From Clicker to Keybinder

[MasterFeign]

I highly recommend the Logitech G13. Check one of those out. I think Razor has a similar model.

 

I have a laptop so I don't see the use. My mouse I use does have extra buttons though.

[Dayln]

I advise you to take is slow, start using a few, then add more when you are comfortable with the first few.

 

Don’t try to go to 100% in a day

 

start with your most used skills... and expand from there if you want to give it a serious shot.

 

If you try to do it all at once you will overwhelm yourself and give it up

[MasterFeign]

I advise you to take is slow, start using a few, then add more when you are comfortable with the first few.

 

Don’t try to go to 100% in a day

 

start with your most used skills... and expand from there if you want to give it a serious shot.

 

If you try to do it all at once you will overwhelm yourself and give it up

 

Makes sense. I think I'd start with my interrupts and my basic attacks. Any suggestions that like if I should test dueling with a friend or try kite practicing a mob or something?

[Dayln]

Makes sense. I think I'd start with my interrupts and my basic attacks. Any suggestions that like if I should test dueling with a friend or try kite practicing a mob or something?

 

Or normal class quests that are fairly easy, not every method works for everyone, but that is what worked for me. kept expanding and expanding over time.

[Dagoolch]

Just bind everything from the start. Did the same thing when I started WoW and it took merely a few days of being completely terrible at the game and then you get all the muscle memory. Commonly used skills for me get the special treatment of being assigned to 1, 2, 3, 4, f, q r, t, z. All the other stuff is shift+a,s,w,f,t,q,1,2,3 or control+ f,1,2,3,4, also mouse buttons.

 

edit: oh, also try playing a little while without using wasd to move, usually I'm not pressing any of those keys at the same time i'm pressing a bind (go ahead, try to keep your hand on wasd and press 1, I think you would need a sixth finger) so if you can get used to running forward and turning by holding down both mouse buttons you would be helping yourself a lot.

Edited March 20, 2012 by Dagoolch

[MasterFeign]

Or normal class quests that are fairly easy, not every method works for everyone, but that is what worked for me. kept expanding and expanding over time.

 

Ah. Yeah since I'm already 50, finding that niche for me sin will be a little harder, but it should be fine.

 

I think if I started keybinding a Sith Warrior though it would be much easier. But I have to start somewhere. XD

 

I'll probably just go to Ilum or something and try mobs there and see if I can duel some people. Which means I probably won't PVP for the day now XD (it's for the better anyway).

[JERFFACE]

I'm still a clicker, I use a Razer Naga gaming mouse. 17 programable buttons. Best investment I've made.

[MasterFeign]

Just bind everything from the start. Did the same thing when I started WoW and it took merely a few days of being completely terrible at the game and then you get all the muscle memory. Commonly used skills for me get the special treatment of being assigned to 1, 2, 3, 4, f, q r, t, z. All the other stuff is shift+a,s,w,f,t,q,1,2,3 or control+ f,1,2,3,4, also mouse buttons.

 

edit: oh, also try playing a little while without using wasd to move, usually I'm not pressing any of those keys at the same time i'm pressing a bind (go ahead, try to keep your hand on wasd and press 1, I think you would need a sixth finger) so if you can get used to running forward and turning by holding down both mouse buttons you would be helping yourself a lot.

 

In that case would an auto run be viable?

 

As a tank I don't need to move around too much, it's just when things start to shift aggro like HM BP's last boss...

[Dayln]

Ah. Yeah since I'm already 50, finding that niche for me sin will be a little harder, but it should be fine.

 

I think if I started keybinding a Sith Warrior though it would be much easier. But I have to start somewhere. XD

 

I'll probably just go to Ilum or something and try mobs there and see if I can duel some people. Which means I probably won't PVP for the day now XD (it's for the better anyway).

 

as an altaholic I dont have that problem

[MasterFeign]

as an altaholic I dont have that problem

 

Haha, I found that with the sith warrior (at least at the very beginning) because you have to start out with a basic attack or the jump attack, it was easier just to press the numbers and adjust for them.

