets me bait interruptors much easier (esc is so hard to reach) and pick up loot without looking for it.

Kuldebar Valiturus · May 11, 2007, 12:30 AM // 00:30

Ya ya, one handed game play aside...

My layout looks like this on my Keyboard drawer:

{n50} {Keyboard} {Trackball Mouse}

So, it's all very handy. I still find myself reaching to tap the keyboard shortcut, but if I leave my left hand on the n50, all the common shortcuts are at my finger tips.

Using the thumb pad for Default Action and Target Closest works really well for me even though I am "strongly" right-handed and had these buttons set on my mouse. Now my mouse is primarily character movement, camera control and skill selection.

makosi · May 11, 2007, 12:38 AM // 00:38

Left hand for 1-8 and opening Inventory. I often use R to run forward too. Thumb does C+Space

Right hand is all mouse-dedicated.

Bryant Again · May 11, 2007, 12:46 AM // 00:46

I'm going to pay attention to that last interesting tidbit:

Quote:

Does anyone turn off the UI (shift+ctrl+H) and play free-style?
Is the keyboard only used when you need to type in chat?
Does your hand ever leave the keyboard?

Who knows, maybe some people may feel inspired to change their gaming methods like I did... after all, it's good to rewire your brain on occasion.

On occassion, yes I do turn off the interface. However, I always remember it's not as fun as I hoped because the health bars and damage/healing numbers still show up, so it can never be truly freestyle.

What I like to do a lot is change my interface. For awhile, it was the standard GW set up. Then I mixed things up by putting the skillbar at the top with the compass in the lower-right corner. I tried having nearly everything around the bottom of the screen, but I discovered that it made my focus my attention mostly to that area - so I wasn't able to enjoy the pretty scenery. Then I tried getting rid of the compass and replacing it with the mini-map, but I couldn't get used to having to press escape twice to cancel my action (press once to close the friggin' mini-map, then again to cancel action).

It all changes on mood, really. I love how you're able to change the interface to something that suits you, and it's one of Guild Wars' strongest points.

Thanks for allowing my to let my mind breath, Kuldebar. Very refreshing, talking about something like this...

SotiCoto · May 11, 2007, 12:51 AM // 00:51

I control movement in the forward-backward plane with the keyboard while holding down the right mouse-button to "look" where I want to go...

i.e. I rather use both for navigation. It mostly consists of my holding down W (usually with Ctrl and Alt at the same time so I know where everything is) while directing my character with the mouse. I use A and D (left and right) to strafe while using the mouse generally... though sometimes I'll switch to the actual strafe-keys instead (Q and E) if I'm stuck in a corner or somesuch...
Naturally this is an easier way of both controlling my view and micromanaging my character's direction and movement speed.... rather than the rather crude point-and-click mouse only method or slow and cumbersome keyboard-only method.

When I get into battle... my hands move instantly off the mouse to the keyboard, my eyes move to the health-bars and skill bar.... and it typically becomes a matter of using C or Tab to select an enemy... followed by a number key for a particular skill (and promptly pressing the key for the next skill while the first is activating... etc). I NEVER click on the skills with the mouse... and it is fairly rare that I select enemies with the mouse either. While this is happening I usually get a few moments of skill activation time to switch hand back to the mouse and get a look around..... see if there are any priority targets I didn't catch in the initial view... check how my heroes / henchies are doing.... etc.
... Which reminds me... sometimes I don't just charge in at all... and just Ctrl + Shift + Space to direct my Heroes to attack first... [prevents me being the first target of all the enemy anti-melee hexes and whatnot]
... Oh... and I rarely ever use Esc to cancel action... nor any other "cancel action" button; I just tap one of the direction buttons and take a step, since skills can't activate while moving.

After battle, I typically press Semi-Colon to target the nearest item and Space to get it, or if I don't want that, I have "next item" mapped to apostrophe right next to it. (If any americans aren't familiar with the British keyboard layout..... tough).

Kuldebar Valiturus · May 11, 2007, 01:24 AM // 01:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bryant Again

On occassion, yes I do turn off the interface. However, I always remember it's not as fun as I hoped because the health bars and damage/healing numbers still show up, so it can never be truly freestyle.

I like to be able to easily toggle UI elements from on to off via UI presets like this suggestion here. But, as you say, no target or health bars can make for a dearth of situational awareness.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bryant Again

What I like to do a lot is change my interface.

I constantly fiddle with my UI as well, keeps it fresh, but overall I am getting set in my ways about certain placements of things. Compass is nearly always going to be upper right for me and Health and Skills to the right since I am right handed. I would like Heroes stuck on the bottom in a line up like they are on top, but their buff/condition/hex icons become hidden if I do that. I nearly always have the Mission map up and chat is usually minimized when I am in combat.

