Why WASD and not ESDF?

[ajshell1]

I was looking at my keyboard recently, when I asked myself "why does EVERY GAME that doesn't use the arrow keys for movement have WASD as the default and not ESDF? With ESDF, your left hand is exactly where the fingers normally would be for typing (the "home position", as my typing software called it). Also, you can use the Q, A, and Z keys for other functions while still being able to use tab, caps lock, shift, and alt keys, with W, X, R, and V doing the same thing as QZEC. So overall you get access to more buttons this way. You would still have to reach for ` and Escape, but you would have to reach for those keys anyway.

TL;DR: Why do we use WASD instead of ESDF?

[MiCHAEL xd]

Bottom line you can use what you want if you are more comfortable with "ESDF" then use that but I have been using WASD for years and don't see the point in changing now.

[Xcalknight]

引用自 an lol mellow|merry christmasp：

i dont think keyboard can press more than like a few at a time anyway

In MMOs and FPSs like COD and BF1, I use a lot of keys and some different keys that are associated with other programs to communicate to people on Discord, Skype or TeamSpeak because I use push to talk (I don't like other ppl just hearing whatever I say) Even in Skyrim and Fallout, I use a lot of hotkeys because I have a mod that allows you to bind custom hotkeys so I've assigned outfits and guns and spells (in Skyrim) to different hotkeys to prevent me from going into the menu all the time to change things.

I know it all boils down to personal preference. To those who're willing to try something different for once, try ESDF. If you have your specific reasons for not being able to or it just would feel unnatural, like mellow merry christmas does, then ya know, that's fine.

引用自 btimran：

Bottom line you can use what you want if you are more comfortable with "ESDF" then use that but I have been using WASD for years and don't see the point in changing now.

you're just stuck in your ways and that's fine too but I think you could learn to love ESDF easily if you don't think using your pinky is awkward.

[Xcalknight]

引用自 zert：

ESDF makes ctrl harder to reach, have to bend my pinky in a weird way

^ agreed - but I still gain a lot more functionality and what does Ctrl do that Alt cannot? Run, Walk, Crouch, Prone? I have to remap all my keys anyways because most of all games default to WASD so I just avoid having to use the Ctrl button really.

[shoopy]

ESDF makes it harder to use ctrl and alt too. I can barely reach either one in that position.

But both are easy from WASD position.

It also makes it harder to use Z X and C without sacrificing your movement ability.

[Taffer]

It's easier to use WASD than it is to move everything one key to the right.

[PsydeFX]

I tried reading through everyone's posts, but..

I actually use rmb in place of w (I'm old and began on doom, and rmb was forward...) and I can't stand to play games that I can't use rmb as forward. When I do this, it frees up my fingers and hand movement so much that I can react so much faster. Also, it allows me to move and strafe while performing so many other functions without compromising any mobility whatsoever.

[shoopy]

引用自 PsydeFX：

I tried reading through everyone's posts, but..

I actually use rmb in place of w (I'm old and began on doom, and rmb was forward...) and I can't stand to play games that I can't use rmb as forward. When I do this, it frees up my fingers and hand movement so much that I can react so much faster. Also, it allows me to move and strafe while performing so many other functions without compromising any mobility whatsoever.

I used RMB as forward for a while back in the old days. I started using W in Quake because it made jinking easier and because I started backpedalling a lot more and it made more sense to have W be the opposite of S.

Rolling across AWD to do a half circle move is a lot smoother than A RMB D

Edit:
Also the quickest way into the center of a blast radius is a straight line so it's better to throw in some W and S in games like Quake and TF to make it less easy to lead you since rockets tend to be aimed at your feet. They're less likely to lead you correctly if you add unusual directions.

[PsydeFX]

引用自 ardiel：

引用自 PsydeFX：

I tried reading through everyone's posts, but..

I actually use rmb in place of w (I'm old and began on doom, and rmb was forward...) and I can't stand to play games that I can't use rmb as forward. When I do this, it frees up my fingers and hand movement so much that I can react so much faster. Also, it allows me to move and strafe while performing so many other functions without compromising any mobility whatsoever.

I used RMB as forward for a while back in the old days. I started using W in Quake because it made jinking easier and because I started backpedalling a lot more and it made more sense to have W be the opposite of S.

Rolling across AWD to do a half circle move is a lot smoother than A RMB D

Edit:
Also the quickest way into the center of a blast radius is a straight line so it's better to throw in some W and S in games like Quake and TF to make it less easy to lead you since rockets tend to be aimed at your feet. They're less likely to lead you correctly if you add unusual directions.

Yea, I played a lot of tf2 so I know you gotta be moving almost constantly or you'll get picked off by someone. But, now it's 2nd nature. I can do a semi circle just as well but there's no thought to how I do it, it just happens lol. I do alot of semi circling as sniper or engie to dodge projectiles or snipers.

I just hate using w to move forward. It makes my fingers feel restricted when I need to reach a number or top row letter while also moving forward.

