How to Keybind/ Example Keybinding Setup

[Element]

Hey fellas, I have been playing this game for quite a while now and sadly up until this time 800+hours of gameplay later I had never been using key-binding... I mean I have played a number of MMO's and am absolutely used to it, but I totally forgot about this game having the ability for you to be able to do so as well. I really didn't get it down until after playing other MMO's and coming back to here.

Keybindinding is such an essential means to playing that literally having it increases your effectiveness to play by a lot. So I highly advise that you try and customize the hot-keys to your advantage in some manner.

First things First
1. How do you key-bind? :geek:
- You can key-bind by going to your retribution folder wherever you have it located, going into settings and going to the _key-default folder. Rename the folder Keydefault and then open it with notepad.

*Make sure you have grid hot-keys on in your options for DOW2**

There are a lot of control settings here and I don't want to mess anything up
2. You can always make a separate folder put the original default key-bindings in that folder and have it just in case you totally screw shit up.

Do I really have to go and change the hot-keys for every race?
3. The short answer is no. You can specify for each race if you want to given you have different preferences for them or you can just reset all the "main global like command keys" such as (system commands, global commands, multiple selection hot keys, select the group (unit hot-key), skip down>> Grid-keys - on /off via game option sections and change just those and that will change for every race)

Have and Example Key set-up?
4. Hell yea I do! As soon as I saw the commands I knew exactly what I wanted as what. The goal when playing is never to have to move your hand, never have multiple keys counting as the same thing, and have the abilities or key units that you will probably be using most as the easiest acessable keys.

Example: Here is my setup of the major key changes, and I will explain them afterwards.


camera_left ="Q",
camera_right ="R",
camera_up ="E",
camera_down ="W",

stance ="F",

select_all ="A",
select_hq ="S",
select_hero ="",
retreat_hero ="Control+X",
retreat_all ="G",

hkgroup_select1 ="1",
hkgroup_select2 ="2",
hkgroup_select3 ="3",
hkgroup_select4 ="4",
hkgroup_select5 ="5",
hkgroup_select6 ="6",
hkgroup_select7 ="TAB",
hkgroup_select8 ="CAPSLOCK",
hkgroup_select9 ="",

{
-- Basic keys for each ability slot
AB_key_1 = "C",
AB_key_2 = "V",
AB_key_3 = "B",
AB_key_4 = "N",
AB_key_5 = "M",
AB_key_6 = "Space",
AB_key_7 = "",

-- Keys for Unit Upgrades
UU_key_1 = "",
UU_key_2 = "",
UU_key_3 = "",
UU_key_4 = "",

-- Keys for Hero Weapon, Armor, and Accessory Upgrades
HU_Row1_Col1 = "",
HU_Row1_Col2 = "",
HU_Row1_Col3 = "",

HU_Row2_Col1 = "",
HU_Row2_Col2 = "",
HU_Row2_Col3 = "",

HU_Row3_Col1 = "",
HU_Row3_Col2 = "",
HU_Row3_Col3 = "",

HU_Row4_Col1 = "",
HU_Row4_Col2 = "",
HU_Row4_Col3 = "",

-- Keys for Unit Construction
UC_Row1_Col1 = "",
UC_Row1_Col2 = "",
UC_Row1_Col3 = "",
UC_Row1_Col4 = "",
UC_Row1_Col5 = "",
UC_Row1_Col6 = "",
UC_Row1_Col7 = "",

UC_Row2_Col1 = "",
UC_Row2_Col2 = "",
UC_Row2_Col3 = "",
UC_Row2_Col4 = "",
UC_Row2_Col5 = "",
UC_Row2_Col6 = "",
UC_Row2_Col7 = "",

UC_Row3_Col1 = "",
UC_Row3_Col2 = "",
UC_Row3_Col3 = "",
UC_Row3_Col4 = "",
UC_Row3_Col5 = "",
UC_Row3_Col6 = "",
UC_Row3_Col7 = "",

First thing you notice is that I removed all of the unit creation and unit item hot-keys. Why? I did that because you don't want them interfering with your actual unit, camera, and action keys. I also removed them so that if you get a unit... you were paying attention when you got that unit. You didn't accidentally misclick and pull out the wrong unit and it doesn't take considerable time to click a unit portrait to get upgrades and units.

Next you will notice the significant change with Q,W,E,R. This change pretty much increases your awareness on the battlefield literally 10x fold. I'm not even kidding. It just becomes so easyyy to just circle around your units patrolling the area with your screen and not even having to move your mouse.

