Control maps were all over the place until the late 90’s, but arrow keys were probably most common. I’m not 100% sure but I think Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II was the first (mainstream, 90s) FPS to release with WASD as the default setup. Quake 2 shipped with a custom WASD cfg you could load from the console, but it was still arrow keys in the default options I think. It wasn’t until '98 (Half-Life, etc) onwards that WASD was the standard.
You were, apparently, ahead of the curve. :)
Wolfenstein 3D and Doom were originally arrow-key default.
Edit: Found the Wolenstein manual to prove it.
http://www.abandonia.com/files/extras/23636_game_extra_1.pdf
I still find it so arbitrary and weird that wasd even became a thing since esdf is just better and more sensible.
Like who actually thought, hey you know that home row position that even a blind guy can find? Lets just move left of that for no reason.
WASD is the resting position for the left hand when they teach typing.
It’s easier to hit the ctrl key with your pinky from WASD
I don’t think this is actually correct. Usually, they teach you that your index fingers go on the F and J keys (where the little bumps are).
As already noted, nope. It’s SDF/JKL
Ah, the vi bindings! They’re awesome.
I started a new from scratch 1.1 run and Takemura called me.
However, Brendan the vending machine will not trigger. Fucking thing.
You’re hate-playing it a second time? That’s bold.
Yikes, no. Placing fingers on WASD means the pinky needs to merely move front and back to reach both shift and control. On homerow keys (ESDF), you have to stretch the pinky quite uncomfortably to reach control. WASD also puts my thumb in better reach of the alt key as well. The number of available keys afforded by easy reach of control and alt far outweighs the few keys gained from ESDF. Maybe it is a hand-size thing?
I like AZ<left shift>X myself. That’s the most comfortable. Used it for many years until WASD finally wore me down.
Try it, put your fingers down there. Isn’t it better? You can strafe left and go forward so easily, with less contortion. But no, some games didn’t support it, so I had to give it up.
Dunno, I can reach all the keys you mentioned easily with esdf and tab and gain easier access to another vertical row to the right like t, g, etc.
Seems like a no brainer unless you have small hands.
ZXC is the default button layout for most Japanese indies and PC shmups. I always liked them for that.
What thread are we in again?
Raytraced RGB keyboards.
WASD is the best placement for both pinky and thumb to hit complementary keys: spacebar, shift, Ctrl, Q, F, E, R, etc. That’s why it’s the standard. Anyone who disagrees is an objectively wrong weirdo.
WASD has been the default since the time of Quake 1. I used to use arrow then and switched. Over a decade now.
You want to experience a fucked up control scheme?
Go back and play Goldeneye on the N64, with the default control layout.
I have an absolutely ancient Microsoft 3000(?) keyboard which has a slight curve to it (not one of those split ergonomic ones), so maybe that has something to do with it.
The most interesting part of this conversation to me is that I had never even thought about people not being on board with WASD. Even MOBAs still expect you to hold your hand position around there though they don’t utilize those keys for movement. The only games I can think of that don’t really support WASD are the Paradox ones (other than Stellaris which I think does, EU4 and HOI4 definitely use the arrow keys for map scrolling).
I don’t remember what the first WASD game was though I’m old enough that I’m sure I played it.
Not arguing in defense of it or anything, I think every game should have keybinding options so people can play them however they like. Just an interesting series of posts I never would never have thought about.
Typing classes say that you’re wrong for far longer than video games have existed.
But at the end of the day you do what you like,which is why keybinds options should be mandatory. There’s zero reason to shoehorn anyone to specific keys.