Playing Doom with just the keyboard

[Average]

Yeah, you do get used to the keys pretty quickly. On my netbook I always use the keys in a '2 inverted T's' configuration from the home keys (left hand = esdf and right hand ijkl). When playing with the netbook on my lap it feels like one seriously cool Game Boy! FYI, I also use the same set up for GBA emulation when I'm on the road. :)

[Koko Ricky]

I've been playing the Doom flash game recently and have only been using the keyboard. It's pretty damn challenging, but totally doable and even fun.

[terminus12]

I've beaten doom 2 without dying on uv with just the keyboard ;)

[The_MártonJános]

Which I've been doing for over 8 years now.

[Tritnew]

Back In the day I could NOT play with the Keyboard at all, I had to configure It all manually for the Mouse and Keyboard and play It like that and It felt much better, and even now I play DOOM with a Keyboard and Mouse.

[ducon]

Doom is the only FPS I play with the keyboard only.

[SavageCorona]

I use the keyboard when I go for the nostalgic feel but I use the mouse and keyboard for more modernized ports. I rarely use GZDoom or Zandronum for playing the vanilla episodes though. It's just wasted potential and it doesn't feel right.

EDIT: Looks like I was bamboozled into a 2 year old bumped post that I already posted in again.

[Enjay]

I started playing Doom using the keyboard only (and Wolf3D before that). In fact, I also used to use that setup for Quake and even much of my early Quake 2 playing too. I guess it would have been something like UT or Thief that finally got me using a mouse properly.

Although Vanilla Doom supports the mouse, I have never found it comfortable to play using a mouse. However, with games that allow you to look up/down/around mlook is essential to my way of playing these days. One of the reasons that I don't play much vanilla Doom or vanilla-like ports is that I no longer like playing without the mouse but I still find a non-mlook setup awkward when using a mouse.

[BaronOfStuff]

I started as a KB player, then started using the mouse for tracking enemies properly and holding Mouse2 for slow strafing so I didn't completely lose aim on a target. Then when my Win98 installation decided to go to hell (no idea how/why), I was stuck without a mouse because for some mysterious reason it wouldn't work in DOS.

These days I'm comfortable with either method, although I tend to use a weird WASD+Arrows hybrid when playing KB-only.

[HavoX]

I've played Doom with the keyboard for a long time, and it worked very well for me. I didn't even consider using the mouse until source ports that had mouselook implemented came out, and one day, I decided to give it a shot. It's useful, but I still prefer using the keyboard because I'm so used to it.

I tried using a Logitech F310 gamepad on GZDoom one time, and, well shoot, it didn't work the way I wanted it to. Perhaps I did something wrong with the configuration, but to make a long story short, I figured not all games play nice with a gamepad, so I went back to using the keyboard.

[Angry Saint]

I played with KB only for years. Right hand on the arrows keys for moving around. Left hand on shift (run), alt (strafe) and ctrl (fire)... so I could fire when running and strafing.

I don't understand why today the left alt key makes you fire and strafe at the same time.

[Phendrena]

I can't say I've ever played with only the keyboard and I really wouldn't like to try as I don't think I'd get the accuracy - its the same with a joypad - its just not as accurate.

Dave

[Avoozl]

I remember playing Doom 64 on emulator and that was by keyboard.

[Blastfrog]

Whenever I keyboard, I use this layout these days:

Z - Strafe left
X - Strafe right
Space - Fire
Ctrl - Use
Shift - Jump
Numpad 8 - Forward
Numpad 5 - Backward
Numpad 4 - Turn left
Numpad 6 - Turn right
Numpad 7 - Next weapon
Numpad 9 - Previous weapon
S - Next inventory
A - Previous inventory
C - Drop inventory
D - Use inventory

Largely inspired by Marathon's defaults. It's actually pretty good, I find.

[vadrig4r]

I came up with a config you might find useful if you're used to KB&M but want to try a keyboard only setup. Can be configured with Vanilla/Chocolate Doom too. It's aim is to be as familiar as possible, and so uses the left hand for moving and the right hand for looking. It also works around key jamming on cheapo membrane keyboards.

W - Move Forward
A - Strafe Left
S - Move Backwards
D - Strafe Right
LShift - Speed On
Space - Fire
Left Arrow - Turn Left
Right Arrow - Turn Right
Up Arrow - Strafe On

Funnily enough I find it easier to SR50 with this setup (Shift + W + A + Left Arrow + Up Arrow) than with a standard keyboard and mouse config. Substitute WASD with whichever keys in that pattern you like, I just use them because I experience fewer lockups with them. I'm not completely happy with fire on space but it works surprisingly well and I couldn't see a better key to put it on.

Nice setup soda it's similar to what I normally use when keyboarding.

[TwinBeast]

I played all Dooms (except Doom3) with just keyboard some years ago. Then my hands hurted a lot. So I don't play like that anymore.

I played all of Wolf3D with mouse only, but I only knew how to get to E1 secret level. This was before I had Doom. Can't remember how I played Doom back then when I finally got it.

[The_MártonJános]

Anyone who plays Doom with mouse is considered extra-terrestrial in my eyes. Nuff said.

[raymoohawk]

unless im using freelook i play keyboard only, maybe thats why im so bad XD

[snapshot]

I Use mouse in steam version , Although there's No Mouselook .

[Tritnew]

DMGUYDZ64 said:

I Use mouse in steam version , Although there's No Mouselook .

Well Yea Dude. xD; You're playing It old school on Dosbox, If you wanna play It with Mouse Look, You'll have to play It with GZDOOM, or ZDOOM

[SavageCorona]

DMGUYDZ64 said:

I Use mouse in steam version , Although there's No Mouselook .

How the hell did you even get the "modern" controls to even work? Classic controls are fine but half the functions on the modern config don't even work.

[Tritnew]

SavageCorona said:

How the hell did you even get the "modern" controls to even work? Classic controls are fine but half the functions on the modern config don't even work.

Huh, the Modern controls worked just fine for Me on the Steam version, but I prefer He'd play on a Source Port If He wants the Mouse Look as I said.

[Varis Alpha]

i've played Doom with keyboard controls a number of times. i don't do it often though, since it really strains on my wrists and it's really hard to control as fluidly as if i am using a mouse.

[Avoozl]

I wonder how difficult Doom 3 with just a keyboard would be.

[Tritnew]

Avoozl said:

I wonder how difficult Doom 3 with just a keyboard would be.

That'd be like playing DOOM with nothing but a orange.

[TwinBeast]

You can play Quake1 with just keyboard. It has sv_aim cvar to control the amount manual aim. Set it to 0, and it's something like in Doom. Though grenade launcher kinda needs manual aim, and lightning gun doesn't autoaim whatever sv_aim setting is.

Maybe someone could mod Doom3 to have vertical autoaim?

[Doomkid]

It's possible to configure WSDA + Mouse to work like a dream in Doom2.exe and Doom95. My brother introduced me to the concept in around 2002 and my skill increased dramatically. After that I finally began deathmatching, before that it was all keyboard.

However, it is possible to play very competently with just the keyboard. Setting the arrows keys to act as "the mouse" (they turn, shoot and open doors) you can certainly beat all the IWADs on UV and probably deathmatch relatively well assuming your ping isn't too high.

[esselfortium]

[Maes]

Well, let's put it this way. If you haven't played Doom with just the keyboard, then you are not a true Doomer. But if you continue playing it with just the keyboard then you cannot be a true Doomer, either ;-)

[ClumsyDoomer]

I once played Doom with keyboard and only one hand. It's actually not very hard with a proper key setup.
I prefer mouse + keyboard though.