Does anyone actually use the number row keys for abilities?

Varana

I do.

While moving forward (middle finger on W), I use the ring finger to press 1 and 2, and the index finger for 3 through 5. While strafing left (ring finger on A), I use the middle finger for 1 and 2. When strafing right (index finger on D), I don't use buttons 4 and 5 - on these buttons, I have long-lasting buffs and such things. Or, if absolutely necessary, I use the middle finger on D as an exception.

As for a mouse, I use a vertical mouse, for health reasons. I haven't found a good vertical gaming mouse yet.

srfrogg23

Before I got my MMO mouse, I did. I actually quit playing for a while due to the hand cramps I was getting.

Michae

I use numbers in PvE and mouse buttons in PvP.

maxjapank

I doubt I could use the number keys. Long ago, someone suggested a keybind that I've found quite easy to do. Use W and S for forwards and backwards. But change Q and E to strafe left and right. Now you can use A, D, and F for abilities 1, 2, and 3. You can use R for ability 4. And a the two mouse buttons for ability 5 and ulti. It's been very simple.

You will have to rebind your interact with environment key to something else, but i find T to be good.

Tandor

emilyhyoyeon wrote: »

I use the numbers and I have no idea how people use mouse buttons for abilities without messing up their aim haha

This.

Morgha_Kul

Well, considering my mouse has only three buttons...

Donari

Barta057 wrote: »

I use the mouse for movement and then 1-5 to use abilities. If you hold both mouse buttons you move~ If I need to strafe, then hold them and A-D and keep using the numbers.

Hold the phone, wait, what? There is mouse forward move in this game? I've been suffering for years with the LMB-RMB press just making me block, having to use W to go forward. Enlighten me, I beg you!

I do in fact use the number keys for abilities, but I don't WASD. I have strafing and backpedaling on side buttons on my Naga Hex, so all my movement (except for the accursed forward) is via mouse and my left hand only has to press one key at a time. I make sure to equip gap closer abilities since it's very hard for me to use W while in combat, it throws off my awareness of which keys my fingers are on. If I could press both mouse buttons to go forward that would free me up for so much other stuff. I've just never seen any way to key bind that.

Raisin

Mouse buttons don't feel right to me. Don't like them. :x
Number keys do a great job for me.

Mayrael

Old school here baby, when my adventure with gaming started there was no such equipment so I had no choice, now after all these years my left hand always operates skills and movement, right hand is for crucial things, aiming, dodging etc.

quadraxis666

EVERYTHING on mouse side buttons. 12345, normal 5 skills, 6 is barswap, 7 is a simple tank macro- barswap, hardened, igneous, barswap. 8 is barswap, chains, barswap, 9 is barswap, dk rocks, barswap, 10 is dodgeroll, 11 is crouch, 12 is barswap, wall of frost, barswap.













barswap.

AndyMac

I do - got Flawless, Warlord and all my vet trial and vet dungeon clears that way .

It’s how I learned to do it.

There’s a Naga in my closet lol

maxjapank

I know many players who use the mouse wheel for bar swap. Mouse up for front bar. Mouse down for back bar. Works great in lag, and there is zero chance you’ll double bar swap by accident.

cyclonus11

The only thing I use my mouse side buttons for is to dodge roll. I unbind that double-tap. It causes accidental deaths.

WiseSky

I have a Naga Chroma With skills, dodge and bash on it.

I also use Logitech G-13 and have my Swap to weapon 1 and Swap to Weapon 2 on it.

Once you have that Set up... Everything changes

central_scrutinizer

I do, but never any key higher then 4 for main abilities.
I use the higher number keys for ancillary commands, in the case of this game and its limited hotkeys I don't even use them for in-game abilities, I use them for add on gear swaps and such.
I use q e f c z x alt 1 2 3 and my many mouse buttons as my main goto keys in all games. I set up everything like I would for a shooter, so that I can always reach everything comfortably while moving in any direction, anything that I need to be using quickly while moving and aiming usually goes on the mouse.

And I use the same mouse keys for similar things across all games. For example mouse 6 button for me is any kind of a self heal/primary consumable type button. Mouse 5 is usually a movement power/gap closer, mouse 3 is usually a quick/last ditch melee option, 7 is usually a grenade or something else that needs fine aiming such as a positional heal in ESO, 8 is usually my primary targeted heal or main dps spammable and so forth.

So I'm never really confused unless somebody is mentioning default binds to me, then I am completely lost.

Grandma

i mean i can parse 70k on a magblade this patch with number keys. As cool as a fancy mouse would be, it would take far longer to get used to than it's worth. imagine parsing literally with just your right hand, the arthritis would be so bad lol.

JamieAubrey

I use 1,2,3,4,X Wep swap is MB4 roll dodge MB5

I find the 5th skill easier to use on X ( usually my execute ) everything else is pretty much set to default

ecru

Langeston wrote: »

Man, I must just really suck. I just don't have the manual dexterity to move and use the number row at the same time. For example: how can you move forward (W) while using ability 2 or 3? Don't both require you to use your middle finger?

No one has the manual dexterity to move and hit the number row at the same time. It's a very inefficient way to play and forces you to take your fingers off of WASD when you have to use abilities on 1-2-3, meaning that you stop moving momentarily. It's optimal to spam abilities too due to lag and other interruptions, not just tap the button once, and you can't spam 1-2-3 while moving with WASD.

