Which SC2 hotkey/keyboard layout do you use?

kennyf

United Kingdom54 Posts

April 01 2013 01:20 GMT

Hello all.

First of all, I would like to say something about myself, that should give you better idea why I want to ask about keyboard layouts.
I started playing Starcraft soon after Starcraft 2 was released. I never got any higher than Gold league, probably because I never played more than 100 ladder games and simply never played any other online RTS. So as a newbie in RTS genre I never really bothered with any sort of pro-like keyboard/mouse/graphics setups. Just install the game, check hotkeys and play. I've had a long break from SC2 for months, but now that HotS has been released I feel like I want to explore that new style of play and game dynamics.

After few days on this forum I noticed there are many different keyboard layouts people use. Grid, TheCore, Chameleon etc... I was always skeptical about changing keyboard hotkeys, because, as a newbie, I would be even more lost than I am now. However, I thought I would give it a try and maybe that will help me play a little bit better.

In most threads on keyboard layouts you will see that people love it, say it's great and all. But which keyboard layout is really the most popular?

I couldn't find any threads on this matter, so I thought I will make one myself. I know it would be rather hard to say which one is the best. It's like asking which race in SC2 is the best. I guess poll would give us a better idea to see what people are actually using. Also, to have better understanding of the possibilities of certain layouts, I would like to ask you which league you are currently placed in (or was in WoL if not placed in HotS yet). I know that if someone is in Master/GMaster league it doesn't mean he/she is there because they're using someone's keyboard layout. But I think that at certain point in the game you need adjustments to your game setup in order to achieve better results. Even if that means changing Location or unit's ability hotkey.

So, the question is - which keyboard layout do you use?

(Note: I put Bronze+Silver and Master/GM together because I feel like the level of play is not as far different as it can be between Silver/Gold or Gold/Platinum)

Poll: Standard layout, i'm _____ league player

Bronze / Silver (66)

34%

Master / Grandmaster (42)

22%

Gold (34)

18%

Diamond (32)

17%

Platinum (19)

10%

193 total votes

Your vote: Standard layout, i'm _____ league player

(Vote): Bronze / Silver
(Vote): Gold
(Vote): Platinum
(Vote): Diamond
(Vote): Master / Grandmaster

Poll: Standard layout with own modifications, i'm _____ league player

Master / Grandmaster (53)

43%

Gold (26)

21%

Diamond (21)

17%

Bronze / Silver (13)

10%

Platinum (11)

9%

124 total votes

Your vote: Standard layout with own modifications, i'm _____ league player

(Vote): Bronze / Silver
(Vote): Gold
(Vote): Platinum
(Vote): Diamond
(Vote): Master / Grandmaster

Poll: Grid layout, i'm _____ league player

Gold (12)

26%

Bronze / Silver (9)

20%

Diamond (9)

20%

Master / Grandmaster (9)

20%

Platinum (7)

15%

46 total votes

Your vote: Grid layout, i'm _____ league player

(Vote): Bronze / Silver
(Vote): Gold
(Vote): Platinum
(Vote): Diamond
(Vote): Master / Grandmaster

Poll: TheCore layout, i'm _____ league player

Bronze / Silver (9)

31%

Gold (6)

21%

Diamond (5)

17%

Master / Grandmaster (5)

17%

Platinum (4)

14%

29 total votes

Your vote: TheCore layout, i'm _____ league player

(Vote): Bronze / Silver
(Vote): Gold
(Vote): Platinum
(Vote): Diamond
(Vote): Master / Grandmaster

Poll: Chameleon layout, i'm _____ league player

Bronze / Silver (8)

50%

Master / Grandmaster (3)

19%

Gold (2)

13%

Platinum (2)

13%

Diamond (1)

6%

16 total votes

Your vote: Chameleon layout, i'm _____ league player

(Vote): Bronze / Silver
(Vote): Gold
(Vote): Platinum
(Vote): Diamond
(Vote): Master / Grandmaster

Poll: My own/unique layout, i'm _____ league player

Master / Grandmaster (17)

36%

Diamond (9)

19%

Platinum (8)

17%

Bronze / Silver (7)

15%

Gold (6)

13%

47 total votes

Your vote: My own/unique layout, i'm _____ league player

(Vote): Bronze / Silver
(Vote): Gold
(Vote): Platinum
(Vote): Diamond
(Vote): Master / Grandmaster

I don't want to include race in poll. That will better show which hotkey setup is the most universal and, if playing more than 1 race, easier to get used to.

Some links to threads on different hotkey setups:
Fleet (grid) - http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewmessage.php?topic_id=404476
Chameleon - http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewmessage.php?topic_id=333891
TheCore - http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewmessage.php?topic_id=341878
'Double hotkeys' - http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewmessage.php?topic_id=402665

PS. This is my first ever thread on TL. I've tried to make it look right, please don't shout if I forgot something

Traceback

United States469 Posts

April 01 2013 01:24 GMT

Where is the option for totally unique layout that you designed?

Uhh Negative

United States1090 Posts

April 01 2013 01:25 GMT

I think the polls should have been organized into leagues instead of by layout. You still get the same data either way, but the only real meaningful answers will be for GM/masters and possibly diamond. Most below diamond probably just use the standard anyway. Masters here, using completely standard!

kennyf

United Kingdom54 Posts

April 01 2013 01:33 GMT

On April 01 2013 10:24 Traceback wrote:
Where is the option for totally unique layout that you designed?

