From my gaming experience, the following are my general rules for keymapping:
- In-combat abilities should be bound to convenient locations near the movement keys (WSAD)
I use the Function keys F1 through F4, number keys 1 through 4 (5 is a little too far), and all the alphabet keys around WSAD, up til R, F and V. I consider anything to the right of F4, 4, R, F, V too far away and I do not use them for in-combat actions. - Abilities that can be activated on the run should be placed where they can be hit while using the movement keys
I find that I can comfortably hit C with my thumb while maneuvering on WSAD. I used to put the V key under this category, but I now feel that it's too far away to stretch the thumb while using WSAD.
The other keys I have under this category are: Q, E, 2 and `. At first glance, these keys don't seem like they can be hit while using WSAD, but I've developed a habit to strafe one way or other if I have to hit them while strafing. And, I can hit any of them with my middle finger on W. The ` key is a stretch, so I reserve that for less frequent abilities or instant abilities with a long cooldown. - Abilities that have a cast/build time can be a placed within easy reach of the WSAD fingers
Abilities with a cast/build time require that you stop moving. Hence, your WSAD fingers will be free. I like to put a frequently used spell with a cast time on 3. So to cast it, I stop and slide my middle finger from W to 3, and back to W. - Infrequently-used abilities that are important and require a quick reaction time can be placed a little farther away. But, they should still be relatively close and accessible without any modifiers
I use R and V for these abilities. R is currently my "Silence" ability (and MouseWheelUp -> R is my "Disarm"). V used to be my "Blink" ability when I played a mage, and my "absorb damage" shield as a healer. It is now used to activate my long-cooldown "resist 1 magical attack" shield. - Actions that are less timing-critical can reside farther away
The keys I have under this category are F1 through F4, and F. The reason the F key is here even though it appears to be near is because It's hard to stretch for it with the middle finger on W, or with a finger on the A or D key.
Right now, my Function keys perform tasks like consume potions or select a pet to summon. When I played a healer, I would use the Function keys to select group members, in conjunction with clicking friendly targets on the screen. - Swap Caps Lock with Ctrl
I feel that it's awkward to hit Ctrl in the bottom left of the keyboard. Which is a waste since Ctrl is such a great modifier key. And look at Caps Lock there. A big fat key between Tab and Shift. How often do you use Caps Lock? I always swap Caps Lock and Ctrl for work and play. With Ctrl in the place of Caps Lock, I can now hit Ctrl with my pinky without moving my hand. - Use modifiers whenever it makes sense
Modifiers are keys like Alt, Ctrl and Shift. These allow you to effectively double/triple the key functions right under your fingers. E.g., for a key in a prime real estate such as E, you have plain ol' E, Ctrl-E, Shift-E and Alt-E at your disposal. My general rule of thumb is to avoid modifiers for timing-critical or frequently-used functions. For less critical functions, consider using modifiers to overload a nearby key, instead of using a key farther away. However, be careful with the modifiers as they can sometimes cause you to scrunch or tense up your hand unnecessarily. This can lead to untimely fatigue or worse, injuries. I tend to avoid Shift and Alt for this reason, and only use Ctrl since I have it bound to the Caps Lock position. - Overload the scroll wheel
It's a waste to use the scroll wheel for the simple task of zooming in and out. Move the function of zooming to the keyboard, or a secondary mouse. However, not all games support mapping the scroll wheel. Fortunately, I have a mouse that lets me reprogram the scroll wheel to simulate hitting keyboard keys. I currently use the scroll wheel for tasks such as:
Scroll Down: Hotbar 1 (primary; frequently-used actions)
Scroll Up: Hotbar 2 (secondary; long-cooldown actions)
Ctrl + Scroll Up: Hotbar 3 (infrequently-used actions)
Shift + Scroll Up: Hotbar 4 (other infrequently used actions like marking targets or emotes)
Ctrl + Scroll Down: Assist target
Shift + Scroll Down: Cycle through friendlies - More buttons on the mouse helps
The mouse hand is often neglected, with the keyboard hand doing most of the work. Getting a mouse with more buttons means you get more keys to bind. I use the extra buttons on my mouse for flight-related actions and to control my pet. One benefit of using mouse buttons is that it's often faster/easier to hit a mouse button and a keyboard key sequentially; compared to hitting 2 mouse buttons sequentially or 2 keys sequentially. This is why I prefer switching hotbars with my mouse, instead of the keyboard. However, I don't place frequently used abilities on the mouse --- the only mouse buttons I want to press often are left-click and right-click. - The spacebar is a button too (and so are W, S, A and D)
Typically, the spacebar is used for Jump. In Aion, it is also used to toggle gliding. But, with modifier keys, we can overload the spacebar with additional actions. I use Ctrl+Spacebar to cancel flight in Aion (fold my wings). I figured that if Spacebar toggled gliding and I won't be jumping when I'm flying, Ctrl+Spacebar made sense. The same idea can be applied to the W key. W is already used for moving forward, so it's not a stretch to have Ctrl+W toggle Autorun (instead of wasting some other key). Having Ctrl remapped to the CapsLock position helps for things like this.
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