Ideal keybinds are movement on left hand with WASD, abilities on right hand on mouse, and spacebar or another mouse button for weapon swap. This way you're never using the same hand or finger to combine movement, abilities, or weapon swapping (Left fingers move, left thumb weapon swaps, right finger light attacks, right thumb uses abilities) and you can do all three fluidly with no interruptions.

maxjapank wrote: »

I know many players who use the mouse wheel for bar swap. Mouse up for front bar. Mouse down for back bar. Works great in lag, and there is zero chance you’ll double bar swap by accident.

I know some others who do that too but it has always seemed like a bad idea to me because when you have to to bar swap-> light attack or light attack-> bar swap you have to use the same finger. Ideally you don't want to be moving the same finger from one button to another when using that combination because of how fast/precise it needs to be to weave properly.

Langeston

Grandma wrote: »

i mean i can parse 70k on a magblade this patch with number keys. As cool as a fancy mouse would be, it would take far longer to get used to than it's worth. imagine parsing literally with just your right hand, the arthritis would be so bad lol.

I mostly play PVP so mobility is huge for me. My fingers are always on WASD & I'm constantly moving, which usually means that my middle finger is on W or S, making it impossible for me to use it to reach the number row.

I find it far easier to move with one hand & attack with the other. If I were mostly stationary though, I think the number keys would possibly be viable. I could probably make it work in PVE (and definitely on a dummy) but in a BG where I'm constantly moving, it's just too clunky for me.

Langeston

ecru wrote: »

Langeston wrote: »

Man, I must just really suck. I just don't have the manual dexterity to move and use the number row at the same time. For example: how can you move forward (W) while using ability 2 or 3? Don't both require you to use your middle finger?

No one has the manual dexterity to move and hit the number row at the same time. It's a very inefficient way to play and forces you to take your fingers off of WASD when you have to use abilities on 1-2-3, meaning that you stop moving momentarily. It's optimal to spam abilities too due to lag and other interruptions, not just tap the button once, and you can't spam 1-2-3 while moving with WASD.

Ideal keybinds are movement on left hand with WASD, abilities on right hand on mouse, and spacebar or another mouse button for weapon swap. This way you're never using the same hand or finger to combine movement, abilities, or weapon swapping (Left fingers move, left thumb weapon swaps, right finger light attacks, right thumb uses abilities) and you can do all three fluidly with no interruptions.

Yeah, your setup is almost identical to mine, the only minor difference being that I bound bar swap to CAPS lock so I can hit it with my left ring finger since the only other thing that finger does is sit on S.

I am very surprised in the responses though, I didn't expect so many to be able to play that way. I could see doing it in dungeons maybe since its relatively sedentary, but I wouldn't last a minute in a BG like that.

Kittytravel

Langeston wrote: »

Man, I must just really suck. I just don't have the manual dexterity to move and use the number row at the same time. For example: how can you move forward (W) while using ability 2 or 3? Don't both require you to use your middle finger?

A W D is Ring Finger, Middle Finger, Index Finger respectively.
If you are moving W you use index/ring finger for abilities. If you are strafing AW you use index. Strafing WD you use ring finger for abilities.
It does take a good bit of dexterity and I think the biggest thing is just managing to make it muscle memory; not everyone can do it though so whatever floats your boat and makes the game playable.
Some people started all this back before the whole gaming mouse craze so we've just grown accustomed.

WrathOfInnos

Yep, I’ve always used the number keys. My mouse has 3 buttons: Light Attack, Bar Swap, and Block.

tahol10069

Yes. I suppose many do.

I was trained in typing with typing machine ages ago, and could do that blindly with standard 10-finger system, and fast. Using keyboard is the easiest thing for me in gaming.

tahol10069

Langeston wrote: »

Man, I must just really suck. I just don't have the manual dexterity to move and use the number row at the same time. For example: how can you move forward (W) while using ability 2 or 3? Don't both require you to use your middle finger?

No. I press W (or S) with my index finger, shift with little finger and that leaves middle finger for 1-3. For other number I seem to switch middle finger to W so index finger can go to rest of the numbers. Thumb is for space. I switch bars with V. I also seem to use W with index finger if I have to switch bar, I do this all without much thinking.Mouse takes care of turning so A and D are not needed.

tahol10069

ecru wrote: »

Langeston wrote: »

Man, I must just really suck. I just don't have the manual dexterity to move and use the number row at the same time. For example: how can you move forward (W) while using ability 2 or 3? Don't both require you to use your middle finger?

No one has the manual dexterity to move and hit the number row at the same time.

Speak about yourself. I can do it just fine.

Haquor

1-5 is life.

MajBludd

I use the number keys on my razer gamepad. Traditional keyboards suck for anything other than a turn based game, imo.

BeamsForDemacia

1 2 3 4 5 for skills, wasd moving, double press wasd for dodge , and ^ (next to1 ) for barswap , no mouse keys, after some hours of raiding it sometimes doesnt feel good to smash the buttons xD

Darkenarlol

corsair scimitar

beadabow

I am a lefty. I mapped my keys as 1 for weapon swap, 2-6 for abilities. Couldn't imagine trying to use mouse keys for abilities.