WASD keys has become the most common button for PC gaming today. Try it you go home every PC gamer, then it is likely the WASD keys, they look dirty or faded than the other buttons. But how can this be pilhan 4 main buttons control movement of the characters in PC games today? How the beginning of the creation of WASD as the default button in the PC gaming? Let's go back to 20 years ago.
Looking back on the arrow button
Let's start with the beginning of the 90s. In contrast to today, the PC platform has not become the master race to play the game. The games were released during this period dominated by puzzle games, strategy, and other genres covered by the text, unlike the console game on the NES and Sega Genesis that is more focused on action rather than dialogue or narration. The popularity of the PC as a gaming platform new rising after the presence of Doom in 1993, FPS game from id Software is as a self-made PC becomes relevant as a gaming platform and generate hundreds of games "dummy" who tried to rival the popularity of the game made by John Carmack, John Romero and Tom Hall this.
In this era of PC games still use the arrow keys as controls for the movement of the character as the button is considered the most plausible because of the symbol, making the player who first tried the PC game will immediately occur if the four arrow keys move the character such as a button. The arrow keys are used for forward, reverse and rotate the camera to the right and to the left. Where button Strafe alias right oblique and left? You must press the ALT and arrow keys simultaneously. If you play PC games now with this control configuration, most likely you will not be strong. But for games that do not need such aiming first Doom, it's not really be a problem but still uncomfortable to play this way.
The transition to WASD
Then how early the WASD keys can menggeserti use the arrow keys? Nobody can find out for sure who actually find WASD, but the figure named Dennis 'thresh' Fong certainly be a figure who popularized this button configuration.
Fong is the first professional gamers ever by the Guinness record book, he is known for his skills playing FPS notably Quake were also made by ID Software. In 1997, Fong won the tournament after beating Tom Quake "Entropy" Kimzey with a score of 14-1. The spotlight on this victory not only luxury gifts such as the Ferrari 328 of John Carmack, but also controls the 'odd' that he used during play in this tournament. Fong use your right hand to hold the mouse, and five fingers on his left hand to focus on four key which is now familiar to us - WASD.
Just like any other PC gamers in this era, Fong had previously played FPS like Doom and other FPS using the arrow keys. Viewed FPS game was not yet fully support mouselook and games do not require the player to aim up or down, playing in this way become the most common way to play FPS games at the time. But after being defeated constantly by his brother Lyle who uses a keyboard and trackball, Fong began to adapt to use the mouse. After experimenting seek what keys should be coupled with this mouse, WASD Fong found to be a combination of the most fitting. After a workout with WASD + mouse configuration, he became one of the best FPS player in the era.
Fong felt he was not the inventor of standard keys WASD as PC gaming, but the presence of Fong truly become the fourth driver of why these buttons are becoming increasingly popular use in the mid 90s. Before Fong popularize WASD, lots of unique key combinations created FPS gamers at that start of QWES, A-Shift-ZX, ESDF, and others.
"I do not want to consider if I was the first person behind the creation of WASD. I accidentally found it. I'm sure a lot of other people who use this button because it is convenient for them. I think I just helped popularize the key to many gamers, especially those who play FPS. "
Fong WASD control configuration of this is ultimately used by id Software as a standard button to move to the Quake II, which was released one year after the first game. See id Software is like god of PC gaming at this time, anyone will follow and "imitate" what they are doing. At this time PC gamers and other developers began to slowly leave and turn the arrow keys WASD to control your PC as a new standard. Half Life became one of the first games that follow this WASD configuration after Quake II was released. Other FPS games such as Tribe, Unreal, and others began to follow a similar configuration after rated PC gamers are much more comfortable than the arrow keys.
Speaking of Half-Life, Valve basically not entirely like WASD as the default button in PC gaming. Gabe Newell honestly say if he prefers to use ESDF for playing PC games. To him, WASD make her feel too deprived of the tip of a keyboard and keypad typing more. Dario Casali, which was the designer of Half Life also had its own configuration for PC games, he considers if ASXC configuration will most natural in his hands, but he was forced to follow the trend WASD because the key has been known to the public by PC gamers.
Over time, the WASD keys start unlimited FPS games only. Another set of the genre began to take turn to the WASD keys as the primary key in the game. Developers of non-FPS such as Blizzard, Maxis and Bethesda began to participate using the configuration "thresh" after configuration is increasingly common for PC gamers and is considered the key configuration most comfortable for making a finger in his left hand is not in a rigid position and make access buttons like shift, ctrl, tab, and space is much easier than ESDF or other unique configurations. 20 years after the "innovation" WASD, it seems less likely to be born as button configuration other than the key fourth.
Do not you use WASD to play PC games? What do you use and why?
Credits: PC gamer
Compare this article's content pasted into Google translate with this: https://gamebrott.com/bagaimana-wasd-menjadi-tombol-standar-pada-pc-gaming
i heard people user easd which is weird but yeah