The dark truth about mechanical keyboards and gaming

The blue animation isn’t a buckling spring mechanism, this is:

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I think I like the blue switches. My wife works in the same basement office I do, and she can sometimes gauge my blood pressure from the rigor of my typing and intercede. So there’s a health benefit.

If I had my druthers, though, I’d rather have my old Apple M3501 Extended Keyboard II back. I regret getting rid of it.

I use the 10 key to control my ship launched fighter in Elite Dangerous.

Attack target, maintain formation, defend, fire at will, chase, recall etc

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Blues are great – as long as you’re not in an open office environment. One of my co-workers has a keyboard with Blues and you can gauge my blood pressure by how much they are typing.

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I know I’m missing something

red switch

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Well, this one wasn’t really sold as a gaming keyboard, and I needed extra room on my desk for my ScanSnap SV600.
(Frankly, I saw “Cherry”, I saw “Mac” and I thought “Why Not”)

The key mechanisms, though, are what a gamer would want (no clicks), as opposed to a pure typist. Go figure.

Gamers are also known to use WASD.

I still like the mice, and noone really makes high end wireless mice quite as good. And they have design options besides “IAM A GAMER check out my HUGE DICK” and “I wish this was a Mac”. But they went through a period of serious quality issues a few years back. After which they didn’t really update or change any of their products for another couple. So I went from getting 10 years out of my first “good” Logitech mouse. To having the next one get real shitty in just a couple. And that same get shitty mouse stayed available and purportedly their top of the line but sort of discontinued for a good 4 years? So I spend entirely too long opening mine up and using tweezers to eek more use out of it. It was weird. Quality appears to be back on the newer products. The keyboards… Were just key boards. And after a bit it just got frustrating to buy even an affordable “good one” to have it hold up no better than any other membranes regardless of cost. And if you really looked at it you couldn’t really get a decent feeling keyboard that was just a keyboard outside of just buying a shit one. Sort of an “oh the cheap one is now more expensive and more annoying” thing, so you’d check the other brands and hey its more of that. I like to buy things that’ll at least last a while and provide value for dollar. And the mechanicals finally hit that point. You aren’t tracking down a vintage IBM board for nerd reasons anymore, and there are options beyond pricy “I am the best typist” sorts at this point.

Its a popular place to set your movement and other keys if you use a left handed mouse. But for the most part no.

Mouse and keyboard is more precise and offers a lot more imputs than a controller. There also tends to be less lag. So its important for anything that requires quick movements or precise aim. Or anything with lots of controls, complex options and menus.

Its pretty much default for anything competitive, especially first person shooters since a pad isn’t anywhere near as fast or accurate for aiming. But generally first person action games, most RPGs, strategy games and anything else fidgety. Controllers tend to work better for anything 3rd person, especially if it involves any amount of platforming. Or like button combos for fighter or brawlers. Most console ports tend to be more comfortable with a controller.

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I think this phrase has potential to be nearly universal in applicability, kind of like how BB deals with “Christ, what an asshole!”

The what now?

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It’s what gamers use as directional keys (usually). I’m very used to it so if i have my keys resting on a keyboard i tend to rest the left hand on the WASD position


*not my hand

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Ich liebe Das Keyboard.


One benefit is that in order not to be stabbed in the back by my cohabitants, I’ve learned to type only as lightly as necessary, ergo (slightly) quicker.

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Brutal­

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They’ve never actually threatened violence, but I prefer to be proactive.

Gotta go full brutalist and get the one without letters

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That would drive me absolutely insane.

Worst thing I have read today.

It’s also the term for the defaultish control scheme for keyboard and mouse. WASD are directional, sub for arrows because its more comfortable than trying to cram your hand over next to the mouse on the actual arrow keys or 10 key pad. Typically the left and right are side step or lateral movement rather than turning or rotation (the mouse does that part). Additional controls are placed around the WASD in easy reach. Number keys typically select weapons items skills or other actions, often hot keys. Q and E are either lean/dodge buttons or cycle through a list of some sort. E is often a use/select key otherwise. Space jump, shift run, C or control crouch. I remember Z used to be zoom, but a few games I’ve played recently used it for items or even quick save since zoom or similar tend to live on the mouse wheel these days. Tab opens inventory or map and tilde the developers console. FTGV, and even B and N often come in too as they’re relatively easy to reach without moving off the base WASD position. Less used controls tend to live on less easily accessed keys, quick save and quick load are usually f5 and f9. Hot keys generally stretch clear across the top number row. Primary controls/attacks are mapped to the mouse buttons, and the mouse controls aim/camera movements or rotation. Varies of course by game, and its all remapable per preference. Like I said lefties if they use the mouse with the left hand will often remap things to the 10 key to get the same spread out from the mouse, and key density around movement keys. With 8456 as the “home” movement keys.

Its pronounced wAhz-Dee. And noone knows where it comes from.

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Wasd is obviously wrong.

Wads is more ergonomic.

ESDF or GTFO

One of the best dogfighter pilots in my Elite Dangerous squadron uses that style of binding. It allows her to thrust, roll and translate simultaneously.

Technically it can be done with WASD as well, but ESDF makes it so you don’t have to contort your hand so bad.

I wasn’t aware anyone still used it. It was briefly the more common default binding early on. And it was how I first learned to mouse and keyboard in non-stupid fashion. Seemed to go out of fashion fairly fast. I think because it’s a little easier to find the over sized keys on the far edge of the keyboard by touch.