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Right before the beta went down, I started using grid shortcuts. They felt kind of strange, but they were the first thing that actually made me think that I could be comfortable at it with. The default setup felt weird; like bw but not quite. I tried classic shortcuts, but then everyone freaked out and gave a list of reasons why in the long run it would be bad.
So considering I'm a touch typist (and have been far longer than I've played sc), I figured I'd try out grid shortcuts. Plus while the good old "a" key is swapped to "t" I'm slowly getting used to it.
But that leaves the question of hotkey placement (i.e. numbers 1-0). Leaving my army on 1-3 or 1-4 like I usually did before seemed weird.
So from a Protoss point of view, what is your opinion on something like
1 nexuses, 2 gateways/warpgates (most people would prolly find this easier than the "y" key for warpgates since it's so far away), 3 for robo? Then probably 4-6 for units, higher numbers for observers and such? (though the higher up on the keyboard the foggier my ideas get).
I'm pretty sure I've seen some skilled players using something similar to this, which immediately made me think that they were using grid shortcuts because that would just make sense. Off the back of my head, I think I may have seen Nony use that (thought I could be wrong, might have been his opponent).
Now I'm seriously considering swapping over to play Terran (even though I've played Protoss ever since I first played the game very casually, occasionally when I was younger). Terran mechanics (especially MULEs, add-on swapping and hotkey placement) all feels foreign to me (not to mention the issue with the current patch about raxes on the same hotkey with different add-ons).
So I was thinking of, if (the readers think of the Protoss keys as a good layout), does 1 as CCs/OCs, 2 as raxes (maybe 3 depending on how the current issue goes), 3 as facts (or maybe starport), and the higher numbers as units sound?
Now keep in mind that even while I've probably been playing SC for a far shorter period of time than most on TL.net, this whole thing sounds incredibly foreign. Still, it's moving production facilities nearer to the shortcuts for units, and units to the shortcuts for attack, patrol, etc. (particularly attack, since it's the most-used shortcut for units). The only problem I see with this is that it makes the units farther away from shift and from the spell shortcuts.
Any thoughts, preferences, yelling at me for being some kind of an idiot? I should note that I actually haven't tested such a layout yet, since I thought of it right when the beta went down, and I've been very busy this summer.
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I'm a Terran player, I was high gold/low plat during phase 1, but then made the decision to to use the grid key layout. Though I'm now ranked silver, I can tell as I get more comfortable with the grid layout, it will be an improvement in the long run.
My preferred hotkey setup is 1-3 units, 4 CC, 5 Barracks, Factory, Starports, and 6 Tech Labs, Ebay, Ghost Academy. I used this when using the standard key bindings, and prefer it even more with the grid layout. The reason being, when I need to macro, I can select my production or research facilities with my index finger, and at the same time, my three other fingers are already in position to select which units to produce. And when i need to micro my units, I can select the groups with either of my three free fingers, and then have my index finger on T ready to attack move. Using unit abilities aren't quite as convenient, but as attack-move is the most common command I give my units, this method seems optimal.
Edit: Also, as I prefer to group production and research facilities together, setting them to 4-6 makes it easier to tab through them.
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Hmm true, hadn't thought of that really. Your setup does sound practical, though spell casting is a bit of a problem... darn it I just need to find the time to practice and work out a way that works.
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Just played around with it as Zerg, some stuff seems a lot better, but some not. For example, inject lavae is X which is a bit more fiddly than v when doing multiple hatcheries: 44x55x66x77x seems a bit harder than 44v55v66v77v
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On July 12 2010 13:44 Cerzi wrote:
Just played around with it as Zerg, some stuff seems a lot better, but some not. For example, inject lavae is X which is a bit more fiddly than v when doing multiple hatcheries: 44x55x66x77x seems a bit harder than 44v55v66v77v
Which could be another reason to support my theory that swapping locations of unit hotkeys with production hotkeys could be easier. 11x22x33x44x is not much different than 44v55v66v77v. Plus, since the spell abilities are zxc etc., it's pretty doable to hit 5z etc.
What would be nice is if the icons were swapped around a bit... maybe patrol with attack (to move attack to r instead of t) and probably spell icons in a... somewhat more useable place. I actually do like the idea of 1-3 as units, 4-6 as production structures, but it's the spell shortcuts that kill it for me.
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For phase 2 I switched to random from terran, and also switched from standard to grid layout. I would say there are some advantages, especially if you play multiple races then you don't have to memorize three different sets of hotkeys (for example all workers are E).
I have used 5 for nexus/CC/hatch but after reading this I might try to switch it to 1, and production buildings for 2. Just briefly looking at the key board this does feel easier to use units as your middle or index finger hits the 1 or 2 key and your thumb hits whatever unit to build. Also 3-5 and T for units feels comfortable too and is not as much of a stretch compared to 1-3 and T.
On a side note for protoss, since Y is for warpgates I have found it useful to put a proxy pylon or an in-base pylon on 6-7 and you can easily push 6 or 7 then Y for warping in units quickly.
One thing I do find annoying though is cancel is B as well as burrow.
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Your hotkeys are the same as mine but i dont use grid. The thing that i don't like about grid is that all the important buttons are on the bottom row of keys which is hard to reach considering your hotkeying stuff to the number buttons
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EPT
