Guild Wars 2

Apologies if this is a bit of a newbie question, but I feel I might as well ask for help at this point.

I discovered today that constantly strafing while playing a certain ranged profession dramatically increases their survivability and effectiveness. While I’m a bit worried that it has already given me a headache, maybe with more practice I will become more comfortable with rotating around a target while still casting.

My problem is that I’m generally not that coordinated nor have great keyboard reflexes, and I find that I’m having a lot of trouble activating my weapon and profession skills while simultaneously managing my camera, movement and dodging.

I was generally using the mouse with my right hand for moving (holding both buttons), rotating the camera (holding right mouse button) and selecting targets (left mouse button clicking for NPC/ground targetting). Then I was using my left hand to press the number keys and F1-F4 keys for skills, occasionally using the WASD keys for dodging or simple movement (for example, while I was using the mouse to target).

Unfortunately this doesn’t work so well when I try moving and casting at the same time. Using the mouse to move frequently positions my character facing away from the target so my projectile skills stop working, and using just WASD also seems to turn my character away from the target rather than keeping them in the field of view.

I tried using the Q and E keys with my left hand to strafe, while holding the RMB with my right hand to rotate the camera so I keep facing the target, but I find that I struggle to simultaneously hit skill hotkeys (especially 6-0) without losing my place on the movement keys or looking down so that I divert my attention from the screen. The cursor also tends to disappear while the camera is rotating, so I often lose exactly where it was placed on the screen and hence it takes me a few seconds to find the location where my ground targetted skill is actually going to appear. The kaleidoscope of group combat doesn’t help me find that cursor either. :P

Is anyone able to give a good guide on where you place your fingers on a standard keyboard and mouse in order to effectively strafe, keep facing the target, and still be able to easily ground target skills? Should I be choosing a different set of keybindings to the default options, or is there an obvious method that I’m missing?

Thanks very much for any help!

I also had the problem (and still have) that during an intense battle my fingers end up in a big knot ;-)
I did bind the 7-8-9 skills to bottoms on my mouse the ultimate to an alternative key somewhere below my pink. That does really help, so I can only suggest doing exactly that (rebind the hotkeys) =)

I never use the number keys as primary keybinds in any game. Typically I use EDSF to move (with S and F as strafe, not turn) and QAWRTYGHCVBN (or some subset of that) to use abilities. In GW2 I also bound skill 1 to mouse button 4 (a thumb button), so it’s easy to keep mashing it in any situation.

I use the old school way, WASD to move around, QE to strafe left and right. Right mouse button to look around, Left click to select my skills (That’s right I mouse click my skills :O) But this works for me. It depends on your player profiling, the way you play, it differs per person. Do what you feel comfortable with, it comes within time.

You’re in need of a Razer Naga.

Thanks for the suggestions – I might play around with the alternative key setups suggested, and see if it works any better for me.

First thing you want to do is to remap strafing to A and D instead of Q and E. You don’t need to map turning as you do that with the mouse.

This already leaves you Q and E to bind into skills. In practise, you have quick access to 1, 2, 3, 4, Q, E, R, Z, X and C, which gives you almost enough for all skills. On top of this just bind your mouse extra buttons (middle button at least) and you should be set.

Simple… Put the 7 to 0 skills in Shift+1 to 4, the 6 skill in the middle button of the mouse. The profession skills, I use in the ZXCV. It’s work for me, you have to trie yourself to see if fits in your gamestyle.

How I do it:
Pink – index fingers on left hand are on 1-4.
Strafe left/right bound to C and V. The thumb manages these.
Left hand moves forward via mouse and also rotation via mouse.
Dodge bound to thumb button on mouse.
I do not use backwards at all. If I need to move back I just dodge.

Nestran.2879:

How I do it:
Pink – index fingers on left hand are on 1-4.
Strafe left/right bound to C and V. The thumb manages these.
Left hand moves forward via mouse and also rotation via mouse.
Dodge bound to thumb button on mouse.
I do not use backwards at all. If I need to move back I just dodge.

This has to be the weirdest setup I’ve ever seen, but since the OP asked…

Hello All,

I am having a problem as I am a big FPS player, and not so much on the MMO / 3rd person stuff.

I like the right mouse button controlling my view and character orientation, but my real issue is that when using the left button to attack, it also changes my view, and I end up losing perspective.

Is there a way to remap the left mouse button to NOT change the view?

Anyone else having this issue?

Thanks,
R

I use:

1. Weapon1
2. Weapon2
3. Weapon3
4. Weapon4
5. Weapon5
q. Utility 1
e. Utility 2
r. Utility 3
t. Elite
f. Interact
g. Heal
x. Pull Weapon
c. f1 Skill
v. f2 Skill
b. f3 Skill
n. f4 Skill
§. Switch Weapons

..it works perfect for my hand.

While raiding in WoW/RIFT I’ve met people who had trouble running away from a boss while maintaining enough line of sight to fire off abilities. I helped a few of them with their movement so I hope my suggestions make it easier or you:

W – forward {middle finger} (only use double mouse click if you are eating/call/lazy/etc)
A – turn left {ring finger} (not strafe!)
S – backwards {middle finger} (aka backpeddle)
D – turn right {index finger} (not strafe)

Turn your camera by holding down the right mouse button.

That’s it!
To strafe: hold down right mouse button and press A or D.
To kite: hold down right mouse button and run away from the mob with either A or D.
Use any available fingers to use abilities.
To circle strafe: hold down right mouse button and press W while turning with your mouse.

This setup I find allows for the widest range of movement.
It also lets you fully control your character movement with either hand if you want to eat/text/call/etc.
FYI: movement with just WASD is also known as “keyboard turning” and is generally frowned upon because it’s slower than mouse turning.
(Everyone’s gotta eat at some point though!)

Tom Gore.4035:

Nestran.2879:

How I do it:
Pink – index fingers on left hand are on 1-4.
Strafe left/right bound to C and V. The thumb manages these.
Left hand moves forward via mouse and also rotation via mouse.
Dodge bound to thumb button on mouse.
I do not use backwards at all. If I need to move back I just dodge.

This has to be the weirdest setup I’ve ever seen, but since the OP asked…

wierd but it works lol. I am able to move in any direction immediately and also fire off all four abilities plus two of the skills without hand relocation.
as I go I will bind the rest of the skills, I just need to figure where they will work the beest.

A & D should be strafe; keyboard turning is silly and I don’t know why so many games have that as default

You may be interested in a Logitech G13. I use the stick to move with my thumb and its keys to cast everything; my fumbling has nothing to do with my controls.

You would ideally want all the buttons as close together as possible.

A and D should go to strafe.
12345 stay as the weapon skills.
Q becomes my heal.
E is my elite
Shift 1 2 3 are then utility for me.
F1-F4 stay the same.
Double tap is to dodge.
` has stayed as weapon swap.
F has stayed as Interact.

This pretty much works for me but ultimately, it’s trying to find something that your hands are comfortable with.