Keys to Remapping
One of my first and lasting complaints about EVE was the obvious lack of keyboard remapping support. Sure, you could modify commands here and there, but it wasn’t until the Incursion expansions were we given free reign to map our commands completely as we wish.
In order to take advantage of this, I decided to invested in a Razer Naga mouse: their apparent solution to MMO gaming. The claim to fame? The mouse has 17 buttons on it. Yes. 17. And 12 of these are accessed by your thumb alone. Sounds like overkill, but with a game as complex as EVE (have you thought about how many separate commands it takes to simply navigate your ship?) I thought it might be just the thing.
So with some effort and experimentation today, I feel like I’ve finally landed on my ideal keyboard/mouse setup with EVE. Breakdown below.
Mouse:
It has always bothered me that I couldn’t pilot my ship with one hand. Maybe I’m on the phone, maybe I’m eating chips, maybe you should get your head out of the gutter because I know what you’re thinking. Point is, on a long run between systems, it’s pretty annoying to have to reach for the keyboard to execute a simple warp or jump command if you don’t want to do the cumbersome multi-click method on the overview.
So my strategy is this: Any command that involves moving and maneuvering my ship will be mapped to the mouse:
Beautiful right? Want to warp to that next gate? Hold [2] and left click in overview. Land at gate, press [1] and click to jump. Guess what? Still eating chips, like a boss.
Note: I’m not entirely sure Prev and Next Target belong on the mouse, so this may be modified if I find a more intuitive place on the keyboard.
Keyboard:
So if my mouse is essentially the ship’s steering wheel, throttle, and brakes, then my keyboard will be my artillery. Freeing it of any navigation-related commands has let me dedicate the keyboard solely to modules and drones:
Simplicity is key: [1-8] keys are high modules, [Q-I] are my mids, and [A-K] are my lows. [Z-C] commands drones. [Ctrl] still targets. Essentially the module layout is an intuitive reflection of my HUD, without having to hit the finger-cramping shift-alt-control-etc combinations of old. Those will be reserved for opening windows.
Keys to Solid Remapping
If you’re thinking about taking a shot a remapping your EVE experience, here’s just a few things to consider:
- The more buttons, the merrier. Invest in a mouse or other peripheral that will give you the means to map a variety of commands.
- Separate types of functions. Use one device or area for navigation and another for modules. Overlapping keys with too many modifiers can become a mess quickly.
- Stay intuitive. Put some logic behind the layout, whether it reflects what’s on screen, or sticks to some other methodology you can remember without thinking about it. Just keep it simple.
This is a game changer for me, or at least a game streamliner. After a few days of practice, I have confidence I’ll be faster to react in a tight spot than I’ve ever been in EVE, because I won’t hesitate to think “is that a [shift-ctrl-1] or an [alt-ctrl 1]?”
Anybody else taken heavy advantage of the ability to remap? Do you have any other keyboard tips or tricks up your sleeve? I’d love to hear it.
