Keybinding

[bluekieran]

I could really use some advice on how to arrange stuff on the quickslot bar, and what to keybind where. I'm already level 31 on my Powertech main, and the more new powers I add the clearer it becomes that I should really sort out a cross-character plan and switch over to it before I get my current (actually pretty reasonable IMO) setup too ingrained.

I found this MMO champion guide on keybinding, which is a good start; I'm already using most of the priority keys, plus the 1-12 side buttons on my Razer Naga (though presently they're just set to default to my quickslot buttons).

I guess what I want is:

1. interrupts on the easiest keys to reach (but how many will I have at 50?)
2. Keys 1-5 for my rotation, so I can change to a different quickbar for PvP, DPS, Tank/Heal
3. Other important cooldowns on 6-12, where they will be just under my target's cast bar (which I'm watching if I want to interrupt)
4. Somewhere to put auto-run/OOC regen/mount where they're handy but won't interfere with what I won't need urgently mid-combat.
5. A plan that more or less works across all ACs, as much as possible, so I can play my alts freely.
6. Consumables where I absolutely won't hit them by accident
7. Anything that might need binding to a macro to go on a mouse button
8. AoEs on the buttons on top of the mouse makes sense, no?
   

As an aside, I'm currently assigning filler abilities (no CD/cost) to 5, as I figure having it in the center of my mouse side panel makes sense. I'm far from sure that's actually what's best, though.

[Kaedis]

The best advice I can give you is to swap to ESDF instead of WASD. It'll take you a couple weeks to get used to it, and probably a month to become completely acclimated, but it greatly expands your keybinding options. My 12 slots are bound to 2, 3, 4, 5, A, Q, W, R, T, G, Mouse 4, and Mouse 5. I have the second bottom bar bound to the shift modifier of each of these, and any remaining keybinds to alt and control modifiers of these. This gives me 2 reflex keys (they two mouse keys, bound to interrupt and defensive abilities like shields, knockbacks, DR cooldowns, etc), the modifers of both of them for slightly slower but still rapid response binds, and 10 keys for the rest of my abilities, all spaced no more than 2 key widths away from my movement keys, 5 of which are in rapid response range (2, 3, 4, W, R), and one of which is conveniently covered by my pinkey for extremely rapid response if needed.

As a standard, I tend to set up my keys in roughly the same style across all my characters. 2, 3, 4, and 5, plus their shift versions, are my main rotational abilities, with proximity to the 3 key indicating relative importance and frequency of use (so my 3 key is generally my spammed filler). Mouse 5 is my interrupt, shift-Mouse 5 is targeted offensive purge, snare, or stun. Mouse 4 and shift M4 are defensive abilities like shield and knockbacks or rapid access abilities like stealth and vanish. A is my speed enhancers, Q, W, R, and T are utility, which any heals I have generally being on W and R. G, shift G, and if needed, ctrl G are my ground-target AoE spells. Ctrl Q, W, R, and T are more utility, with ctrl W and R being my primary CC abilities. alt Q, W, R, and T are my output cooldowns such as Recklessness and relics. Ctrl 2-5 are more utlity space or consumables such as medpacs. Alt-M4 is my out-of-combat heal. Ctrl M4 is my trinket. Alt M5 is my music CD. Tab is my mount.

The basic idea is that the more often an ability is used, or the more important it is that I have quick and accurate access to it, the closer it is to the D key, and the easier it is to hit the correct bind quickly. My reflex abilities are bound to my pair of side mouse buttons for extremely quick access, since my thumb never leaves them. If you focus on efficiency of movement, you can ensure less missed or incorrectly hit keys, and you can ensure much of your muscle memory from one character carries over to another. I'm not saying use my setup, because it's designed specifically for my playstyle and my keyboard/mouse combo, but I do recommend taking at look at your bind setup and figuring out an efficient way to setup up your bind, then start looking at how easy each key is to hit and distribute abilities according to their importance.

[bluekieran]

(12-22-2011 11:48 PM)Kor Wrote:  [...]
I do recommend taking at look at your bind setup and figuring out an efficient way to setup up your bind, then start looking at how easy each key is to hit and distribute abilities according to their importance.

