The Naga - A Week in Review

[zanthor]

So last week I took the plunge and ordered a Naga. For those of you living under a rock this is a 17 button mouse from Razr and it's really a pretty solid device. I won't give you any pictures, I won't go into details about how well designed the mouse is, rather I'll give you the real world recount of my life as a healer starved for hotkeys and how the Naga solved the problem...

Not a multiboxing review:
This review isn't from the multiboxing standpoint, its from a raid healers standpoint. The fact is though that anything I do to improve my raiding generally improves my boxing, it's all about being able to use all abilities at any time, easily and quickly with 100% reliablity.

Before the naga...
I utilized a Logitech G15 Gaming Keyboard (18 G Keys), a Logitech G5 Gaming Mouse (5 mouse buttons, Scrollwheel), and an X-Keys USB Desktop. I have all these items highly customized through InnerSpace and ISBoxer, not all the keys on any of them are used, but the ones that are in easy reach of my hands are.

As mentioned, I'm a raid healer, so my Mouse config was as follows:

Left Click - Chain Heal
Right Click - Riptide
Shift Left Click - Lesser Healing Wave
Shift Right Click - Healing Wave
Ctrl Left Click - Cleanse
Ctrl Right Click - Earth Shield
Mouse 5 (Browser back) - Ventrilo PTT
Mouse 6 (Browser forward) - Auto Run
Middle Click - DXE Arrow @ Mouseover
Wheel Up - Purge
Wheel Back - Windshock
Shift Wheel Up - Frog
Shift Wheel Back - Mana Tide + Stoneclaw Totem

As you can see here, 13 commands running from the mouse or a modifier + mouse. I utilize my mouse also for moving, turning, and the keyboard QWEASD as backup movement for when I have to heal on the move... Hotkeys 1-6 and F1-F5 are commonly utilized and 7-= and F6-F12 are "rare use" abilities.

Naga Day Zero
I got home and hooked up the Naga with time to spare before raid, I mapped a few of the more commonly used abilities to the keys on the side of the naga, I had it using the Numberpad so I had to unbind my raid markers... no biggie, I never use those in combat.

Mouse 4 and 5 are in a much different position on the Naga which wasn't condusive to using them for PTT. I moved my PTT to one of the numberpad keys, this was fine unless I had a text box open then it would fill 4444444444444444444444444444444 as I talked.... Sorta 44444444444444444444444annoying if you get my drift. I'm able to fix this for now utilizing ISBoxer to remap the key to F24 which WoW doesn't recognize... But I lose the Numpad 4... But I digress.

12 buttons, 4 rows...

1 2 3
4 5 6
7 8 9
0 + -
(11/12 are numpad + - or keyboard - =)

I setup 8 as my PTT, 7 and 9 as strafe left and right, 11 was my backpedal key... 4 5 and 6 were Healing Wave, Lesser Healing Wave and Earth Shield... I played with my thumb on 8 and would reach forward to 4 5 6 as needed... 1 2 3 weren't used at all.

After 3 hours of raiding I realized that on all the boring content where I could think I was using the Naga, it felt comfortable and I could reach all the buttons quite well. The problem was that I wasn't u sing it when it mattered most - in the zomg panic moments I was still using the old configuration! (I double bound the abilities to allow this.) This means that I'd never actually USE the Naga to it's fullest.

Naga Day One
Drawing on my experience with Naga Day Zero I decided if I was going to use this thing, I needed to go all in. I disabled my old mouse and keybindings.

I also sat down and carefully planed it out... I had discovered that having my thumb rest on # 4 was more comfortable and natural... so I made that my Push to Talk...

1 was frog, 2 was purge, 3 was wind shock
4 was PTT, 5 was LHW, 6 was HW
7 was Earth Shield, 8 was cleanse, 9 was Stoneclaw Totem/Mana Tide Totem
12 was AutoRun

I took this on a test run of TOC 5 man, heroic... wiped the party 3 times before we barely made it through the boss... but hey thats why I Pugged... So next I pug an Onyxia 10, I'm 10% below the priest on heals... this isn't acceptable... luckily we wiped (not due to healing) 3 times, and by the 4th attempt I was back 10% over the priest and feeling a little froggy.

