WASD
With WASD one with is first-person shooter Quake became known key assignment on a computer keyboard called. Many first-person shooters, online role-playing games and other games in which one moves in this way now have the WASD combination as the standard assignment. The four keys are assigned the directions of movement in the game: With W the movement forwards, with A to the left, with S to the back and with D to the right.
Arrangement and alternatives
The arrangement of the keys corresponds roughly to the usual arrow keys , but the location of the keys offers advantages: You can also assign functions to the surrounding keys (Q, E, R, F, Y, X, C and the number keys) to to enable faster access to them - for example, the shift key is often assigned the game function “run / sneak”, as you can then comfortably leave your little finger on this key. The position of the hand on the keyboard is more ergonomic for right-handers ; For example, the control of modern first-person shooters (such as Counter-Strike ) is easier with the WASD assignment, since one hand can stay on the keyboard and the other controls the mouse . However, this only applies to a limited extent for players who control the mouse with their left hand. This type of control also takes getting used to, as the W is not directly above the S, but slightly offset. However, some do not use the classic hand position, as is common with the arrow keys, but use the ten-finger system .
Still other players prefer the (even more "exotic") ESDF control, which corresponds to the WASD control shifted one key to the right. With this, the left hand remains in the tap position and further buttons can be reached with the little finger. Furthermore, these keys are identical on the QWERTY and AZERTY keyboards. In addition to WASD / ESDF, there are also a wide variety of in-house creations, as the buttons are usually freely assignable.
Some players also use the arrow keys; However, since these keys are comparatively far away from their neighbors, this control is usually seen as cumbersome and its use as a sign of a lack of gaming experience.