Keyboard PVP

Hello there Gamez community!

I have searched the forum and was just not able to find anything so here it goes.

I've been playing for a while now and I think I'm ok at PVP/Zerg whatever you want to call it...BUT I am a clicker and would like some advice/tips on how to change to using the keyboard. All these fantastic PVP videos I see, there is no mouse clicking around and I'd really like to step up my PVP skills a bit.

Right now I use a Logitech Wave keyboard as I type a lot for homework. So I'm not sure if "have to" get one of the programmable keyboards or if I can stick with what I have but I'm willing to pick one up if need be. Or maybe just one of those side pieces for just the one hand?

I use the wasd to move around, left click on mouse to click, right click to swivel and two side buttons to target npc and enemy faction.

So if anyone has some advice or can point me to a guide/tutorial I'd really appreciate it!

Thanks!

 

Honestly it depends on several factors on how to move over from clicking to key binds.

1. Your Keyboard, how easy it for you to access keys. For example how easy can you hold down alt, shift, or ctrl, along with another key. i.e.: shift+1 Shift+F1 and so forth. Also do you have a mouse with extra buttons? this will help adding binds that you normally could not accomplish.

2. You hand, how far can you reach with just one hand alone with out having to move away from wasd 1-5? 1-6? 1-7?

3. Do you need default key binds as they are or are you able to change them? For my personal use F1-6 are still my default keys being select self-group1-5 this only applies on my cleric as needing to quickly select group members for dispels and heals is a must. While for my other characters that do not require quick selection F1-F5/6 are used for secondary or prerequisite. For example my glad F1-5/6 are skill that I can only use while an enemy is knocked down state.

4. To change from clicking to key bind it is always good to know which skills require you to move, which skill are similar in nature i.e. similar cooldown/effect. Either play it by cool downs similar effect or combination of both. Also take in to consideration which skills do you need quick constant access to. Healer Dispel is one example, and glad parry skill is another. Low cooldown with situational or constant use needed.

5. Once you have yourself set up with a general bind. Try to bind all your characters as well not just one. (If you play multiple classes) The more you play around with other classes the better key bind set up you can make.

6. Last but not least is that you will not be able to produce effective skill usage right away. Do not expect yourself to adjust immediately from clicking to keybind it will take some time for your muscle memory to readjust, so take your time and dont give up on your key bind right away.

 

Onrain, thanks for the advice and taking the time for such a great reply!

My hands are a fair sized so I can reach fairly easily. My question on that, and I know I'll have to play around with it, is do you still move with wasd and use those 1-5 and f1-f5 as some attack skills or do you use the arrow keys to move? I suppose I'd also like to know if you are hitting the ctrl/alt/shift with the left fingers or the right? I could see how the arrow key movement keys and the right ctrl/shift/alt would be easier and leave the 1-5, q-t, a-g, z-b for skills-ish.

I totally get you on where to bind the skils, such keeping all the low cool down grouped together. I'm a cleric so I keep all my scrolls and health type buffs over on the extra quickbar.

And yes lots of practice! I'll be killing the dummies and dueling with my 10 year old son so we both get the practice in!

Thanks so much!

 

click is faster.

 

I move with wasd or mouse depending on what im doing, there's a option in the first section where you have it so if you press both left and right mouse buttons it will make you move forward. I dont take my hand off my mouse so I never use right side arrows/alt/shift/ctrl. Ive seen plenty of binds where cleircs keep their healing skills on primary bar 1-5, but i like playing offensive so my attacks are on 1-8. I also use alt+R/F for my call lightning/chain of suffering skills that you cant really use lightly since they make you pretty vulnerable due to the cast times. So basically left hand for all of my skills.

 

You dont necessarily need a gaming keyboard. Even though having gaming keyboard and mouse is a great advantage, you could simply keybind your skills in keys that are easy to press. My remove shock for example is on R, my shieldburst on q and my breakpower on E, switch weapon on ~ on all my chars. Just think which keys are easy for you to reach depending on the size of your hand.

 

im a clicker

 

It took me a lot of time to get used on my keybinds when I first tried it. I used to click ALL the skills before. I still click some skills up to now but I learned that having some important skills keybound makes it easier for me to react on certain PvP situations. Yet again, what most people say, it really depends on the player. You don't have to push yourself to do something you can't make yourself get comfortable with.

