How do you move?

[Bravo]

After finally mapping my g11 keys last night I've found myself trying to completely get away from the WASD keys. I was never that great with 1 through = keys and more often than not found myself plopping down a fire elemental instead of throwing up a water shield. So last night I started using the middle mouse button or scroll wheel to move forward and then move the camera move in another direction... but do any of you who have more buttons on your mouse use it to strafe or even walk backwards? I've seen the 'tilt' wheels could be remapped to add button functionality, I've been looking into a few 5+ button mice for this reason and wanted to know if you've tried it and loved it or found it to be too much of a hassle.

[Diamndzngunz]

Why would you try to get away from the WASD keys?

[-silencer-]

Ever think of using a Nostromo n52? The D-pad can be controlled completely with your thumb, leaving all 4 fingers available for a bunch of different buttons. Years ago, I worked hard training myself to control movement in CounterStrike with just a Nostromo D-pad and mouse, and although it was nice having my fingers free for useful commands, the n52 went back in the closet until WoW was released.

[Ziran]

I have the movement keys arranged in 3x2 box on the xkeys:

turn left, move forward, turn right
strafe left, move back, strafe right

Strafing becomes important on certain BC bosses.

Ziran

[Ughmahedhurtz]

Why would you try to get away from the WASD keys?Because WASD is for noobz?

Seriously. Think about it. Put your fingers on the WASD keys and tell me how many easily accessible keys you can touch without moving your whole hand. Now put your fingers on the "home" row (ASDF) and tell me how many easily accessible keys you can touch without moving your whole hand. Pretty nifty, ain't it? Plus, you don't have to move anything at all to start typing.

Of course, to each his own. If you like WASD, more power to ya. But it's definitely sub-optimal in terms of body mechanics. ;)

[Bravo]

Well with the G11 or G15 your extra keys are thrown off to the left making the trip back and forth between them and WASD next to impossible, I figure xkeys has so many buttons mapping 4 movement keys on there would be fairly ideal, but I don't really have the desktop space for xkeys. Since yesterday I've picked up a Logitech G9 and have been playing with the extra keys, for the two on the side I have one for tab and another for walk backwards, and I've assigned the tilt keys to straffe, but the feedback on the tilt wheel is miminal, but I guess it'll take some betting used to. combine that with the left + right mouse click for forward and I can move, butit's not natural. I imagine I'm moving around like the very first time I played doom or quake

[Ghallo]

This will be really hard, but find the Logitech MX 1000. This mouse is no longer sold (no idea why) ... but it is the movement answer to your issue. It has 3 thumb buttons (I use the front for AutoRun, middle for PTT, and the back for back up) I set the side-scroll to be 'q' and 'e' for strafe and then I steer with mouse look. Works great for me :) . I am currently trying out the "MX Revolution" - but it actually has fewer buttons. In fact, I would love to know if anyone has found a mouse with as many buttons as the MX 1000.

[Ripper]

I think the MX1000 is the best mouse I've ever had. I'll have some serious QQ if it dies.

[-silencer-]

The MX1000 can still be bought new.. but there is only a limited supply left, so they're expensive. Check amazon.com, then look at the "From $98 used and new" link. There are two warehouses that sell them NEW - for $160 or $170. So they can still be bought.. at a price. If you love it that much.. get a spare before they're gone. :)

[Los]

http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/mice_pointers/mice/devices/130&cl=us,en

The thumb button has 3 ways (up, down, press) the mouse wheel is lovely (if you scroll fast it releases a bearing or smt, and rolls smooth as a baby's ..) AND you get 2 other thumb buttons + it has a nice 'hold' to it.

[Nisch]

I've played the home row "ESDF" setup since the days of Quake1-3, CS, UO, and now DAOC. I find it eaiser if I do have to move my hand to find the home row Plus it gives me a pinky button "A" and "Q" to use, which I think gives me extra utility.

[Dezeral]

The MX1000 is also part of the Cordless 5000 bundle. However, it is a bluetooth wireless mouse in this package instead of the standard RF wireless. This package is expensive if all you want is the mouse ($150 US). I agree with the statement that this is the best mouse ever. I have been using the MX1000 since it came out and have loved it. I use the 3 thumb buttons for Tab, Ctrl and Alt. I use the wheel tilt left and right for skills that I use frequently or for "reactionary" skills. With the combination of ctrl+, alt+, and shift+:tilt left, middle button, and tilt right, you have access to 9 buttons without ever having to move your hand off the mouse and you also have access to all of the ctrl+ and alt+ skills where you normally rest your hand (for me it is 1 through 5). On top of all of that, you also get the two rocker buttons (one in front of the wheel and one behind the wheel). All in all, I hope that someone comes up with a new mouse that tops this before my stockpile of MX1000's die (I currently have 4: 2 RF and 2 BT which are boxed and brand new).

[-silencer-]

I'm a huge fan of thumb buttons on a mouse (almost bought a G5, but couldn't live with just 1 in the original model, but now ordered a G9 that should arrive today). Logitech should hire a true mouse enthusiast gamer to design a 4+ thumb button mouse, combined with wheel & at least 3-4 more buttons on top. I could easily see using a mouse with 6 thumb buttons - far, medium, close for both low and high.. similar to the MX1000, but have a high and a low row of buttons. Combine that with a cross between an n52 and X-Keys, and I'd be in gamer input heaven. Some day it'll happen..

[neux]

can't agree with you more, -silencer- ('http://www.dual-boxing.com/forums/index.php?page=User&userID=2555')

in my design, I would have a D-pad under thumb finger, and in place of a wheel I would have a analog stick, or a little track ball for all scrolling needs ( obviously with ability to map it to mouse axes or to arrows keys)

btw, almost like this -silencer-. What do you think of this ('http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16826998003')?
http://c1.neweggimages.com/NeweggImage/productimage/26-998-003-02.jpg

[bodefeld]

http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/mice_pointers/mice/devices/130&cl=us,en

The thumb button has 3 ways (up, down, press) the mouse wheel is lovely (if you scroll fast it releases a bearing or smt, and rolls smooth as a baby's ..) AND you get 2 other thumb buttons + it has a nice 'hold' to it.I use that one, too. Love it. I have my "/assist focus" macro assigned to one of the thumb-buttons, and I use the thumb-"wheel" (it's not really a wheel) to rotate my characters to face moving mobs.

[Monkofdoom]

I can comfortably reach 41 keys without moving my hand from the wasd location, i guess with shift, ctrl and alt modifiers 152 combinations ? Maybe I have big hands :(

[The.Timmer]

I use Nostromo N52, but have it set up as the WASD keys, and the D-pad as my shape-shifting as a drood.

Might change this now that im multi-boxing non-droods

[BobGnarly]

Why would you try to get away from the WASD keys?Because WASD is for noobz?

Seriously. Think about it. Put your fingers on the WASD keys and tell me how many easily accessible keys you can touch without moving your whole hand. Now put your fingers on the "home" row (ASDF) and tell me how many easily accessible keys you can touch without moving your whole hand. Pretty nifty, ain't it? Plus, you don't have to move anything at all to start typing.

Of course, to each his own. If you like WASD, more power to ya. But it's definitely sub-optimal in terms of body mechanics. ;)Thank you!

This is something that I've just never understood. We all have trained ourselves to rest our left hand on the "home row" to type on our keyboard, but somehow, WASD has become the defacto standard for gaming movement, even though it is inferior the the home row standard that we had to unlearn to use it. ?(

Classic example of the inertia of the defacto.