FPS Controls

What controls do you use for FPS games? I'm talking more about post-quake games where you generally use the mouse you aim.

Some game don't have some of these functions, but meh. There are also countless functions I didn't bother with.

Fire - Left Mouse
Secondary Fire - Right Mouse
Look Up/Down/Left/Right - Mouse movement
Forwards - W
Backwards - S
Strafe Left - A
Strafe Right - D
Jump - Space
Crouch - C
Use - E
Reload - E
Walk/Run - Left Shift
Flashlight - F
Next Weapon - Mousewheel Up
Previous Weapon - Mousewheel down

Mouse Y Axis Inverted? - Yes

enter = activate/use
mousewheel = zoom
leftmouse = fire
rightmouse = jump
left/right = strafe left/right
up/down = forward/back
crouch = z
prone = x

w/e is easy to use but gets the job done properly

Fire - Left mouse button
Alt Fire - Mouse wheel (acts as third button when pressed down) or X
Forward - Right mouse button
Backward - Mouse wheel if there is no Alt-Fire
Strafe - Hold down Alt
Jump - Space (/ if there is a use function)
Use - Space or Enter
Duck - C
Reload - R
Run - Shift
Next weapon - Don't use
Swim up - A or D
Swim down - Z or C
Use item or artifact - Enter

I use the exact config that Toke gave me years ago:

a = strafe left
s = strafe right
right mouse button = move forward
spacebar = move backward
d = jump (SP only)
left mouse button = shoot
left shift = use
mouse_sensitivity (ZDoom) = 2

Fire - Main Mouse
Look Up/Down/Left/Right - Mouse movement
Forwards - Up Arrow
Backwards - Down Arrow
Strafe Left - Left Arrow
Strafe Right - Right Arrow
Jump - Middle Mouse (Wheel)
Crouch - C
Use - Secondary Mouse button - unless there is a secondary fire in the game - then secondary mouse gets used for that and Enter or E becomes "use"
Reload - R
Walk/Run - Shift /Caps Lock for toggle if poss
Flashlight - F
Next Weapon - Mousewheel Up
Previous Weapon - Mousewheel down

Mouse Y Axis Inverted? - Yes

And I'm a left hander so main mouse is the right button.

Fire - LMB
Alt attack / something else that probably has to do with the way the gun fires - RMB
Jump - MMB
Next weapon - mousewheel up
Previous weapon - mousewheel down
Move forward - up arrow
Backpedal - down arrow
Strafe left - left arrow
Strafe right - right arrow
Crouch - ctrl
Use - enter
Reload - delete
Run - shift
Inventory Next - ]
Inventory Previous - [
Use inventory item - '
Flashlight - \
Night vision goggles - n (duh)
Team say - t (only in CS)
Say to all - y (only in CS, in all other games, I use T)

Gernal FPS key setup for Captain Red:

Fire = Mouse Button 1
Alt. Fire = Mouse Button 2
Move foward = w
Move Backwards = s
Move Left = a
Move Right = d
Walk/run = Shift
Duck = q
Jump = e
Use = Space
Next weapon = mousewheel down
Previous weapon = mousewheel up
Next item = z
Previous item = x
Use item = Ctrl
Reload = r

Always Run = Yes
Always Mouselook = Yes
Invert Mouse = Yes

turn left - left
turn right - right
strafe left - a
strafe right - s
shoot - control
forward - numpad up
back - numpad down
look up - numpad pgup
look down - numpad pgdn
look center - numpad home
jump - numpad end


there, happy?

