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Hotkey Mnemonics

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USrankAdminCarRepairer
10 years ago
Discussion of hotkey mnemonics in channel inspired some interesting ideas.

Here's one for power plants when using KeyboardMenu:



What's interesting about this is it's all pure coincidence. Years ago Licho created the gesture menu without any hotkeys. He later added keyboard suppot for the 8-key pattern surrounding the S key (QWE ASD ZXC). After that, I added an option for the keys surrounding the D key (WER SDF XCV) so that D could be used logically as an intial key. This pattern then made its way to the later widgets RadialBuildMenu and KeyboardMenu (pictured).

What are your hotkey mnemonics?
+2 / -0


MYrankAdminHistidine
10 years ago
From the pic: E is for mExcellent!
+2 / -0

CHrankConnetable
10 years ago
AFAIK, the build menu is called by B for me, not D or S.
+0 / -0
Skasi
10 years ago
Umm how about.. C for Caretaker and W for Windgen?
+0 / -0


EErankAdminAnarchid
10 years ago
(edited 10 years ago)
Econ tab in integral goes something like...

X...
XC for Caretaker
XF for Fusion
XS for Solar
XQ for Mex (only useful in pregame Queue)
XA for Windgen (harvests air)
XD for Geo (deep? or just XD lulzy)
XG for Singu (its gigantic)
XZ for Storage (you use it when exceZZing)

Note how hotkeys for solar and fusion are the same as in that crazy CR widget. Must be conspiracy.

Also,

Some factories:
Z...
ZQ for the quiet bots
ZA for all-terrain
ZE for the -[b]e[/b]r factory
ZS for jumpjet/specialist

Defenses:
C...
CE for EMG
CX for Urchin (menaces with spikes of X)
CS for Hax Saw

Special:
V...
VR for Very Radar
VX is a bad mnemonic, but it's memorable anyway.

---

I'd love a mnemonic for XV, which is airpad. Because i always forget it.
+0 / -0

PLrankAdminSprung
10 years ago
(edited 10 years ago)
quote:
CX for Urchin

...because it used to be a floating X


(Arm was a floating O. You could play tic-tac-toe in water if you had a teammate from the other faction.)
+6 / -0
ROrankForgottenGeneral
10 years ago
XG for Singu (its gigantic),I recommend XS for singu,[its shiney]
+0 / -0


USrankShaman
10 years ago
(edited 10 years ago)
quote:
XZ for Storage (you use it when exceZZing)


I thought you used
quote:
XC for Caretaker
for when eXCessing...

quote:
I'd love a mnemonic for XV, which is airpad. Because i always forget it.


V is the formation aircraft make. Or geese which also fly.
+0 / -0

FIrankVermind
10 years ago
XV - for when you need Xtra Volleys of bombs
+0 / -0


EErankAdminAnarchid
10 years ago
quote:
XG for Singu (its gigantic),I recommend XS for singu,[its shiney]

You can't change the order, and order defines the letter. All you can change is the mnemonic - e.g. the "how do i remember this".

Another option is XG because singus are gravity powered.
+0 / -0
BErankFlipstip
10 years ago
I do not use mnemonics, I just remember the hotkeys. It is faster.
+4 / -0

USrankluckywaldo7
10 years ago
I don't use mnemonics and I don't memorize hotkeys. I see the image on the screen, and because the widget mimics the shape of the keyboard, my hand knows where to move while my eyes are still focused on the screen. Eventually the motions are drilled into muscle memory.

The best kind of learning is the type that happens without you realizing it.
+0 / -0

USrankluckywaldo7
10 years ago
So this might be going a little off-topic but I figured I would bring it up, since I made this graphic already and all.

(Originally I misread the topic as brainstorming to re-arrange menus mnemonically. In hindsight, changing default hotkeys is a great way to piss off your active playerbase.)

But, if anyone wanted to be really hardcore with their hotkey layout, rearrange hotkeys based on finger movement. The most common build items should be placed on the closest keys. For example, the economy menu opens with 'E', so the most common items should be placed closer to 'E'.



Mex is the most common/important of all economy structures, so it stays at 1. The two 2 positions might be for wind and solar. Caretaker probably on 3, fusion on 4, and then it doesn't really matter that much between geo and superfusion on 5 and 6.

An idea just in case anyone wanted to be a serious hard-ass pro with their keybinds.
+0 / -0
PLrankOrfelius
10 years ago
Wouldn't number keys as building hotkeys select groups of units as well?
+0 / -0
CZrankAdminNightwatch
10 years ago
In that example the numbers denote ordering by distance from the previous key, not actual number keys.
+1 / -0

NLrank[XIV]Floris
10 years ago
(edited 10 years ago)
My hotkeys are ultimate hardcore super pro! :P

Put your left hand on the keyboard. Index and ringfinger on F and Q. Mex and energy buildings are bound to those keys. Go from there. I posted my keybinds on this forum several times. I'll do it again later today. It uses the same logic as you suggested Waldo, most common functions on most reachable keys.

Also, i would not translate the tabbed menu to your key binds. They are good for graphical display and showing an ordered overview of the possible constructions. Once you know the game that is completely irrelevant. The only thing that matters is to get to the right function as quickly as possible.
+1 / -0