I'm actually working on a spreadsheet to classify my Powertech's abilities, and hopefully map my other toon's abilities into similar groups that can use the same keys. Working copy is here on google docs if anyone would care to take a look and comment!

(NB: all the abilities and stuff are on the second sheet.)

[Kaedis]

Just don't forget those modifier keys. You can quadruple your available keybinds with them. Less base keys = more efficient keybind space and easier muscle memory.

[bluekieran]

(12-23-2011 02:10 AM)Kor Wrote:  Just don't forget those modifier keys. You can quadruple your available keybinds with them. Less base keys = more efficient keybind space and easier muscle memory.

Hmm, with so many mouse buttons available I had been planning on avoiding them, but I think you're probably right nonetheless. Would I be better off using modded keys for less-used abilities, or for switching between (say) close-range and long-range rotations?

[Kaedis]

I generally use them for less-used abilities, tbh. I'm still very much not sold on the idea of a 12-button numpad on the side of my mouse, too easy to hit the wrong key, and it's putting too large of a percentage of your controls on your mouse hand instead of your keyboard hand, leaving your mouse hand open for targeting and camera. Also, I use a fingertip style, which doesn't jive with the Naga. Might get that new MMO7, however.

Anyway, back on topic. Generally modifiers are good for abilities that you need quick access to, but don't use that terribly often, as you can layer them over your quick-access keys without interfering with them.

[bluekieran]

(12-23-2011 02:50 AM)Kor Wrote:  I generally use them for less-used abilities, tbh. I'm still very much not sold on the idea of a 12-button numpad on the side of my mouse, too easy to hit the wrong key, and it's putting too large of a percentage of your controls on your mouse hand instead of your keyboard hand, leaving your mouse hand open for targeting and camera. Also, I use a fingertip style, which doesn't jive with the Naga. Might get that new MMO7, however.

I'm mostly used to hitting the right button now, after just a couple week's play, but I'm thinking about binding the ones I do hit wrong to stuff like mount and OOC regen. It was a bit painful when I had medpack on one of those >.<

Quote:Anyway, back on topic. Generally modifiers are good for abilities that you need quick access to, but don't use that terribly often, as you can layer them over your quick-access keys without interfering with them.

This has all been immensely helpful dude, thanks.

[fex]

(12-22-2011 11:48 PM)Kor Wrote:  The best advice I can give you is to swap to ESDF instead of WASD...

... words ...

You know, this is the first MMO that I've decided this is necessary, due to the sheer number of useful abilities. I've always bound around WASD, but mostly just ERFTX and `, with ALT-, CTRL-, and SHIFT- modifiers for some but not all of those. (I liked ` and mods for stuff like trinkets and Death Wish/Arcane Power type things, as it's easy enough to hit but pretty tough to do so accidentally.)

What I would like to accomplish, though, and it worked in WoW, was bind the left and right tilt of my mouse wheel to ALT- and SHIFT- (or was it CTRL- ... whatever) but when I set anything other than "standard button" in my mouse config it doesn't do it in game. In fact, I had a keystroke setting for Mouse-4 that I had to remove from the settings and bind in-game instead, which worked fine. But the game won't let you bind wheel-tilt-modified keys.

Does this have anything to do with the Admin privileges the game runs under? Obviously I've already figured out I have to run Vent as Admin too, to get my push-to-talk key to work. Is that interfering with my mouse settings too? Just a guess.

[Kaedis]

I've no experience with privileges, since I have UAC completely disabled and my account set to run everything at admin.

[bluekieran]

(12-23-2011 06:30 AM)fex Wrote:  What I would like to accomplish, though, and it worked in WoW, was bind the left and right tilt of my mouse wheel to ALT- and SHIFT- (or was it CTRL- ... whatever) but when I set anything other than "standard button" in my mouse config it doesn't do it in game. In fact, I had a keystroke setting for Mouse-4 that I had to remove from the settings and bind in-game instead, which worked fine. But the game won't let you bind wheel-tilt-modified keys.

Yeah, it won't let me bind ` either (some issue with UK keyboard layout?). Also, anything I bind to a mouse button (mouse4/mouse5) won't work when my cursor is over a quickbar. I think I'll just use my mouse's software to bind those buttons to CTRL+SHIFT+Something, then bind in-game to that. Hopefully I can find some s/w that'll let me do the same for `.