Good question, since I haven't played any newer games since I switched to my current config for Doom a few months ago. But I imagine it would now be:
Movement: WASD
Fire: MB1
Alt-Fire: MB2
Jump: MB3
Use: Space-bar
Crouch: LCtrl (maybe, now that I've disabled the Windows key)
Walk: LAlt (maybe, now that I've disabled the Windows key)
Mouse for turning and mlook
Weapon change: standard number keys
Reload: R
Lean: Q and E, I suppose

Pre-Quake 2 game settings:

Movement: QAOP
Strafing: WE
Fire: Space
Jump: S (Alt for Quake and Hexen 2)
Use: Alt (Enter for items)
Inventory: NM
Crouch: X (Z for Hexen 2)
Run: J
Look up/down: DC
Look centre: K
Weapon change: standard number keys

Quake 2 and Post-Quake 2 game settings:

Movement: QAOP and mouse (w/freelook)
Strafing: WE
Fire: Space
Alt-Fire: Alt
Jump: S (MWheelUp for Half-Life)
Use: Alt, Enter (items), Mouse2, Mouse3 (items), MWheelDown (items) (depending on game)
Inventory: NM (MWheelUp for Unreal)
Crouch: X
Walk: J
Weapon change: standard number keys
Reload: U or MWheelDown

Current controls:
W = forward
S = back
A = left strafe
D = right strafe
Z = turn left (for turning without moving forward)
X = turn right (ditto, I never bothered with that novert thing)
LeftMouse = Fire
space = open/use

Controls when applicable
MidMouse = center view
RightMouse = jump
[ = preview item
] = next item
enter = use item
Look up = F (games in which the mouse can't be used for freelook)
Look down = V
Center view = C
Fly Up = T
Fly Down = G
Fly On/Off = R
Run = shift (if I can't have autorun)

Keyboard only controls I used to use and still use if I don't have a second mouse plugged in for splitscreen:
arrows = turn left/right, forward/back
/, \, ctrl, shift (depending on keyboard's layout) = look up/down/center
keypad 0 = fire
keypad . = open/use
keypad 1 = strafe left
keypad 3 = strafe right
keypad 4 = prev weap
keypad 6 = next weap
keypad 7, 8, or 9 = jump or run
insert, home, page up, delete, end, page down = weapons 1 through 6
keypad + = weapon 7
Of course strafing and turning are switched if a second mouse is plugged in.

Forward - W
Backwards - S
Strafe Left - A
Strage Right - D
Jump - Q
Crouch - E
Use - Space
Primary Fire - LMB
Secondary Fire - RMB
Next Weapon - MWheel Up
Previous Weapon - MWheel Down

For all games post Quake:

Forwards - Up Arrow
Backwards - Down Arrow
Turn Left - Left Arrow
Turn Right - Right Arrow
Change Weapon (Forwards) - Mousewheel Forwards
Change Weapon (Backwards) - Mousewheel Backwards
Run - None, I usually have autorun on :P
Jump - Shift
Use - Mousewheel pressed down
Say - T
Fire - Left Mouse Button
Strafe - Right Mouse Button (held down)

Fire - Left Mouse
Secondary Fire - Right Mouse
Look Up/Down/Left/Right - Mouse movement
Forwards - Up
Backwards - Down
Strafe Left - Left
Strafe Right - Right
Jump - Right Ctrl
Crouch - NumPad 1
Use - NumPad 0
Reload - Delete
Walk/Run - Right Shift
Flashlight - NumPad 2
Next Weapon - /
Previous Weapon - .

I use the default HL config for just about everything. Good ol' WASD.

Fire - Right Alt
Alternate Fire - Period
Jump - Comma
Crouch - Forward Slash
Forward - Middle Mouse Button
Backward - M
Strafe Left - Left Mouse Button
Strafe Right - Right Mouse Button
Reload - N
Use - Space
Always Mouselook - Yes
Invert Mouse - Yes

Typical WASD setup. Spacebar is jump, left control is crouch, E is my use-key, Q usually switches weapons.

IMJack said:

Typical WASD setup. Spacebar is jump, left control is crouch, E is my use-key, Q usually switches weapons.

Same, except I use wheel up/down for weapons.

