How do I decide keys to use for web games?

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- fredriksthlm
- - Joined 6 Jun, 2016
  - 32 topics • 1,066 posts
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- 18 Dec, 2018
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Hi all,

When you create web games, they are often controlled by mouse/touch, but if you want to create a keyboard controlled game, which keyboard keys do you prefer to use?

(Desktop pro high end games always have user specific options to set keys, but for a simple little web platform game this is overkill.)

So lets say you have movement, shoot and jump.

Should I specify

Movement: Arrows

Jump: Shift

Shoot: Ctrl

Does Arrows, Ctrl and Shift exist on all keyboards, asian, arabic, russian and what not?

I remember when I was younger we often played with WASD, but now when I have traveled a lot I have realized that WASD only make sense on QWERTY keyboards...

So what would be the Default button setup? So it will be a nice setup all around the globe... :)
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- NetOne
- - Joined 3 May, 2016
  - 69 topics • 800 posts
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- 18 Dec, 2018
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Been thinking about this also. I think ultimately down the line I will add some keybinding but its low priority to getting the game finished.

My thinking is , long as you consider the differences between QWERTY and QWERTZ and AZERTY you have most of the western nations covered. Also I think places like Japan / Korea / China / Russia essentially use a QWERTY binding with a different keyface (dont quote me on that though).

Also dont forget us lefties, I have lost count of the number of games Ive had to play cross handed cos devs forgot us.

I was thinking it could all be solved by having the movement controls in the middle of the keyboard where much dosent change between layouts. (like maybe GHJ and space) and have the shooting jumping etc to both left and right eg cntl/alt/shift right shift arrows left. something like that anyway.
- GeorgeZaharia
- - Joined 30 Jun, 2014
  - 63 topics • 2,079 posts
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- 19 Dec, 2018
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i think you should follow the mario pattern of keyboard biddings. it always stuck with people.

arrows to move wasd as a lefty choice. spacebar to jump shift to shoot or ctrl (on shooting u can even play around with Q and E as they are close to the left side if u moving with wasd.
- fredriksthlm
- - Joined 6 Jun, 2016
  - 32 topics • 1,066 posts
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- 19 Dec, 2018
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i think you should follow the mario pattern of keyboard biddings. it always stuck with people.

arrows to move wasd as a lefty choice. spacebar to jump shift to shoot or ctrl (on shooting u can even play around with Q and E as they are close to the left side if u moving with wasd.

Hi, yes, this is basically what I have used so far.

My main concern was though that WASD does not even exist (as a normal mapping) on any other keyboard than qwerty. So for you and me wasd makes sense, but not in all the other parts of the world. :)
- GeorgeZaharia
- - Joined 30 Jun, 2014
  - 63 topics • 2,079 posts
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- 19 Dec, 2018
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Hi, yes, this is basically what I have used so far.

My main concern was though that WASD does not even exist (as a normal mapping) on any other keyboard than qwerty. So for you and me wasd makes sense, but not in all the other parts of the world. :)

true, but i doubt there is a big number of people using those keyboards in today's age when they want to play stuff or have free time ... i mean some do at their job and in France people might use azerty since is their version of qwerty as their language is much more accommodating to that type of letter assembly dvorak is designed for typists which i doubt they use the same computer to play games. i think u might overthink this issue a bit.

if u really concerned with this problem, i would create a custom setting menu where people can bind/map their control keys as they like. would be just easier for you, in eliminating the types of keyboards or controls out there. have it pre-filed for qwerty but leave option to edit it and use the preferred custom keys they want. i do see your concern though i get it, so many choices can get confusing, that would be my advice for you though. hope it helps you.

Edited: instead of wasd default i would use arrow keys with the option to modify.

to do that you might want to take a look at Kyatric 's example here on youtube
- NetOne
- - Joined 3 May, 2016
  - 69 topics • 800 posts
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- 19 Dec, 2018
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ive spent a lot of time in germany and france and they do indeed use these qwertz and azerty keyboards and they think it is weird that we use qwerty. so yea it is a good idea to consider them if you want to sell in those markets.