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After being popularized by [[first-person shooter]]s, WASD became more common in other [[computer game genre]]s as well. Many of the games that have adopted this layout use a first-person or over-the-shoulder third-person perspective.
After being popularized by [[first-person shooter]]s, WASD became more common in other [[computer game genre]]s as well. Many of the games that have adopted this layout use a first-person or over-the-shoulder third-person perspective.


===ESDF keys===

<gallery>
Image:Example.jpg|Caption1
Image:Example.jpg|Caption2
</gallery>===ESDF keys===
The ESDF variation is an alternative to WASD and is sometimes preferred because it provides access to movement independent keys for the [[little finger]] (Z, A, SHIFT) which generally allows for more advanced manual [[keyboard shortcut|binding]]. Incidentally, it allows the left hand to remain in [[homerow]] with the advantage of the F key homerow marker (available on most standard keyboards) to easily return to position with the index finger. "ESDF" is the default configuration for several games such as ''[[Tribes 2]]''. The game ''[[Blackthorne]]'' used a combination of arrow keys for movement and ESDF for actions. Moreover, these keys are compatible with both ''[[QWERTY]]'' and ''[[AZERTY]]'' keyboard layouts, which is a major plus if the game is also released in France or Belgium.
The ESDF variation is an alternative to WASD and is sometimes preferred because it provides access to movement independent keys for the [[little finger]] (Z, A, SHIFT) which generally allows for more advanced manual [[keyboard shortcut|binding]]. Incidentally, it allows the left hand to remain in [[homerow]] with the advantage of the F key homerow marker (available on most standard keyboards) to easily return to position with the index finger. "ESDF" is the default configuration for several games such as ''[[Tribes 2]]''. The game ''[[Blackthorne]]'' used a combination of arrow keys for movement and ESDF for actions. Moreover, these keys are compatible with both ''[[QWERTY]]'' and ''[[AZERTY]]'' keyboard layouts, which is a major plus if the game is also released in France or Belgium.



Revision as of 19:27, 20 January 2009

Cursor movement keys or arrow keys are buttons on a computer keyboard that are either programmed or designated to move the cursor in a specified direction.[1] The term "cursor movement key" is distinct from "arrow key" in that the former term may refer to any of various keys on a computer keyboard designated for cursor movement, whereas the latter term generally refers to one of four specific keys, typically marked with arrows.[2]

Arrow keys

Arrow keys typically located at the bottom of the keyboard to the side of the numeric keypad, usually arranged in an inverted-T layout but also found in diamond shapes. Arrow keys are commonly used for navigating around documents and for playing games. Before the computer mouse was widespread, arrow keys were the primary way of moving a cursor on screen. MouseKeys is a feature that allows controlling a mouse cursor with arrow keys instead. A feature echoed in the Amiga's whereby holding the Amiga key would allow you to move the mouse pointer with the arrow keys in the workbench(OS), but most games require a mouse or joystick. The use of Arrow Keys in games has come back into fashion from the late 1980s and early 1990s when Joysticks were a must, and were usually used in preference to Arrow Keys with some games not supporting any Keys.

The inverted-T layout was popularized by the Digital Equipment Corporation LK201 keyboard from 1982.

Commodore 8-bit computers used two keys instead of four, with directions selected using the shift key.

The original Apple Macs had no arrow keys

The original Apple Macintosh had no arrow keys at the insistence of CEO Steve Jobs, who felt that people should use the mouse instead.[1] Arrow keys were included in later Apple keyboards. Early models with arrow keys but no middle section (Home, End, etc.) placed them in one line below the right-hand Shift key in an HJKL-like fashion; later versions had a standard inverted-T layout, either in the middle block or as half-height keys at the bottom right of the main keyboard.

Other cursor movement keys

Although the "arrow keys" provide one convention for cursor movement on computers, there are also other conventions for cursor movement that use entirely different keys.

WASD keys

WASD positioning.

WASD (,AOE on Dvorak keyboards) is a set of four keys on a QWERTY or QWERTZ computer keyboard which mimics the inverted-T configuration of the arrow keys. These keys are often used to control the player character's movement in computer games. W/S control forward and backward and A/D control strafing left and right. Primarily, WASD is used to account for the fact that the arrow keys are not ergonomic to use in conjunction with a right-handed mouse.

WASD is often used when using a combination of mouse and keyboard controls, as opposed to the keyboard-only controls used as the default in older games such as Doom and Duke Nukem 3D. There are advantages of using a mouse and keyboard combination over a keyboard-only configuration, in that the player does not need to use key combinations to strafe (commonly performed using the ALT key in Doom and Duke Nukem 3D). Another major advantage of a mouse and keyboard combination is the ability to perform smooth circle strafing, which, although possible with the keyboard, was difficult to perform and resulted in jagged movement.

The first person to use WASD keys was John Romero (brains behind Doom & Quake) in 1996 for Quake.[citation needed] WASD keys are often used in conjunction with a right-handed mouse. This allows the user to use his left hand thumb to press the space bar (often the jump command) and left hand little finger to press the CTRL key (often the crouch command). This has led to the nickname "Romero Key Controls". The WASD control scheme standardized by Quake was seen earlier in the elaborate WASDX2 (with X as backpedal and 2 as run) default control setup in the first person role playing game Ultima Underworld, released in 1992.

Most gamers prefer the WASD keys to the arrow keys for other various reasons, including the fact that more keys (and therefore, game commands) are easily accessible with the left hand when placed near WASD. Left-handed mouse users may prefer using the numpad or IJKL with their right hands instead for similar reasons.

After being popularized by first-person shooters, WASD became more common in other computer game genres as well. Many of the games that have adopted this layout use a first-person or over-the-shoulder third-person perspective.