 

It was the same thing when I was trying out a sorcerer, that since it was ranged I could be at 30 metres and just mash 4 or something for lightning.

 

Though I think in the end, the above described is more of a lazy battle >.>

[Jouqe]

I use WASD and i found that the best key bindings are Q, E, R, F, V, X, shift+Q, shift+E, shift+R, shift+F, shift+V, shift+X, control+Q, control+E, control+R, control+F, control+V, control+X, 1, 4, alt+Q, alt+E, alt+R, and alt+F.

[TheNotorius]

I'm still a clicker, I use a Razer Naga gaming mouse. 17 programable buttons. Best investment I've made.

 

I doubt it makes you a clicker...maybe a "mousebinder" or something like that Oo

 

Anyway the G13 keyboard and Razer Naga would make it easier to learn keybinding, but it comes with a price.

 

Personally, I would start binding abilities to mouse buttons if you have any, then you should start to use them with shift and ctrl (or alt?) too (the best way to learn to use shift and ctrl is with mouse buttons imo)

 

Then you can add some keybinds to the keyboard too.

Edited March 20, 2012 by TheNotorius

[Sasheria]

I still use WASD for movement (I try to use other method for couple of days but I just can't get away from it)

 

I usually bind my extra like Q, E, R ,T ,F, G, H, Z, X, C, V ,B

 

those keys I use what I call "my bread and butter" skills.

[CJAShadow]

This ia very good writeup in this very forum area:

 

http://www.swtor.com/community/showthread.php?t=147661

 

I have been a keybinder my whole life and it was always harder when you have to change your buttons around when you get new skills. Make sure to take some time and pick what makes sense to you.

 

You don't NEED a fancy mouse, I don't use more then a cheap one.

[Sniperbubby]

Okay, I play a sin tank. I wouldn't start there. Go with a sorc or something that has minimal movement because then you can focus on your keybinds.

 

When I started playing I moved w/ wasd but then converted to esdf to move and increase how many hotkeys i could have up at once. Okay so 1-6 are my main attacks that I use constantly 7 is a stun 8 is a knock back then 90-= a very situation or like stealth something that doesn't have a time crunch on it.

 

Okay now I use qwrtagzxcvb for more hotkeys. RWGA are the battle hotkeys G is interrupt R is sprint W is guard (not rly a battle one but w/e) and A is assassinate. Then I space other situationals out around that rest of my keys.

 

I use a naga mouse so thats 12 more hotkeys than the average played but if you don't have those one easy thing to do is use (shift) and zxcvb that gives you five more hotkeys.

 

Thats a total of 28 hotkeys, it takes a lot to get used to but its very worth it.

 

For movement use both mouse buttons to move, and just turn with that however, I strafe using the s and f keys. I find it keeps your keys close by. But yeah thats how I play hope you like it :D

[XDisk]

I use a Logitech G13 keypad and a Marble Mouse.

 

http://www.logitech.com/en-us/keyboards/keyboard/devices/5123

 

http://www.logitech.com/en-hk/mice-pointers/trackballs/devices/156

 

I use the keypad for movement, maps, character sheet, etc. With the track ball, I can click on attacks/heals with minimal motion. The mouse never moves, just the ball.

 

Easier for me than mashing keys, just click on what I need and I'm good to go. In fact, I slide my keyboard up and hold the track ball "sideways" underneath it. More comfortable/ergonomic that way.

[Ellvaan]

This ia very good writeup in this very forum area:

 

http://www.swtor.com/community/showthread.php?t=147661

 

 

Thank you for pointing this thread out!

 

As CJAShadow has helpfully pointed out, if you are looking to work on your keybinding versus your current play style, we have a thread from our New Players Fleet Pass: A Directory of Resources that you may find helpful:

 

Keybinding Tips for new MMO players

 

Additionally, thank you everyone for your helpful and constructive responses!

 

We hope this helps!

Edited March 21, 2012 by Ellvaan

[Darth_Syphilis]

I run pretty much every game the same way -

 

ESDF + Mouse for movement. The raised nub on the F key helps while learning to keybind in case you lose your place on the keyboard. S left strafe, F right strafe, E forward, D back (on rare occasions when its advantageous to move back)

 

1-5

Q, W, R, T

A, G

Z, C, V, B. People do bind X but I find it a pain to hit it consistently.

