How to get better with the Keyboard?

I'm new to Guild Wars (started on the 1st) yet I still am a klutz with the keyboard. Thought I would get the hang of it by now, but no... ATM I rely on the mouse for everything, but that can really slow me down. I play Mesmer too which doesn't help lol (and probably isn't the best to start with, though I did research it before... I think I can get the hang of that in time)... but just being a klutz is hampering gameplay. So I will ask... any tips or things I could do to get better? All I can think of now is just forcing myself to use WASDQERetc but that's not going very well. What about different keyboards? Don't really know about what is out there. This is probably happening because I haven't played any games in a couple years though and only console too then. Anyways, thanks. I need to get quicker in general.

update: anything else? just practicing did NOT work for me... I finished Nightfall and my skills aren't any better than they were since I started. There must be something I'm doing wrong.

Moving with the mouse is actually better , but try to use your skills on the keyboard.

i move with WASDQE, target with C, tab, and use mouse to use skills

personal preferance though

I guess everyone is different, being a lefty, I use the arrow keys to move, and have micro'd all the keys nearby ("?"=closest enemy, right alt=friendlies, right ctrl = enemies). I use the mouse to use skills and micro manage Heroes.

I use my keyboard for movement, target selection, switching weapons, and the first four skills on my template. I use my mouse for last four skills, micro-management, and camera control (faster than keyboard).

You can set it up to however you wish through the options panel.

I use my right hand on the arrow keys to move, although I usually hit the r first and then just steer. My left hand rests on the numbers across the top for the skills with my thumb on the space bar to attack after I've hit the c or tab for the target. The only thing I have to use the mouse for is to open chests. It works very well and I don't even have to look at the keyboard anymore to see what I'm hitting. When I got my first computer, I played doom which was all keyboard and so I just got use to it from that.

Only way to get better is practice. DON'T use the mouse (except to click on a chest, lol) and you will get better with the keyboard.

You can check out other keyboards. There are gaming keyboards with dedicated keys such as Ideazon's GW set. http://www.ideazon.com/us/products/keyset_gw.asp

But you would need to spend the money and it might not suit you.

I think I'll spend more time getting better with the keyboard than I will playing the game. How exactly do I go about that? Just choose a farming location and run around?

That would do it. You obviously don't want to practice while in a quest or mission with others. Go out on your own with heroes and henchmen and practice moving only with the keyboard. The h/h won't laugh at you and (as we all have found out) they will handle everything on their own if you aggro anything.

By the way, as GW2 is supposed to be mouse-less, we all need this type of practice.

Just one suggestion for mouse use: Hold both left and right click to run+steer.

In terms of keyboarding... well there's not really much we can do for you other than you just have to practice.

Just make sure you're not doing everything with one hand.

I heard that too. Too bad they just didn't make some Guild Wars specific controller to get around the keyboard thing... I learn controllers in no time. Anyways I guess I'm off to practice some... hope I can do this. We never even learned the number keys in school lol.

I mostly use mouse to target, use skills and steer. My left hand is almost always hovering around left ctrl (for easier targetting of pesky hidey Monks) and Q & E to sidestep away from AOE.

Although for some reason when I made an Ele I started using the number keys to activate skills, but when I go back to playing my Nec it's the mouse to activate skills again, wierd

I don't know if this will help or not, but it's how I learned the keyboard. Start off just focusing on WASD, CTRL and ALT in conjunction with the mouse. Once you are comfortable with those then start looking at using other keys, I started practicing 1-4 and tab next and then started using the surrounding keys. I found that as I learned more keys I started relying on the mouse less for different functions.

if you are going to quit the game because you are having trouble using the WASD keys you might aswell quit all computer games. Just keep using the keyboard and you will get used to it.

gw has clunky controls...but u'll get used to it

i kno lots of wow players who like to spam and mash their keyboards....
dun do that

-make sure to try and precisely time ur skills
you may queue 1 extra skill while another is casting

-rebind ur 7 and/or 8 key skills to sumptin more closely to wsad

-weaponswitching: press escape then f1
or sidestep then f1

-auto-run is very useful and allows u to "multi-task" keyboard actions

-strengthen ur pinky/ring finger
get the hang of tabbing and shift+tabbing very quickly

-keyboard has too much work for left-hand
rebind/dualbind some keys to the numpad and ins/del/keythingy for ur rite-hand to get in on some of that action

-mesmer specific: wanding delays spell-based interupts
while i usually do recommend wanding for midline, if ur playing an interupt-based build, dun do it so much if at all


edit
wow...r u serious? 0__o

wut games do u play?
have u never used a keyboard before?
mebe ur better off playin the games in mavis beacon teaches typing?
the racing one is pretty fun

i'd hate to see how u'd fare in the action-fps games (like gunz)

I put my middle finger on W, index on D, ring on A. I use the mouse to target, use skills, etc. Idk but this is perfectly fine for me.

I basically use my left hand for the keyboard unless I'm typing.

I had to get used to some shortcuts - N, G, L, I, R, U etc, I kept forgetting what are they for. I haven't had any issues with movement tough
Reason for this is I used to play FPS for couple of years. Using the WSAD+QE combo is like learning to walk... once learned you don't forget it
Imagine operating 18 keyboard + 9 mouse buttons at the same time

It's all down to practice. Don't let such trivial thing to spoil the joy of playing

Use WS to move forward/backward. If you want to turn use the mouse (hold the right button and turn). Then you can add QE to it. I can't suggest anything else

I never played computer games before anyways... my computer isn't really made for gaming too. Oh well. Could still read spoilers if I still want to find out what happens in the main storyline lol. It's not that I don't want to practice but even if I do... how long will it exactly take till I get good and before I can start playing again? And will my efforts even have a payoff? Most likely they won't.

Actually I don't play any... read post. I can type fine but when it comes to applying that to gaming it abandons me. I'd rather not waste the game by just leaching or not being to proficient. Maybe if I ever do get good then I'd come back.

lol, this. but your post was helpful for the most part. Didn't know wanding did that either, thanks.

esdf to move, a=1, q=2, r=3, t=5, c=6, v=7, b=8.

i use mouse to target players/people/move (if not strafing aka back and forth to miss projectiles)

ctrl, shift, caps lock all switch weapon sets (youll understand the usefulness of this if you get into pvp), and tab goes through enemy targets.

i have no key for 'attack called target' because generally i monk and i dont need to, but you can always click the little crosshairs symbol next to the person who called to see their target.

hope that helps!

I had a similar problem as you. I play few PC games, and I dislike keyboard/mouse game controls. I don't use either keyboard or mouse to play this game. I use a Sony PS2 controller. I have posted more in the following thread, including links to software, the configuration file I use, and a tutorial.

http://www.guildwarsguru.com/forum/s...php?t=10110429