Hi.

First of all I want to say I made this thread because I saw alot of people asking for keybinding help. Incoming wall of text and if you don't want to reaad everything then continue to my keybindings to see them and maybe get some tips. There are plenty of videos and threads about this I think but I wanted to make my own and hopefully help someone into keybinding

Where to bind? In the Option menu -> Keybindings

About this thread:
These are my personal bindings and you don't have to use them. These are my thoughts and this guide and questions/answers are made atm by me so that i hopefully can help you. Keybindings takes times to get used to and you will missclick many times when changing to get the right ones which feels good for you. Don't give up if you cast Evasion when you wanna Cloak for example.

So let's get started:

Some questions about keybindings.

Q.1. Why do people bind their actions to diffrent keys?

Thought:
I think most people who plays WoW have been playing other games before ex: CS, Diablo2. In these games you had the chance to switch between spells and weapons. This could (in D2, I don't know about CS) be done by clicking and chosing spell, this option takes time. You first have to find the spell and then click it AND then use it. As most people figured out there was a faster way, the way was to asign your keys to diffrent spells and actions (weapons in CS). When starting to play WoW they continued since it feelt good.

Answer:
First of all the keybindings gives you the ability to cast the spells that you want while turning with your mouse. Keybindings also gives you the ability to cast two spells which you have far away (all spells can't be at the same place) from eachother on the actionbar at the same time (if one/both doesn't start GCD) with no delay.

Q.2. What am I able to do with keybindings which I can't do when clicking?

Answer:
When you asign keybindings to your spells you are able to cast a spell while turning with your mouse. You don't have to waste precious time moving your cursor to your spell to click it. You can cast many spells, use trinkets at the same time without a macro(asuming that only one spell starts GCD).
A joke to take a break from your reading: http://www.darklegacycomics.com/107.html

Q.3. So what bindings should I use? Are some bindings better than others?

Answer
Keybindings are all up to you and all keybindings are personal. But I'm going to show you my keybindings and tell you why I have what spell binded to which key.

I myself use WASD and my mouse to move around. If you use arrows then I suggest you change to WASD since it unlocks so many other bindings. Now you might wonder, why don't use Q and E to move too? Well now I start the real guide!



W - Forward (automatically asigned when wow is installed.)
S - Walk backwards (automatically asigned when wow is installed.)
A - Strafe left (Q is asigned to this when wow is installed.)
D - Strafe Right (E is asigned to this when wow is installed.)

With the right mouse-button hold in you can turn around. This is faster than the normal turn around from the A and D keys are asigned to when wow is installed. Rebinding A and D will allow you to strafe - walking sideway. This will allow you to walk at the same speed as forward but still being able to see the enemy without turning around, either by mouse or the defult keybindings.

So now that I've explained some basic things that will help you, it will help you when using you bindings to be able to strafe (really important for ranged).

My keybindings

Since I have my left hand located at the movement keys when playing (WASD) I asigned my keybindings so that they would be really close and easy to use. Chosing P as a keybinding in PvP is not very handy since it's far away from the movementkeys and the mouse making it kind of useless.

My left hand can reach (When having it at the WASD keys) § 1 2 3 4 5 Q E R T Y F G < Z X C V without any major problems. my little-finger (don't know the english name sorry) is able to reach the modifiers Shift, CTRL and ALT without much of a problem. I find shift the most usefull since my finger is allways located at it's spot and since I don't need to many other keybindings than my 18 timed by two = 36 for all my spells and macros.

A picture of the keyboard and good keybinding options - Only keys:

http://img144.imageshack.us/img144/2479/keybindingslu8sz6.jpg

Why did i chose these keybindings?

All these keybindings are relativly close to the keys WASD, and easy to reach, for my hand.

So how do i make the best combo with spell+bind? (aka what keybindings should I have for what spells.)

Well, what I think about when putting my spells to what keybindings is. How important is this spell
For example:
Mage Armor vs Ice Block
30 min vs 10 sec
Gives you a small buff vs SAVES YOUR LIFE

Here it's quite clear that I should keybind Ice Block since its a spell which I have to cast fast to save myself when Mage Armor will only give me a (small) buff.

