Your keyboard & mouse setup for FPSs.

[mike breck]

Hi all,

One of the most important factors in successful single-player or multi-player gaming.
Being left-handed I prefer to keep slide the keyboard to the left and have all the keyboard controls at my fingertips so I don't have to move my hand.

Mouse 1 - Fire
Mouse 2 - Use

Forward - Numpad 8
Back - Numpad 5
Strafe Left - Numpad 4
Strafe Right - Numpad 6
Next Weapon - Numpad +
Jump - Numpad Enter (thumb)
Crouch - Numpad 0/ins (thumb)
Reload - Numpad Del (thumb)

Any other keyboard controls are relegated to Numpad - * or /

What's your key(s) to success?

[Iman74]

Well I'm a lefty that uses the mouse in a right handed manner.

When playing Unreal Tournament I go as follows

Mouse Left Button shoots
Right is the alternate shoot
Scroll button for changing buttons

Keyboard primary controls that I use
W = forward
S = back
A = left
D = right
Spacebar = Jump
Left Shift = I forgot what is called but basically you walk in a side ways manner.

And that's all I can remember now. Who has time for games? Not me. I have homework....school stinks.
College that is.

[PMich]

I stick with the standard WASD layout. I like it because in most games the numbers on top of the keyboard are hotkeys for weapon selection. I like to carry a lot of weapons around and not have to scroll to get through them.

I like the spacebar for jump because it is really hard to miss.

I use "e" for use because I am usually going forward when I need to use something (open door, flip switch, etc.) and the "e" key is right next to the "w" key.

I use shift for crouch and ctrl for walk since I do more crouching than walking and its more comfortable for me that way.

I save the right mouse button for alternate fire or don't do anything with it.

This setup helps me keep my brain straight because all looking and firing are done with one hand and movements and weapon selections with the other.

[pam123]

I'm right handed so I keep the WASD configuration, since I touch type it's easier that way. I also use a trackball, dicey at first but improved greatly with practice, and I use the keyboard for the third mouse button that would otherwise be for reloading weapons. I've seldom used the numerical pad or the arrow keys.
In RTS games I usually assign hot keys to groups which makes for faster response times than dragging a box around them. The first RTS game I played was Homeworld and it was necessary. I learned that the hard way.
I'm considering another trackball though. The present one is a logitech marble wheel and as I start playing more FPS it's becoming a liability. Keeping in mind that it has to be a trackball, lack of space, do you have any suggestions?

[Jenni]

Well, I guess I'm a real weirdo, but here's what I use---arrow keys for direction, CTRL for crouch, shift for walk, enter for use, mouse1 for fire, mouse 2 for alt. fire, mouse3 (clicking down the scroll wheel) for jump, and mouse wheel for cycling weapons. If I'm at my brother's house, then mouse4 is the use key.

[Orcmonkey]

Psh... You are all wrong! Here is the ultimate HL/Counter-strike setups

ahem....

mouse 1-Fire
Mouse 2-Sidestep right
Mouse 3(push in wheel)- Alt. Fire
Mouse 4 (intellimouse thumb button)-Sidestep lef
W-forward
S-Back
A&D-Turn
Shift-Jump (pinky)
Space-Duck(thumb)
E-Use
R-Reload
Q-Walk

And some other misc. keys...

[RJ]

My CS key setup:

F1 - buy
F2 - buy prim. ammo
F3 - buy sec. ammo
F4 - buy equipment

W - move forward
S - move backward
A - strafe left
D - strafe right

shift left - duck
ctrl left - walk
space - jump

E - use
R - reload weapon
T - spraylogo
F - flashlight
Y - radio commands
X - group radio commands
C - response radio commands

M - change team

left mouse - fire
mouse wheel click- use
right mouse - weapon secondary function
mouse wheel up/down - change weapon

mouse inverted (pull mouse = show up, push mouse = show down)

RJ

[DrZaius]

Standard "W-A-S-D + Ctrl + Space + Mouse" setup.

[southrk]

Counterstrike -

left and right keys straffe left and right
up and down keys move forward and back
left mouse - fire
right - use
scroll wheel - weapon selection
ctrl - jump
return - crouch
shift - walk

[mike breck]

It's really interesting to see how others approach this underated technique of gaming.

Although, I must tell you I'm famous now. My 14yr old son came back from school today and told me that two of his friends like playing RTCW the 'Mike Breck way'. "What do you mean the 'Mike Breck way'", I asked suspciously, waiting for the sacarstic punchline.

My son said "I showed them how to use the Numpad keys as you do and they thought it was cool".

Don't laugh! It's nice to thought of as "cool" when your approaching fifty.

Keep them coming.

[DragonBreath]

Playing Rune (based on UT engine) is as follows

Left mouse = attack
Right mouse = guard
Scroll wheel button = jump
Arrow keys = move forward & back, strafe left & right
Delete key = throw weapon
End key = stow weapon
page down key = taunt
Num pad 0 = change sword
Num pad 1 = change axe
Num pad 2 = change hammer
Right ctrl = use & pick up
Right menu = crouch
Right win key = rune power


I find this easiest for me seeing as there is minimal finger movement. I also
have my mouse sensitivity set to 100 in the game wich makes for very easy
movement, with it like this I can spin the map 360dgs only moving the
mouse about 3/4 of an inch.
If you've never played this game check it out. It's a kickass game. Like I said
earlier in this post it's based on the UT engine. Except it's up close and
personal hand to hand combat The Viking way.

Check out Our clan sight www.junnhorde.homestead.com
The official game sight is www.runegame.com

[Prew]

I use the keypad also, 0 key is for translocator or reload

[mike breck]

Yes DragonBreath,

I really enjoyed Rune. Suprisingly, I think I enjoyed more than Severance: Blade of Darkness, although Severance was technically a much better game.

I think Severance's downfall was it's rigid combat system and controls. Rune had more traditional controls which allowed more choice and freedom in combat.

I still remember flying out of the caves on the dragon/animal's (I can't remember exactly what it was) back. A nice gaming moment.

[mosquito]

Settings for counterstrike (the only fps I play)

Mouse (ms intellieye optical):
Mouse 1 fire
Mouse 2 run
mouse 3 reload
mouse 4 alt-fire
mouse 5 use

keys (all num keyboard):
5 = Duck
2 = Back
8 = Jump
4 = Strafe left
6 = Strafe right
7 = Use
9 = Reload
3 = Alt fire
/ = Buy menu
* = buy Ammo 1
- = buy Ammo 2
+ = buy Item

The rest is unused because I keep whacking them uncontrolled ;-)

[aym]

After playing Half-Life I liked its setup, and I use it when I play any other shooter:
Move: W-S-A-D
Fire: Mouse1 Alt-Fire: Mouse2
Jump: Space Duck: C
Walk: Shift
change Weapon: Mouse Wheel
Use: E
Reload: R
.
.
.

[muddog]

my config for all fps are the same as aym_7's except for quake 3

w-a-s-d
change weapon: wheel
left MB: fire
right MB: rocket launcher
jump: space

all my friends think im weird for not jumping with the right MB. i aleady am wierd i guess.

[mike breck]

Nope,

It's whatever works best for you.

[Xayd]

Num pad right, mouse left. ins/home/del/end/pgup/pgdn for teamsay binds.

[KuhnDog]

I find the pre-set key contols to Retun To Castle Wolfenstien very easy to operate and very comforatable. The go as folows:

forward-w
backwards-s
straff left-a
straff right-d
reload-r
crouch-x or c( c on mine x on my friends)
jump-mouse button two
fire-mouse button one
change weapon scroll wheel
chat-y
quick chat- v (then combintation of numbers)