What do you feel about the WASD movement system?

Posted in R1; thought it would be better here. Duplicated; sorry for any confusion.
After a bit of experience with the R1 release, I just wanted to see what the mood was. I thought WASD + mouse would be fine. In the R1 demo I found it pretty awkward at times. Wondered what the difference was, so went back to Skyrim and Fallout to check. So they have a FIXED camera; WASD controls movement (very well), and simply sliding the mouse moves the camera, and therefore the view. With this system you would need extra key bindings (eg E to Examine a corpse/chest, do away with the left-click). My vote is for the WASD + fixed camera system with additional keybindings. I think it is much more fluid and user friendly. Please contribute and respond as you feel. It is pretty obvious that the developers are responsive to our input; we may be able to further improve the experience.

After some helpful input I have simplified the poll to a numerical rating (1-5 in order of liking); please feel free to add any comments.

 

I'm in the middle. Don't mind the option for those who like it, but it shouldn't be the only option. Hopefully options will expand as the game develops.

 

I prefer a more traditional control method like that found in Skyrim and many first person games.

But I hope they also include the means to fully remap the keys and allow multiple camera angles and types. I don't really feel there is any reason they can't and it would make most people happy.

 

I'd prefer the camera/movement system in WoW and LotRO.

As long as we need to interact with the mouse with items in the environment I do NOT want the camera moving freely every time I move the mouse around, so pressing either mouse button to move the camera (move camera and run direction with RMB + W, look around but keep running direction with LMB)

 

It is in such common use that I am typically annoyed at games that don't follow the WASD convention.

 

I wish I could keybind the arrows instead, but otherwise I am ok with it. Wouldn't mind a left + right click movement and an optional auto-follow camera. However, I don't want the camera fixed. I wouldn't mind a click to walk interface either, at least maybe at the furthest out camera position.

 

Neverwinter has a more traditional WASD system and then you can just hit alt to make your mouse cursor work like an actual mouse pointer so you can click on whatever.

 

I personally HATE two-handed movement. I could deal with WASD if it didn't also need the mouse; but I would vastly prefer mouse movement; either right button moves you a la UO, or holding left+right like LotRO.

 

Not sure what you mean.

Do you mean FPS controls where mouse = aim + camera + facing all in one? I do prefer this but it means you cannot use the mouse to interact with the UI (say clicking skills). This works for first person or 3rd person over the shoulder.

The other extreme is WoW (3rd person) where one mouse button works like SotA and the other rotates camera independent of facing. Most MMOs worked like this until about 2 years ago when they switched to the above.

 

I am sure that they will have, like most modern games, various customisable options available on release. There seems to be many different perspectives on this issue and it is clear that one fixed control system is not going to please everyone.

 

I'd rather go opposite though... keep the camera steady and hit a key to move it around. That was one of the things I HATED about Ultima 9... the lack of a steady camera.

 

I am all for the WASD as well... I was a bit surprised that Q and E just spun me... was hoping for a crabwalk (straifing).

As for mouse I am so used to it, I have no issues.... but perhaps an alternative should be allowed as an option for all the trackpad users.

 

Apologies if I was unclear. What I was referring to is a system where the camera is looking at whatever the character is facing. Sliding the mouse moves the scenery/view. No mouse clicks required at all. Left-click is reserved (in Fallout) for firing a weapon. Could also work in SoTA.
To examine a corpse or chest, use the key E (or any preferred option) instead of the traditional Ultima L-click.

 

Gonna disagree with all of this.

However, I do think A and D need to be a bit refined in what they do and turn the character while moving forwards instead of moving at an angle. I'd rather keep the camera still until I press a button and double click to use/open items.

 

A clip from an article I published about this:
Right click mouse movement rotates the screen.. I really wish it would rotate your Avatar, with left click being a rotate screen only. Id love to see a left click on screen option to make your avatar move for people that don’t like using the keyboard as much (or that want to use a mix of the two), but I can personally live without it. It would also be nice if you could zoom out a bit more then we seem to be able to.

http://www.thecaverns.net/Wordpress/alpha-release-1-my-impressions/

 

OK. I agree with what you're saying. Like NW, TERA, ESO.

As I've said in other threads, this kind of movement is very much at odds with the combat system proposal. And this is more or less my primary objection to said system - that the UI simply doesn't work with the movement controls.

The way movement, interaction, looting, inventory, combat, etc. work together is all interrelated. So you have to look at these pieces as a whole. I'd like them to think ahead to how the UI might work on a console controller, with the RIFT, on a touchpad, etc. These might be 5 years away or never but if they want a game with the staying power of UO, they need to think beyond the PC / keyboard.

 

I'm voting for; "Needs modifying - fix the camera so no R-click is needed."
I am perfectly fine with W+A+S+D movement, but having to keep using the right mouse button to make the camera move the way your character is heading, is very annoying in the long run and takes away from the immersiveness, in my humble opinion. At least make it an option to lock the camera view so players have a choice.

 

In other games, I haven't had much of a problem with WASD+mouse, because I always have my hand on the mouse for weapon attacks anyway. Rather than a right click drag to rotate the camera, I prefer the Skyrim approach where you just track the mouse left/right/up/down to shift the eye point. This frees the right click for a weapon/shield block move. SotA will use a different attack mechanism, however, so there may be no mouse click attacks.

With ranged attacks like a bow, however, I think a right mouse click hold is not as intuitive as a simply tracking the mouse to move the aim point. That's how you aim with a real bow, after all. You draw back the shaft, and then just traverse the hand holding the bow left/right/up/down. Right clicking the mouse seems like an unnecessary extra step.

 

I'm holding the right mouse button like 24-7 when moving around.
My finger needs a rest sometimes.

 

My suggestion: the following relies on an on screen cursor/crosshairs for targeting +


Mouse movement : Moves characters eyes/turns body to face direction around screen
Right mouse cursor - hold down : Avatar runs forward
Left mouse cursor - single click : attack, open or close door, open or close chest, open or close window shutter etc
Left mouse cursor - single click - hold : drag object around screen, release button to place object


.........Backspace.....Insert....Home.....Page Up.....Num Lock
.........................................hk1.......hk2........hk3...................
.......................\|.....Delete...End...Page Down......7 Home
.......ready weapon .........hk4.......hk5........hk6...................hk7
................Enter...................................................4
.......................chat...............................................................hk8
\?..............Shift......................Up.........................1 End
jump............ block..................run forward........................hk9
Spacebar...Ctrl..........Left.....Down.....Right.........0 Ins
jump........strafe L........L t'left...withdraw.....t'right..........strafe R


additional keys;
b : backpack
i : inventory
s : spellbook
q : locks screen rotation (combined with) left click mouse on object and hold, move mouse to drag object around screen. Release the mouse button to place the object. Press q again to unlock the screen.


- minus the jump button of course