Keyboarders, how do you configure your keys?

[Optimus]

I still play doom with the keyboard. I am not bad with mouse control but somehow playing doom with look up/down gives me motion sickness very fast. Maybe it's the fake look with shearing in software rendering ports although I get this in Gzdoom that uses diferrent rendering too. So, I stick with the keyboard. Although, I have come to realize that for deathmatch it may be wiser to use the mouse today.

My keyboard configuration is like the classic.
- One think, I prefer the nummeric arrow keys rather than the regular arrow keys. The cross design feels better to my fingers, I can reach backwards easier and there is symmetry to feel the balance correct between every direction.
- Second thing, recently I made some modification, simply as I play with the numeric, I assigned numeric 1 and 7 for Previous/Next weapon. In the past I moved along my hand to the number row to change weapons, not very wise if you want to change weapons fast. It's great when I constantly switch between pistol, shotgun and SSG or others during a battle to preserve ammo.
- Third, most keyboards today change the configurations, they have those Window$ keyz I hate and are no use to me, so the CTRL, ALT, SHIFT on the right side doesn't always feel right. When it happens, I might configure another key I can more easilly relate to on a specific stupid keyboard, like in my laptop.

---

And about modern controls (in Doom with mouse or other FPS), I am a bit weird for most people.
- First of all WAXD and not WASD. Yes,. that's because it also more close to the cross design of the numeric arrows so I can reach backwards easier and equally with the other keys. I am wondering if any other person plays WAXD or something similar.
- Invert mouse on. Most friends play without invert mouse. The inverse Y feels right to me for some reason, but this is what I got used to. It's like in flight sims where down goes up (because you pull back), or in real life, you pull/rotate backwards your head to look up. I don't feel FPS like a mouse pointer in 2d, I feel like being there. But maybe I am just used to it.
- Not the common keys of modern FPS. I hate E for use. I use SPACE, maybe I am used from doom. It's quite reachable. And close ones for what I want, Q for jump, C for crouch, R or E for reload, F or G possibly for melee or grenade, S/Z can be used for zooming sniper (except if second/third mouse button)

I talk too much :)

[Du Mhan Yhu]

Up arrow- Forward
Down arrow- Back
Left arrow- Turn left
Right arrow- Turn right
Space-open/use
Strafe- Hold "Z" and press Left arrow/Right arrow
Crouch- X
Jump- A
Run- Left shift key
Weapons- 1-9 keys
Fire- Left Alt key
Look up- PGUP
Look down- PGDN
Center view- End

EDIT*
Wow, didn't realize how old this thread was.

[Varis Alpha]

Know this thread is a old bump, but might as well post my config when I'm using keyboard:

W: Forward
S: Backward
A: Strafe left
D: Strafe right
Left key: Turn left
Right key: Turn right
Space: Shoot
E: Use
Shift: Run

That works for generally every FPS that doesn't allow mouselook. I have everything I need in reach and rarely have to shift my hands in awkward positions.

[magicsofa]

I normally play with a mouse but my usb mouse has been turning itself off recently so I started playing with keyboard until I get off my ass and get a new mouse

I use the default arrows for movement, control and space for fire/open, and top row of numbers for weapons. However, I use Z and X for strafing left and right, which I'm surprised nobody else has listed yet. I thought it was a common setup...anyway it feels pretty comfortable, I can have pinky on ctrl, fingers on Z/X, and thumb on spacebar with no strain at all.

[phobosdeimos1]

Arrows: up down left right.

Z and X: strafe left strafe right

Spacebar: fire

Shift: open

Tab: map

Top numbers: Weapons

and when needed:

Q for crouch, E for jump

S for screenshots

[magicsofa]

phobosdeimos1 said:

Z and X: strafe left strafe right

NICE

I almost forgot - I use Q for taking screenshots. I did that when I started doing /newstuff reviews, so I could take sweet action-shots :D

[Scet]

ESDF - Move Forward/Back, Strafe
Num 4/6 - Turn
Num 5 - Use
Num 8 - Fire

[Mithran Denizen]

My basic mouseless controls are usually along the lines of:

movement = WASD/ESDF/SZXC (depending on the position and feel of the keyboard)
attack = Up arrow
look left/right = Left/Right arrows
use = Space

Occasionally I'll bind 'strafe' to the down arrow, to make SR50 easier for me, but not often. When the engine allows looking up and down (and the maps I'm playing need it), I'll bind Look up/Look down to the Up/Down arrow keys and use Ctrl for shooting, but it's much less comfortable. Also, if I'm using something like Eternity or ZDoom, every single key on the board will probably be bound to some command or macro.

[M3g4Sph3r3]

since when is there a jump key in doom

[Blastfrog]

For some reason I've been using Marathon's control scheme lately.

