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How WASD became the standard PC control scheme (2016)

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11–20 of 83 posts

Re: How WASD became the standard PC control scheme (2016)

#11

Yet ESDF is objectively better because it frees up Q, A, Z, and W to easily be used for other keybinds. The number of people I've seen stretch their pinky down to Left-CTRL for crouch boggles my mind. With ESDF, crouch is A! Yes, this is a very tiny hill on which to die on, but it's my hill!

First shooter I played at home was Esoteria, with ESDF.

Re: How WASD became the standard PC control scheme (2016)

#12
Crossfire for the Apple][ series ( https://youtu.be/Vi1Yo13TO28 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crossfire_(1981_video_game) ) had IJKL for movement and ESDF for shooting.

I do want to say that for some reason, I remember IJKM and ESDX for controls though. That was a rather uncomfortable control layout (which is why I remember it).

Re: How WASD became the standard PC control scheme (2016)

#13

Yet ESDF is objectively better because it frees up Q, A, Z, and W to easily be used for other keybinds. The number of people I've seen stretch their pinky down to Left-CTRL for crouch boggles my mind. With ESDF, crouch is A! Yes, this is a very tiny hill on which to die on, but it's my hill!

ESDF is also more natural to touch-typers as it’s basically the same as the left hand “home position” of ASDF. And it’s easy to locate without looking, since the F key usually has a raised marker on most keyboards.

Re: How WASD became the standard PC control scheme (2016)

#14

Yet ESDF is objectively better because it frees up Q, A, Z, and W to easily be used for other keybinds. The number of people I've seen stretch their pinky down to Left-CTRL for crouch boggles my mind. With ESDF, crouch is A! Yes, this is a very tiny hill on which to die on, but it's my hill!

Agreed, but everyone I’ve ever discussed this matter with has called it FEDS vs WADS

Re: How WASD became the standard PC control scheme (2016)

#15
I always preferred Q/E to strafe, A/D to turn. But these days, almost no games actually let you bind keys to turn anymore. This makes me sad.

Of course I use the mouse for precision turning and aiming. But if I'm just navigating through a map without interacting with anything, turn keys let me do that one-handed, while the other hand reaches for a snack or drink!

Unfortunately I'm permanently stuck with the Q/E habit even though it's no longer useful... doomed (so to speak) forever to waste time rebinding my keys every time I start a new game.

(To streamline things I've made a rule: Whatever is bound to E I move to mouse 4, and Q to mouse 5, then I rebind Q/E to strafe. Luckily no games have defaults set to mouse 4 or 5 since not everyone has 5-button mice. Still, I get really pissed when a game decides to have five different independently-configured control schemes for different contexts, like "on foot" vs "in a vehicle", and I have to go through all of them...)

Re: How WASD became the standard PC control scheme (2016)

#16

Yet ESDF is objectively better because it frees up Q, A, Z, and W to easily be used for other keybinds. The number of people I've seen stretch their pinky down to Left-CTRL for crouch boggles my mind. With ESDF, crouch is A! Yes, this is a very tiny hill on which to die on, but it's my hill!

> Yet ESDF is objectively better

Subjectively better.

If I were to switch to ESDF, I would have only one key to the right of my index finger in each row, as opposed to two. (I have a split keyboard.) You could argue that I would have two keys to the left of my pinky finger, but I find that reach more difficult.

I would also have a harder time orienting my fingers without looking, because I would no longer have the differently-shaped keys under my pinky to let me know I was in the right place. (The indentation that indicates home position on my F key is subtle, and easy to miss when I'm focused on the action in a game.)

Re: How WASD became the standard PC control scheme (2016)

#17

Yet ESDF is objectively better because it frees up Q, A, Z, and W to easily be used for other keybinds. The number of people I've seen stretch their pinky down to Left-CTRL for crouch boggles my mind. With ESDF, crouch is A! Yes, this is a very tiny hill on which to die on, but it's my hill!

ESDF is also more natural to touch-typers as it’s basically the same as the left hand “home position” of ASDF. And it’s easy to locate without looking, since the F key usually has a raised marker on most keyboards.

I touch type, but I've always felt WASD more "natural" or comfortable for gaming. I've tried ESDF but can't get used to it... For me I think it really is that the edge of the keyboard helps anchor and give a solid reference for where the hand is and those keys at the edge will be easily hittable by everyone. Also, a lot of times my pinky awkwardly rests inbetween the shift & z.

Re: How WASD became the standard PC control scheme (2016)

#20

Yet ESDF is objectively better because it frees up Q, A, Z, and W to easily be used for other keybinds. The number of people I've seen stretch their pinky down to Left-CTRL for crouch boggles my mind. With ESDF, crouch is A! Yes, this is a very tiny hill on which to die on, but it's my hill!

Funny, haven't seen esdf mention in ages. I used to use ESDF exclusively. I eventually gave it up though just due to needing to remap it in ever damn game. Plus some wouldn't let me remap, which was even more annoying.
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