Mouse or keyboard?
by David Nelson 
Sep 20th 2006 at 6:15PM
A few months ago one of my friends was spending the weekend at my place. Like the dorks we are, we played WoW a little during his visit. As he started playing his mage, I noticed something odd. He didn't use the keyboard at all beyond the WASD keys to move around. He simply used his mouse to click his way through everything. After asking him why he didn't use an elaborate set of hot keys like I did, he looked at me as if I was the one who was doing something odd. In talking to my other WoW buddies, it seems as if most of them are mouse people as opposed to a keyboard person like myself. When I was playing my priest, I felt as if I needed my hot keys to stay on top of things. I mapped all my various heals to my number pad, and made targeting macros for people I was responsible for in the raid. I mapped those macros to my function keys and off I went. The only time I'd use my mouse in battle was when I needed to heal someone that I didn't have a macro for. I just don't see how using the mouse would be as fast as using the keyboard. Plus, all that clicking...it would be like Diablo 2 all over again (which wouldn't be the worst thing in the world, now that I think about it).
Anyone else out there use the keyboard method? Are my friends right? Is the mouse the way to go?
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Unkle Sep 20th 2006 6:28PM
With the exception of a few buttons on the standard quick bar, I typically use the mouse to click all the icsons on my bars.
Being that my only high level toon is a hunter though, I don't find as much of a need to be using so many different things as a priest. Attack, stings, shots, and the occasional few other buttons is about it.
I enjoy my mouse, but if I was doing end-game raid healing as a priest, I think you would have to use the keyboard more.
Strakin Sep 20th 2006 6:29PM
I'm with you...i use almost all keyboard. I have some spells set as buttons on the mouse but the only spells I actually click are spells that are hardly used. I have mine set up to use 1-5, alt 1-5, and ctrl 1-5. That gives me 15 (i'm a math wiz) buttons within quick reach. I have my alt and ctrl buttons on my mouse btw. I find that I can't pay attention to whats going on in the battle if i have to look for spells to make sure i clicking in the right box. Though i suppose if thats how i played all the time i would get it down without looking jsut like with the keyboard.
Kaylos Sep 20th 2006 6:36PM
I hotkey almost everything. I am very particular about my keyboard setup, using ESDF as my movement keys and mapping everything else around those. Even with access to extra buttons though by moving the movement key one to the right, I still do not have enough buttons and have to click somethings.
AareDub Sep 20th 2006 6:40PM
I play a warrior, and clicked my way up to 60. However, I soon realized how much slower my reaction time was trying to get my mouse to the right icon and click it. Now I have all my attacks assigned to the num pad, and ctrl+num pad. My stance changes are assigned to / * and - across the top of the pad, and my push to talk on vent is +. I tab target (for the most part) and only use my mouse to reposition the camera. I can't imagine WoW any other way anymore.
Userless Sep 20th 2006 6:42PM
I use a little of both. Anything I use with regularity or need in a flash is hotkeyed. Mostly I use the 1-5 keys on the keyboard then on my Logitech MX1000 mouse, it has 6 buttons I have mapped to Ctrl commands that I assign to particular things in my hotbar. So I can Ice Block, throw up Ice Shield, Polymorph, Counterspell and use Cold snap as I like. Anything that isn't hotkeyed, I don't use enough to bother worrying about needing it quickly and can just use a mouse click.
Cedric Sep 20th 2006 11:18PM
Your friends are PVP fodder, they just don't know it yet :-)
Seriously, yes, no question about it: 95% keyboard for me, including Ctrl and Alt for the extra bars (the other 5% is for the times where multiple tabs don't target who I'm trying to aim at).
But the ultimate PVP weapon: use your mouse with your left hand and the keypad for your right hand. You have access to much more shortcuts this way (and you are also reducing your odds of suffering from carpal tunnel syndrome down the line).
Lori Sep 20th 2006 6:48PM
Not only keyboard, but a G15 keyboard. I found it to be sooo much faster than the mouse and less error prone, too. Only actions performed less fequently and out of battle are done with mouse pointing.
