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Arrow keys, because, well arrow keys

36 (35%)

Numpad, because not arrow keys

16 (15.5%)

Both, because I love everyone

29 (28.2%)

Neither, because I hate everyone

6 (5.8%)

Adorable Kittens

16 (15.5%)

Total Members Voted: 103

[kingubu]

Doing a succession fort with two other guys, and it turns out they both use arrow keys instead of numpad.  I'm wondering if I'm a freak for using numpad.

Plus I can't sleep.

Edit:  Finally fell asleep and slept like 11 hours.  Plus I have ham.  So it's all good.
Have some more options.  Vote reset to make someone happy, and someone else unhappy, and stuff.  Ham!

[The Darkling Wolf]

I alternate between using both.

[Anathema]

You need another option, "both." I picked numpad as I use it for most stuff: single tile movement, as well as z-level increments and secondary movement (i.e. scrolling through lists of items), but I use arrow keys too, have them set to "fast" (I think it's 10 tiles at a time?) cursor movement.

I just hate having to shift/ctrl/alt/whatever+anything (the default way to do 'fast' movement). A keyboard has more than enough keys to have everything in any game assigned to a single keystroke, it's faster.

[Mr S]

Currently, arrows out of necessity. My next laptop will have a full 108 keyboard.  Currently I either manually edit keybindings or use the LNP keymap, or some combination thereof.  I may well switch from arrows to numpad when I migrate to new hardware.

[Rtyh-C]

Usually numpad in adventurer mode, because I don't need to hunt down the period to skip a turn, and because I can move diagonally.

In fortress mode, the above are useless, so it's usually more convenient for me to use the arrow keys (less distance between them).

[slothen]

arrow keys for dwarf mode.  They're closer.  Although I'm definitely a num-pad guy in other games, especially where you always need a hand on the numpad.

[TheCoolSideofthePIllow]

Numpad, because you can't go diagonal, up or down with the arrows.

[Moonshadow101]

Numpad. I sometimes drift to the arrows, only to be quickly disappointed by the lack of diagonal movement, as well as the inability to hit things on my own tile in adventure mode.

[biomatter]

I would be a NumPad guy (I am in other games), but my current laptop keyboard has some key combo... quirks. For example, Shift-NumpadDirection doesn't move me ten blocks unless I let go of shift and then hold it down again. My arrow keys don't have that problem, so I've learned to use them. I switch to the NumPad now and then for diagonals, but it's usually just faster to tap two arrow keys than move my hand away.

I wish there was a way to debug that kind of stuff. If I hold X and C, my Right Arrow key doesn't work... This messes me up in some bullet hell games, such as Warning Forever, but now I'm getting off-topic.

[penguinofhonor]

Arrow keys in fortress mode because the time stops there mean diagonals don't really matter.

Numpad in adventure mode because they're required sometimes, and it's generally easier there to use them.

[NW_Kohaku]

Numpad.  I alter the controls, and make 5 be "up (z)", and 0 be "down (z)", and it makes navigation much smoother.  (I tend to make very vertical forts.)

I also need to use the "+-*/" keys in several different kinds of menus, anyway.  Having a hand on the numpad anyway makes that easier. 

[penguinofhonor]

Numpad.  I alter the controls, and make 5 be "up (z)", and 0 be "down (z)", and it makes navigation much smoother.  (I tend to make very vertical forts.)

I also need to use the "+-*/" keys in several different kinds of menus, anyway.  Having a hand on the numpad anyway makes that easier.

... this might actually convert me. That sounds really convenient.

[TheCoolSideofthePIllow]

I would be a NumPad guy (I am in other games), but my current laptop keyboard has some key combo... quirks. For example, Shift-NumpadDirection doesn't move me ten blocks unless I let go of shift and then hold it down again.

It's not your keyboard. I have that same issue with shift-moving on my regular keyboard; using the numpad OR the arrows.

The other thing you mentioned though is also fairly normal for games. Most games don't like it when you have more than 3 buttons pressed in my experience.

[CodexDraco]

Regular keyboards are not designed to be used for games and have several limitations on the number and position of keys pressed simultaneously. Real gaming keyboards don't have these issues.

I use arrow keys because I'm too used to the wasd layout.

[SquatchHammer]

Kittens!!!![/color]

No really I just use the arrow keys and just hit both the up or down key and the left or right for diagonal. I'm surprised no one else uses it that way?