Comments on GGD: Sometimes Being a Girl Gamer is Awkward!

I realizes I'm late to the party wit this, but...

2010-01-20T05:50:34.929-08:00

I realizes I'm late to the party wit this, but I'm a keyboard turner as well. WAQE, with AD for strafing.

I can not get used to mouse move, and don't see a need to learn. My current games are Champions On-line and Dragon Age: Origins. For CO, yes there are times I wish I had more fine tuned turning controls, but, there's nothing out there.

The most important thing with gaming is to play ho...

2010-01-14T09:38:31.444-08:00

The most important thing with gaming is to play how you are comfortable. If it works for you, keep it. There are multiple ways to configure your controls for a reason.

That said, if you want to learn to navigate with a mouse I'll offer some advice: play an FPS game for awhile. I'd recommend finding an old copy of Unreal Tournament (2004, say) adding a few progressive skilled bots, and getting yourself blown up for awhile. In particular, try to practice shooting at the thing that's chasing you.

MMOs have their visual roots in FPS games. While early FPS games were strictly keyboard driven, mice were quickly incorporated for targetting and then movement. Yes, you can turn 180 with either. With a keyboard it's always going to be X milliseconds for that turn; thus consistency and precision. With a mouse, it's as fast as you can jerk the mouse around, which takes practice and skill for precision but can be alot faster than X milliseconds when required.

Hey, as long as you're able to progress with y...

2010-01-14T07:49:47.710-08:00

Hey, as long as you're able to progress with your guildmates, I don't think it matters exactly how you play. Sure, using the mouse more might be "optimal", however, you may discover trying that method just makes it worse. I actually use the mouse myself in WoW, but that is because I was introduced to FPS at an early age. :) In the end, it's a form of entertainment, entertain yourself as you please! I know some great players that use the keyboard. :)

I don't personally hate keyboard turners and c...

2010-01-14T00:27:22.168-08:00

I don't personally hate keyboard turners and clickers. I was one from when I started WoW until late TBC. I do however hope those I raid with are willing to try and learn how to mouse turn (or as I do with my G13 gaming pad, joystick move.).

I just know first hand how much it improved my situational awareness in raids and increased my tanking and dpsing abilities. No hate. I just believe what has been learned can be unlearned and retaught. And there's no point laughing either way(Even though I'll /raisehand and admit I do from time to time.). There are some horrible clickers, keyboard turners, mouse turners, and joystick players out there. Have fun playing whatever style you play!

Ok, first I have to do this. ::points and laugh...

2010-01-13T17:30:12.544-08:00

Ok, first I have to do this.

::points and laughs:: Bwahahahaaaa! A keyboard turner? Oh honey ... ok ... listen. Admitting you have a problem is the first step. Now, repeat after me ... "mouselook". :)

In all seriousness, to each his own. My best friend is one of the best raid healers on his server. He spends every fight pressed up against a wall, FACING it. Why? So he doesn't lag at all during the fight. For him, the entire game is just a blank screen with boxes telling him each person's health. Yeah it's weird ... but as I said, he's the best damn healer on the server.

Neurocat

You have no idea how much this blog means to me. ...

2010-01-13T17:12:53.768-08:00

You have no idea how much this blog means to me. I'm a TOTAL NOOB and I just started the ST:O open beta today. I guess I'll understand more as a I play...but the tutorial I'm getting says to use the freaking keys...is there another way to move? I use the mouse as well, but to turn - I use the keys. Because that's what the game told me to do.

Wow - thanks for making me feel better about being...

2010-01-13T17:11:17.044-08:00

Wow - thanks for making me feel better about being a key turner. I was a closet key turner, but no more. Someday, when I have a week where my husband isn't around to give me crap, I may need to take the time to learn to actually use the mouse to turn.

As a healer, I have my heals keybound to my mouse keys, and use the other hand to turn -- we will see how it goes.

I was an assassin in EQ2 and I am* a rogue in WoW....

2010-01-13T16:51:22.716-08:00

I was an assassin in EQ2 and I am* a rogue in WoW. I use QWES (QE for strafing and WS for back/forward movement) to move my character, but I hold down the right mouse button to swivel my camera, thus making me a hybrid keyboard-mouse turner. The stigma w/ keyboard *turning* (not moving) is that it's much slower than mouse turning and can be detrimental in a pinch. The fastest turning is actually the hybrid way (at least in my experience).

As for combat arts, I use a mix of keyboard (usually for 1-5) and mouse clicking for anything beyond 5.

*I say "am" but I've made a new year's resolution to take an MMO break this year.

This post and the comments has me totally lost. Bu...

2010-01-13T16:49:40.961-08:00

This post and the comments has me totally lost. But then again the last computer game I loved was Set (need a functional Mac version). I am so not a gamer girl, unless you count the PS gun games like Elemental Gear. I can shot things with toy guns pretty well.

