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[Squid]

So, here's the keyboard I started using: http://matias.ca/miniquietpro/pc/

This works great for pretty much any game out there ... except Dwarf Fortress, for obvious reasons.

Technically, the keyboard does have numpad keys, accessed using the "Fn" key in conjunction with other keys on the keyboard. However, this isn't a very efficient way of using the numpad.

It's been awhile since I played Dwarf Fortress but I was thinking of getting back into it.

So my question is ... does anyone have any experience playing Dwarf Fortress on a TKL keyboard?

I mean, there's no real reason for the game to use the tenkey numpad for navigation when the arrow keys work just as well for all the other menus ... I think we all acknowledge that the user interface is pretty terrible. So is there a solution for this? Has one ever been created? Will one ever be created? Inquiring minds want to know.

Thanks in advance for any advice ... unless your advice is just to go buy this: http://matias.ca/quietpro/pc/

If that's your advice, then I do not thank you. NO THANKS FOR YOU.

[smakemupagus]

You can remap the key bindings to whatever you want, either in game menu or editing interface.txt

[Squid]

You can remap the key bindings to whatever you want, either in game menu or editing interface.txt

Okay, that's helpful. Thanks! I think I saw that somewhere before ... but is that realistic?

Like, could I map it such that the arrow keys perform multiple functions on different pages?

Is there anyone who has attempted to play with a TKL and can give any advice about the ideal solution for remapping keys?

If I download the latest version and start messing around with this, I'll be sure to come back and report my results or method.

[pisskop]

I couldn't.  Or I'd prefer not to.  The D-buttons are okay, but I love my numpad and its symbol buttons.  '-', '+', '/', etc.
  I imagine you could learn to do without, however.

[Squid]

I couldn't.  Or I'd prefer not to.  The D-buttons are okay, but I love my numpad and its symbol buttons.  '-', '+', '/', etc.
  I imagine you could learn to do without, however.

Yeah, I just got a TKL board because my desk space was a little limited and I wanted more room to move the mouse around.

I've gotten fairly good at using the number row to enter numerical values while typing, and at work I still have a tenkey numpad for working in spreadsheets and stuff. I don't do that sort of work on my computer at home -- I mostly write APA-style papers for school and play games.

[Sadrice]

Back when I was trying to play DF on a netbook (worked about as well as you might expect), I usually remapped - and + to / and ' (conveniently next to each other, right above the arrow keys), and / and * to ; and [ (right above / and').

You should mess around with changing keymaps.  There are some things I consider essential, no matter your keyboard.  I like to change the mouse scrollwheel from zoom in/out (very annoying) to move view up/down z levels (very useful).  I made sure to add it as a second mapping, though, rather than replacing < and >, since I still use those if my hand isn't on the mouse.  Though, come to think of it, I might change those to the unshifted , and ., and change one-step and whatever , does to < and >.

Another essential interface thing is learning to use macros.  I always have macros for buying 10 items in a block, and for my stairshaft design and standard side rooms, if they're inconvenient to designate manually.  I often also make one for hallways with bedrooms, that can be extended to more complex designs, as well as one for a spiral cart ramp (requires two macros, for digging and carving)

[Pirate Santa]

I have a numpad but I've never used it, I've always just used the defaults and main keyboard.

[Eldin00]

I play DF on my laptop all the time, and with the exception of adventure mode, I almost never find myself missing the 10key pad. Sure, it's nice to have, but once you start playing without it, you get used to it pretty quickly.

[Uzu Bash]

The first time I played was on a laptop without the keypad. I had to remap so many keys for ease of use that hardly anyone's advice made any sense. Even the wiki took for granted everyone would know what they were talking about by referencing single letter inputs from the default keymap.

[Max™]

Why I'm picking up one of these tomorrow: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16823155044 actually, more compact, better than the totally mushy generic emachines kb I've got now, and quiet to boot.

I don't actually use a mouse full time, I've got a trackball over to the side I use for certain things but most of the time I keep my hand over the number keys since I remapped numlock to swap between regular tenkey layout and a mousekeys layout so I can swap back and forth easily while playing df.

I'm too used to the layout to switch, but I did play around with some theoretical laptop friendly keybind ideas before I realized I just couldn't give up my number keys.

[Thisfox]

I play on an old macbook pro, without the addon number pad. I'm a bit at a loss as to what other people use the number pad for, but I seem to be able to play just fine, now that some function (f1, f2, etc) keys are no longer necessary. They're mapped to specific things on a mac, it was hellish trying to get them remapped.

As a totally random and off topic fact: Due to an addiction to XKCD, the title of this came up on my browser as "Play DF on a tenkeyless leopard?" which amused me no end.   

[§k]

I've been always playing with such keyboard, where '*' is overrode by 'shift+8'.

[IndigoFenix]

I use the shift key plus the arrows to shift the direction one step clockwise.
So:
shift + up -> northeast
shift + right -> southeast
shift + down -> southwest
shift + left -> northwest
There are other configurations, but this was the one that worked best for me.  You get used to it pretty quickly.

[Detros]

I play DF on my laptop all the time, and with the exception of adventure mode, I almost never find myself missing the 10key pad. Sure, it's nice to have, but once you start playing without it, you get used to it pretty quickly.

I use a notebook too. And using that horizontal row of 1-3-7-9 keys under F-keys for diagonal moves in adventure mode is the easy part of playing DF

[Squid]

Okay, I'm really confused by all the comments here. Everybody is acting like not having a numpad is no big deal. Now, keep in mind, I haven't played DF since about 2013.

My concern is not about missing the +, -, *, /, etc. keys. I don't care about that at all.

It used to be the case that some menus had to be navigated using WASD, some menus had to be navigated using arrow keys, and some menus had to be navigated using 2468 on the numpad.

Is that not the case anymore? From what I recall back in 2013, having a keyboard with a numpad was basically required because certain menus in the game basically required that you have it in order to navigate the menu. Did this get changed?