Here's a SS (Screenshot) from my mage.
http://img407.imageshack.us/img407/6525/wowscrnshot030709195958.jpg

As you can see my buffs like Mage Armor and Int Buff is located far away in a corner since I don't need to refresh them. Unlike my Manashield which I need to keep up to survive which I have keybinded.

Spells that needs to be cast fast, instant for example, I bind to keys as close as possible to my WASD keys WITHOUT MODIFIERS so that I will be able to cast them fast. I also bind the keys which I use the most to keys which are close WITHOUT MODIFIERS

As you can see on my SS I got.

1. - Scorch A "secondary primary" attack. meaning that I use it mainly to get debuff and refresh it and therefore I need to cast it every now fast

2. - Firebolt Main attack this is the attack I spam :D

3. - Fireblast Instant attack and important if I want to finish of some runner or low hp guy

4. - IB lifesaver, would like to have it on E since it's closer but I got used to 4 so :).

F. - Frost Nova "lifesaver" This allows me to get away.

R. - Pyro Secondary attack I use this when i know I have the time to cast it and therefore it doesn't require to be really close.

I used to bind my keys to a spell with same letter in some way F - Frostbolt F - Fear
G - Garrote.

I think you get the point

SS of my hunters keybindings:
http://img13.imageshack.us/img13/3340/wowscrnshot030709200237.jpg

SS of my rogues keybindings (sorry for the mesy addon, and here you see what I mean with clicking 2 spells far away from eachother at the same time, and yes I got 2x Kick out (Shift-R and R sicne then I can use a modified ability at the same time as I click kick). I also have some other keybindings which you mgiht not see below the mainbar which is numpad keys and scroll, yes mousescroll!):
http://img24.imageshack.us/img24/245/wowscrnshot030709200047.jpg

These keybindings are just example.


Fast repeat on keybindings

1. Keybindings are used to quicken your gameplay and allow you to preform better. Keybindings should be close to your hand to allow you to reach them fast and easy.

2. You can multiply your keybindings by up to 4x current by adding modifiers Shift, CTRL and ALT - normal keyboard

3. Keybindings are personal and takes time to get used to. It will take time to find the right ones which suites you!

4. My tips on keybindings: § 1 2 3 4 5 Q E R T Y F G < Z X C V - with important spells binded to keys close to the hand without modifier.


Tip:

To get used to the keybindings you can press Alt+Z - This will remove all the UI-"crap" then you can play without seing anything except characters, houses etc. if you do this you force yourself to remember your keybindings. (Don't do this in arena since then you can't see you HP and you WILL make mistakes.).


Hope I helped some of you and hopefully you people could read it. Please post suggestions and tell me if something in the thread is messed up - a.k.a. Bold/Italic etc. not working or if just some spelling mistakes or that something "sounds" wrong or looks wrong.

Note: I made this post so that people who want to change from clicking to keybinding or people who are new to the game/gameworld could have a little help. I know that there are many guides out there from videos and some tips and ideas I said is coming from that. I didn't start as a pro hotkeybinder.

I'm gonna try to edit it and fix it so that I don't have to much "blablabla" if you don't like it.. This is just a fast throw-together which I posted when i was finished so that hopefully I could be able to help someone.

Feel free to ask anything you want to know about keybindings or if you just want a tip or just anything regarding bindings

Cheers to you all!

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Q u o t e:
TLDR version : Bind hotkeys in the options menu.

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I don't know what TLDR means but Thanks and added.

I don't mean this offensively and hope you don't take it as such, but this would mean a lot more coming from a non holy pally/dk with 2000+ in every bracket.

It sorta comes across as "keybinding is better, but I have no proof at all".

Nice guide though, I'm sure it'll be useful for people wanting to make the transition. :)

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Q u o t e:
I don't mean this offensively and hope you don't take it as such, but this would mean a lot more coming from a non holy pally/dk with 2000+ in every bracket.

It sorta comes across as "keybinding is better, but I have no proof at all".

Nice guide though, I'm sure it'll be useful for people wanting to make the transition. :)

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Well I'm not the best player but I know that without my keybindings I would end up below 1200 rating for sure. I'm more playing the game for the fun and cuz my friends play it.