[ma bakkara]

[Xcalknight]

引用自 ardiel：

ESDF makes it harder to use ctrl and alt too. I can barely reach either one in that position.

But both are easy from WASD position.

It also makes it harder to use Z X and C without sacrificing your movement ability.

Again, use your thumb if you got it. It's not hard. If you got all 5 of your fingers, try using them.

引用自 PsydeFX：

I tried reading through everyone's posts, but..

I actually use rmb in place of w (I'm old and began on doom, and rmb was forward...) and I can't stand to play games that I can't use rmb as forward. When I do this, it frees up my fingers and hand movement so much that I can react so much faster. Also, it allows me to move and strafe while performing so many other functions without compromising any mobility whatsoever.

Maybe I'm special but my mouse has 12 configurable buttons and middle mouse scroll. Those games where you have to use right mouse for like alt fire or zoom, you could use one of the other 10 buttons on this mouse to be your "forward" button. Of course, you'd have to use your thumb which it seems like a lot of these WASD users can't or won't do.

[PsydeFX]

引用自 Xcalknight：

引用自 ardiel：

ESDF makes it harder to use ctrl and alt too. I can barely reach either one in that position.

But both are easy from WASD position.

It also makes it harder to use Z X and C without sacrificing your movement ability.

Again, use your thumb if you got it. It's not hard. If you got all 5 of your fingers, try using them.

引用自 PsydeFX：

I tried reading through everyone's posts, but..

I actually use rmb in place of w (I'm old and began on doom, and rmb was forward...) and I can't stand to play games that I can't use rmb as forward. When I do this, it frees up my fingers and hand movement so much that I can react so much faster. Also, it allows me to move and strafe while performing so many other functions without compromising any mobility whatsoever.

Maybe I'm special but my mouse has 12 configurable buttons and middle mouse scroll. Those games where you have to use right mouse for like alt fire or zoom, you could use one of the other 10 buttons on this mouse to be your "forward" button. Of course, you'd have to use your thumb which it seems like a lot of these WASD users can't or won't do.

I have a g502 Proteus core mouse, so I have all the buttons I need on it but anything besides rmb for forward would feel clunky. For alt fire/zoom/scope, I use x. I don't even have to lift my finger to press it, just kinda bend it at the joint. I can scope so fast that way without sacrificing ng any fingers or mobility, but if it's not a toggle scope, it doesn't work the same. Having to hold to scope is the same feeling as having to use w to walk forward.

But, my thumb needs to be on space bar. It's only function is to jump lol. Any other place would feel weird to me. Using it to hit alt when it's already shifted further to the right would feel clunky to me if I used esdf.

[Zef]

Because my lil pinky hurts when i use ESDF.

[Xcalknight]

引用自 PsydeFX：

But, my thumb needs to be on space bar. It's only function is to jump lol. Any other place would feel weird to me. Using it to hit alt when it's already shifted further to the right would feel clunky to me if I used esdf.

I use my thumb to bring up communication options and jump and that's pretty much it in FPS. Shift is crouch, one of the mouse buttons is run, and another one of my buttons on the mouse slows down my DPI for sniping. Like I said, I mostly avoid using ctrl and alt but if I have to in MMOs, its doesn't bother me to stretch for just a moment.

引用自 Caelistas：

Because my lil pinky hurts when i use ESDF.

poor baby :(

[Amberbaum]

*sigh* you're acting like some missioner that won't accept that people have different believes or that your believe doesn't work for everyone.
Everytime someone says it doesn't works for them or it is uncomfortable for them or asking what it has to do with you, you go "But....but...but... It's way better then WASD! You just didn't tried it! You'll have much access to other keys this way. No, no, no I won't accept x or y. I'll only accept it if you call yourself a plep or indoctrinated etc."

Did you even read your own comments? You basically are calling everyone indoctrinated or a pleb who uses WASD (because that's the answer you would accept). Stop preaching ESDF to people who aren't interested. You necroed a 2 year old thread just to post your opinion and won't accept it if someone else prefers a different keyboard setup then you. It makes you really sound like some fanatic.

引用自 Xcalknight：

Do I actually care about what you do with your fingers? Nope, don't give a f*ck but it's just the bs answers people give like...

Nothing you write here makes it sounds like you give a f*ck how people do their setup. In fact you really, really care about how others use their keyboard for gaming when it really shouldn't matter to you.

引用自 zert：

muh ESDF superiority

引用自 Studio Cat：

wow. You posted a lot to prove a matter of opinion in your necroing a two year dead thread.

You said your piece. It's time to move on. I don't think that anyone who found their ideal keyboard setup with whom they are comfortable with will change their mind just because you say "No, mine is better and I won't accept your reasoning." If anyone is interested in using ESDF, they will try it out. If not, then non.

If you are happy with ESDF then good for you. If people are happy with [X] then good for them.

[Mysticjon]

also, wasd was used when peoples right hand was on the arrow keys - before even mice were popular gaming controls (other than Lemmings on the AMIGA)