W,A,S,D or the arrow keys?

[Xendance]

I've always wondered what people use when playing Half Life. What do you guys use? I use W,A,S and D because I find it easier to get to the gravity gun and the 'use' button.
What about you?

 

[Sam]

WASD because I have human hands.

 

[Shift]

Well its obvious what will win in this poll lol

Anyone who still plays using the arror keys are waaaaay behind the time imo

 

[Naudian]

Most use WASD. I only know one person who uses this weird A,Z,CTRL,ALT (or something) and I don't know anyone who uses arrow keys. I think I used to when I first started playing FPSs but soon discovered how much better WASD is.

 

[nutcrackr]

a lot of "elite" players use ESDF and I can certainly see the advantages. I use WASD

 

[Xendance]

I've recently encouraged my friend to do it. Now he plays better.

 

[Tagaziel]

WSAD. More ergonomic.

 

[heer0]

Anyone who still plays using the arror keys are waaaaay behind the time imo

I use the arrow keys. And i play computer games sonce 10 years, does it means i'm way behind time? This is bull*hit!

Playing with arrow keys have it's advantages, really. Usually the arrows are seperated from the other keys, which allows me to feel them very firmly with my fingers, i've seen people using WASD that miss the buttons and press some other buttons while changing weapons, etc. One note though, i put my keyboard to the left when i play, for comfort, and i usually bind my weapons to the numpad, and i use the scroller exclusively + additional buttons on my the mouse.

It's a matter of comfort and habit. I can play both with arrows and WASD, but i prefer arrows, and if there's anyone that say that playing with arrows is lame, we'lll see about that when i beat him in every game they want to, with the 'lame' arrows! :E

 

[Remus]

Well I'm different. I use only ASD and the right mouse button to go froward. Space for jumping, x use, scroll change weapons, L-ctrl for secondary fire, left mouse for primary fire.

 

[Xendance]

Well I've only recently changed the way I play. I noticed it when trying to swap with the gravity gun. I was using the arrows and it was hard.
Also, I had a wierd habit of my left hand on the arrow keys, and my right hand on space. That meant I go cross-hand.

 

[Qonfused]

WASD. Or ESDF.

 

[Pulse]

I use Q,S,A,Caps Lock

 

[Kester^]

You're all using a bad method, which causes fatigue over long periods of play. Use q w e s, that way your three movement fingers resting positions are all level with each other.

It sounds weird at first, but trust me before long you'll notice how much better it is like that.

 

[CyberPitz]

You're all using a bad method, which causes fatigue over long periods of play. Use q w e s, that way your three movement fingers resting positions are all level with each other.

It sounds weird at first, but trust me before long you'll notice how much better it is like that.

I can play an FPS for over 24 hours straight *with only about 10 minutes total for bathroom breaks..*

I don't feel "Fatigue". I remember the old days of Doom and ROTT where Control was fire and Alt was strafe. Boy was WASD just a weird concept with Quake.

 

[Kester^]

Try it out, I bet your hands will feel better after long periods of play, even if you don't notice any fatigue from how you currently play.

 

[Que-Ever]

My bound keys for HL2-

] bind q
"q" = "lastinv"
] bind w
"w" = "+forward"
] bind e
"e" = "+use"
] bind r
"r" = "+reload"
] bind t
"t" = "phys_timescale 1"
] bind y
"y" = "phys_timescale .05"
] bind u
"u" = "sv_gravity 100"
] bind i
"i" = "sv_gravity 600"
] bind o
"o" = "phys_pushscale 10000"
] bind p
"p" = "phys_pushscale 1"
] bind a
"a" = "+moveleft"
] bind s
"s" = "+back"
] bind d
"d" = "+moveright"
] bind f
"f" = "impulse 100"
] bind g
"g" = "phys_swap"
] bind h
"h" = "npc_create_equipment weapon_shotgun; npc_create npc_combine_s"
] bind j
"j" = "npc_create_equipment weapon_shotgun; npc_create npc_citizen"
] bind k
"k" = "ent_setname team1"
] bind l
"l" = "ent_setname team2"
] bind z
"z" = "+zoom"
] bind x
"x" = "sv_cheats 1; sk_max_357 36; sk_max_ar2 120; sk_max_ar2_altfire 10; sk_max_buckshot 125; sk_max_crossbow 50; sk_max_gauss_round 100; sk_max_grenade 10; sk_max_pistol 250; sk_max_rpg_round 10; sk_max_smg1 250; sk_max_smg1_grenade 10; impulse 101"
] bind c
"c" = "sk_weapon_ar2_alt_fire_duration 10; sk_weapon_ar2_alt_fire_mass 300; sk_weapon_ar2_alt_fire_radius 1000; sk_smg1_grenade_radius 100; sk_plr_num_shotgun_pellets 100"
] bind v
"v" = "sk_weapon_ar2_alt_fire_duration 1000; sk_weapon_ar2_alt_fire_mass 1000; sk_weapon_ar2_alt_fire_radius 1000; sk_smg1_grenade_radius 1000; sk_plr_num_shotgun_pellets 100; sk_plr_dmg_smg1 100; sk_plr_dmg_ar2 100; sk_plr_dmg_smg1_grenade 1000"
] bind b
"b" = "phys_timescale 0"
] bind n
"n" = "npc_create npc_zombie"
] bind m
"m" = "phys_timescale 10"
] bind ,
"," = "npc_Create npc_antlion"
] bind .
"." is not bound
] bind ctrl
"ctrl" = "+duck"
] bind space
"space" = "+jump"
] bind alt
"alt" = "+walk"

I need to fix up C and V...