Just added it. Forgot about that, lol.

On April 01 2013 10:25 Uhh Negative wrote:
I think the polls should have been organized into leagues instead of by layout. You still get the same data either way, but the only real meaningful answers will be for GM/masters and possibly diamond. Most below diamond probably just use the standard anyway. Masters here, using completely standard!

I thought of it. I was afraid it would make it look a bit messy. About leagues lower than Diamond - I think there might be people using non-standard hotkeys and struggling to get past Gold/Plat league. From my own experience, I felt like getting from Gold to Platinum required something I could not figure out. I thought it would be the same with Plat -> Diamond or Diamond -> Master

invisible.terran

United States280 Posts

April 01 2013 01:36 GMT

No classic in the poll

I stick with it because A for marine feels wrong, top diamond here.

Pulimuli

Sweden2766 Posts

April 01 2013 01:39 GMT

i use Classical! masters

lichter

1001 YEARS KESPAJAIL22272 Posts

April 01 2013 01:40 GMT

I use grid because I play random, and it's easier for me than having to remember all the hotkeys. I'm also better at remembering positions/space than assigning actions to letters, so grid works for me.

tili

United States1332 Posts

April 01 2013 01:41 GMT

Plat, Chameleon :D

Hadley88

Germany267 Posts

April 01 2013 01:46 GMT

Diamond with Modified GRID.

Megaliskuu

United States5123 Posts

April 01 2013 01:51 GMT

#10

Masters using standard layout, I made some things to be like BW, such as burrow/drop on U, blinding cloud on W (swaaaaarm!!!). Just a few things :3.

roadrunner343

148 Posts

April 01 2013 03:48 GMT

#11

Really surprised there are so few Grid users. Mid-High masters player using Grid, with a couple control group modifications.

Kim Hyuna

Korea (South)264 Posts

April 01 2013 04:06 GMT

#12

Not used to different layout has to offered.

Still sticking to standard since WOL days.

However, i bind my 5/6 n my mouse since i have difficulty reaching 5/6 on my keyboard due to my short fingers.

psychotics

United States184 Posts

April 01 2013 04:12 GMT

#13

masters using completely standard hotkeys that come with the game no modifications. to answer your question on which hotkey setup is "best". its completely dependant on you. play around with the different hotket set-ups, take advice from people who use them, but ultimately the best hotkey setup is the one that: makes sense to you, is easy for you to use, you are comfortable using. optimial hotkey setups arent really whats going to make u better, you still have to be able to use them to macro/micro your way into a win, so if you decide on grid but have trouble playing with it for some reason then your not getting better.

-Kyo-

Japan1926 Posts

April 01 2013 04:14 GMT

#14

Some people have taken some interest in a few of the hotkeys I use so I'll type a little about them I guess...

I use standard layout with my own modifications, the changes I've made are:
+ Show Spoiler +

` is set to control group 0 - this is used for stargates

w is set to control group 9 - this is used for upgrade buildings so I can chronoboost as soon as it wears off

Q is base camera

tab is idle worker

Y is patrol - keeps more commands on the left side of the keyboard

mothership core is Z - same as above

cannon spell for msc set to C - cannons and msc cannons should share the same hotkey less thought involved!!

storm is G - upgrades should have shared hotkey for less "Thought" when clicking the buildings (it is shared with ground weapons upgrade)

Immortal is set to V - more left keys set to the left

Speed prism upgrade set to A - You make a warp prism with A.. it makes sense for the upgrade to be A!!

The one that seems to surprise people the most -- I have subgroup for units set to Middle Mouse button
The thought behind this is whenever you want to use a spell it should be conscious, and directed. Your mouse should be pointing towards where you want to use the spell so if you're using the mouse to dictate when the spell is cast it makes sense that a subgroup of spell casting is dictated by the same hand. Similarly, it allows less hand spread on the left side of the keyboard because you're then only dealing with unit groups + spell key instead of unit groups + hotkey for subgroup + spell key.

Ecstatic

United States160 Posts

April 01 2013 04:30 GMT

#15

Dunno if this is going to give you really accurate results. I'd imagine TL's average skill level might be a bit above what you would see on ladder. The fact that there are more masters and grand masters who have responded to this poll already goes to show you. The vast amount of people use regular hotkeys with adjustments, I'd imagine, just because it's the default.

HeyImFinn

United States250 Posts

April 01 2013 04:34 GMT

#16

On April 01 2013 10:36 invisible.terran wrote:
No classic in the poll

I stick with it because A for marine feels wrong, top diamond here.

This! Except I'm high Master.

digmouse

China6328 Posts

April 01 2013 04:39 GMT

#17

A modified grid layout, changed some very inconvenient default grid keys, like attack move from T to A

Null02

5 Posts

August 29 2016 15:25 GMT

#18

I use grid since I was a Bronze...recently,I changed some keys on it to improve my results.I changed:
CG 6 : Alt-1

CG 7 : Alt-2

GG 8 : Alt-3

CG 9 : Alt-4

CG 0 : Alt-5

Z = Tab

X = Space(Injects are a lot easier =D)

C = Caps Lock

B = Esc

Empirimancer

Canada1024 Posts

August 29 2016 15:36 GMT

#19

My custom layout is a bit like grid except I've remapped 6 7 8 9 0 to Q W E R T Y.

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