I don't understand how people are playing with WASD.

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I don't understand how people are playing with WASD

Easily.

I don't know how people are struggling with WASD controls. IF you are struggling, it's because you're trying to move your character with your left hand (WASD) AND you're trying to use your skills with your left hand.

With normal click to move, you move with your right hand and click skills with your left. With WASD you flip it, you move with your left and select skills with your right. Try binding skills to your mouse. You have left click, right click, middle click, forward button, back button at least. Not to mention several keys on your left hand like F, R, C, V, which you can all press EASILY while moving. Practice some.

I play with RDFG instead, so I use A and S for flasks and < (\ on US keyboards), Y, X for other skills (apart from the ones that are on the three mouse buttons).

It takes a bit getting used to and I'm not quite there yet, but that's just a matter of time. When I first started PoE as my first ARPG, it also took me quite a while to get used to the controls (although I always hated the "flask piano".

I don't know people play with WASD in PoE2. Feels like dog shit. I'm up to T10 maps atm, and I'm doing fabulously with my mouse.

In the end, all that matters is people play with the controls they find comfortable. Now, PoE2 has settings that appeal to WASD players, so that's good I guess.

I turned on WASD immediately and never looked back. Feels completely natural to me, like I never played anything else. Maybe it's because I played a lot of Hades/Hades 2 lately.

I play Stormweaver, currently Spark/Orb of Storms/Mana Tempest. I have used setups with up to 5 skills that I use regularly, but having 2 or 3 more would probably not be a problem.

Here's my current setup:

Main spamming skill (Spark): LMB
Secondary skill (OoS): RMB
Buff 1, used for clear (Mana Tempest): MB4 (thumb button)
Buff 2, used for rares and bosses (Conductivity): Q

I could easily add E, F and MMB to my rotation, then maybe R and 3. Beyond that I would have to try what feels good.

So for clearing white and blue mobs I only need my mouse, with fingers already resting on the buttons. For me this feels extremely smooth. For rares and bosses I have to press Q occasionally. Really not that bad.

If you really don't want to use your keyboard for skills, you could use MMB, MB5 (second thumb button), and possibly also bind scroll up/down and the wheel tilt to some buttons. That would require 3rd party software though.

- I play EDSF, so pinky can also feel useful :) Opens up A and Q for additional skills.
- I have my two potions on mouse side buttons.
- Main skills are on mouse 1, 2 and 3 (note that you don't need mouse 1 just to move anymore)

Sure, when you hit any of the non-mouse skills, you need to let go of one of the movement skills.

But seriously, have you never played a shooter, like Quake 3? It's the same thing. You have all of your weapons bound to keys around your EDSF keys. Feels super naturally to me. Might just take a while getting used to.

I do mainly play mercenary where it's pretty much required, but used it for monk too.

To me it's rather the other way around: how do you play with mouse only? Playing WASD (or EDSF) allows you to run backward while attacking; or in circles around bosses. Makes you SO much more powerful.

For instance, people are saying monk start is difficult. It's really a total breeze with WASD and Glacial Cascade; almost feels like cheezing. The lachblabla guy at the graveyard, for instance, I hear being difficult... I got him in one minute without even getting hit I think.

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IcyMistV#5121 wrote:

how do you guys set this up? i got 2 side buttons on my mouse and dont know how to use them properly or set them up

If you want to use your mouse to help with skills, try buying a MOBA mouse or an MMO mouse. The MOBA one has maybe 6 buttons on the side. The MMO mouse generally has 12 side buttons.

I bought an MMO mouse over a decade ago and it was rough to learn to use it properly, but it didn't take too long to get accustomed to it and now I couldn't imagine playing a game without it, especially an ARPG. You don't have to reach for keys when your mouse has side buttons.

holding mouse 1 while moving the mouse is not good idea in long term. There is a risk for it aka: Carpal Tunnel. when you have it, there is no turning back from it.
you can play fps games forever because most of time you are not moving your hand when firing guns. it is different on arpg games because we are holding m1 while moving the mouse.

so im glad for WASD. Big W for me, thanks to GGG team.

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IcyMistV#5121 wrote:

how do you guys set this up? i got 2 side buttons on my mouse and dont know how to use them properly or set them up

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Alexandra_Momo#4012 wrote:

I guess it's your fault for not having any side buttons on your mouse? I can burst out 4 skills with my mouse only. Only need 1 and 2 for potion and even there, i can switch the keys so i can use it with my thumbs with c,v,b. Dont blame the game if you can't adapt.

just go to options/input find the activate skill slot that has the button you want to replace click it then click the mouse button you want to use. SImple as that.

Pro tip rebind your mouse wheel to keyboard keys and use it to activate skills. Makes it a lot fun and less keys to press.