 

[Dekstar]

A lot of proper left handed people use the arrow keys in the right hand. I'm left handed but still play with WSAD and mouse in my right hand. I just learned that way.

 

[Oppressor]

I used the arrow keys until last year Don't have a clue why, WASD is so much better to reach all other buttons involved

 

[sarcastinator]

I use the default controls for any game I play, even if they're really lousy. I consider it part of the learning curve.

 

[Link]

ESDF for me. I find it amusing that some WASD players ESDF players. There are several benefits that WASD users don't get, and no negetives.

 

[Kester^]

I can see the advantages of moving it across one to the right. I may try W E R D, see how that pans out.

 

[function9]

Well I'm different. I use only ASD and the right mouse button to go froward. Space for jumping, x use, scroll change weapons, L-ctrl for secondary fire, left mouse for primary fire.

Kind of close to you. I use sd for strafe, weapons are bound all around those. L-ctrl is fire, L-alt secondary, jump is space and forward left mouse button, back right mouse button. Been playing that way since q1 and I don't have a problem with it.

 

[ríomhaire]

Always WASD

 

[Hectic Glenn]

A lot of proper left handed people use the arrow keys in the right hand. I'm left handed but still play with WSAD and mouse in my right hand. I just learned that way.

I'm exactly the same. In fact I first played HL using the arrow keys, as a friend showed me. The feel of them made it easier (at the time being a complete newbie). I then forced myself to learn WASD for the obvious benefits. It's not too much of an issue, so I don't think I'll change to any of these silly T A L B or W E R D or A R S E variations.

 

[Adabiviak]

I dunno about the ESDF benefit - any key that's more than one button length away from 'home' is something I don't want to be reaching for in a pitched battle. Correct me if I'm wrong, but the only benefit is that you get extra keys to the left of your little finger? My setup only uses the little finger for crouch (shift) sprint/run (ctrl) or melee (capslock) where games have an alt fire in addition to melee. I'll use it to hit tab for inventory, but that's not something I'm doing in a firefight. I try to keep my button binds to a minimum, and close to my first three fingers so movement is hindered least.

 

[giant384]

i used arrow keys when i first started fps shooters like 4 years ago, but wasd is so much easier for the hands to reach keys.

 

[Xendance]

You're all using a bad method, which causes fatigue over long periods of play. Use q w e s, that way your three movement fingers resting positions are all level with each other.

It sounds weird at first, but trust me before long you'll notice how much better it is like that.

I dont understand. Please explain how that works?

 

[Growler1984]

I used to use the arrow keys for years, but although I can't really remember the exact time of the switch, I think I WAS doing the arrows up until the early to middle days of Quake 3 - which I thought at the time, that it was somehow easier to do.

But now I love using the WASD keys!

still, saying that, I'd probably say I was stil forced to learn the WASD keys, actually MORE because of just how much your wrist had to twist round to reach the keys - which doesn't help prevent RSI.


The ESDF keys sounds interesting alright; I never really thought about trying them out - I can certainly see the advantages of them:
R = use/enter
A = flashlight
G = gravity gun [or sometimes 3rd mouse button]
\ = crouch
T = reload
spacebar still jump
W & Q keys can be for other things I've forgotten about at the mo

mmMMMMMmmm

 

[DEATHMASTER]

E S D F, biggest advantages over W A S D being more keys and the F has the bump thing so I can never forget where keys are.

 

[Xendance]

Well since most of you are giving your controls out, ill give mine:
W - Forward
A - Left strafe
S - Backwards
R - Right strafe
Q - Previous weapon
G - Gravity gun
Z - Zoom
E - Use
Left click - Fire
Right click - Jump
Mouse 3 - Secondary fire
Shift - Crouch
Space/Ctrl - Sprint

 

[Jintor]

I was using arrow keys to play Duke Nukem 3d... when I was 7.

Ah, the days of the 5-hour-long demo. How I miss you.

 

[Ophiguris]

I'm more of a console gamer, and the left analog stick is normally for movement, so using WASD is more comfortable because it's more like a game controller.

 

[giant384]

I'm more of a console gamer, and the left analog stick is normally for movement, so using WASD is more comfortable because it's more like a game controller.

LOL that doesn't really make sense at all,but w/e

 

[_Z_Ryuken]

I used the arrow keys up until I started playing Unreal. WASD is fine.

 

[Ophiguris]

LOL that doesn't really make sense at all,but w/e

Yeah it does, look at an X-Box controller for instance, you use your left thumb on the left analog in order to move around right? Well WASD is on the left side of the keyboard, the layout just feels more comfortable!

 

[mastag]

I used to use an ASDF layout. D is forward, A is back, S is strafe left, and F is strafe right. it actually works pretty well, but i got used to wasd

 

[Ophiguris]

I'll have to try your way sometime, it sounds interesting...

 

[diluted]

My left arm gets fatigued if I use WASD. I've tried to switch over a few times but I always end up going back to the good old arrow keys. The thing that really sucks about it is that I have to customize the key bindings in every game, which can be annoying.

 

[2Fast4U]

A lot of proper left handed people use the arrow keys in the right hand. I'm left handed but still play with WSAD and mouse in my right hand. I just learned that way.

Same.

 

[comoxer]

Anyone use those Gaming keyboards, IdeaZon or something like that with the keys specifically laid out for you?

isn't there a mouse out there where you dont use a keyboard? reads your mind or something