DIY: Foot Pedal

 2-pedal USB foot controller by Infinity: $55 + S&H here

For some time now, I've been shopping for a cheap PC foot controller.  I figure,

my toes aren't doing anything useful while I play and I could take the strain off my right hand, if only I had keys at my feet.  

I could assign things like:

• Auto-run
• Travel form
• Macro: 'target last hostile' + 'use loot-a-rang' for auto-looting with one toe
• Speak over Ventrilo
• Mount / dismount
• Cooldowns (barkskin, nature's grasp, etc.)

The uses are many and varied and it's not hard to see the appeal of being able to run around a quest with one hand and one foot, rather than with two hands.

So, then came the real challenge: I've got an extra keyboard laying around;

couldn't I just construct my own USB foot control, out of a few household items, rather than dropping $50-100 

for something that would function identically?

Items you will need:

1) An old keyboard

2) Duct tape

3) Box-o-springs (hardware store, $4 or so)

4) 1' x 1' of 1/4" hardboard, or similar light-weight material for foot pedals (hardware store)

5) 2' x 2' of 3/4" particleboard panel for base (hardware store)

Tools:

1) Small skill-saw (a jig saw or even hand saw will suffice, OR if your hardware store is good they will cut the panels for you)

2) Flat-head screwdriver

3) Time: about 30 minutes

#1 - Prep Work

First, with a screwdriver or similar, pull off all the keys from your dusty-old keyboard and bin them.  Be sure to save a handful; you'll need to reattach them later.

Determine how many pedals you want (I went with three) and for each, cut your 1/4" hardboard into a 2" x 5" piece.

Select one spring per foot pedal, of the appropriate height and tension (I found that springs are technically not even necessary, but I like the feel of them, so use a light-weight spring, your foot will thank you!)

#2 - Tape It

I began by selecting which keys I would reattach - this was mainly a space issue - and I understood that whatever key I selected, I would re-map it later, to the desired ability.

Then, I dry-fit everything together.  When I was happy with the action of the foot pedal, I began taping with the hardboard.  Tape, liberally, both sides of the foot pedal, so that it rests in the desired position.

You can see in the picture above: duct-tape on both sides of the pedal.  Then, I used small strips of tape, slid it into the spring as far down as I could manage, and I fastened the spring in place.  Notice the pencil mark on the right-side of the picture: I used pencil to mark everything during my dry-fit.  This is crucial: one mis-tape, and you've got to start over.

#3 - The Final Steps

The picture above shows the rested action of my first foot pedal.  No need to tape the spring to the pedal, as long as the spring is fastened down to the board, it's not going anywhere.  The feel of this pedal is surprisingly natural and smooth (aside from the loud click of the keyboard button).

 

This image illustrates all the components of the finished product.  You will notice the pencil marks again, which now are not necessary, as I butt the keyboard tray directly to the springs.  I only need to secure the tray into place, again using more duct tape.

#4 - Finished Product

Now all that's left to do is plug it in and assign the keys to the desired abilities.

Ghetto?  Heck no!  When was the last time that you had company over and they crawled under your office desk to make sure all was tidy?  I promise you -

no one will ever see this or know it is there, except for you.  So who cares if it's duct-taped all to hell??

Update: more Cataclysm spreadsheets (for healers still)

Consumables (Alchemy)

Enchants

Gear from Professions

Reputation Faction Rewards

Leveling Aids for Cataclysm

The trek from 80-85 is daunting enough for your average player.  But, if you suffer from a disability, it can be that much more tedious.  I, personally, will be grinding out those 5 levels on a PS3 controller.  Mobility is difficult, mousing is difficult, and versatility is certainly a challenge (being able to quickly use less common abilities such as Thorns, Barkskin, Travel Form, etc).

So what to do?  I've made a personal goal out of being in the top 10% of my guild for leveling and I hear that final ding can come as early as Friday-morning.  Here are some tips for those that face the unique challenges of playing a game designed for a fully-abled player.