I ran a Naxx 25 that night, it wasn't pretty but I got the job done. Again I found myself floundering in fights that were more intense... not as baddly though.

Naga Day Five
So day 5 comes around, it's time to raid again, real content not easy mode stuff. I make some more changes to my configuration, and have disovered that Mouse 4 and 5 are not as hard to reach as I originally thought, my finger learned their place and I used them for Healing Wave and Lesser Healign Wave... this freed up two buttons on the 12 key pad, so I moved some stuff around there...

As it sits now I'm utilizing 8 of the 12 keys on the side of the mouse without any thought, I'm utilizing 5 out of the 5 buttons on the mouse (left/right/middle/forward/back) and have my scroll wheel free for "other" duties like changing my camera angle... and I'm no longer stretching to get ctrl/shift/alt held at the same time I'm reaching for 5 or 6 or F5...

I'm not totally there yet, I see a few more minor changes coming down the road, but the thumb is getting pretty good at tapping out the right keys and finding it's way back to PTT...

Naga has me sold, it's worth the $80 I paid for it, and it's improved me as a gamer. I'm confident that as the new Lavishsoft app comes out I'll love it even more (regaining use of my numberpad for utility actions for example).

[zanthor]

The "theft" of my numberpad has me totally turned off to this product.

If Logitech can give me 9 buttons that are fully programmable with thier software, why can't Razer? They claim to be cutting edge tech, yet Logitech is running circles around them with much older tech.

Cool concept, but a hack at best in my opinion.

Thanks for the writeup Zanthor. Answered some of my questions about the product.

The only thing I do with Logitechs software is immediately disable it after having it load an empty profile. What I think is crap is that all these hardware companies can't produce a hotkey device that just shows up as extra buttons like joysticks do... and that game companies dont support them if they do.

What i'm looking forward to is the new app from Lavishsoft (IS2 based product) will allow identifying the input device, so if you have two keyboards plugged in you can make 1 broadcast to all your clients and 1 only the focused client (just like hardware now)... or specifically I'll use it to NOT broadcast the numberpad off the Naga and instead broadcast the keys I want it to... Now if those keys could be Joy1-12 that would be totally sexy because I'm tired as hell of trying to remember which ctrl/alt/shift combo's of what buttons aren't used!

[Mukade]

There's a problem with binding the numpad keys.

Modifiers.

You use a modifier with a numpad key (especially shift), and it acts just like another key elsewhere on the keyboard. Not as a seperate modified numpad key, but like the cursor keys, or the ins/del/home/end/pgup/pgdn set, meaning you have to unbind those to use the numpad modified.

The worst thing is some of the keys act like they're modified with the numlock on, and some with it off, so you get wierd combinations you have to work around.

I only bind the unmodified numpad, and use the function keys for extra bindings specific to boxing, because they have the full set of modifiers available on each key. I also use ] [ ; ' , . for my extra mouse buttons, because they work with the full set of modifiers too (and by that I mean any combo. of shift, ctrl and alt. I have just one button on my lock that can summon any pet, or use 2 land or 1 flying mounts).

[Fizzler]

It looks like the Drivers were released for key assignments.

http://www.razersupport.com/index.php?_m=downloads&_a=viewdownload&downloaditemid=395&nav=0

[heyaz]

Is it easy to press the individual buttons on the mouse with your thumb? I keep looking at the thing in best buy and I can just imagine myself pressing 2 or 3 at the same time, or pressing the wrong one as they look so small.

[Meeo]

I had one, and still have one, but i switched over to a Mamba. Now that i hear i can individually assign the keys now using the new 2.0 drivers i am thinking about giving t another go.