I personally think that you don't need a gaming keyboard or mouse or both to successfully keymap. Although having one of them or both will make it a lot easier. In my case, to be able to use some keys on my keyboard like the letters, I removed some useless shortcuts like H (Help window) made it ctrl+H, G (Legion window) made it ctrl+G, F (made it ctrl+F), V (made it (ctrl+V), B (made it ctrl+B), Z (made it ctrl+Z), so I can use the letters itself for some important skills. Removed the usual Shift+1 to 5 default keys so I can also put some skills on it. I leave 1 to 7, ctrl+1 to 5, alt+1 to 5 as they are, Caps Lock for Remove Shock, `/~ key for switching weapons, I also use ctrl+` normally for very important skills too. And since I can't easily press 6 to =, That's when I use the keys I listed above. I also use ctrl+R, ctrl+T, ctrl+D. Then I just click some less important skills --- and so on. I'm using a normal keyboard and mouse and with these, I can say my gameplay improved a lot better Although I'm planning to buy SteelSeries Merc Stealth keyboard soon.

It will always depend on your own comfort as to how you want your keybind to work. I wish you good luck and I hope all these replies can help you out.

 

The best way to adapt to playing with keyboard is assigning keys near the WASD portion of the keyboard so it is easily accessible and for learning without looking down at what you're pressing. You don't actually need a gaming or macro keyboard.

Some examples are the Q E R T F G Z X C V ~ 1 2 3 4 5 (and Alt, Shift, Ctrl, Capslock) keys for the left hand. They might overlap existing shortcuts ingame but all of them are customizable to your likings. For the right hand, if your mouse has extra function buttons, it will be excellent, if not you can also assign keys that's near your mouse like Num+, Num-, Num0 without moving your right hand far away from the mouse.

Also need to take into consideration that keyboards vary slightly in layout. In combining Shift/Alt/Ctrl with your binds, I have two keyboards for two computers, my mechanical razer keyboard is often easier to use Shift/Alt+ while my other logitech keyboard the shift key is smaller so actually easier to do Ctrl/Alt+. Function keys are another example, which can be lined them up as 3 or 4 clusters.

 

Thanks Onrain for the input!

Badrobot I can't believe I never thought of doing the remove shock there!

Ymilover...keep on clicking!

Uehara and Akikaze, I'm going to use that advice on top of Badrobots! I use those keys around wasd for what they are intended for but I really see how I can incorporate them into the battle rather than pulling up legion or whatever.

I am going to start playing around with binding some keys such as the remove shock/cleanse (maybe a few attack macros) etc, that way I still click a little and improve my response timing.

You all are the BEST! :smile:

 

I'v had this problem a long time ago, always wanted to be a keybinder since 2.0 i would always click all my skills, now it's not a problem for me... My advice for you is keybind your skills little by little.. Practice it.. you don't want to learn everything all at once. Get use to it then proceed to keybinding all your skills untill you get use to it. u know your improving when u no longer need to look at your skill bar. your fingers and mind reacts on its own.

 

...............k

 

The easiest thing to play with keybinds is getting a Razer Naga, then you dont need those CTRL, ALT, SHIFT things like i do: http://i.imgur.com/I8AWw2O.jpg

 

You won't become a pro-key binder over night or even in a week. I know alot of good players with 2 digit ping who are keybinded and it took most of them months just to get 100% use to the keybinds. So at first it is going to feel "strange" when you first keybind after clicking. I personally dis-like keybinds and I prefer clicking which I'm very fast at and I do tend to kill players by clicking. I do however have a few major skills keybinded such as "Target Enemy" & "Remove Shock" even if you do click you should definitely keybind these too it's pretty easy and you can get use to it within a day if you don't well uh... your going to get pwned pretty fast.

My advice is train at dummies for a hour or so a day, and make sure your comfortable with your key
binds, make sure they aren't hurting your hands/fingers and just train daily and stick with the key bind don't change them every day otherwise you will never get use too them.

You also don't got to keybind every thing at once, start with 3 keys bind a day and once you get use to those 3 add 1 more key bind and so on this is probably the best way to learn key bind rather then keybinding 24 skills in a day. Also you can reall'y hae to keybind your buffs/potions you can if you want to but you don't really have to.

Also best to get a gaming keyboard if your keybinding this makes the keys response faster on games.

 

I'm also a clicker (￣^￣)ゞ

 

>o< gotta buy one dammit, my keyboard is tooo biiiiiiiiiiiig for my hands so.. BUY ALL THE RAZER STUFF for little handed people._. gotta start to use keybinds tooT_T

 

my own personal keyboard. Works wonders for me