#1 - Loot

If you aren't an Engineer, you may be missing out on a key leveling aid: the Loot-a-rang.  This item, when clicked, will automatically loot the nearest corpses for you.  No need to right-click with precision.

So: for those non-Engineers (myself included), we've got to figure out if this is worth the effort.  Say, for example, the average player takes 1.0 secs to loot a corpse.  I would estimate I take 2.5 secs to loot that same corpse.  While 1.5 secs doesn't seem like a big deal, let's say that it takes 2,000 kills to make it to 85 (this is a complete and total guess).  That is 3,000 seconds extra that I will require.  That is 50 minutes.  Less than an hour?  Doesn't seem like a big deal.  But still, it's also difficult and frustrating to do all that looting.

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#2 - Macros

I cannot recommend highly enough, the use of out-of-game keyboard macros.  A G15 or similar keyboard, or even a 3rd party piece of software that allows you to generate custom macros with, say, your F-keys, comes in handy!

With this keyboard, I can assign ONE single key to: cast Starfire [wait to finish casting], cast Moonfire, cast Insect Swarm, cast Hurricane, cast Starfire [wait to finish casting], etc...

Being able to program pauses and multiple casts into one macro has long been called (by some) border-line, or even outright, cheating!  But, to the not-fully-abled player, it can mean the difference between an enjoyable experience in World of Warcraft, and being flat-out unable to keep up.

You can find info on the G15 keyboard here.  And AutoHotkey is an excellent app for creating custom macros, as is Workspace Macro.

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#3 - PvE Server

No pretty graphic here, but a hard and simple fact: leveling on a PvE server is easier than doing the same on a PvP server.  Because you aren't a vulnerable target to players of the opposing faction, you can take your time, steal a deep breath, and readjust yourself whenever you need to (provided no NPC mobs get too near).

Again, this is something that has been dismissed as 'Care Bear' to the fully-abled.  But, YOU try surviving a PvP encounter with your left-hand on the mouse.  Better yet - tape take off your 5-9 keys and all your modifiers (alt, ctrl, etc) and see how you fare!  This is the reality to many of the underrepresented disabled's.

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God-speed to you all, come December 7th!  Don't get discouraged - remember that there are thousands of us out there.  We are the ones working 25% harder than everyone else, to achieve the same goals, and we are proud of our achievements!

More Cataclysm info (for Healers)...

This is how much of a nerd I am - I would have put these lists together, even if I wasn't planning on posting them on my blog...

Reputation Information for Healers in Cataclysm

Enchanting Information for Healers in Cataclysm

FPS Pad + WoW

Recently, I splurged (this is a relative term, since I'm on a tight budget) and purchased a Cyber Snipa Gamepad V2 FPS keyboard for my PC and explored the possibilities of raiding and questing with this device.  I am not ready to give a complete review of my findings, but it's time to make an initial blog post about it.

First of all, this is the keyboard we're talking about...

This device is intended to be used in the Left hand, in place of a traditional keyboard.  It is catered toward FPS as you can see, in the following ways...

- The layout of the keys are designed for common FPS bindings

- Certain keys are labeled ie. - [ CTRL "Crouch" ] and [ SPACE "Jump" ]

- The number keys (1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,0) are narrow, as their use is limited in most FPS

It doesn't take a gamer even, detect that this thing was NOT designed for WoW.  For one thing, the number keys are close together and difficult to quickly identify.  But, this begs the question: can we redesign our keybindings and take advantage of this semi-ergonomic layout?

Here was the challenge!  And after one good-solid go at it, I honestly am not very impressed with what I have come up with.  But, let's continue.

1. I use a left-handed mouse, and so this is in my Right hand

This means, I've got to learn WASD with my Right hand.  Not a big deal, but it is a hump to get past.

2. My modifiers are CTRL and ALT

Thus, I can easily bind (6) keys with two different modifiers, for a total of (18) easy-to-reach keybindings.