Forward - Up Arrow
Back - Down Arrow
Strafe left - Left arrow
Strafe right - Right arrow
Fire - Mouse1
Sec fire - Mouse2
Jump - Shift
Crouch - Right Ctrl
Reload - Delete
Drop Weapon - Backspace
Switch weapons - Mousewheel
Use - Enter

Always run on, of course, and freelook with a pretty high mouse sensitivity.

Same as WASD but with DXCV as the "arrow", so I have more avaliable keys to bind which are directly around the "arrow":

S = Rocket launcher
F = Railgun/Sniper weapons
A = Plasma rifle fast projectile weapons
Shift = Shotgun style weapons
Space = Melee weapon
R = pistol, or reload if the function exists
G = Chaingun style fast hitscan weapons
H = really big weapon (BFG for example)
Leftctrl = Alt. fire
RMB = Fire
LMB = Jump
MMB = stealth/walk
B = Crouch
E = Use
Q = Inv. use
N = Inv. left
M = inv. right
//edit: Oh yeah, and W gets used for game-specific stuff, like bandaging wounds in Urban Terror...

gatewatcher said:

Same, except I use wheel up/down for weapons.

That, too. Some games (Half-Life) let me use the Q key to quickly switch to the last weapon I used, or put my weapon away/take it back out.

Fire - Left Mouse
Secondary Fire - Hmm...
Look Up/Down/Left/Right - What?
Forwards - Right Mouse
Backwards - Control
Strafe - S
Strafe Left - E
Strafe Right - D
Turn Left - A
Turn Right - Z
Jump - I ask the Arch-Vile for help
Crouch - Only when I die or get fragged
Use - W (or double-click Right Mouse)
Reload - Dunno, it kinda happens by itself
Walk/Run - Space, but just for running, you know
Flashlight - Well... I can get a light amp thingy, sometimes
Next Weapon - Whatever number key it requires
Previous Weapon - idem

Mouse Y Axis Inverted? - Mickey Mouse, Nazi propaganda and the gay pride movement

By the way, I live in the pampas, so I don't get quakes here (thus post-quakitude isn't possible.) I hear in Chile they do (the Andes, volcanic activity, and whatnot.)

Fire - Left Mouse
Open - Right Mouse
Forward - E
Backward - D
Strafe Left - S
Strafe Right - F

I've always hated wasd, I like keeping my fingers on homerow; esdf

Jump - Space
Talk - T
Next Item - G (I don't have a previous)
Use Item - Mouse3 (mousewheel button)
Next Weapon - Mousewheel up
Previous Weapon - Mousewheel down

I was never able to get the hang of NEXT being DOWN like the default is in ZDoom.

I also invert the mouse and put a lot of sensitivity. It takes me forever to get the sensitvity right, and when I got the Doom64TC I said "screw it" and keyboarded because I didn't feel like setting up for a new port.

I also have some other keys bound:
Freeze Mode - C
Fly Mode - V
MDK (instakill tracer) - \ or Mouse3

AirRaid said:

Fire - Left Mouse
Secondary Fire - Right Mouse
Look Up/Down/Left/Right - Mouse movement
Forwards - W
Backwards - S
Strafe Left - A
Strafe Right - D
Jump - Space
Crouch - C
Use - E
Reload - E
Walk/Run - Left Shift
Flashlight - F
Next Weapon - Mousewheel Up
Previous Weapon - Mousewheel down

Mouse Y Axis Inverted? - Yes

Virtually identical, I put anything I need around wsad or use the first letter of the action. Of course for Doom I use PSX-style joypad, as mlook does nothing for me.

I thought about going ESDF with A and G for strafeing and D and F for regular turns but I haven't tried that out yet.

Nanami said:

I also have some other keys bound:
Freeze Mode - C
Fly Mode - V
MDK (instakill tracer) - \ or Mouse3

Heh, I have MDK, Fly and Noclip bound for Map testing purposes.

