Post your keyboard changes!

[Player2]

Must be something wrong with me.  I play with the classic set up and change nothing.

[Scarlet Shocker]

I use an Orbweaver

[Shenanigunner]

 

8 hours ago, Player2 said:

Must be something wrong with me.  I play with the classic set up and change nothing.

 

I'd honestly be the first to say there's nothing wrong with that. If you use nothing but the basic control key (movement/combat) there's not a lot that can be improved, other than nulling out other keys you tend to hit by accident.. (It makes me pound my head on the desk when someone says "I don't have time for binds" followed by "G'damn, I wish I could quit hitting [WRONG KEY] every time I do [OTHER KEY}"...)

 

But if you haven't explored what some remapping can do to improve game "management" and non-control key functions... well, okay.

 

 

4 hours ago, Scarlet Shocker said:

I use an Orbweaver

 

I've never found the combination of motion device and buttons to be... effective. Even the two extra buttons on my Logi go largely unused, although I do map them to Travel/Stop for most of my alts. It's just the wrong combination of hand/finger skills when you can effectively put so much on the other hand.

 

ETA: This includes use of such devices for productive apps as well (CAD, graphics, video edit, even office stuff). There are always... better solutions than two-upping one hand's functions. IMVHO. (Which did not and never has kept me from wishing a SpaceBall was a better control option than it actually was.)

 

But then, if sensible ergonomics and optimal hand interface were given the time of day, laptops would have 10% of the market. 🙂

 

 

 

Edited April 11 by Shenanigunner

[Scarlet Shocker]

12 minutes ago, Shenanigunner said:

 

 

I'd honestly be the first to say there's nothing wrong with that. If you use nothing but the basic control key (movement/combat) there's not a lot that can be improved, other than nulling out other keys you tend to hit by accident.. (It makes me pound my head on the desk when someone says "I don't have time for binds" followed by "G'damn, I wish I could quit hitting [WRONG KEY] every time I do [OTHER KEY}"...)

 

But if you haven't explored what some remapping can do to improve game "management" and non-control key functions... well, okay.

 

 

 

I've never found the combination of motion device and buttons to be... effective. Even the two extra buttons on my Logi go largely unused, although I do map them to Travel/Stop for most of my alts. It's just the wrong combination of hand/finger skills when you can effectively put so much on the other hand.

 

But then, if sensible ergonomics and optimal hand interface were given the time of day, laptops would have 10% of the market. 🙂

 

I first used a Belkin Nostromo n52, many years ago. I've always loved the thumb jump and the movement rocker switch - I won't say it makes me a good player but it allows me to keep up with the better twitch players even in my dotage. I play a fair bit of MWO which is 100% PVP and some of those guys are very good so it gives me just enough of an edge to keep in the game.

 

The Orbweaver isn't as good as the Nostromo (I had to replace my Belkin with a Razer Nostromo) but since those aren't available it's the best option. Sadly it seems nobody's really making anything like that any longer.

 

I should also add that I use a razer Naga mouse so I have two sets of powers handy. I will typically use tray 1 as range powers triggered by Naga, tray 2 as toggles & travel and Tray 3 as melee/misc attacks on the Orb. It's a reasonable combo. I almost always have 7 trays in my UI and some ATs need pretty well every damned slot - especially with temps!

 

 

This is typical; Doll's Eyes is my Plant/Poison troller.

Edited April 11 by Scarlet Shocker
mouse

[Shenanigunner]

2 minutes ago, Scarlet Shocker said:

The Orbweaver isn't as good as the Nostromo (I had to replace my Belkin with a Razer Nostromo) but since those aren't available it's the best option. Sadly it seems nobody's really making anything like that any longer.

 

Because, IMO, niche product that was never really the advantage for most users. Kind of a wankel: different for different's sake. I couldn't begin to list the various configurations of one-hand controls that have come and gone, most so wonky only a chimp trained from birth could use them, much less use them "better."

 

The standard keyboard/mouse layout is a ways from optimal even for day-in, day-out use of computers, but it's pretty good, it's universal and it's cheap to replicate. For gaming, you either adapt YOU to that basic input system, or you adapt the overall control system to YOU, and it's evident that the latter solutions are very narrow ones, with any one rarely used by even a double-digit percentage of players.

 

(I've been working in user optimization and ergo since long before it grew kewl acronyms and names. You'd be surprised how... cyclical a lot of it is. The stand-up/sit-down desk that made such waves ca. The Great Lockdown was invented in 1920...)