R_A_M_Z_A · May 11, 2007, 01:26 AM // 01:26

I have my skillset linked to my number pad, I use WASD keys to move, and I mainly use the mouse to move the camera around...

viper11025 · May 11, 2007, 01:29 AM // 01:29

Depends....Mostly keyboard.
Requires both for GVG and PVP.

Hey PM me in game Valiturus I WANT that set-up you have!
Seriously how did you do it?

Kuldebar Valiturus · May 11, 2007, 01:29 AM // 01:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by R_A_M_Z_A

I use WASD keys to move...

Don't terrain obstacles drive you crazy? Of course, I play on a high latency connection, so maybe I had more issues with that type of movement method.

R_A_M_Z_A · May 11, 2007, 01:35 AM // 01:35

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kuldebar Valiturus

Don't terrain obstacles drive you crazy? Of course, I play on a high latency connection, so maybe I had more issues with that type of movement method.

My ping is usually under 100 so I dont really rubber-band that much.

I do have some problems with obstructions, but it's nothing a little press of the strafe key cant fix

Bryant Again · May 11, 2007, 01:53 AM // 01:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kuldebar Valiturus

I constantly fiddle with my UI as well, keeps it fresh, but overall I am getting set in my ways about certain placements of things. Compass is nearly always going to be upper right for me and Health and Skills to the right since I am right handed. I would like Heroes stuck on the bottom in a line up like they are on top, but their buff/condition/hex icons become hidden if I do that. I nearly always have the Mission map up and chat is usually minimized when I am in combat.

You know, that actually looks very very cool. I might either copy that completely or make something similiar.

...

...If you don't mind, of course??

Kuldebar Valiturus · May 11, 2007, 02:06 AM // 02:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bryant Again

You know, that actually looks very very cool. I might either copy that completely or make something similiar.

...

...If you don't mind, of course??

Like I could object!

Just happy no one has /point /laugh at my skill bars.

For the UI elements not shown in the screen shot:

The Trade and Drop buttons are directly on the left and right of the target bar, respectively.

Skill Monitor is right above, not quite overlapping the target bar.

Skill Progress indicator bar is up above the Skill Monitor.

All the Mission Goals & Timers and Dialogs, etc are placed in a manner so that they cause the least screen obstruction possible.

The philosophy is to keep me center/target focused and have all the things I need to routinely mouse click all in a close proximity for maximum efficiency. For a keyboarder based skill slot user, of course, the placement wouldn't make much sense.

EDIT:

Quote:

Originally Posted by viper11025

Hey PM me in game Valiturus I WANT that set-up you have!
Seriously how did you do it?

I won't be in-game for a bit yet, but I do have a screenie of the layout grid...if you can see it. :/ Press F11 to get the options screen up while in game and just drag, size and move the elements where you want them. Easy as pie.

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d1...bar/layout.gif

The UI options in Guild Wars are truly amazing, to get this flexibility in other games required a lot of modding, which, of course Guild Wars doesn't support.

ValaOfTheFens · May 11, 2007, 02:25 AM // 02:25

All keyboard. I'm on a laptop and though I could get a mouse I've found the keyboard to be fine for my needs. I keep forgetting that I can open specific bags w/certain keys and I sometimes end up chaging weapons during combat rather than using a skill(which can be pretty funny when playing my Ranger b/c she has all 4 weapon slots taken up).

That's usually only when its after 12pm and my eyes are all blurry. *lol*

Esprit · May 11, 2007, 02:31 AM // 02:31

I'm a keyboard + mouse person. Hand is predominantly in the WASD position. Hardly used skills are on the 6-8 keys, which are harder to reach without shifting the hand. Otherwise, most common commands are bound within reach of my left hand.

Mouse is used to move around, pan the camera, and select team members and enemies.

Bryant Again · May 11, 2007, 02:38 AM // 02:38

I guess I could also mention my weirdness with skill placement on my bar.

I find I get more satisfaction when my main deathdealers, like Dragon Slash or or Meteor Shower, are the 4th or 5th skills on the bar. They just seem more...powerful for some reason.

onerabbit · May 11, 2007, 02:43 AM // 02:43

Depends what mood im in.

if im bored i tend to use the mouse to do everything and auto run (r)

i use the mouse for my skills and always hold down Ctrl and Alt .. cant take my fingers off it :S .. addicted to chest running

wasd or mouse to move, depending where i am .. i rubber band alot, so in closed areas i use mouse.

Alleji · May 11, 2007, 02:54 AM // 02:54

Left hand on mouse, right hand on keyboard :P

I have everything bound to numpad and keys around it:
8,4,6,2 to move
7,9,5,1,+ for targeting
arrow keys, right ctrl, numpad enter and page up+page down cover the 8 skills

Although in certain situations I use the mouse to target and to move. For example, in PvP I do most of targeting by clicking on people and mouse-walk when I'm running flags or relics to avoid rubberbanding.