[remanz]

I am using it for 1 week + now. I used it for healing. I would compare the learning curve to an arcade fighting stick vs game pad on console. Background is, I was using gamepad to play fighting games street fighter 4 on console. and then I switched to arcade stick. At first, I was so NOT used to it. and I wanted to go back. After 1 month of practice, 2-3 hrs of playing everyday, I am able to get the hang of it. All my combos will come out.

This naga mouse is the same thing for me. I am still learning. But getting a little better for me to press those buttons now. I used them to heal group. 1,2,3,4,5 for healing party 1,2,3,4,5.

6-10 is a little hard to press. Really all it takes is practice. Once you have a feeling of where the buttons are. You will be ok. I practice using this thing everyday. and I am getting there.

A good practice is to use it to type in authenticator codes. Do it fast and accruately. then the tedius logon process just becomes more interesting~

[Moorea]

I have it and I don't use the buttons anymore - though they should be useful - I just don't and fallback to keys on the keyboard

Also the tactile feel isn't good - the plastic on the side is slippery - I like my previous logitech g5 texture much better

Turning off the lights with the app helps a bit making the mouse less warm under your palm

[Gares]

I have since Xmas but haven't installed it yet. Think I'm going to tonight and see where I get

[zanthor]

2.0 drivers let you assign whatever keys you want to the buttons, very sweet. The macro control of it sucks, so setting up ctrl-alt-such is tedius, but I'm going to be binding mine to lesser used keys from the right side of my keyboard.

[Ghallo]

2.0 drivers let you assign whatever keys you want to the buttons, very sweet. The macro control of it sucks, so setting up ctrl-alt-such is tedius, but I'm going to be binding mine to lesser used keys from the right side of my keyboard.

I am seriously considering rebuying this mouse (the numpad only was a dealbreaker for me). When you say the macro control sucks, could you elaborate?

Does this have the ability to handle "key up/down"? So I can bind movement type keys? My formation movement keys are Shift-Alt-[WASDQE] but that won't work with a straight binding you need something that sends
Shift-Alt-W [DOWN] on keydown
Shift-Alt-W [UP] on keyup

If the Naga can do that ... I'll pick one up ASAP. I am tired of my wireless dying because I forgot to set it on the charger :P

[Lax]

The Razer software lets you bind "Single Key" as in W but without Shift+Alt without going into Macro mode. You do not get a choice between press or release, you just get to set a button to do a Macro, and the macro includes both the presses and releases -- as recorded when you press it in the software.

I picked up a Naga yesterday since I needed to replace a dying mouse anyway. My complaints echo Zanthor's:

First, I made heavy use of mouse4 and mouse5 on my old mouse for instant cast spells. The Naga's mouse4 and mouse5 are positioned in a place that I don't have an appendage capable of doing something that quickly with. You need another finger between your index finger and thumb, possibly attached to your index finger at the last knuckle. I don't have one of those. If my thumb was another inch long it would be physically possible to use my thumb to hit them.

Secondly, the mapping support leaves much to be desired. I'll be leaving mine configured to do the action bar hotkeys until I get the new software out. The good news is that this gave me a great excuse to do some pounding on the new software and fix a few bugs ;)

[BlueGriffon]

I've been using the Razer Naga for around a month now... and it's incredible. I've got it configured/setup without the new flexibility of the any-key binding to the buttons. When I got it, you could use the keys 1-12 with the Num Pad or the row of keys above the alpha keys (the 1 through = keys).

In conjunction with GameCommanderPro, I setup keybindings for the above alpha keys (1 through = keys) to do the following functions that fall within the heal/shield/cure catagory:

1 Heal Druid: 3 presses for various levels of healing spells, castsequence
2 Heal Priest: 3 presses for various levels of healing spells
3 Heal Mage: 3 presses for various levels of healing spells
4 Heal Ret Paladin: 3 presses for various levels of healing spells
5 Heal Prot Paladin: 3 presses for various levels of healing spells
6 Group Heal by the Priest

7 Power Word: Shield Ret Paladin
8 Power Word: Shield Prot Paladin
9
0 Power Word: Shield Druid
- Power Word: Shield Priest
= Power Word: Shield Mage