Nelson Sep 21st 2006 10:54AM
Just like Lori, I too have a g15 keyboard. The beauty of it is that you can make g15 macros that are on a timer. So you can farm with 1 button. Example:
Holy Fire
Mind Blast
SW:P
PW:S
Smite
Auto-Wand
Smithra Sep 20th 2006 7:08PM
I mostly use the mouse, but that's because I haven't figured out a good Left-Hand only ESDF movement layout. I'm open to suggestions.
dave nelson Sep 20th 2006 7:02PM
Wow! I just checked out that G15 keyboard. Seems like it would be awesome in WoW. I gotta pick one of those things up.
Llaiya Sep 20th 2006 7:13PM
On my druid, I use the keyboard to heal, especially to heal, but since I have a healing bar, all my damage spells (like there are any, right) and other various abilities are above the main hot-bar and I use the mouse for them. The weird thing though, is that I barely ever use keyboard shortcuts when I play my warrior (except for charging) It just feels more natural to use the mouse, probably due to the different aspect of the abilities being used.
John Sep 20th 2006 7:18PM
Really this is just a question for the author not a comment. I play a priest as an alt and I would really like to know how you did this:
"I mapped all my various heals to my number pad, and made targeting macros for people I was responsible for in the raid. I mapped those macros to my function keys and off I went."
This would really help me out a bunch.
dave nelson Sep 20th 2006 7:29PM
Well, as far as making macros, this link should help you...http://www.wowwiki.com/HOWTO:Make_a_Macro
You can follow other links on the wiki to see different macros, but targeting is the easiest to set up, just type...
/target player
So if I wanted to target Sindy, I would type...
/target Sindy
If you follow the links around wiki in regards to macros you will see a lot that might be useful for you.
Now, as for key binding (mapping keys), if you press the "talk" button, or the button that kind of looks like a speech bubble, you will bring up a small window. Just click on key bindings, and you can set all your different keys to the different commands in the game. It is pretty self-explanatory once you see the key binding list.
Jimmy Sep 20th 2006 7:55PM
I used a Nostromo Speedpad for most of my hotkey action. I only use my mouse to assist in moving my character and the occasional click on a hotbar.
ak Sep 20th 2006 8:13PM
for those of you using the g15, do you have any good macros for it? or a place of documentation, I got one, but have found few good uses for it.
tanks
ak
kerri miller Sep 20th 2006 8:37PM
Nostromo n52, all the way
Ruhtra Sep 20th 2006 9:21PM
I used to be kinda in between. I used tab for targeting and 1,2,3 buttons, but everything else I clicked. But since I got an nostromo n52 I've been using it alot.
forest Sep 20th 2006 9:36PM
i always use the keyboard even for my warrior, its way easier than clicking through everything. You can pretty much play the game without using the mouse
Finnicks Daerkhiv Sep 20th 2006 9:54PM
I imagine that since you're a priest, the constant shifting of targets would become painful w/ the mouse. But when soloing or doing a five-man instance (especially as a Mage), a lot of the time it isn't necessary to constantly switch targets.
However, I play a Warlock, so I find myself using "4" and "5" (the action bar spots I have assigned to Corruption and CoA respectively) quite a bit, often TABing through every mob in a pull (or every enemy player in range during PvP) and Corrupting them (this is essential for ensuring that Shadow Trance pops a few times for instant shadowbolts against my primary target). Then I do another TAB round of CoA, then I focus in on my primary target w/ Immolate then Drain Life.
I also have Life Tap hotkeyed to SHIFT+S, Shadow Ward on SHIFT+A, Seduce on SHIFT+C, and Summon Felsteed on SHIFT+V (I don't need to see my ally's health bars. As if I could heal them!). So I use my keyboard w/ the left hand, and the mouse with the right hand to control my camera. Don't ask me why, but I just cannot get into using the keyboard keys A, D, and W for movement. Oh occassionally I'll use Q and E for strafing around groups while I spam Corruption, but mostly I use my Mouse Wheel button to active Autorun and the left mouse button to turn and reposition. The exception: I make copious use of S to back away from mobs just after pulling.
Although, now that I think about it, I should probably switch the hotkeys for Shadow Ward and Life Tap, that way I could Life Tap while backing away from mobs.
Mike Raichelson Sep 20th 2006 10:40PM
I use almost entirely keymapped controls. My usual excuse though is that I play on a laptop, trying to do too much clicking on stuff in the middle of a fight is a pain if you're using a trackpad.