Keyboard Control Layout

[OldMan]

Several people in game have commented on my unusual keyboard layout for playing FPS games. It's a layout I have been using since the dawn of FPS's. I thought everybody did it my way because it seemed logical and way more efficient than the traditional "WASD" layout. I guess I'm the freak, who knew? Let me share it with you and explain why I do it this way, maybe you can experience it and save yourself hand strain and have more enjoyment from your games.

The equipment I'm currently gaming on is a Logitech G510 keyboard and a Microsoft Sidewinder X8 mouse.

I like the G510 for the Gkeys on the left side of the keyboard that are easily reachable with my pinky during gaming. I have quite large hands and spanning a keyboard is pretty easy. And I change the keyboard color layout depending on which game I'm playing, and that's pretty cool.

Here is my typical layout, depending on the game, but for the most part they are all very similar:
Forward - R
Back - F
Jump - E
Crouch - V
Strafe Left - Q
Strafe Right - W
Use/Interact - Space Bar
Fire Main - Mouse Left Button
Fire Secondary / Scope - Mouse Right Button
Sprint/Call for medic - Mouse Wheel Press
Reload Weapon - Lower Mouse Thumb Button
Grenade (or similar function, turret in BL2 for example) - Upper Mouse Thumb Button
I have weapon switch bound to mouse wheel up and down, but the number keys are very easy to hit in this configuration also.
For ease of use, I bind something to my keypad enter key because it's right near my right thumb while using my mouse, I have it bound to the "thanks" command in TF2 for example.

These controls work with most games, I use the G key and the B key depending on the game as they are easily reachable, so in DoDs G is the prone function for example. In TF2 my G key is the "taunt" function.

Now, set up this way, I angle my keyboard slightly so my hand rests without any strain on the keyboard and my right index finger rests on the F key, which is a home key with a little bump on it for easy finding. And the rest of my hand rests on the next row up. Middle finger on the R, ring finger on the E and pinky on the Q, thumb on the Space Bar.

With this setup my hand doesn't get tired and I can reach every key quite easily, the extra Gkeys on my keyboard are just a quick pinky stretch away, and the Tab key, which for most games is an "info" function is right there under my pinky as well.

I know this sounds pretty unusual to most of you "WASD" gamers, but maybe give it a try if you like and let me know what you think. What keyboard layout do you use? Is it traditional or radical?

[TTHREAZ]

That's a new one to me. I'm a WASD guy myself and I've heard about people raving about ESDF but I've never seen this one.

[The Domer]

Wow, that is a unique set-up. It wouldn't work for me because I don't have a mouse with extra buttons, and it seems like it would be really hard to adjust from the WASD style to something so drastically different.

[black_and_blue]

The few times that I played the classic TF for quake, I actually used the arrow keys to move. But ever since TFC, I've been a WASD fan.

The only customisation I've done is swap the taunt and action buttons because in MVM I kept finding that if I had to press H to use a canteen, I'd often taunt accidentally.

[YoullNeverWalkAlone]

What's a mouse?

[Katotsu]

It seems really good for not stressing your hand, but I don't think I'd be able to use it. I'd have to relearn everything, and other than movement (which you've listed) I don't think I'd know where to put it. I'll give it a try and see how long I can go. Being on a laptop, I might have to give in early

Also, you thought yours was the normal way when you had to go in and change your keybinds every time you got a new game?

[OldMan]

It seems really good for not stressing your hand, but I don't think I'd be able to use it. I'd have to relearn everything, and other than movement (which you've listed) I don't think I'd know where to put it. I'll give it a try and see how long I can go. Being on a laptop, I might have to give in early

Also, you thought yours was the normal way when you had to go in and change your keybinds every time you got a new game?

Kat, it was a joke about mine being the "norm"! I've never played a game where I DIDN'T remap the keys. This will probably not work well on a laptop, the keyboard is flatter and the key spacing is much different on a laptop. I also put the keyboard at an angle on my desktop to match the curve of my hand so I don't have any wrist strain, something you can't do on a laptop without putting the screen at a bad angle to view.