8 (numpad) - Forward
5 (numpad) - Backward
4 (numpad) - Turn left
6 (numpad) - Turn right
7 (numpad) - Previous weapon
9 (numpad) - Next weapon
Z - Strafe left
X - Strafe right
Space - Shoot
Tab - Use
Ctrl - Run
Shift - Strafe

[axdoomer]

I use Chocolate-Doom with default Vanilla controls. I use WASD only for serious deathmatches. I was using Alt to strafe because I did know you could with , and . but it's much more easier with these keys. My cousin uses the arrow keys instead of WASD, but I find it harder because the weapon keys are too far from your hand. 7 is a little bit far when you use WASD but I don't use the BFG rarely. When I play with the classic controls, I don't always use my mouse but when I do, I use the right mouse button to strafe and of course I use the left mouse button to fire.

When I'm using the classic controls:
arrow: move and turn
,= strafe left
.= strafe right
Ctrl= fire
Space= use
Shift= run
12345678= weapons

When I'm using WASD:
WASD= move and strafe
Q= turn left
E= turn right
Left Mouse Button= Fire
Space= use
Shift= run
12345678= weapons

[myk]

Optimus said:
I am not bad with mouse control but somehow playing doom with look up/down gives me motion sickness very fast. Maybe it's the fake look with shearing in software rendering ports although I get this in Gzdoom that uses diferrent rendering too. So, I stick with the keyboard.

Using the mouse does not imply using freelook. I don't like using freelook either, enabling it only occasionally in online CTF out of convenience, but I use the mouse (and keyboard) without it regularly because it's more powerful. I'm not saying you should use the mouse, of course, just that avoiding freelook isn't a reason not to use it. Most ports have an option to disable freelook, if they support it in the first place, or at least separate horizontal and vertical mouse sensitivity settings, allowing 0 for up and down movement.

[ducon]

M3g4Sph3r3 said:

since when is there a jump key in doom

Since ZDoom. At least.

[M3g4Sph3r3]

I thought this was classic doom. jumping in doom is :(

[hex11]

The proper way to jump in Doom is to hit up your local archvile, he'll hook you up. The shit he gives you will also make you look up, down, and all around at the same time. And when the fun is over, he'll also help you crouch...

[Use]

Fuck jumping. Real men throw themselves off ledges.

[Technician]

Jesus, some people still use those fucking arrow keys...

[ryuusen91]

default i just map any advanced features in skulltag/zdaemon( jump aim) to unused keys arrows to move space open door shift run 1-0 weapons ctrl shoot <> strafe

[M3g4Sph3r3]

Use3D said:

Fuck jumping. Real men throw themselves off ledges.

Hell yeah, that's what I'm talking about.

And the archvile too, i think you had to do that for a secret in final doom somewhere

[Du Mhan Yhu]

Use3D said:

Fuck jumping. Real men throw themselves off ledges.

I use jumping for wads like Jumpmaze and ZDoomWars.

[purpleyoshi13]

Uparrow = Up
Downarrow = Down
Leftarrow = Left
Rightarrow = Right
C = Jump
V/B = Crouch
N = Swim/Fly Up
M = Swim/Fly Down
K = Stop Flying
CTRL = Primair Fire
ALT = Secundair Fire
SHIFT = Run
ENTER = Use Items
SPACEBAR = Open/Activate
[{ = move inventory items left
]} = move inventory items right
<, = strafe left
>. = strafe right
T = look up
Y = look down
U = Center view
1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9 & 0 = Weapons

[NightmareZer0]

I couldn't picture playing Doom with just the keyboard.

[EnroyPaldesto]

W = Forward
S = Backward
A = Strafe left
D = Strafe Right
Q = Use
Left Arrow = Turn left
Right Arrow = Turn right
Ctrl = Fire
Spacebar = Jump
Shift = Run
C = Crouch

[The Ultimate DooMer]

I used to use QAOP for movement (now that's oldschool :P) with W+E for strafe, space+alt for fire/open. Once I adopted the mouse I ditched O+P and nowadays have fire/jump/crouch on there. (space still gets used for longer periods of fire and for altfire if needed)

Use3D said:

Fuck jumping. Real men throw themselves off ledges.

I still do...just with a little lift beforehand ;)

[Redeemer812]

Imp said:

I couldn't picture playing Doom with just the keyboard.

When did you start playing Doom?

[arttu98]

WASD - Moving/Strafing
E - Use
Space - Jump
Mouse - Turn/Look around
Left mouse - Fire
Q - AltFire
Right mouse - Run
Middle mouse - Crouch toggle
Scroll wheel - Change weapons
Backscape - Drop weapon

[Porsche Monty]

Not a keyboarder anymore, but here's what I'd normally use:

W = Forward
S = Backward
A = Strafe left
D = Strafe right
Up arrow = Fire
Down Arrow = Use
Left Arrow = Turn Left
Right Arrow = Turn Right
Left Shift = Run

[Ledmeister]

Straight out-of-the-box keyboard layout. Arrow keys, left Ctrl to fire, left Alt with arrows to strafe, left Shift to run, spacebar to Use, etc.
Tried mouse from time to time, but muscle memory always pulls me back to keyboard-only.