Shift-1 Innervate Druid
Shift-2 Innervate Priest
Shift-3 Innervate Mage
Shift-4 Innervate Ret Paladin
Shift-5 Innervate Prot Paladin
Shift-6

Shift-7 Remove Curse on Ret Paladin
Shift-8 Remove Curse on Prot Paladin
Shift-9
Shift-0 Remove Curse on Druid
Shift-- Remove Curse on Priest
Shift-= Remove Curse on Mage

Ctrl-1 Abolish Poison Druid
Ctrl-2 Abolish Poison Priest
Ctrl-3 Abolish Poison Mage
Ctrl-4 Abolish Poison Ret Paladin
Ctrl-5 Abolish Poison Prot Paladin
Ctrl-6

Ctrl-7 Abolish Disease Ret Paladin
Ctrl-8 Abolish Disease Prot Paladin
Ctrl-9
Ctrl-0 Abolish Disease Druid
Ctrl-- Abolish Disease Priest
Ctrl-= Abolish Disease Mage

Alt-1 Anti-Threat-Druid: all to remove threat and/or mitigate dmg
Alt-2 Anti-Threat-Priest: all to remove threat and/or mitigate dmg
Alt-3 Anti-Threat for Mage: all to remove threat and/or mitigate dmg

Basically, I've broken each mouse keypad down into two sets of 6 (with a consistent pattern of who will be the target of the beneficial spell)... and then assigned a single spell or theme to that set... and then given myself more sets by using modifier keys.

I then use my left hand for movement and the pressing of modifier keys... and for my /click macros for my dps toons. So far, it's working very well and intuitively, at least for me.

I like it so much, I'm not sure what I'll do to take advantage of the new Naga keybinding software... but I'm sure I'll think of something :)

[Lax]

One more thing to add to my list. Since installing this mouse and using the newest Razer software, I've had a problem with the mouse not clicking. On two different PCs.

The first time it happened I was multiboxing, and I couldn't for the life of me figure out how to fix the problem. It would inexplicably click just fine in my tank window, but not in ANY other window -- not my web browser, nothing. Then now I'm on my laptop, not even gaming, and I have the Naga plugged in and the Razer software running, and it happened to me again. This time it would click just fine in the windows taskbar, but not in any application window. Both times, the cursor would not change from the default arrow if the cursor was over any other window.

I think there may be a bug in the Razer software or driver that causes the mouse to be captured by a window and then it won't release it. To clarify, Windows has a feature for the mouse cursor called "capture" where you can freely use and move the mouse, but no matter what you're doing with it, the window that has the capture is going to get the mouse movement and clicks, until it is released. Some games use this for mouselook, in conjunction with hiding the mouse cursor, so that you can move the move the mouse and even if the mouse technically leaves the game window, the game gets the messages and you don't end up clicking in some other window while you're trying to move around. I don't know why, but it seems like the Naga is adding captures that would not have been there before (and in either case I have no idea how I tripped it, I was just browsing dual-boxing.com!). Maybe I should be discussing this with Razer technical support ;)

I was able to correct the issue this time by going out to the windows login screen via Win+L hotkey (like selecting Switch User from the Start menu). I'm keeping the Razer software closed now to see if it happens again without that running.

Anyway, I would like to add that I do like the mouse and plan to continue using it. This last issue is more of a deal breaker than the mouse4/5 placement or the mapping support, since this is now interfering with my ability to even use the mouse (twice in 2 days, on 2 different PCs, running 2 different versions of Windows, doing 2 completely different activities)

[Fursphere]

Button 4/5 location = the mouse comes with little plastic "stickies" that are meant to be placed on the side numberpad to assist with locating buttons.

I stuck one on each 4 and 5 so I can FIND the damn buttons without looking at the mouse. So far its been perfect since I added the "bumps"

[zanthor]

Fur: I did the exact same thing to split them from the mouse1, but after a week took them off and can heal just fine with them now. (4 is LHW and 5 is HW, 1 is chain, 2 riptide...)