3. Macros, Anyone?

There are a number of free-to-download programs that will allow the remapping of keyboard keys on a deeper level than WoW.  Some will even allow you to write whole macros!  This becomes important in a simple way: I can now assign F1 for example to a DOT rotation.  With a single button, I can cast Corruption, Curse of Agony, and begin to power up a Shadowbolt.

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As a Resto Druid, I need to bind the following spells...

Healing Spells - (8)
Rejuvation, Regrowth, Swiftmend, Wild Growth, Lifebloom, Nourish, Healing Touch, Tranquility

Cooldowns - (4)
Innervate, Tree of Life, Rebirth, Nature's Swiftness

Utility/Defensive Spells - (6)
Shadowmeld, Barkskin, Cat Sprint (Dash), Nature's Grasp, Cyclone, Entangling Roots

Miscellaneous Bindings - (6)+
Target, Mount, Bags, Guild Pane, Quests, Map, Character Screen, etc.

This is what my initial map looks like...

I will need a couple more weeks of raiding to tell how much I like it.  So far though, my pinkie hurts a bit.  I may think about rebinding some of the keys on the right side.  Especially if I am tank healing.

More to come...

14 Things to do to Prepare for Cataclysm

LEADING UP TO THE SHATTERING

1. Fill Your Quest Log

 
We have a 25-quest cap and you should take every opportunity to complete as many quests prior to Cataclysm as you can.  But, DO NOT turn them in.  Rather, leave them active in your log and wait until you can benefit from the EXPERIENCE POINTS they can yield.  The moment leveling to 85 is unlocked, turn them all in.  22,000 XP * 25 Quests = over 500,000 Experience!  That should be almost 10% of a level, basically for free!

2. Empty Your Bags

Aside from the dozen-or-so quest items you have to keep around, remove all of the clutter.  Here's a news flash for you: [Eternal Fire] or [Stupid Broad Sword off of Trash] isn't gonna mean JACK-CRAP in Cataclysm.  Send them all to a bank alt, and keep only your Hearthstone, consumables, a spare set of armor, and required quest items around.

3. Load Up on Consumables

Regardless of the fact that stats are being increased almost exponentially, you still will benefit from additional Attack Power or Spell Power.  So, I will be carrying: 20x [Flask of Choice], 40x [Potion of Choice], and 40x [Food of Choice].  Additionally, I will wait to purchase the new water, but I'll load up there, too.
 

4. Reformat Your Computer

WoW is not a resource hog, it's a 6 year old game.  However, it can be a resource hog if you want it to be.  Crank your settings to MAX for Cataclysm, because we are about to see Azeroth as never before!  The art and the scenery should be the greatest and most beautiful, and I, for one, want to see it all!  Therefore, I'll be clearing all the junk I've been accumulating over the last 6-months and committing nearly all the resources of my i5 Quad Core and ATI 5770 1GB processors to WoW!

5. Bookmark These Websites

Wowhead
Wowpedia
Max DPS
MMO-Champion

There are countless useful resource websites devoted to WoW, this is a list of a few of my favorites.  But make sure they are open in a browser and ready to go, once Cataclysm drops.  You'll need a quick point of reference, if you get stuck on a quest and the last thing you want to be doing is filling /1 with babble that no one will want to help you with.

6. Purchase the Expansion

Leave the comfort of your house? Psh!  Don't even worry about getting out of your chair.  Just purchase and begin the digital download directly from Blizzard! Click here

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THE DAY BEFORE

 

1.Set Your Hearthstone to Stormwind (or Orgrimmar)

Stormwind will be where you pick up the initial quest Into the Abyss, that will take you off on your leveling journey.  So be ready to do your business in Northrend and then quickly jump to Stormwind.  REMEMBER THE PORTALS TO MAJOR CITIES WILL BE REMOVED, so don't count on them the morning of Cata.

