AOE2 on Laptop with no mouse

[RamDad]

Hi, I've been playing without a mouse and I know this is slow using the scrol pad and hotkeys as best I can. I have a problem with RSI and can't use a mouse.
Question:- Am I wastng my time tryiing to compete ? - the best times for fast castle are around 20 mins and fast Feudal about 13 mins.
Any idea how these times would translate if using a mouse.
Thanks L

[Slut Pop San Diego]

Well I play on a laptop and sometimes use the pad even on games that are shooters. I find it musch harder obviously but I believe that you can do just as well on a game like this :D

[NIKFS]

I often played aoe when traveling on a netbook, it is certainly possible to play with a touchpad, but harder
If you use hotkeys much you will most likely only have problems microing your troops, but otherwise you should be fine

[RamDad]

Great thanks guys for the encouragement. Any ideas on what civs might suit using a pad instead of a mouse? - I am tending towards Teutons for their defenses and low cost fields or Huns because of no houses which speeds things up a little.

[Slut Pop San Diego]

Now that I can't help with sorry haha

[RamDad]

I guess I'll never take on Viper, but no worries anywhere in the first 200,000 will do ha ha!!

[Wrzlprnft]

I'd suggest civ that do not rely on neither many or low health units, because easier mckro as well as that one mangonel shot might not hurt as bad if your units are still alive for you to micro.
Depending on the context maybe koreans?

A afterthought I'd take a step back from archer civs, bht that's my personal experience with a pad.

[RamDad]

Thanks Wrzipmft, I'll give that a try. My learning curve is still quite steep getting to know the counters and trying to keep the economy going whilst trying some rushing - all very challenging at this stage but great fun. L

[Wrzlprnft]

One thing that helped me really back then was: set the waypoint of villagers on the next tree. Even if you retask them afterwards, they do something while you click around.

[RamDad]

Great thanks :-)

[76561198336036651]

There are special ergonomic mice designed for people with RSI. I'm really not knowledgeable on this subject but I assume that works equally well if not better than trackpads.
They are not too expensive (ranging from 40 to 100$)

[RamDad]

Thanks asdf, I have one of those mice and it does improve things but doesn't solve the problem. As you know gaming is quite intense moouse wise so I wouldn't risk it, asking for trouble. Thanks for your consideration. L

[NIKFS]

Originally posted by LudvigVon:

Thanks asdf, I have one of those mice and it does improve things but doesn't solve the problem. As you know gaming is quite intense moouse wise so I wouldn't risk it, asking for trouble. Thanks for your consideration. L

I dont know about your condition, but i suppose the problem isnt the movement of the mouse but the repetetive clicking? As otherwise i dont get how touchpad would help?
In that case maybe rebind your mousekeys to some keys on your keyboard, as far as i know you can do that and use some keys on your keyboard for the mouse buttons on the one hand which isnt damaged, if its on both well then i guess this wont work