New to keyboard - set up tips?

[dehlert]

Hey I am getting my new pc today so I will likely make the switch to it from console.. with that I will take up keyboard for the first time. I have tried it a couple times in the past but it always still felt faster to use a controller... But people still instead keyboard is better..

So I was looking for some tips on how players set up their hotkeys and bars? I use a logitech mouse so I have a few button options I could use to not have to use ctrl or alt for every skill bar.. but when it comes to how you dps/buff/etc how do you usually set it up so you are not staring at your bar the entire time? that seems to be my biggest problem.

also any tips on more efficient targeting? or is tab and shift still the way to go? Sorry for this noob question but it really has been a long time since I used a keyboard in an mmo

[Donjo]

The key to not staring at your bar too much is to get your skills into a configuration that is comfortable to you and then just use it. With enough time you'll just know where everything is and will only need to look at bars to check on cooldowns(keeping all of them physically near each other on the screen helps minimize time spent staring, too). Regarding button presses themselves, a great strength of the keyboard is naturally the sheer number of buttons you have on hand. Creative keybinding(a common example is binding letters near the WASD movement keys to abilities) can ensure that all of your skills are close at hand with plenty of room to still have the Quality of Life shortcuts around.

For targeting, I use a combination of tabs and directly clicking on enemies/targets. I can't say for sure whether or not it's the most efficient way of going about it, but it works for me.

[Genaxx]

Stick with your controller if you want, if speed is your concern you'll be faster on controller since your used to it.

[Xenosan]

Welcome to the chaaaange. Here was my approach to changing from controller to keyboard,

I had to create a new character and level it for a while before I was comfortable. And just in case, I renamed and stored a UI backup of my controller setups just in case I needed to revert for anything.

First suggestion legacy mode, then to try and replicate your crossbar config with keybinds. X,A,Y,B keys I used mouse buttons, 1,2,3,Q keys for Dpad. Might be a good start, i'd move things around over time but that's a good starting point moving off from a controller. 4 easy-access keys left hand, 4 easy-access keys right hand. z,x,c,v fill in slots 9-12.

*Not to turn this into a controller bash, yes can be great with controller. But personally I felt inclined to switch for push-to-talk VOIP, faster text chat, waymarker drop, and Faerie mouse-over healing/debuffing/etc. I miss controller a lot when gathering, fate grinding, solo MSQ early leveling, and pvp even. But that's why I kept the UI backup. Actually even like inventory management better with a controller, which may be a hint that the UI still could use some love.

[ValinEndac]

Snip

Well, I've played every MMORPG from EverQuest to WoW with a keyboard and mouse(I switched to controller for Final Fantasy XIV because I liked the controller setup in FFXI and EverQuest Online Adventures). The truth when it comes to using a mouse and keyboard that just like a controller there is no best way to set it. Just like when you started with a controller you need to build muscle memory so just pick which way you think would comfortable ways to push all of your skills and enjoy the fumbling while you slowly build that muscle memory. Give it a week till you are about at normal play speed.

Just make sure that you can push all of your main skills while moving. Good luck with relearning everything.

P.S.
Neither are better, if you hear someone say that they are just trying to justify their own decision on which one they wanted to use.

[Huskell]

I would suggest to first change the keybinds, the one I use go like this:
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, Q, E, R, F, G, X, (`)

The (`) KB is good to use for stances.

I use 3 bars for skills and items, one uses ctrl and the other uses shift. One important note is that I keep a second stance in ctrl + ` and chocobo/run (macro) in shift + `.

The normal bar I use for active skills, the ctrl bar I use for dependent skills, combos or CDs, and the shift bar I use for pots, and misc. The shift bar is shared.

There's also several bars to the side, 2 of them is to change GS, the other I use for macros, the macro one have alt keybinds for it. These are shared.

The important thing to do is trying to make all your classes look similar and also the second bar. For example, on warrior I use 4 to overpower, and use ctrl + 4 to Holmgang (similar skills, and Holmgang is dependent of wrath, so it's at the ctrl bar), same thing with AOEs, DOTs... Everything has a place, and I try to keep a pattern between every class. For example, for me: 1, 2 and 3 are main combos or skills. 4 and R are AOEs. 5 is a stun or disable, etc...

[Rongway]

On all my tanks, all my the abilities can fit onto a 4x6 arrangement plus the six keys typically used for text navigation. 1-6 and alt1-alt6 are attacks/GCDs, while sh1-sh6 and altsh1-altsh6 are cooldowns and dots (if applicable). On the text navigation keys, I have INS-TemperedWill, DEL-Sprint(justincase), HM-Cover, PU-SwordOath, PD-ShieldOath.

Xenosan suggested Legacy movement; I concur. If you find yourself having any movement or camera related issues at all, the solution 99% of the time is to set Legacy on. I also like to have the arrow keys mapped to move forward/back/left/right. W/S are move forward/back, A/D turn camera, Q/E move left/right. Take care that you know the difference between move left/right and stafe left/right; strafing will cause you to back pedal and move left/right won't.

I use 3 bars for skills and items, one uses ctrl and the other uses shift

I would recommend using CTRL only if doing two handed chords. If there's a mouse involved, CTRL is a bad idea as it is not in a good spot for single handed chording via thumb cross under or pinky movement.



With two handed chording, the position is left thumb on alt, right thumb on ctrl or shift, left fingers on arrow keys ready to reach for the text nav cluster.

[Huskell]

I would recommend using CTRL only if doing two handed chords.

Thanks, but I like this KB, I'm used to it since I use this for nearly all MMOs I have played in the recent decade. I also use mouse to move most of the time, so it won't get in the way.

[White_Devil]

for my classes, I like to set it up so first row is attacks that lead to combos, then binds or dots and whatever else I can fit (ranged/aggro if tank)
Second row has CDs and stances
Third row is whatever else couldn't fit and fourth is for PVP

It would also help if you bound the third row to shift, like second row being default ctrl

[Rongway]

Let's call the difficulty of pressing a key lg(D/W + 1) where D is the distance of your finger from the target key and W is the size of the target key (Fitts's Law).

So if we're talking strictly about a one handed keyboard setup, CTRL is not a good modifier because

• if you use your thumb, it's a difficult key to hit because you have to cross under your entire palm, which will have the side effect of moving your index finger away from 4-5-6, making them harder to hit as well.
• if you use your pinky, shift is closer to resting position and larger than ctrl, and will be easier to press. With shift, the remaining fingers will not have to reach as far to hit their assigned keys.

If we allow a two handed setup, the right hand over the arrow keys places the thumb over right control for PTT; index finger on shift and in range of left arrow, ins, del; and pinky on num0 for quick interaction with mechanical objects. Having movement bound to both QWES and arrow keys will mean that if one hand is busy doing complex chords and scales, the other hand will quickly be able to execute dodges.

A bit of chord complexity isn't something to avoid if it reduces the distance your fingers need to move. alt-shift-3 is easier to hit than 7 any day, especially when those three keys just happen to be the resting positions for the three fingers involved.



Something I forgot to mention in my earlier post...set your two Face Target binds to something simple for each hand, like [`] and [\] so you can keep your target in front of you without having to wait for the GCD.