I bet I'm the only one like this here:


Forward - Left Mouse Button
Backwards - Right Mouse Button
Sidestep left - A
Sidestep right - D
Jump - space
use - S or W
Alt fire- X
fire - Ctrl
crouch - C
type - t
screenshot - u or i
Reload - r
flashlight - f
Walk - Shift
next weapon - Mwheel Up
prev weapon - Mwheel Down
translocater/interface of some sort/use - press the mwheel in.

DOOM settings:
E = forward, D = backward,
S = strafe left, F = strafe right,
R = turn left, Ctrl = turn right,
Mouse 1 = fire, Mouse 2 = sidestep
Space = Open, V = showscores

You know, I honestly want to see someone use some of these control settings. Deathz0r and Ultimate Doomer's, most notably. Absolute insanity.

Mine, for basic keyboard/mouse:
Movement: e/d run, s/f turn, w/r strafe, a run, g jump, t crouch, x prone, caps alwaysrun, ctrl autorun

Firing: mb0 fire, mb1 alt/zoom, mb2/3/4 wpn spcl functions, space reload, q weapnext (or lastweap), z weapprev, lshift dropweapon

Other: enter chat, \ teamchat, mb4/c voicemenu/voicechat, alt/mb2 use, space/c use item, v/b inventory left/right, v spray, k kill, h buymenu1, j buymenu2

Settings: Alwaysrun ON, invert mouse ON, mouse smoothing OFF, mouse sensitivity LOW (UT2003 1.0, Q3A 2.5)

I've tweaked my control scheme for optimum button availability.

I can use a non-inverted mouse or trackball (preferably an optical trackball - much greater precision), but it takes some time to adjust, and I'm still not as good as with an inverted one.

If you ever find yourself frustrated with your control scheme, try mine. It's extremely efficient. If you have any questions, feel free to ask. I love discussing control mechanisms.

On a side note, I've experimented with Belkin's Nostromo N50 Speedpad appliance, and it's...interesting. I find that the (effectively) fourteen readily available buttons it offers are not really enough for anything more complex than Q3A (with a few exceptions), and even though you have up to fifty-two (need one to cycle shift states, which really means you lose four keys) buttons available using the shift states (which you, annoyingly, cannot cycle using the otherwise-useless throttle wheel), it is still difficult to use. Notable exceptions are Morrowind, (where you can assign important movement functions to the primary keys and use your shift states for quick-binds and the "menu", "journal", and "rest" buttons), Deus Ex (similar functions), UT2003, and Half-Life (where in both cases the controller has just enough buttons for everything you need without shifting, and in UT2003, the macro function helps to execute those adrenaline techniques.) Since you can often find them marked down to $19.99 or even less in the Barnes & Noble-owned Gamestop/Funcoland/Software Etc. stores, you might want to pick one up to play with. They're handy for other things than games - the macro function can be used as a general windows macro utility. I find it is quite helpful for assembling batch files from directory listings, and that function alone is almost worth the $29.99 I paid for it.

I've also experimented with using a gamepad and a mouse with FPSes, as opposed to the keyboard, and while it works well (especially if your gamepad has an analog stick, a digital pad, and a few buttons in reach of your left hand), giving significantly finer control over your movement, it is a bit limiting, and it's slightly disorienting. I'd like to see a gaming appliance made with a pistol-grip like shape, featuring a clickable analog stick for your thumb, and at least nine or ten buttons otherwise available. Could finally be a superior solution to the old keyboard & mouse combo, especially if Belkin were the ones to make it, as their penchant for shift states and their Nostromo game-device software is really quite spectacular. I can't speak highly enough of it.

a - strafe left
d - strafe right
e - use
x - backwards
z - jump
left mouse button - fire
right mouse button - forward
c - crouch
s - prone
r - reload
t - talk (to all)
y - talk (same team)
some random key - secondary fire (only lamer guns usually have this anyway)

i think that about covers it