Thanks for your comment :D

Keybindings = win

try Dueling Someone as the same spec as you are if you dont use keybindings and they do, you will see how quicker the other guy is at using abilitys at certain times.

just remember..... Mouse is for moving, esp if your melee or you will end up getting..

'' Target Must Be In Front Of You '

You dont need keybinds to be good at all.
Diffrent people got diffrent ways of playing most effective.

I myself play less effective when i attempt to bind my abilities. And yes this is for both PvP and PvE.



Clicking works for some, binds for others. Its that simple, but people like to argue that "but ohlawl, my way is superior omg nabs, you have to do it this way or you suck"

Nice guide nontheless, for those who didnt knew about this ofc.

You can argue clicking is equal to binding with GCD limiting your APM (which is hardly even true due to skills off the gcd, trinkets, situational awareness etc).

But clicking/keyboard turning will ALWAYS let melee stand behind you, interrupt casts by running through you etc. You won't be as quick to cancel casting to counterspell, you won't be as quick to interrupt a quick cast if you were going to do something else instead... list goes on.

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Q u o t e:
You dont need keybinds to be good at all.

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I don't usually judge people on avatars that much, but this said by a DK is so funny.

should become sticky

Some classes/specs aren't really all that gimped with clicking but with some it's a whole different(better) pvp experience, mage and rogue for example

Looks like a nice guide, didn't read though the whole guide as I have used keybindings as long as I can remember.

Important thing is to make your keybindings suit yourself, like personally I hate using ctrl and have hardly anything binded with it, while everything is doubled with shift.

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Q u o t e:
You dont need keybinds to be good at all.
Diffrent people got diffrent ways of playing most effective.

I myself play less effective when i attempt to bind my abilities. And yes this is for both PvP and PvE.



Clicking works for some, binds for others. Its that simple, but people like to argue that "but ohlawl, my way is superior omg nabs, you have to do it this way or you suck"

Nice guide nontheless, for those who didnt knew about this ofc.

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I'm sorry but if you think that clicking is equal to keybinding then you've never really played with keybindings. (AKA being used to it and then trying it out, not just trying it out) Keybindings just allow for faster reaction, faster adaptability, faster turning, more awareness of your surroundings, ect...

I generally agree with the comment that "people like to argue that their way is better", but this time I'd have to say that keybinding really is better.

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Q u o t e:
I don't mean this offensively and hope you don't take it as such, but this would mean a lot more coming from a non holy pally/dk with 2000+ in every bracket.

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No it wouldn't.

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Q u o t e:
If you can reach 1-5 then your hand sounds tiny :p i myself can reach 1-7, but my smallest finger ends up on CTRL. :p

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i am barely can reach 6 with my huge hand(lots of handworks ? eh :D)
but i am using combinations, like ctrl/shift/alt +1234560, and i am even using some function keys, + lots of alphabetical keys(xycvbztrfgh) and some of them with shift/alt/ctrl.

topic reported to be sticky ^^

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Q u o t e:
I don't mean this offensively and hope you don't take it as such, but this would mean a lot more coming from a non holy pally/dk with 2000+ in every bracket.

It sorta comes across as "keybinding is better, but I have no proof at all".

Nice guide though, I'm sure it'll be useful for people wanting to make the transition. :)

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Keybinds are better than clicking the same way eating soup with a spoon is better than with a fork.

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Q u o t e:
If you can reach 1-5 then your hand sounds tiny :p i myself can reach 1-7, but my smallest finger ends up on CTRL. :p

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I can reach 9 if I really want to but I try to keep my keybindings as close to my hand as possible to make it easy for myself and as you see I have binded up 36 keys with modifiers for my left hand and that's enough for my rogue. Surly other classes would need more keybindings - a shaman who wanna bind all his/her spells for example.

The size of keyboards and hand may vary and therefore allow you to make more keybindings accesable. It's all up to the person her/himself how he want to bind his/her keys. You should also feel comfortable with your keybindings, and diffrent people will like to have 7 bound to an action while some don't.

PS. If you wanna know how tiny my hand is then I can tell you that I can click Caps and * at the same time - I can't reach the Enterkey while pressing Caps though.

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Q u o t e:
should become sticky

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Q u o t e:
No it wouldn't.

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Q u o t e:
topic reported to be sticky ^^

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Thank you for the support. :)