Suggestions on Dragoon Keybinds

Just curious what everyone else uses. I am having a difficult time trying to keybind efficiently for Dragoon given that rotations are quite long and all over the place. I avoid using the Ctrl and Alt modifiers, not out of the ability to grow comfortable, but due to having metal pins keeping my hand together. Trying to hold Ctrl and stretch to '1' is just discomforting, so I stick to keystrokes within a one or two stroke reach.

Any suggestions would be great =)

As an avid MMO player, if you're playing with keyboard and mouse, I highly recommend a Razor Naga, it gives you 12 (24 with shift binding and 48 if you want Alt+Ctrl) keybinds to move through. Yeah 24-36 sounds like a lot, but you quickly get the hang of it.
Besides that, I suggest using numpad with shift modifiers.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Llamawaffle

As an avid MMO player, if you're playing with keyboard and mouse, I highly recommend a Razor Naga, it gives you 12 (24 with shift binding and 48 if you want Alt+Ctrl) keybinds to move through. Yeah 24-36 sounds like a lot, but you quickly get the hang of it.
Besides that, I suggest using numpad with shift modifiers.

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I feel like I can't live without my Razer Naga. The convenience is amazing. But now I feel like I can never go back to 1-0 on a regular keyboard

I'll have to invest in one. My only concern with the naga is the same issue I have with my current mouse. Its a razer death adder, but that button 4 is just awkward to use.

My current/planned binds are as follows using a 6-extra-buttons mouse:

Hotbar 1:
1 - True Thrust
2 - Vorpal Thrust
3 - Full Thrust
4 - Heavy Thrust
5 - Ring of Thorns
6 - Phlebotomize
7 - Doom Spike
Q - Impulse Drive (Replaces 8)
E - Disembowel (Replaces 9)
R - Chaos Thrust (Replaces 0)

Hotbar 2
CTRL+1 - Invigorate
CTRL+2 - Spineshatter Dive
CTRL+3 - Dragonfire Dive
CTRL+= - Elusive Jump

Hotbar 10 (vertical, on the right)
M1 - Leg Sweep
M2 - Internal Release
M3 - Blood for Blood
M4 - Power Surge
M5 - Jump
M6 - Life Surge

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I have my Hotbars set up so that the GCD skills are on the main hotbar, grouped by combo (and Doom Spike for AoE). The Off-GCDs that are used in a general rotation are on the side so I can glance at them easier, and are bound to mouse buttons. Lastly, the Jumps (aside from the basic Jump) are situational skills so they are shunted to a second Hotbar. Ideally, I'd like to get Elusive Jump onto an easier "oh shit" button for dodging mob/boss AoEs but haven't figured that out yet.

I actually click every skill on my quickbars without any kind of keybinds and it works pretty well. I used to be a clicker in faster paced MMORPGs and the 2.5 second GCD gives plenty of time to move the mouse across the screen.

12345QEZXCG, M3/M4/M5 are all keys I use with shift/alt/ctrl modifers as it suits comfort. RFVT are all also good, I just use them for general purpose stuff like focus target, inventory, and mini-map. I use Ctrl+Spacebar for Limit Break on most jobs, Shift+Spacebar for target's target.

Play around with what's comfortable to reach with your fingers. Anything menu-based near your movement keys should be put somewhere else to give you more workable keys in combat.

Suggestions are much appreciated =D. As it is I have a very specific keybind setup and trying to work classes like DRG or MNK into my setup is proving to be most difficult. As it is, its tailored to SCH, and I spent a good week making sure that it would work comfortably for me, and it does, but trying to work high rotation jobs in there is boggling my mind haha. Screenshot link to my current setup included.

http://i.imgur.com/hToPdT5.png?1

Get a Steelseries Apex keyboard because it is the best investment you will ever make for a keyboard.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Vodomir

I actually click every skill on my quickbars without any kind of keybinds and it works pretty well. I used to be a clicker in faster paced MMORPGs and the 2.5 second GCD gives plenty of time to move the mouse across the screen.

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I don't recommend this because you end up having to sacrifice fine control over your movement for the brief time you click if you are in motion while your GCD comes up, but if ever there were an MMO where clicking was good enough, this might be the one. Still seems risky against the more dangerous style of attacks to me though.

I placed all my keybinds following these rules: 1) All must be accessible using only my left hand, 2) CDs longer than 60 seconds should be places at the Alt+# keys, 3) Most commonly used skills are to be bounded to 1, 2, 3, 4, Q, E and R keys with modifiers. 4) Any skill that is off the GCD and does a stunning/interrupting effect must be placed on R. I made these rules during my WoW days and it seems to work really well in this game as well. Below is the result:

Basic Rotation Skills
1,2,3 - True, Vorpal, Full Thrusts respectively
4, 5, Alt+R - Impulse Drive, Disembowel, Chaos Thrust
E - Heavy Thrust
Alt+E - Phlebotomize
R - Leg Sweep

Situational Skills, except for Life Surge
T - Doom Spike
Alt+T - Mercy Stroke
Q - Life Surge
Alt+Q - Piercing Talon
X - Elusive Jump
Alt+X - Feint

All Jumps use the Ctrl modifier; Power Surge is on F1 since it's quite easy to reach.
Ctrl+1 - Spineshatter Dive
Ctrl+2 - Jump
Ctrl+3 - Dragonfire Dive
Shift+1 - Invigorate
Shift+2 - Second Wind
F1 - Power Surge
F2 - Ring of Thorns
F3 - Sprint
F4 - Mount Roulette

DRG cooldowns
Alt+1 - Internal Release
Alt+2 - Blood for Blood
Alt+3 - Keen Flurry
Alt+4 - Mantra
Alt+5 - Bloodbath
Alt+6 - Limit Break

Using legacy movement configuration and clicking on them is my recommendation.

Wont be able to give you a screenshot of my HUD but since i started playing melee where i find the key arrangements are necessary.

My concept of keys are like this:

[1-2-3]-4-5
Your most pressed buttons or combo actions in sequence.
[TTT] (123 Thrust) - Plebo - Leg Sweep.

(CTRL+) [1-2-3]-4-5
Your 2nd set of combos in sequence.
[IDC] (IDrive, Dbowel, CThrust) - H.Thrust - AOE

(SHIFT+) [1-2-3]-4-5
Weaving Skills. (Skills that slot in between GCDs)
JUMPS - Mantra - Mercy Stroke

Q - Talon (Button easily pressed when running away AOE. DPS golden ABC (Always be Casting)
E - Invigorate. Convenience Button to top up TP which dragoons always does

F1 - F4
Other GCD skills that you rarely use. I usually put up other CC skills here that is used once in a while. Eg. 2nd Wind

ZXCV
My Offensive Cooldowns
I. Release - BfB - Life Surge - Power Surge

I use this set up to easily press on every button using my left hand while my right just manuevere my camera and my character's vision.

Oh, on top of that i added a horizontal bar above my HP to keep track of Cooldowns. If you need my HUD i can show it you.