I live in a text based world of muds. All I get is...

2010-01-13T15:32:15.891-08:00

I live in a text based world of muds. All I get is the use of 2 4 6 and 8. Four directions. But damn if I could not move in a jazz square super fast.

I'm a keybord turner too. And as awful as that...

2010-01-13T15:29:28.873-08:00

I'm a keybord turner too. And as awful as that is for a caster...I played a rogue. Yes. With keyboard turning. And I DIDN't suck.

I tried to relearn, just like I tried to learn to use auto run (after I sprained my clicking finger by holding the mouse buttons down to move) but it never really worked for me.

I've never blown anyone up, or caused wipes because of my keyboard turning, but I can't pvp though, and I think that is why.

I HAVE been playing FPS games though...and I think that may have broken me of the habit.

Confession: sigh I'm not that much of a game...

2010-01-13T15:04:47.917-08:00

Confession: *sigh* I'm not that much of a gamer. I love games when I get to play, but I suck. Since I stopped hanging out in arcades, (7th grade-ish,) my gaming ops, few and far between. Until recently. I got sucked into Oblivion, (getting endlessly mocked because I tend to turn my characters upside-down and I collect crap to turn into potions,) and Fallout 3.
I'm left-handed and honestly, controllers just feel counter-intuitive to me, even PC games require endless re-setting of control keys for me.
Again - *sigh*
I vote for seeing what actually works the best for you, as a gamer. I don't see the sense in wrecking your game just cuz you're not doing it the way you're, "Supposed," to.
:)

I've been WASD in every game I've ever pla...

2010-01-13T15:01:16.763-08:00

I've been WASD in every game I've ever played, WoW included. I will mix in mouse run now and then, but my default is WASD. I did not realize that was unusual...!

Most of the time its someone suggesting a more eff...

2010-01-13T14:38:27.480-08:00

Most of the time its someone suggesting a more effecient way of doing things, or your gaming background, It took me a long time to use keybinds because my gaming background prior to wow wasn't games that encouraged key binding, If no one had ever questioned your reaction times - and you can normally pick up a bad keyboard turner, the style might just suit you, however, now that you know there are alternatives, you might find your game improve.

I just want to comment on why their is so much ani...

2010-01-13T14:30:34.871-08:00

I just want to comment on why their is so much animosity toward keyboard turner's

Understandbly wow is a video game, and you need to respect that

However when you dedicate your free time, to a raiding guild. Stay up 6 hours clearing trash and your on the last boss attempt for a server first kill or your guild first kill, and someone becomes the bomb, and blows up the raid because they were turning with their keyboard and ran into the tank, thats frustrating.

Keyboard turner's are at a horrific disadvantage for becomming the bomb, flame or acid dancing, or any time of movment or rotational type of fight.

Think of the implications.

Tank loses agro on a mob, and he runs off toward a squishy mage, mage is out of ice block he blinks away ( bad mages blink away from the tank good mages blink toward the tank remember this) and the mob runs after. Well a keyboard turning tank is gonna take 5-6 extra seconds on avg to get the mob back in that time any boss could 1 or 2 shot a healer. Sure you can make up for that by running agro to your tank but you shouldnt have to make up for someone's ability to navigate.

There are a billion other cases and reasons, PVP being a big one.

Keyboard turning is kind of like working at an office and not knowing how to type.

Or playing football with a baseball sure you can do it, but someone's probably going to comment.

I had a similar moment once with guys telling me t...

2010-01-13T14:29:00.537-08:00

I had a similar moment once with guys telling me that it was 'not done' to move with the keypad. But i tried it a while.. didnt suit me. And now im back to keyboard turning and spell clicking, Im still the best healer of the bunch so i dont care :)

Chuckle I figured it was a mac- pc thing ::running...

2010-01-13T14:18:45.588-08:00

Chuckle I figured it was a mac- pc thing ::running away::

For Majutsukai The Standard WASD are used for mo...

2010-01-13T14:17:27.712-08:00

For Majutsukai

The Standard

WASD are used for movement.

Keys 1234rfcz are used for quick binds (heavily used spells)

Tab is used to target

Space is jump

Mouselook is used for turning and pivoting (180,SPIN)

Moving while casting is holding both mouse buttons

Straffing is qe ) some opt not to use strafe and use q and e for quick binds

Mouse Click can be used for anything not bound (most players use custom action bars to position heal/harm spells near target or raid frames approriately)

Most combo spells such as Nature's Swiftness Healing touch are made into one macro

Click to cast is often configured for additional speed.