 

That is 15 keys. I have two buttons on my mouse as modifiers, SHFT and ALT.

 

This gives me access to 45 different commands all without having to move my fingers more then 1 or so keys away.

 

Everyone different, but this helped me a ton.

 

I also recommend moving your move set over by at least one (depending on range of your fingers) -- you will have access to more keys once you get used to it.

 

Try to adapt your thumb to use more than just space bar too. (E.g. N, M, maybe even H and J.)

 

Think "piano" more than "guitar"

[jazzllanna]

I use 1-5 and shift 1-5

retgfd and shift with all of those

 

 

I also have a 5 button mouse and use the side 2 plus shift with those.

 

I move with my mouse and I also use w.. I dont use qe for strathing I have bound those to my mouse buttons and back to middle mouse button. That may be weird for you to get use to but I can't move without it now.

[Darne]

welcome to the world on keybinding! I remember when I first made that jump. It'll be tough, but you'll get used to it and then you'll never look back. I'm not so sure I would listen to everything imanujakku says in that other thread though. I don't know why people think it's soooo awful to keep a key bound to move backwards. Just know when turning around and running is better and you're fine. I would also recommend against using ESDF instead of WASD as so many games (beyond just MMOs) use WASD that it might be a hard habit to kick if you start using anything else. Seems like a lot of pain to have to reset every keybind in every game you play from now on if you adopt that play style, but hey that's just my opinion.

 

You also don't need a fancy 13 button mouse or G-whatever logitech keyboard. The way I currently have this game set up is as follows:

 

I re-bound character sheet to I and kept inventory to B. I don't need 2 keys for my bags.

I also re-bound left and right strafe to A and D respectively as turning is now done through the right click mouse button. This gives you a much faster turn time and frees up Q and E for ability keybinds. You might have to re-bind some stuff like guild window to unused keys on the right half of the keyboard, but that's ok as those are never used in heat of battle.

 

Lower Bottom Bar:

Z, X, C, V, F, G, H, Q, E, R, T, Y

 

Top Bottom Bar:

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, shift+ 1, shift+ 2, shift+ 3, shift+ 4, shift+ 5, shift+ 6

 

Right Bar:

ctrl+ 1, ctrl+ 2, ctrl+ 3, ctrl+ 4, ctrl+ 5, ctrl+ 6, alt+ 1, alt+ 2, alt+ 3, alt+ 4, alt+ 5, alt+ 6.

 

Left Bar:

I put things that I don't use that often in this bar so I actually still click for some these. For others I use shift+ one of the letters in lower bottom bar.

Things like speeder, quick travel, the class buff, the meditate skill, for some reason I keep my spring and saber stance in there too though you could argue I don't need to as those are always "on."

 

Advanced Side Note:

You should absolutely learn how to use focus targeting, something which is impossible to do with clicking. First enable focus targeting in options, then bind a key (I have shift+ F) to set your focus. Then set a focus modifier button (I have ~). Now everything you hold ~ and use an ability, it will automatically be used on your focus instead of your main target. Great for interrupting heals or managing adds or whatever.

[Meanerr]

Google Taugrim's blog on PvP keybinding.

 

Mouse for movement, left side of keyboard for keybinds with the exception of two keys for strafing (and learning to strafe is mandatory for high lvl PvP).

 

I use some very basic intuitive keybinds:

 

S = slow

D = DoT

H = heal

C = cleanse

X = interrupt

 

Once you get comfortable you can incorporate shift + (or alt + if you prefer)

 

shift + S = stun

shift + C = cc

shift + D = secondary DoT

 

Sky is the limit. Of course you'll need to know how to touch type so you know where all the keys are without having to look down.

 

It doesn't matter how anyone spins it, but if you need to look off the middle of screen at where all the action is you will eventually miss something critical (cloaker, capper, huttball pass). The less you need your eyes to wander the better you will be at PvP.