Do you use WASD controls?

[Gopi Passiflora 170]

I do. Gamer habit.

[TechDave 74]

I don't, prefer arrow keys as I chat ALOT.

Geez, I walk chat and chew gum at same time!   😄

Had a 3d mouse hooked up for awhile, found it wasn't good for walking or standing around, like I had hope. 

3d mouse is great for flying or fly cam tho!!

Edited September 23 by TechDave

[Lindal Kidd 11,857]

I use letter keys to jump, and to fly up and down.  Use the keyboard arrow keys to walk about.

[ThorinII 1,467]

I use the arrows. It's way more intuitive than WASD (I always say "Letters are for writing, arrows for moving" 😎 )

[Sylvia Tamalyn 7,712]

Arrows, always. I tried learning the WASD method to play battle games in SL, but it was just awkward for me and I got killed a lot. 

[Madelaine McMasters 20,300]

Arrows.

I do suggest everyone else use WASD though, for the reason Sylvia described.

[CoffeeDujour 4,273]

WASD ... well ... 

Left click and hold on my name tag to lock camera to avatar, then W or pressing R Mouse to move forward. AD to strafe. MMO inspired. (Works in FS & Catznip)

Holding Middle mouse anchors camera to objects and orbits (same as alt click), and right click pans. Cn do an entire shopping event with one hand on mouse and other on my coffee cup. (This only works in Catznip AFAIK)

[Wulfie Reanimator 1,647]

 

I can't even imagine using the arrow keys, just the position of my hand is uncomfortable if I rest my (left) hand there.
(You guys use the mouse to turn the camera at least, right...?)

Just sitting naturally, the tips of my left hand's fingers are over the left side of my keyboard, where WASD is. If I want to type, I hit the Enter key with my right hand and now both of my hands are ready for two-handed typing. And if I need the arrow keys while I'm typing, my right hand does the job because my left hand can also hold Ctrl/Shift/Alt.

Speaking of Ctrl/Shift... WASD movement also helps you with moving around. You can easily switch between walking/running/flying with Ctrl+R/Ctrl+F (no need to move your hand), as well as holding Shift+WASD to move in any direction without turning your camera or using your mouse. And finally, since your hand is near Alt as well, it's very easy to switch from moving around to alt-camming into whatever you need.

While Ctrl/Shift/Alt are also near the cursor keys, there's a massive difference in hand position and trying to reach out with your pinky if you're trying to do the same as above. With WASD, I can hold my wrist completely straight and all my fingers line up (except for Alt for which I need to tuck my thumb under my fingers).

P.S. The only exception I can understand is left-handedness, or a laptop without a mouse, but that has its own set of problems..

Edited September 23 by Wulfie Reanimator

[Lyssa Greymoon 634]

Arrow keys for movement, flycam (Xbox controller) for camming around. 

[Ceka Cianci 4,199]

WASD

No special reason,other than I'm just used to doing things that way.

[Claireschen Hesten 4,033]

Arrow keys as it's easier to use and pressing WASD just types those letters in to the local chat bar i have tried WASD for movement but don't get on with it

[Linda Reddevil 119]

arrow keys

[Selene Gregoire 6,605]

Not in SL.  In some games I have no choice though. Which doesn't make me happy as I prefer the arrow keys.  And yes I know I can configure to my liking. Not going to happen. I learn to play games using the defaults and only tweak when needed to improve performance, never to try to give myself advantages over other players.

[DemeraraGirl 566]

Always.

Left hand: WASD. Right hand: mouse.

[ThorinII 1,467]

51 minutes ago, Wulfie Reanimator said:

I can't even imagine using the arrow keys, just the position of my hand is uncomfortable if I rest my (left) hand there.
(You guys use the mouse to turn the camera at least, right...?)

Why would you even want to use your left hand to use the arrows and page up / down  keys? 🤨

[ThorinII 1,467]

9 minutes ago, Selene Gregoire said:

Not in SL.  In some games I have no choice though. Which doesn't make me happy as I prefer the arrow keys.  And yes I know I can configure to my liking. Not going to happen. I learn to play games using the defaults and only tweak when needed to improve performance, never to try to give myself advantages over other players.

When playing games, I've always configured them in order to use the arrow keys for moving.

