Avernum 1: Moving "diagonally" with keyboard

[Snail]

I'm playing Avernum 1 on a PC laptop. I therefore don't have a proper numpad, so I use an external usb numpad for certain games. Its been a while since I played Avernum 1 so I don't remember what keys used to work when I had a normal keyboard.

 

Anyway, with my current comp, I can only move with the proper arrow keys on it, and not with what would be the keys 1,3,7,9 on a numpad.

 

Since the mouse clicking is way too sensitive to trust when say, moving crates near water, or positioning yourself in front of a door in order to open it, this is pretty annoying.

 

Every time when in a town I have to slow the game down, and that "slow" mode is different for different towns (Formello acts way slower than the previous towns on the same setting ), so I don't keep running one step too far past all the doors.

 

And that slowing down doesn't really affect dungeons so when looking for secret doors this drives me insane ;D

 

Can ppl with normal computer keyboards use their numpad to move in all directions?

And can something be done about the crazy mouse sensitivity so that clicking once means taking one step? Maybe delay the reaction time for holding the mouse button down. Because this mouse thing I remember from years back when I first played the game on a much slower comp. So it shouldn't just be me.

 

Thanks!

/J

[Txgangsta]

I know mac's have a thingy where you can switch some of the letters to the numpad, so maybe you could check to see if that is possible for PC? You might not get all the keyboard shortcuts anymore though.

[Erebus the Black]

isn't what you are describing just a num-lock problem?

[Dantius]

It

Originally Posted By: Snail

I'm playing Avernum 1 on a PC laptop. I therefore don't have a proper numpad, so I use an external usb numpad for certain games. Its been a while since I played Avernum 1 so I don't remember what keys used to work when I had a normal keyboard.

 

Anyway, with my current comp, I can only move with the proper arrow keys on it, and not with what would be the keys 1,3,7,9 on a numpad.

 

Since the mouse clicking is way too sensitive to trust when say, moving crates near water, or positioning yourself in front of a door in order to open it, this is pretty annoying.

 

Every time when in a town I have to slow the game down, and that "slow" mode is different for different towns (Formello acts way slower than the previous towns on the same setting ), so I don't keep running one step too far past all the doors.

 

And that slowing down doesn't really affect dungeons so when looking for secret doors this drives me insane ;D

 

Can ppl with normal computer keyboards use their numpad to move in all directions?

And can something be done about the crazy mouse sensitivity so that clicking once means taking one step? Maybe delay the reaction time for holding the mouse button down. Because this mouse thing I remember from years back when I first played the game on a much slower comp. So it shouldn't just be me.

 

Thanks!

/J

 

I believe that this is simply a poor design choice on Jeff's part. AFAIK, it's not possible to change in either A1 or A2, though it was fixed in Avernum 3 and Blades of Avernum. I find the trick is to position yourself a square away from the wall and then use the mouse to move and switch which set of diagonals you're travelling on, like a bishop in chess.

[SamSniped]

Hmmm...I have used a PC laptop, and unless your laptop is [censored], I am quite sure you can use the regular arrow keys. No number pad is needed. If that isn't true about your lappy, try pressing 2 arrows on the numpad at once. And an ulimate failsafe- get all of your files onto a flash drive and transfer them to a laptop WITH arrow keys.

[Randomizer]

The Apple laptop uses jkluio789m for 1234567890, however the orientation is slightly different from what you see on the screen so you have to remember that 8 is north, u is west, o is east, and k is south.

[Txgangsta]

I know for a fact the arrow keys work, but there will be only 4 ways you can go, not 8. Hitting the 2 keys at once makes you move twice in the respective directions.

[SamSniped]

Oh. It works on my PC. Anyways, why not just buy an external mouse that u plug into a usb port?

[Arch-Mage Solberg]

I believe the answer may lie in an external KEYBOARD, not a mouse. Although, if you get the keyboard...get the mouse!

[Snail]

I know moving with the mouse is way easier in the later games, I just wish it could be good in Avernum 1 as well, cause it reduces the joy in gaming.

 

 

So, did anyone really answer my question about whether you guys can move in 8 different directions with your numpads (or any other keys) when playing AV 1 on a PC?

 

Cause just like "Arch-Mage Solberg" says I also think getting an external keyboard is a solution, but only if the game supports 8-direction moving with a keyboard. If it doesn't it's just me not remembering which Avernum games work which way, and I'll have to live with the over-sensitive mouse movement.

 

The numpad keys on my laptop and my usb numpad work btw, and the 4 arrow keys on both of them.

 

Thanks for the replies ppl

[Arch-Mage Solberg]

The game does support 8-directional movement. I didn't understand what you were asking before. I thought you were asking how to get it to work for your laptop and not just a computer. For 8-directional movement on a laptop, you need the external keyboard. It'll work just fine on a regular computer...just make sure that the NUM LOCK light is on. Hope that this helps!

[Celtic Minstrel]

The Avernum games have always supported 8-directional movement with a keypad.

[Arch-Mage Solberg]

Originally Posted By: Celtic Minstrel

The Avernum games have always supported 8-directional movement with a keypad.

That wasn't the real issue.

[Celtic Minstrel]

Oddly enough, I suspect it was.

[Arch-Mage Solberg]

Originally Posted By: Snail

I'm playing Avernum 1 on a PC laptop. I therefore don't have a proper numpad, so I use an external usb numpad for certain games. Its been a while since I played Avernum 1 so I don't remember what keys used to work when I had a normal keyboard.

Anyway, with my current comp, I can only move with the proper arrow keys on it, and not with what would be the keys 1,3,7,9 on a numpad.

As you can see, originally the guy was asking how he could somehow get 8-directional movement from a laptop computer. I suggested an external keyboard to fix the problem.

[Celtic Minstrel]

Yes, but then he also asked this:

Originally Posted By: Snail

Can ppl with normal computer keyboards use their numpad to move in all directions?

[Arch-Mage Solberg]

Originally Posted By: Celtic Minstrel

Yes, but then he also asked this:

Originally Posted By: Snail

Can ppl with normal computer keyboards use their numpad to move in all directions?

That's true...but if you actually read the posts, you would see that I answered that part of it twice. When I said earlier "That wasn't the real issue" that's because we were talking about how to get his laptop to work. Since I just told him that playing the games regular computers has 8-directional movement.

[Txgangsta]

@Solberg and Celtic Minstrel

 

Who cares!

[nikki.]

Oh hey, maybe late to the party, but doesn't right-clicking in Avernum only move your characters one space (this was before right-click looking was implemented)?

 

Maybe something to consider?

[Snail]

I did want to know if the game supported 8-directional movement.

It confirms that the external numpad I have doesn't work properly.

 

Also, I just found another page that said right-clicking solved the mouse issue, just like Nick Tessen says. So now I might be able to survive without getting a keyboard. Tried it and it works.

 

I now have a vague memory of switching the mouse settings in Windows every time I played Avernum to make left-clicking work properly.

 

Phew