Common and most used hotkey setups

[dieharder401]

I'm trying not to dive into any particular program and its setup, but more the hotkey design or system as a general mapping. I basically deleted every built in UO hotkey.

I'm noticing there is a sort of 80/20 rule for what skills and spells are typically used. Most seem to be fairly consistent, I was just wondering what kind of setup people are using. Ideally I'd like to find something that works for me that doesn't have too much overlap. By overlap I mean say ctrl A and alt A for different items, Id personally prefer ctrl a and ctrl s.. etc. My only reasoning for this is to help with basic memory of keys and try to avoid confusion. Some players may not find that to be an issue, but I am trying to be a bit more universal.

I also think itd be a good item for the wiki page to help new players setup hotkeys and identify valuable skills easily.

This is what I am currently looking at for a basic keyboard / mouse setup. (nothing fancy with one of those 4 layer keyboard or 18 button mouses. Though a second set of hotkeys for that I think some would find very useful as well. Of course no macros connected to only shift for obvious reasons or most keys without an accompanying command key. Personally I figure most people are right handed (or at least game right handed) so my current setup tries to limit it to the left half of the keyboard.

I know there are many problems with this in theory. Such as say, you use weapons and not pets or chivalry not cleric..etc etc. I am hoping it can be designed in such a way that those items are just omitted from an individuals setup as needed. Hence it keeps a semi logical universal design.

The other question is the nature of the design. Should healing items being on alt and attack on ctrl? should they all be on alt and healing on QWE row and attack on ASD row? Should each spell have as logical a letter as possibe? A+h for hide and A+s for stealth? I was also wondering about hotkeys for last target and target self.

Again, Some keys (like F1/Prnt scrn / BS) can be reused, but it seems easier not to 'overload' too many of them in my mind.

A is alt, C control, S shift

F1 codex
Print screen, copy screen to clipboard for pasting into MSpaint..etc.
Backspace.. obvious.

ESC: cancel macro.
Tab: toggle war/peace.
A+x: Quit game prompt

A+f11: Equip LRC / mage gear
A+f12: Equip combat
C+f12: Undress completely

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(Below list uses alt unless otherwise stated)

F1 bandage pet 1
F2 pet 2
F3 pet 3
F4 pet 4
F5 pet 5

` Sacrifice
1 Touch of Life
2 Scared Boon
3 Bandage Self
4 Bandage (manually target)

q All kill
w All Guard
e All stay
r All Follow Me

[ recall
] scared journey
; restoration (cleric)
' resurrection (magery)
m mark
g gateway
t tame
y animal lore
a Angelic Faith
b bless
s peacemaking (manual or self/area)
d discord

f Create food
v Detect hidden
k track

u All follow me
i I wish to release this
o I wish to lock this down
p I wish to secure this

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(Keys for Control below)

Home resync client

z hide
x stealth
c stealing

` show names
C+S items/players

C+A+a: Closest Enemy
C+A+d: Closest Friendly
C+A+s: Target Self

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[Wil]

Ideally I'd like to find something that works for me that doesn't have too much overlap. By overlap I mean say ctrl A and alt A for different items, Id personally prefer ctrl a and ctrl s.. etc. My only reasoning for this is to help with basic memory of keys and try to avoid confusion.

It's often helpful to have mirror functions on the same key, one matched with ctrl, the other with alt. For example, "all attack" and "all stay" pet commands pair well together. "[bandself" and "[band" (pet/ally) pair well together.

[dieharder401]

Well there is definitely a certain logic to it. It potentially cuts the number of keys to remember down by 20% probably. It might also take a split second longer to switch between say ctrl a and alt a, though I dont think the game's timing is quite that sensitive that it matters though.

So what setup do you find most useful? I think aside from what you already mentioned, my deepest flaw might be that the easiest reached keys are not linked to the most used abilities/spells.