Next you will see that I also changed the unit hot-keys. I find it a little far to go get to 1 for my commander as my starting hot-key that I will be using often. I like my 4 first units to have the easiest means of getting to on the keyboard and the best part is that they all surround my camera keys to where I don't even have to move my hand. After that I venture out to where you start getting 5-6-7 units on the field. Anymore than 7 and while not impossible but generally you'll probably not be able to get to that key easy anyways.

Next you will notice that I set Space, c ,v, and b as my primary ability hot-keys. It's so easy to access space c and v I mean they are just begging you to put your ability keys there, so that is what I did. I have F as an easy means of switching the stance of your units. X as your standard retreat. A as select all units on the screen and G as a complete retreat (GO GO GO, get the **** out outta here) It's off to the side where you don't accidentally hit it but accessible at the same time.

Many of you use the normal standard and have probably gotten pretty used to it which is totally OK but I can't tell you how big of a deal it is to try changing the keys to how you like them. All in All I hope this helps some of you who were always wondering how to access it In addition to what areas should be changed to really make a difference.

I advise you try out my setup too! It won't work for everyone but I bet that when you start using Q,W,E,R for camera keys you'll have your jaw on the ground as to how easy it is to patrol the field.

Until next time, see you in game

[Ace of Swords]

Are you kidding me?

What a huge waste of time and micro is to move around the camera when all you need to know about what's on the field and WHEN, comes from a quick scouting with your unit with the most sight range OR simply by how the last engagment went and what units were involved in it.

Plus I don't see how moving with the keys is any faster or precise than the mouse unless you are jumping around by double tapping the related unit number.

[Element]

@Ace of Swords
Trust me... there is a considerable difference when using keys as opposed to your mouse

The main difference being that your mouse is free

[Nuclear Arbitor]

yeah, it makes a difference. my biggest problem is that i'm better off with the convenient keys mapped to abilities and the like. maybe if i had more buttons on my mouse.

[Batpimp]

Are you kidding me?

What a huge waste of time and micro is to move around the camera when all you need to know about what's on the field and WHEN, comes from a quick scouting with your unit with the most sight range OR simply by how the last engagment went and what units were involved in it.

Plus I don't see how moving with the keys is any faster or precise than the mouse unless you are jumping around by double tapping the related unit number.

Just let the guy play how he wants. He was just trying to be helpful. For some it is. I could never move with the QWER but some people might have too.

For example my friend plays left handed, if you can believe it, so he clicks everything. EVERYTHING. The main point of this whole post is,

"Many of you use the normal standard and have probably gotten pretty used to it which is totally OK but I can't tell you how big of a deal it is to try changing the keys to how you like them. All in All I hope this helps some of you who were always wondering how to access it In addition to what areas should be changed to really make a difference. "

chill out bro

[Ace of Swords]

Everyone can play however he wants, and for sure there are some binds and configurations better for someone than for someone else, but from a basic, and logic stand point you can't go around saying this is a good setup.

This works for a game like Rome2 where the mouse does all the micro work and kb is free to do the check around, but in dawn of war 2 the mouse does exactly 3 actions which are, capping,positioning, selecting enemy units.

The important micro is exclusively done by the keyboard, and sure you can play by clicking but that's absolutely far far slower than selecting the base/units and making the purchases/abilities micro though the keyboard, meanwhile you also jump between troops and while you use the mouse to take cover or cap you also move it around for quick checks.

Also this setup completely screws over grid key users and im not even one, without counting the fact that having your lower keys (cvx etc) for abilities when you have to go between the number 1 and 9 to micro units is extremeeeeeeeeeeeeeeely bad and you can imagine why.

[Element]

@Ace of Swords
All I said was to try it out... never did I say that you had to use it... I personally find that having Q,W,E,R for my camera keys is much better than sporadically moving my mouse to the corners of the screen to move the camera. I can click on units while seperately controlling the camera when needed. You can't select enemy units moving out of the screen and push the camera over towards them at the same time with just your mouse. You would have to first move the screen then click the unit which is a few .whatever seconds that may be difference in killing off a unit.

Also I do have hotkeys for the units. I even had a whole paragraph on hotkeys for selecting the units for the micro and the Space,cv,x,b as your ability hotkeys... At the end of the day its fine to say that my setup doesn't work for you... hell I'm not expecting it to work for everyone but you don't have to come out blasting on me for saying "Hey this works for me, give it a try"

However just to be respectful I will change the good in the thread title to example

[HiveSpirit]

Necroing =)
One seem unable to key bind mouse button 4 and 5, is it impossible?