Revised Default Key-bindings

[skilgannon]

Hello everyone!

We have recently reviewed the default key bindings and would appreciate your feedback. Please bear in mind, these changes will not effect your custom bindings.

ACTION                         Original Binding       New Binding
---------------------------------------------------------------
Step Left                      [                      Q
Step Right                     ]                      E
Up/Jump                        Q                      SPACE
Recall                                                TILDE(~)
Stop Action                    SPACE                  \
Assist Target                                         [
Defend Target                                         ]
Select Self                    F9                     F1
Select Group Member 1          F1                     F2
Select Group Member 2          F2                     F3
Select Group Member 3          F3                     F4
Select Group Member 4          F4                     F5
Select Group Member 5          F5                     F6
Select Group Member 6          F6                     F7
Select Group Member 7          F7                     F8
Select Group Member 8          F8                     F9
Mouse Look Hold                Mouse Middle           Keypad_7 Mouse_Right
Mouse Look Toggle                                     Keypad_9 Mouse_Middle
Free Look Hold                 TILDE(~)               Keypad_1 Mouse_Left
Free Look Toggle                                      Keypad_3
Recenter Camera Behind Char    Keypad_5               Keypad_0
Lock Camera Position           L                      Keypad_5
Equipment Window               E                      CTRL + E
Chat Window                    H                      CTRL + C
Next Chat Window               ALT + W                CTRL + "
Previous Chat Window           ALT + Q                CTRL + ;
Next Chat Tab                  ALT + S                ALT + "
Previous Chat Tab              ALT + A                ALT + ;
Guild Window                   G                      ALT + G
Spell Book                     B                      CTRL + S
Formula Book                   F                      CTRL + F
Launch Menu                    CTRL + TAB             ESC
Quest Log                      CTRL + Q               L
Notepad                        CTRL + N               N
Start Text Entry               Enter Slash            Enter
Close Last Window                                     ,
Show All Tool-tips                                    .
Toggle Interface                                      SLASH
Cargo Disk (Attach / Detach)                          ALT + C

A couple points worth noting:

• Right-clicking would serve a dual purpose as both the pop-up window modifier and the "Mouse Look" hold
• Left-clicking would be redesigned to perform "Free Look Around Character" when interacting with the UI, while retaining its original functions
  

[Northwind]

That's nice, but i do have some comments.
I would probably revert in a blink of an eye to the 'old' bindings for Equipment (E), Character (C - is this missing?), Guild (G), Spell (B), Formula (B) as I found that I use those a lot and I like to have them easily accessible at the press of a single key.

[Aaelefein]

My question is...why change the default settings in the first place? Except for new players, the settings have worked fine several several years now, people are used to them, and as pointed out - people can set and change them to their own likings.

I would also not give recall a default key-binding...in the heat of the moment it would be too easy to accidently trigger it and the interuption in finding out why something isn't working...could end up with accidental death.

I would also not change the 'recenter' key from it's current numpad-5. I've done no changes to mine key-bindings and especially on my dragon, num 2, 4, 6, and 8 are great for looking around without affecting flight height or direction and five is right in the middle for a quick and obvious recentering.

I also have to question adding a second key to the more commonly accessed windows - those being E, G, B and F - though I do agree with it on locking the camera as I often find myself accidently hitting 'L' in the middle of something and eveyrthing goes out the window then.

[Knossos]

Lots of discussion of this subject in a now closed "Talk to the Team" thread:
http://community.istaria.com/forum/s...t-Key-bindings

Knossos

[Azath]

i would instantly revert to the 'old' defeault key bindings - they have worked fine for me. Espeially as this would change the keys for the common windows - E, G, F/K, and F9 (i say F9 - it's not a window but certainly a commonly pressed key). Why change them? They are veyr conveniet and make sense...
changing the recenter and lock camera i also don't understand...it makes sense if 4,6,8 and 2 on numpad toggle up/down/sideways, for recenter to then be 5.
and toggle interface...no. no no no. i don't want to have to tell newbies who acidently press it that they pressed that key - wait, they wouldn't hear me without an interface.
and the start text entry...that already is enter for me. i think this needs to be changed. i press enter to easily, not notice them spam some poor channel with lots of letters - those in MP have probably already seen my random +'s and -'s at times when i've tried to change camera but not noticed pressing enter.
and changing jump to space...it's debatable wether this should be - lots of other games use it, why not this one? but i would change this back to Q purely out of being so used to pressing Q. in turn keeping sidestep as other keys for me.

