Like at least 75% of humans, I am right-handed. I do not like using "WASD" for movement. I know "WASD" seems to be the gaming industry 'standard' for movement. I prefer to use my number pad because it is on the right-hand side of my keyboard. I do not like using the arrow keys because they are too small for my big, fat fingers. I have lost my character under attack several times because I had (somehow) started a chat when I tried to use the arrows for movement. I found the means of reassigning keys in the "EG" box under options. It is supposed to allow me to remove the key(s) originally assigned to function(s) and assign new key(s) to those functions. It allows me to remove the default ("WASD" and/or the arrows) for movement. Unfortunately, it does not allow me to assign my number pad to the movement(s). It will only allow me to reassign the default keys ('WASD' or the arrows) to the movements (which I was trying to remove in the first place). Is there some secret to actually removing the defaults so I can assign my number pad to the movements? Is this an actual 'bug' or glitch?
WASD was never a standard in EQ. EQ's standard was the Number Pad. The keys on the keyboard that EQ was made for were all pretty much the same size as they were on a standard full keyboard typically. It was almost a decade before people could actually consider playing games like EQ on a laptop which today have tiny arrow keys on them. You can assign two keys to do the same thing. You have the main and the alternate. Most people have the np8, np4, np6, and np2 as well as the up, down, left, right arrows set to do movement in part of the Options window that svann referred to. You can unselect a key in the options windows keys section by clicking on that choice and hitting Esc. That will leave the key unselected. Alternatively, you can also just click the option you wish to select and then push the key you want it to be. I am wondering if he doesn't have a real number pad and if it isn't instead one of those laptops which has the touch pad double as a number pad.
My keyboard is (as far as I know) a standard computer keyboard as you would find for a desktop computer or a workstation keyboard, though it is a laptop (with a 17.5 inch monitor). The number pad is a completely separate section of the keyboard from the touchpad and (as far as I know) is the standard setup for desktops and workstations across USA, with the number pad to the right of the 104 key "QWERTY" keyboard. You are correct to state the arrows are small compared to the rest of the keys. This has led to my big, fat fingers hitting other keys while trying to use the arrows for movement and sometimes moving backwards when I'm trying to move forwards. The setup for the number pad you mention is the setup I desire and usually use for my other online/computer games. As I stated in my original post, I found the "EQ, options, keys" procedure to reassign the key settings of my movement. My problem is the system would not allow me to assign the number pad keys to the movement functions. The system 'insists' I can not assign anything other than WASD or the arrows to the movement functions. It would not let anything else be typed into the slots after I had removed the 'WASD'. I will try using "esc" to remove the 'WASD' as you stated, but I doubt it'll work.
I figure my only option is to uninstall the game, then reinstall. I noticed when I looked into the option that EQ was entered into the program list twice. Maybe this is the problem. The uninstall/reinstall procedure may remove this.
kizant, not just no, but H*** no. my left hand does not have the coordination of my right (standard problem in right-handed people). I discovered EQ does not 'uninstall' cleanly from my computer and starts reinstalling immediately when I click the desktop icon. Hopefully, it'll allow me to reassign the movement to the number pad after this. I have 11 characters at the moment which I had just started and got tired of the WASD and arrows.
the reinstall did not fix the problem. I still can not reassign the number pad keys to my movement functions. I'm getting very frustrated by this.
No way, remap that to ESDF and never have to move your hand out of normal typing position again. It frees up a lot of keys to purpose to other things once you get used to it.
Are you going to Options > Keys > Movement and selecting the move back, move forward, etc? It’s definitely possible to map any key to any command.
Yes, enclee. That is how I am attempting to remap my movement keys. It works if a function did not have a default setting (like 'autorun'). Since others have stated they can remap, it was obviously a problem with my computer. I FULLY uninstalled EQ, turned off my computer for an hour, did a series of anti-virus/anti-malware scans. It is presently reinstalling. Hopefully, this will clear the problem. ... It did not. I noticed when I try to install the number pad key, the pointer on my screen moves slowly in the direction of that key. Apparently, the number pad is assigned to moving my pointer on the screen and is interfering with my attempts to remap to my characters' movement. ... I checked the controls for my mouse/pointer on my computer. It appears my number pad was dedicated to moving my pointer. I don't understand how this came to be, since I use my mouse/trackball to move my pointer. Anyway, I deactivated that function. ... Now, I can remap my characters' movement to my number pad. It is done and the problem is finished.
I'm just curious, do you take your right hand off the keyboard to use the mouse, or do you use the mouse in your left hand, or do you reach your left arm back to the left side of the keyboard to return to home row and type?
On a standard keyboard, all of the keys are the same size with the exceptions of the spacebar, return/enter, shift, control, alt, tab, caps lock, backspace, number pad 0, number pad +, and number pad enter keys. Sometimes the new Windows and Menu keys are larger as well. If the arrow keys are a different size than any of the letter keys or number pad keys then it is a non-standard keyboard. There are laptops that have came out in the last several years that remove the touch pad from the palm rest and instead place it where the number pad would be and provide a toggle to change that area from a touch pad to a pseudo number pad. Desktops don't usually have touchpads at all, they usually use mice or track balls. Workstation is too generic a term as a laptop can be a workstation just as easily as a desktop can be. As I mentioned before, the arrows shouldn't be any smaller unless you have a non-standard keyboard. The setup I mentioned is the default one. I never used it and never had to even change any of the keys. The WASD was the alternate alternate. I haven't a clue why anything would prevent you from selecting the majority of keys. There are a couple which it doesn't allow, but they are usually special ones which are typically reserved for special OS related commands. Of note, the keys turning red do not mean that you cannot use those, it just means that the key in question is already set to another keypress and could have unforseen side effects.
Wow. Whoever designed that laptop... That would drive me nuts trying to move the cursor using number pad.
I would say it was driving me nuts except for two things... 1) I didn't recognize what was happening (the pointer moved too slowly by the number pad to realize it) 2) I've been 'nuts' for a couple of decades, now.
