Sunday, October 18, 2009

Tips on Key Binding

It seems that many of our newer players aren't completely comfortable with key binding, or they are half key binders.

No matter how strongly you may feel about it, keybinding is bar non the most effective and efficient way to reach and utilize your abilities. This is not something to be argued. No matter how much you may argue for your way of play, if you are clicking - you are playing this game incorrectly.

This is something that you absolute MUST CHANGE if you care about your personal performance in raids.

Here are some key tips for keybinding.

1. Bind all of your keys shifted to the left one key over.
The default keybindings in WoW are inefficient. Strafing left is oftentimes bound to Q, straight is bound to W, strafing right is bound to E, etc.

This is inefficient because by shifting ALL of your movement keys over to the left by one key, such that strafe left is bound to W, go straight is bound to E, go right is bound to R, you open up 3 very easily accessible buttons for your keybinds; Q, A, Z.


2. Certain Buttons are easier to press when you are moving than others.
Most of us move in this game using our strafe, run forward buttons. This oftentimes occupies our ring, middle, and forefingers. When you are moving utilizing these buttons, it is difficult to use abilities using these 3 buttons.

Therefore, you should NEVER bind insta-cast abilities to keys that use these 3 fingers. IE, if you are a mage, fireblast is an insta-cast ability. It would be foolish to bind fireblast to a key that would be pressed by your fore finger, ring finger, or middle finger.

You should only ever bind keys that are pressed by these 3 fingers to abilities you only cast when you are standing still.


3. Don't just press your middle mouse button, make it 2 buttons!
Never bind an ability to your middle mouse button, that scroll wheel is actually 2 key binds in one.

Scroll UP can be bound to one ability.
Scroll DOWN can be bound to another ability.

When choosing which abilities to bind these 2 keys to, it is advisable to bind scroll UP to an ability that is very commonly spammed. You can reserve your scroll down for an ability that is used frequently, but less frequently than the scroll up, OR, it functions as an instinctual mnemonic for an ability that should be cast on your self...I.E. an OH SHIT button, OR, a self heal (for healers).


4. Use Shift-X modified buttons.
The WOW interface allows you to bind Shift modified key binds. Now...certain keybinds are easier to use than others.

Shift-B, D, S, F, E, R, T, G - these keybinds are very very natural positions for your fingers. Bind secondary, but nonetheless, important abilities to these buttons.


5. Learn to move your character by pressing both LEFT and RIGHT mouse buttons at the same time.
Once this becomes instinctual, you will find out that you can move your character while leaving your left hand free to press more awkward keybinds, such as Shift X, Shift A, Shift W, Shift Q, Shift 4, etc. Reserve these keybinds for your least used spells and abilities. Learning to maneuver and press these awkward keybinds by using the left+right mouse buttons is extremely helpful.


6. Learn to Jump-Turn.
This is extremely important for certain classes especially Tanks. Tanks must be able to maneuver and place their mobs in position while at the same time generating threat.

You absolute MUST learn to jump, turn with your mouse in mid air, press your easy rotations with your left hand, and then come back down onto the ground facing the appropriate direction.