[Dhalin]

They're changing them because the Old Keybindings are so wildly different from Today's MMORPGs that people coming in from, say, WoW and the like are quite confused by the default keybindings because a lot of them make no sense.

For example, every other MMORPG has Jump as the Spacebar. Istaria? Nope, that's Q by default.

Most MMORPGs use WASD with Q/E for strafing. Istaria? Nope. You're going to either jump or open your equipment window if you try to strafe something (not that you need to, but people are surely used to doing it in other MMORPGs).

We want people to have a control system that makes sense compared to the other MMORPGs on the market today to make it easier for a new player to get into, and enjoy, Istaria.

Some of the older Istarian Vets are used to a certain keybinding scheme? That's fine, that's why you can easily modify it to suit your needs. Nobody is saying you must do it this way.

EDIT: I do, however, HIGHLY agree with the sentiment about the default command for hiding the interface. Bad, bad idea. Allow us the option to set a key to do that but leave it unbound by default. Last thing we need is someone to bump the slash button and be unable to do anything in the game until they figure out what key they hit.

[Northwind]

My current key-bindings have Q/Space reversed and also right/middle click. I know, it is a bit odd to open menus with middle click but is easier to run/fly with right click pressed than with the middle one.

I do like the proposed changes to left/right click

[Steelclaw]

Close Last Window ,
Quest Log L
Notepad N

I would find the above bindings extremely annoying. I'll often end up hitting un-modified keys after forgetting to go into text entry mode. Consider a "cat test": are these bindings resistant to a cat walking across the keyboard?


As far as the idea of changing keyboard and mouse bindings, that's fine for new players, though please make sure that existing players on a new installation have the ability to easily load the old (existing) bindings.

[Dhalin]

I would find the above bindings extremely annoying. I'll often end up hitting un-modified keys after forgetting to go into text entry mode. Consider a "cat test": are these bindings resistant to a cat walking across the keyboard?

No matter what, a cat walking across your keyboard is going to cause bad things to happen. That's why you don't let cats walk on your keyboard while you play games. Not sure why we need a "Close Last Window" button, but L for the Quest Log is fairly standard for games from what I've seen, and N for Notepad makes logical sense.

As far as the idea of changing keyboard and mouse bindings, that's fine for new players, though please make sure that existing players on a new installation have the ability to easily load the old (existing) bindings.

Errr, he already said so:

Please bear in mind, these changes will not effect your custom bindings.

[Steelclaw]

No matter what, a cat walking across your keyboard is going to cause bad things to happen.

Well, yeah, but you can set up the key bindings in a manner that reduces the chances of your UI filling with crap when it happens. Besides, cats walking on keyboards isn't my problem -- it's just a test. The real annoyance comes from having my UI fill with crap when I start chatting outside of text entry mode.

Errr, he already said so:

Not quite. That statement is that your customized key bindings will not get changed -- implying that you have an existing prefs directory for a character that you have already played with. I'm asking for the ability to restore or pre-load the current defaults instead of the proposed defaults when starting from a freshly installed client or new character.

[Arzel Rashemi]

I'm asking for the ability to restore or pre-load the current defaults instead of the proposed defaults when starting from a freshly installed client or new character.

I could be wrong, but I thought that when the idea of changing the default key bindings was originally brought up in another thread, it was generally understood that we older players would have the option to switch back to the original default? Well, I guess I'll have to save a copy of my key current key bindings someplace so I have them if I ever need to reinstall.

[Azath]

Well, I guess I'll have to save a copy of my key current key bindings someplace so I have them if I ever need to reinstall.

i'm...terrible; with this kind of stuff , so what file do we need keep a back up of?
/creates too many characters so really should back up her main's map, hotkeys and key bindings.

[Cegaiel]

Right on. Looks good to me... Funny thing is, the new bindings is what 95% of mine are set to anyways, even down to middle mouse click for mouse look toggle. You sure you guys aint looking at my computer, haha.