2. Park Your Main in Storm Peaks or Icecrown

Member all those quests you ground last month?  Turn 'em in the moment you log on, via flying tour of Northrend.  Then, jump to Dalaran to do your final bit of business, before experiencing Azeroth anew.

3. Download QuestHelper

from Curse

from Wow Interface


Save this for the DECEMBER 6th!  It will give the dev time to fit in any last-minute patches to the addon.

4. Get Some Sleep the Day Before

...and prepare for a sleepless day or two!




5. Clean Off Your Desk, Pop the Mt Dew in the Fridge, Stock Up on Frozen Pizza

Urinary Leg Bags from Amazon.com

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THE CATACLYSM ARRIVES!

 1. Turn in Those Quests

Cha-ching!  500,000+ XP incoming...

2. Choo Chooo!!! (train)

Train Professions - Check the link but I believe you will be able to train Illustrious Grand Master (525) in Dalaran, before you depart for questing

Train Archaeology Here  or  Here

Train Flight - Head to Krasus' Landing in Dalaran and pay 250g to learn flight in Azeroth

3. Begin the Journey

Depart for Stormwind and follow the questline that will lead you into Abyssal Maw!  And have fun exploring WoW's 3rd, and largest, expansion!!







Credits

Thanks to Wowhead and to Google Image Search.  And mostly, thanks to Project CWAL and their excellent guide: http://www.projectcwal.com/wow/cataclysm-alliance-starter-guide/#swprof

Fun fact: there are (12) mailboxes in Dalaran.

 

WTF

What The Fish??

I found this nutty gamepad from Splitfish, doing my research for my Gamepad Post.  Check it out here, it may be hard to actually find for sale, but it looks to be around $80-100.  May be a worthy investment, this thing (err... I mean, these things) look even more comfortable than a traditional gamepad.

WoW on a Gamepad

Playing World of Warcraft using a gamepad is a challenge, to say the least.  There are a unique set of obstacles we need to address because, WoW was designed around the mouse+keyboard.  Think back to the first time you played Halo on the X-box.  All those years of CS (Counterstrike) didn't do anything to help, did they?  Movement was clumsy and aiming was nearly impossible.

The first, and most obvious, obstacle to address is: you can't just plug a PS3 or 360 controller into a PC and expect it to do anything.  You need a interface that will allow you to bind each of the buttons to a key, or to a macro.  This is where Xpadder comes in handy.  After experimenting with several, I've found this application to be the most customizable.  To top it all off, it's very user-friendly!

There is a free version, but if you want the premium iteration, and updates, you can shell out $10.  And I'd encourage you do!  The free version is ever-so-slightly quirky and not bug-free.

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Sets

 

So L2 and R2 can be used to assign different "sets".  What this means, is that I can bind the A, B, X, Y (or whatever dumb shaped Sony uses) to THREE different spells.

For example...

[no modifier] A = Fireball
[hold L2] A = Fireblast
[hold R2] A = Blink

The possibilities are nearly endless!  That turns a basic 4-button controller into a powerful tool, capable of 28 different spells.  That's just about enough for any gamer!

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Benefits

• I can literally put WoW on my LCD TV, sit back on the couch, and game away
• ergonomically, I feel like it's far superior to hunching over a keyboard & mouse
• Keybindings are grouped in 4's, in a way that is easy to commit to memory, and quick to carry out

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Drawbacks

• Where to begin... I can't play my Healer, as the mouse cursor is slow and totally hard to control
• Movement is awkward, I struggle in PvP, especially with targeting and with turning
• No typing :(

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Conclusion

All things considered, I'm really happy with this solution.  It is simple and elegant, and most importantly, comfortable.  The huge drawback, and the thing that I can never get past, is that it is almost impossible to competitively game with this.  WoW just wasn't designed with a gamepad in mind =/

Still, I use this probably a couple times a month, especially when fishing, or when casually questing.