For example a healer would bind his most frequent hot and flash heal to mouse button 3 left and mouse button 3 right with a click to cast addon (Mouse button 3 is your scroll wheel)

Which brings up the most impt point a standard wow mouse has a scroll wheel which can be pushed left and right, as well as a min of like 97 buttons (actually just at least 5 are good but 7 is awesome)

Playing especially healing with a trackpad makes baby jesus cry unless you are soloing then thats on you.

Okay, wait. What's the "standard" wa...

2010-01-13T13:52:39.636-08:00

Okay, wait. What's the "standard" way? I move forward with the W key and turn with right click and my laptop's touchpad.

I also have click-to-move enabled and use it to autowalk sometimes when I have a long way to walk. (I discovered that if you click above the visible horizon, then you just keep walking indefinitely.)

I just developed this way on my own, figuring out what works best for me. So what's the "standard"?

I'm probably gonna get myself in so much troub...

2010-01-13T13:45:47.844-08:00

I'm probably gonna get myself in so much trouble for this but I've never actually played WOW. Not enough time to devote to the craft so I never got started. I have been playing video games since I got my first computer (a Texas Insturments thing that you plugged into the TV set) when I was like 6 or 7. I'm a PC and a console gamer and how I move all depends on what I'm playing on, what I'm playing, the mood I'm in, and how bad my wrist hurts.

I tend to go arrow keys too because I think it gives me a little more presicion of movement. But when my fingers and wrist start to act up (I tend to push hard ;), I switch to the mouse. Unless I'm playing Sims and then it's mouse all the way 'cause the arrow keys are just a pain. ;)

The thing with games is just do what ever works for you. I'm gonna date myself here but my main strategy comes from my old days of playing Cenitpede in the arcade - one hand on the track ball, one finger laying on the fire button and holding it down until everything blows up. It always worked for me. ;)

Psistriker (from Twitter too. :)

If you never play FPS games, it would never occur ...

2010-01-13T13:37:26.235-08:00

If you never play FPS games, it would never occur to you to use the mouse for movement, so there's nothing to feel bad about.

Mousing is superior to keyboard turning because it's faster and more precise, though there is a learning curve. It also gives you better control of the camera, but that doesn't matter much if you're not tanking.

I totally identify with this. I made the transiti...

2010-01-13T13:36:20.617-08:00

I totally identify with this. I made the transition from keyboard turner to mouse turner many many years ago, but it was a difficult time. I was late making the transition compared to my peers and I did not understand how it could possibly make that much difference. But it did. Then a few years later I started finding that as the graphics and gameplay got smoother and more realistic that I found FPSes disorienting and I gradually moved to playing lots of 3rd Person console games. So I needn't have made the effort in the first place.

So there you go. Do not feel alone, as I'm sure that plenty of mouse turners identify with what you're going through.

Sure blame the parents - they didn't have vide...

2010-01-13T13:36:04.714-08:00

Sure blame the parents - they didn't have video games when you were a kid or you would have said "Listen, listen, buy it"

Apologize to no one as longer as your playing well. I can't clap my hands in time, but I have great phrasing.

Yo Mama

I keyboard turned for a long time- I also play on ...

2010-01-13T13:28:43.355-08:00

I keyboard turned for a long time- I also play on a laptop (gasp!!) and I used to do a lot of wow leveling and playing in college sitting on a couch or in bed. No mouse required! But a long time ago, getting more serious about PVP cured me of keyboard turning very, very quickly.

Now I tank and I can't play without a mouse. It's not so much the movement - I actually use keys to move and strafe quite a bit when I am positioning a mob/boss - as the camera control.

But anyways - how I switched. It was long and painful. I broke myself of keyboard turning when I started to PVP because I could tell how much it gimped me by just switching cold from keys to mouse one night. It was awful. I ran around ironforge for a while just practicing moving. My gameplay absolutely blew for a week or two. Very, very uncomfortable.

But I could tell how much more freedom I would have, using the mouse to move so precisely, and I stuck with it. I played like shit for a week or so, but eventually I couldn't figure out how I'd ever gotten by without one.

It reminded me of when I make a drastic change in my keybindings or learning an entirely new class/spec's rotation. Very slow at first, but then it becomes natural with practice.

It's a painful transition - and like you said, you have muscle memory to deal with, and you are obviously a very successful gamer and raider. You don't NEED to mouse move! You can play however you want!

But - also like you said - transitioning to mouse moving could open up so many more options for you. If you're anything like me, you will find the transition painful but you'll appreciate the improvement to your movement if you do try it out.

I feel for you. /hug Good luck with those pesky boys, and/or with experimenting with using a mouse!

<3 Anafielle (from twitter)

I'm a keyboard turner! haha I have gotten mor...

2010-01-13T12:58:45.051-08:00

I'm a keyboard turner! haha I have gotten more and more used to moving with the mouse now that I'm trying to become more reliable in arenas.. that and macros. But u called it when u said muscle memory.

I blame it on FPS games