Arrow keys or WASD for movement?

[HavoX]

I know there's already a thread about this, but I'm more curious about how everyone plays Doom; the old-fashioned way (arrow keys), or the more modern approach (WASD).

 

Me, I've been doing this with arrow keys since I first played Wofenstein3D, back in elementary school. The only time I'd ever use WASD is if I'm playing DOOM 2016, because I found out the hard way that it's the only way I can move around. (And most modern FPS games no longer rely on arrow keys.) It did take me a while, but I did manage to get the hang of it.

Edited August 22, 2021 by HavoX

[omx32x]

WASD because i am not a keyboard cave man

[ReaperAA]

WASD of course. I used to play FPS games with arrow keys when I was a kid, but those days are long past now. When using a mouse, WASD is simply.... better.

Edited August 25, 2021 by ReaperAA

[Sergeant G]

WASD with mouse look enabled. I was slow to make the switch when WASD+Mouse first became a thing, I was well set in my arrow keys ways. But, once I really gave it a try, the benefits were undeniable. If it had been practicable at the time, I am almost certain that id would have shipped DOOM with WASD+Mouse as the default.

Edited August 22, 2021 by Sergeant G

[Firebert]

ESDF, Always.

Edited August 22, 2021 by Firebert

[xX_Lol6_Xx]

Modern controls are my way to go

Edited August 22, 2021 by Lol 6
Pressed enter accidentally, lol

[bobstremglav]

ESDF :)

[Biodegradable]

Team WASD represent! I did use the arrow keys way back when I first played Doom as a kid though.

[El Juancho]

32 minutes ago, Firebert said:

ESDF, Always.

What are the advantages over WASD?

[Firebert]

Just now, El juancho said:

What are the advantages over WASD?

It's mostly personal preference, you do get a few more buttons but its not like you'll be needing those in doom.

[7Mahonin]

WASD. For single player it likely doesn’t matter too much and is likely down to personal preference, but try playing keyboard only in deathmatch against everyone else who will likely all be using WASD, some even with free-look on and auto-aim off. Even if you still play without vertical mouse-look and with auto-aim on, playing with WASD and mouse will still give you far greater control in deathmatch than keyboard-only ever will and you will still stand a chance against free-lookers. 

Edited August 22, 2021 by TelicAx7

[bobstremglav]

12 minutes ago, Firebert said:

It's mostly personal preference, you do get a few more buttons but its not like you'll be needing those in doom.

It's useful for mods hovewer.

Usually I use:

W - action

Q - use item

A - reload

[Apprentice]

In the old days, I used the arrow keys for movement but since a couple of years, I switched to the WASD keys. It's a bit more friendly for my joints . . .  :)

[Ofisil]

Arrows.

Left-handed mouse use. Pinky handles NUMKEY area for weapon swaps, index and middle finger handle the keys above the arrows.

[MFG38]

Always played with WASD.

[Dubbag]

W=forward

S=backward

A=strafe left

D= Strafe right

E= Use

Use mouse for turning

Edited August 22, 2021 by Dubbag

[Xyzzу]

Here's the crazy kb-only setup I have on my current laptop. The arrow keys are way too small and shift is in the wrong place relative to said keys. I also use B, N and M for Heretic/Hexen inventory c:

Spoiler

 

[Steve D]

I started playing Doom in '95, but I never used the arrow keys. I'm still a "keyboard caveman" tho, because I've always used the numeric keypad. This was possible because I started playing Doom on the Mac, which allowed more or less unlimited keyboard configuration. The same was true when Doom was ported to the Amiga. So for me, it goes like this;

 

KP8 - Forward

KP5 - Backward

KP7 - Strafe Left

KP9 - Strafe Right

KP4 - Turn Left

KP6 - Turn Right

 

When I moved Doom over to the PC, I was in for a rude awakening. When I hit KP5, instead of moving me backward, it brought up the Rocket Launcher. Oops! :D I had to select a different key for moving backward, tho I forget which it was. Luckily, source ports ended that nonsense.

 

And FWIW, I watch streamers using WASD and mouse who die a lot more than I do. ;)  I realize that if I played Deathmatch, I'd be at a serious disadvantage against practiced mousers, but I've never had any interest in that. I do, however, want to play more Doom 2016 so I'll be forced to mouse, and then carry it over to Classic Doom. The reason? Just to make harder maps.

[out_of_service]

I mainly use the traditional WASD and EDSF for movement. Recently, however, I've been testing out TGFH and I actually like that setup a lot.

[valkiriforce]

Keyboard arrow user here - however on the few occasions I have used a mouse and keyboard for controls I use the right-click for forward movement, A & S for strafing left and right, and Z for moving backwards.

[Gibbon]

Even for keyboard only playing, I use WSAD.  I actually use the up arrow key to shoot and down arrow to open doors.

[Noiser]

Both.

[Redneckerz]

IJKL because it brings my hand closer to the other.

 

But really, WASD. Older DOS-based forks don't always have the capability to define keys and arrows are just so terrible. Turning left and right is really not for me when i want to strafe instead.

[ApprihensivSoul]

Trackball and a Wiimote or nothing.

I'm kidding. I love WASD, though certain types of mods, usually more methodical, less action-oriented (Like Phocas Island 2) I might use other forms because I like having more keys at once.

[Nikku4211]

I only use WASD. I'm so used to it in other games that it only feels natural in Doom as well.

 

56 minutes ago, Redneckerz said:

Older DOS-based forks don't always have the capability to define keys and arrows are just so terrible.

Don't at least some of these forks use the original Doom's config file? If so, you can use your vanilla/Chocolate config on those ports to change the keys.

[SilentD00mer]

ESDF

[Wavy]

7 hours ago, Gibbon said:

Even for keyboard only playing, I use WSAD.  I actually use the up arrow key to shoot and down arrow to open doors.

Same! Only difference is that I have E bound for doors/switches

Edited August 23, 2021 by Wavy

[ZeroTheEro]

WASD because it's the norm for me now

[Jello]

I used the arrow keys up until 1999 I believe, when I started playing TFC. I was complaining to a kid that I played with in eight grade that throwing grenades was annoying because I had to reach all the way across the keyboard. Hell, I didn't even use strafe, just used the mouse to turn, and I was still consistently in the top of the roster in any multiplayer game I played.

 

He suggested that I switch to WASD, because everything was easier to reach. And I haven't looked back since. But I did get through Wolfenstein/Spear of Destiny, Doom, Quake, Quake 2, Half-Life, OPFOR, Unreal, and Deus Ex using the arrow keys, and played quite a bit of TFC, Day of Defeat, and Counterstrike using the arrow keys. But WASD works so much better. I've tried ESDF, and I can see the advantage of having a few extra keys available, but I've never found a keyboard where my hand doesn't feel cramped using ESDF due to the key layout.

Edited August 23, 2021 by Jello

[Reinhard]

WASD. It's easy to use as using arrow keys and mouse honestly feels cramped and uncomfortable.