On memorizing the hj...something keyboard configuration

[FluidDynamite]

Hello all,

Particularly new crawler here, just recently managed to three-rune a DrTm and SpEn. I usually play on my desktop computer I use the numpad to move around, but my laptop like most ones do not have a numpad, and instead has one of those function keys which makes a portion of the keyboard function like a numpad.

Well, here's the problem. Many of the keys that are used for the numpad are keys that are quite important, namely <> for stairs, and p for praying. I actually had to quit a SpEn of Nemelex because I couldn't stand needing four keypresses to sacrifice stuff. Even worse is when I forget which setting I'm on, and press "2" to go down, and instead the keyboard registers "K" which goes up. Usually walking said spriggan away from the upstairs and into the face of an particularly angry ogre.

So I decided that I should probably learn the hjkl configuration, but I just can't seem to grasp it. The "yubn" keys kind of point in the direction you're trying to go so they're alright, but "hjkl" really doesn't seem to make sense to me. And I think I'm just oblivious to some kind of extremely obvious and simple logic behind it. So I'd really appreciate it if someone could help me out here, and do feel free to pelt me with a stack of +0 stones afterwards.

Thanks!

[nicolae]

And I think I'm just oblivious to some kind of extremely obvious and simple logic behind it.

"Rogue did it for some crazy reason, and everybody got used to that, and now every roguelike since uses it like an evolutionary holdover."

H and L are left and right, which makes sense, since they're on the left and right sides of the HJKL line. Don't have much of an explanation for JK.

[Blade]

Honestly, the best advice I can give is just to practice it. I've been playing games with these controls (called vi keys, by the way) for years, and I still can't always remember that J is down and K is up. My fingers do, though. Just use them slowly and carefully and eventually you should start getting the hang of it.

By the way, once you get used to them, their advantages are clear. They allow you to set your hands on the keyboard about how you would normally type, with easy access to just about every key. Using them, you never really have to move the base positions of your hands, and it's much more comfortable that way. Definitely worth the effort to figure them out, even if they're unintuitive at first.

Good luck.

[MyOtheHedgeFox]

And I guess they are the only way to play on a netbook. So make a print-out of the keys somewhere.

[Grimm]

"hjkl" really doesn't seem to make sense to me

Near the end of this section: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vi#Creation

[Zicher]

What works for me, is using the arrows for horizontal/vertical movement and "yubn" for diagonals.

[nicolae]

And I guess they are the only way to play on a netbook. So make a print-out of the keys somewhere.

On my netbook, I found an elegant workaround, it's called tiles and I use the mouse.

[rebthor]

What works for me, is using the arrows for horizontal/vertical movement and "yubn" for diagonals.

Same here. While clearly not as efficient, I had too many YASDs with hjkl (mostly jk).

[theclam]

I play on a laptop without a separate numpad and I hate the vi keys. I have learned to use the numpad while holding down the Fn key. It works really well once you get used to it and I am actually more efficient with it than I am on my desktop, since I don't have to move my hands across the keyboard as much.

[nosrepemos]

You guys need one of these

[MyOtheHedgeFox]

I don't think it will work with Android.

[Jabberwocky]

I suggest you just try starting some characters you don't really care about and just try playing with the hjklyubn keys. That's learned to play with them. (I play on a netbook which meant I pretty much had to learn to use those keys.)

[FluidDynamite]

Thanks to everyone for your responses! (In true noob fashion I completely failed at finding the location of the "thank" button...) The directional keys + yubn is actually a very nice idea I never thought of before, I'll be sure to try that out next time. Thanks again!