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submitted 3 weeks ago by blibla@slrpnk.net to c/technology@lemmy.world
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[-] sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works 8 points 3 weeks ago

I don't think mice were a mistake, but they're worse for most of the tasks I do. I'm a software engineer and I suck at art, so I just need to write, compile, and test code.

There are some things a mouse is way better for:

  • drawing (well, a drawing tablet is better)
  • 3d modeling
  • editing photos
  • first person shooters (KB works fine for OG Doom though)
  • bulk file operations (a decent KB interface could work though)

But for almost everything else, I prefer a keyboard.

And while we're on a tangent, I hate WASD, why shift my fingers over from the normal home row position? It should be ESDF, which feels way more natural...

[-] jerkface@lemmy.ca 4 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

I always rebind to ESDF if the game doesn't do stupid things preventing it from being practical. The addition of the 1QAZ strip being available to the pinky is a killer feature all on its own. I typically use that for weapon switching, instead of having to stretch up to 1234 and take my fingers off the movement keys.

Tablets are better than mice at drawing, modelling, and photo editing. Mice are good for first person shooters. Game controllers are better for most other games. You can mouse in dired-mode i guess, if you're a casual.

[-] sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works 1 points 3 weeks ago

The problem is they generally use E and F for something, which results in a cascade of rebinding.

And yeah, tablets are better, but they're also more expensive and don't do other mice things. For how rarely I do 3D modeling and whatnot (pretty rare), making sure my mouse has a middle button is plenty.

And yeah, I much prefer controller, even for FPS since I don't play competitively (even then, I've seen awesome videos about gyro aiming).

[-] jerkface@lemmy.ca 1 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

E and F is certainly is a problem, but developing your own custom key map is almost always part of a larger process of becoming more effective anyway. Typically I start by just moving all left-hand bindings right by one key.

I feel like the mouse is a good generalist, jack of all trades input device, but outside of fps, I feel that any task that quote requires unquote a mouse is done better with a tablet. They are of equivalent price, honestly. Mice are not cheap, tablets are not expensive.

Right now I am using voice dictation because it is better than typing on a phone, but oh my God it sucks so bad.

[-] sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works 1 points 3 weeks ago

I generally don't play the same game consistently and rarely spend more than 40 hours (usually 10-15) in a given game. For most of the games I spend more time in, it's either mouse driven (most strategy games) or I use a controller (most third person/top down games). And for the few I play that use WASD, my kids also play on my computer (e.g. Minecraft).

So I just don't edit keybindings very often. I actually sometimes avoid playing WASD games because fixing the keys is a pain, especially when some games don't update the in-game hints or don't warm when there's a collision (silently unbinds the key). It's annoying and I don't understand why it was ever a thing.

[-] jerkface@lemmy.ca 2 points 3 weeks ago

Takes thousands of hours just to git gud! I play for the sense of fluency and control that only comes with extending your sense of body and self into the game world. I play strategy games to relax, but I play my mains to channel the torrents of energy swirling around in my head.

[-] sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works 2 points 3 weeks ago

Lol, I used to be that way. But now I have kids and don't have hours to git gud anymore, so I go for variety of experience instead of depth, except for a handful of strategy games I really like (Paradox games mostly).

[-] jerkface@lemmy.ca 2 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

I love my vasectomy more than my dad loved me. ;-)

[-] sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works 2 points 3 weeks ago

๐Ÿ™

That said, I'm probably getting a vasectomy soonish, because we've definitely had our fill.

[-] jerkface@lemmy.ca 2 points 3 weeks ago

I really love my vasectomy. You'll kick yourself you didn't do it sooner. (No sooner than your last child, I hope.)

[-] Wav_function@lemmy.world 4 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

Thanks, I got you beat on ESDF though because i'm a RDFG man, since playing counter strike 1.6. With WASD they usually put crouch or something on ctrl but my pinky has a hard time stretching down there, but on RDFG my pinky has easy access to QW AS ZX, and tab caps and shift with a little stretch. It's come in handy when playing games with a lot of keybinds.

[-] jerkface@lemmy.ca 6 points 3 weeks ago

Pfff, minutes after trying to minimize your nerdiness, you post this confession.

[-] sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works 4 points 3 weeks ago

What pisses me off even more is many games bind to the letter instead of physical key position (e.g. key code), so alternative layouts get a big middle finger. I use Dvorak, and I've quit fighting and just switch to QWERTY for games.

I don't have a problem with hitting control (I guess I have big hands), but I totally agree that default key binds largely suck. I wish games came with a handful of popular ones, and bound to key codes so hs Dvorak users (or international users) didn't have to keep switching to QWERTY.

[-] iopq@lemmy.world 3 points 3 weeks ago

That feel when you switch languages to chat and the hotkeys don't work

[-] sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works 2 points 3 weeks ago

Yup. My SO speaks another language, so we absolutely feel this.

[-] EngineerGaming@feddit.nl 3 points 3 weeks ago

I am using ESDF because my "A" key stopped being as responsive, didn't expect someone to do this on purpose!

[-] sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works 2 points 3 weeks ago

It's just more ergonomic. My hands are already there, why shift them? Oh, and use QAZ instead of Tab, Shift, and Ctrl, they're right there.

this post was submitted on 24 Nov 2024
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