ESDF keys

The ESDF variation is an alternative to WASD and is sometimes preferred because it provides access to movement independent keys for the little finger (Z, A, SHIFT) which generally allows for more advanced manual binding. Incidentally, it allows the left hand to remain in homerow with the advantage of the F key homerow marker (available on most standard keyboards) to easily return to position with the index finger. "ESDF" is the default configuration for several games such as Tribes 2. The game Blackthorne used a combination of arrow keys for movement and ESDF for actions. Moreover, these keys are compatible with both QWERTY and AZERTY keyboard layouts, which is a major plus if the game is also released in France or Belgium.

IJKL keys

IJKL is used by a growing number of browser games. These games cannot use the arrow keys because many browsers' windows will scroll if the arrow keys are used, thus hindering gameplay. This is a problem specific to DHTML/JavaScript games. IJKL, like WASD, are arranged in an ergonomic inverted T shape, and, since they are used by the right hand, adjustment is easy for people who commonly use the arrow keys.

Some older computer games, especially those on 8-bit platforms, often had the combination IJKM hardwired into the software as the standard control key combination.

Also, in many games that also use the WASD keys, the IJKL keys are sometimes used as a secondary player control for games that have multiplayer.

Games for the 8-bit Apple II platform often used IJKM instead - more logically arranged, if far less ergonomic than an inverted-T. In addition, special support existed in ROM for Escape mode. At the Applesoft BASIC prompt, using the right and left arrow keys to move the cursor would add/remove characters the cursor passed over to/from the input buffer. Pressing the Escape key entered a mode where pressing the I, J, K or M keys would move the cursor without altering the input buffer. After exiting this mode by pressing Escape again, normal behavior would resume. This made it easy to edit lines of BASIC code by listing them, then re-inputting them with edits interspersed.

HJKL keys

HJKL is a layout used in the Unix computer world, a practice spawned by its use in the vi text editor. The editor was written by Bill Joy for use on an Lear-Siegler ADM-3A terminal, which places arrow symbols on these letters. Examples of games that uses HJKL are the text-based "graphic" adventures like NetHack, the Rogue series, and Linley's Dungeon Crawl. It is also used by some players of the Dance Dance Revolution clone StepMania, where HJKL corresponds directly to the order of the arrows.

SDF-SPACE layout

Another old-style variation that spawned from games like Quake, was the SDF-SPACE layout. In this layout, s=turn left, d=forward, f=turn right, space=backpedal, e=strafe left and r=strafe right. This layout allows for a player to aim with the mouse while strafing(sidestepping), turning and running or backpedalling all at once creating slightly more complex movements. This variation is not favoured any longer for two main reasons. First, because many players deem the turn commands useless because the mouse can act as a turning device, and so they assign "S" and "F" to the sidestep commands and leave the turn commands unassigned. The second, and probably more prominent reason is, in assigning both the turn and strafe commands, performing movements and dodges can be much more confusing, so newcomers tend to not prefer this key setup. Though no longer widely used, many FPS veterans and tournament players still employ this key setup.

WQSE keys

Another, close, variation is the WQSE combination, which follows the belief that the index and ring fingers' natural and more ergonomic position when the middle finger is on 'W' is Q and E rather than A and D, respectively. This can be attested to by the fact that the arrow keys were partly designed in the inverted T shape in order to avoid having the side buttons possibly directly underneath other keys.[citation needed] It also has the advantage that there is less distance needed to travel to reach the number keys. For similar reasons, some gamers use the WQSD combination (which is WASD with the 'A' key moved up to 'Q', or WQSE with the 'E' moved down to 'D'). For players who prefer to keep the keyboard centered on the body, this allows for less wrist rotation, as it places the index finger naturally over the 'D' key when the left arm rests down to the left of the keyboard.

Less common variations

Some gamers shift further across to RDFG, to give the little finger access to more keys.

Another variation is WAXD, used by people who are used to the arrows on the numeric keypad (which has the down arrow a line below the left/right arrows, instead of in between).

Vaguely related is the ZXC layout, used in many freeware games, and a common setup for emulation and older 2D gaming using a keyboard.[citation needed] An OPAQ layout was also common for full-keyboard games.[citation needed]

A few games from the 1980s, such as the Phantasie series, used the "3WES" layout, which forms a diamond on QWERTY keyboards. In this layout, three of the four keys happen to correspond to the compass directions "West", "East" and "South". These games usually assigned both "N" and "3" to "North".

AZERTY users will use the "ZQSD" combination instead of "WASD", since those are the keys in place of WASD on a QWERTY keyboard. On the Dvorak Simplified Keyboard, "WASD" would be ",AOE".

Left-handed players may use the numeric keypad instead.

A somewhat uncommon variant is YGHJ which while requiring the keyboard to be turned slightly clockwise, can result in the thumb resting comfortably upon the Alt key and the pinkie resting on C. This can be useful in games that utilize both jump and sprint functions as it allows the fingers to rest on smaller keys than Shift and Space. The YGHJ configuration also places the hand closer to the center of the QWERTY section of the keyboard, potentially opening up the entire board to custom keybinds. It may be possible to find your movement keys faster after moving your hand if the J key has some type of "home keys" marking on it, like a nub or recess.

Notes and references

  1. ^ Inside Macintosh By Caroline Rose, Bradley Hacker, Apple Computer, Inc By Caroline Rose , Bradley Hacker , Apple Computer, Inc Published 1985 Addison-Wesley Pub. Co. Macintosh (Computer) ISBN 0201054094 Original from the University of Michigan Digitized Nov 16, 2007
  2. ^ Visual editing on unix By B. Srinivasan, K. Ranai Published 1989 World Scientific Text editors (Computer programs) 182 pages ISBN 9971507706

See also

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