[CoffeeDujour 4,273]

WASD is used as it allows your left hand to rest in as natural position on the keyboard (preventing strain) and puts a LOT of action keys at your finger tips (movement modifiers on alt/ctrl/shift) weapon selections (1-5), and game specific actions placed on Q,E,R,F. Not to mention that if you switch between movement and typing you do not have to move your left hand across the keys to start typing.

[Selene Gregoire 6,605]

Some of us happen to be left handed so we do things differently. I've never been comfortable using the WASD keys for movement, nor has the mouse ever felt "right" in my left hand. It's matter of personal preference and what works for the individual.

Edited September 23 by Selene Gregoire

[Bree Giffen 1,564]

WASD. It took me a few seconds to think about which keys because I use them so instinctively. Also, all the letters on my keyboard have worn out.

[Rhonda Huntress 19,444]

1 hour ago, Ceka Cianci said:

WASD

No special reason,other than I'm just used to doing things that way.

ditto

[Wulfie Reanimator 1,647]

2 hours ago, ThorinII said:

3 hours ago, Wulfie Reanimator said:

I can't even imagine using the arrow keys, just the position of my hand is uncomfortable if I rest my (left) hand there.
(You guys use the mouse to turn the camera at least, right...?)

Why would you even want to use your left hand to use the arrows and page up / down  keys? 🤨

I think that answers my question...

Unless you're left-handed like @Selene Gregoire points out, but handedness brings me to another question. Does handedness actually matter? (I'm not saying you can't have a natural preference.)

While that might seem like an obvious "duh of course," I've had to deal with this weird "imposed handedness" from early age with a fork and knife. People point out that I hold them wrong (fork in right, knife in left), but I don't get it. That feels way more intuitive to me and I don't think it has anything to do with my dominant hand. I have the same question regarding controllers, where movement (WASD) is handled by your left hand and camera (mouse) by your right. I haven't heard of any "left-handed controllers," so unless those are mainstream, I'd imagine your handedness doesn't prevent you from learning to use a controller.

Also to clarify: I understand how handedness works. What I'm pondering above is whether there's a real correlation with your handedness and your keyboard/mouse habits. I believe a right-handed person could naturally prefer a left-handed mouse.

Edited September 23 by Wulfie Reanimator

[Selene Gregoire 6,605]

Just now, Wulfie Reanimator said:

I think that answers my question...

Unless you're left-handed like @Selene Gregoire points out, but handedness brings me to another question. Does handedness actually matter? (I'm not saying you can't have a natural preference.)

While that might seem like an obvious "duh of course," I've had to deal with this weird "imposed handedness" from early age with a fork and knife. People point out that I hold them wrong (fork in right, knife in left), but I don't get it. That feels way more intuitive to me and I don't think it has anything to do with my dominant hand. I have the same question regarding controllers, where movement (WASD) is handled by your left hand and camera (mouse) by your right. I haven't heard of any "left-handed controllers," so unless those are mainstream, I'd imagine your handedness doesn't prevent you from learning to use a controller.

I am left handed and the answers lie in the past, in how left handed people were treated (and why). Part of it has to do with eating and which hand you wipe with. Wiping with the same hand you eat with was one of the things considered taboo. Offensive? Think of how us left handers felt whenever we were attacked for using our left hands since most people are right handed and use the left for wiping.

There's a whole lot more where that came from. If you want to know the truth you can do the research yourself. Even today, centuries later, left handed people are ostracized for being left handed. 

Handedness is genetically determined before we are born.

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/why-are-some-people-left-handed-6556937/

[ThorinII 1,467]

Back then a few years ago (on my former account), when my right hand was incapacitated due to RSI, I switched my mouse to left hand, and still used the arrows to move around.

[Rolig Loon 22,192]

4 hours ago, Claireschen Hesten said:

Arrow keys as it's easier to use and pressing WASD just types those letters in to the local chat bar i have tried WASD for movement but don't get on with it

This ^^

WASD is way too confusing and inconvenient.

[Arduenn Schwartzman 1,261]

Arrow keys for SL because I want quick access to chat. WASD for (other) games.

(For flying WarBug planes, I just push my keyboard to the left and use my left hand for the arrow keys.)