[Feature Request] Setting to reverse weapon skills on skill bar.

I wish we had an option in settings to reverse the weapon skills on the skills bar. Some of us use controllers like the Nostromo N50/52, Razer Tartarus, etc. The keys are typically programmed with the weapon buttons from right to left because the devices sit under the left hand so weapon 1 falls under the index finger. I can be disorienting for visuals to go left to right while the action taken on the controller is right to left.

How is this even a problem?

Mapping the skills to whatever buttons you want is well within your capability.

Are you saying you actually look at the skill bar as skills are going off?

Cooldowns should become mostly innate after a while, so visualizing them shouldn’t matter...

IDK. Maybe I shouldn’t post when I’m tired..

Sure, but only when suffering from the Confusion condition.

In fact, why didn't they do that? Would have made its PvP effect particularly dangerous if your entire skill bar were shuffled...

@"Leo G.4501" said:Sure, but only when suffering from the Confusion condition.

In fact, why didn't they do that? Would have made its PvP effect particularly dangerous if your entire skill bar were shuffled...

I'm talking about a setting check box for "Reverse weapon skills bar". A player would need to check it if they wanted it. Having the option wouldn't affect players who didn't want to use it.

Checked would make the skills like this:

5 - 4 - 3 - 2 - 1 "health" 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5

With the controller on the left hand it would typically have the keys programmed to be 5 - 4 - 3 - 2 - 1 because the right key is under the index finger. Currently you have to look at the skills on the screen in the opposite of what you hit on the game controller.

@Tekoneiric.6817 said:Some of us use controllers like the Nostromo N50/52, Razer Tartarus, etc. The keys are typically programmed with the weapon buttons from right to left because the devices sit under the left hand so weapon 1 falls under the index finger. I can be disorienting for visuals to go left to right while the action taken on the controller is right to left.So remap the controls so that it reflects the game. That's the first thing I did with the Nostromo.

I've owned a razer nostromo and out had no number keys, now I use a razer orbweaver and, before you reprogram them, the keys are in the exact same order as on a keyboard, just spaced a little differently.

I should add that I have nothing in particular against this idea. Except...

• This change has an existing work-around, whereas other proposed options do not (such as preserving keyboard shortcuts in a file, to restore or swap).
• This change has a narrow audience: people who have a left-hand input device that comes with pre-mapped keys that don't match GW2. Or even just the ability to move any of those icons around on the skill bar.
• There are diminishing returns with adding too many options; each new one requires a little bit more maintenance/support, which becomes more difficult as folks move on to other things and the game's needs change.

There's also a decent chance that ANet has baked in the idea of placing the skills in a certain order so that the game depends on auto-attack being on the left-most side. If that's true, this would be a risky change to make. (Hopefully they didn't and it's just an obvious swap, which would make it about as easy a change to setup as possible.)

@Tekoneiric.6817 said:

@"Leo G.4501" said:Sure, but only when suffering from the Confusion condition.

In fact, why didn't they do that? Would have made its PvP effect particularly dangerous if your entire skill bar were shuffled...

How would it not affect players that dident want to use it the dev resources have to be taken from somewere right?

@Illconceived Was Na.9781 said:

@Tekoneiric.6817 said:Some of us use controllers like the Nostromo N50/52, Razer Tartarus, etc. The keys are typically programmed with the weapon buttons from right to left because the devices sit under the left hand so weapon 1 falls under the index finger. I can be disorienting for visuals to go left to right while the action taken on the controller is right to left.So remap the controls so that it reflects the game. That's the first thing I did with the Nostromo.

That would place the first weapon skill on my pinky. No thanks. Why do people have an issue with a simple QOL feature request; especially when it would need to be manually enabled by the player to even affect them? I personally like to have more configuration options to customize the game.

@Linken.6345 said:

How would it not affect players that dident want to use it the dev resources have to be taken from somewere right?

That could be said of anything like adding GW1 style GUI flexibility, adding 4K support for the GUI, etc. I would never say they shouldn't work on those because while each might benefit a few; making the GUI more configurable and adaptable is ultimately a good thing for all players.

@Illconceived Was Na.9781 said:There's also a decent chance that ANet has baked in the idea of placing the skills in a certain order so that the game depends on auto-attack being on the left-most side. > If that's true, this would be a risky change to make. (Hopefully they didn't and it's just an obvious swap, which would make it about as easy a change to setup as possible.)

I believe I read somewhere that the 1-5 are ordered from shortest to longest cooldown. I never bothered confirming that as it made sense, and didn't seem like that important, but there is another thing you've read on the internet and therefore must be true.

@Tekoneiric.6817 said:

@"Leo G.4501" said:Sure, but only when suffering from the Confusion condition.

In fact, why didn't they do that? Would have made its PvP effect particularly dangerous if your entire skill bar were shuffled...

I was commenting in a way to implement the idea in a relevant fashion, i.e. it'd have a purpose to actually confuse the victim intentionally.

The order the skills rest on the bar is irrelevant as it's merely a display for the skill recharges and ordered in a manner to separate weapon skills from utility skills. You shouldn't even be looking at the bar at all while hitting the buttons on the controller. In fact, you should have your buttons programmed so that the skills you hit most or in tandem are mapped to the controller for ease and comfort of use, not order they are on the bar.

That said, I'm indifferent about the suggestion. If the devs want to make the option available, it probably wouldn't be difficult considering improvised weapons, potions and transformations change skills on the bar too.

@OP, is this controller new for you? Cuz I used a Nostromo N52 all through GW1 and in GW2 up to this last year, when it finally died, and moved on to a Tarterus and this has never (ever never) been an issue for me in GW or any other game. If it is new, then all I can say is just give yourself time to get used to it.

I'm all for this for a totally different reason. I'm left-handed and I want to roleplay in-game left-handed as well. ;)

@Tekoneiric.6817 said:Why do people have an issue with a simple QOL feature request;As I explained above, it's not necessarily simple; it only benefits a tiny fraction of the game's community; there are two existing work-arounds (get use to the cognitive dissonance; remap the keys); there are diminishing returns with adding UI features.

especially when it would need to be manually enabled by the player to even affect them?Any change to the options panel has a minor impact on us and since ANet has limited resources, only some changes get priority. What makes this one more important than others?

I personally like to have more configuration options to customize the game.I do too. And this isn't among my top 5 or top 100.As I said earlier, I have nothing against this particular idea, except that generically, it doesn't sound to me like it's all that beneficial.

I believe I read somewhere that the 1-5 are ordered from shortest to longest cooldown.Aside from some edge cases, [1] is quickest cast and shortest cooldown. But that isn't the relevant point. The question is: does the code assume that the skills are in a certain order in the UI? There's no reason that it has to be done that way (and lots of reasons not to), but there are other times that they have made a simplifying design choice with similar oddball consequences. For example, the number of available slots in the material storage is fixed and items cannot be removed, only hidden.

Obviously, we don't know. I only mean to point out that sometimes what seems simple to us might turn out to be anything but when it comes time to implement.

@DeanBB.4268 said:@OP, is this controller new for you? Cuz I used a Nostromo N52 all through GW1 and in GW2 up to this last year, when it finally died, and moved on to a Tarterus and this has never (ever never) been an issue for me in GW or any other game. If it is new, then all I can say is just give yourself time to get used to it.

No I've used it for years. While I am used to it, it would be a nice feature to have to better sync things up from key to screen. Given that they regularly change items on the skill bar for various mounts, weapons and such it doesn't seem like it would be that difficult of a feature to implement.

I tried the tarterus chroma but that thumb nib caused me to have massive cramps in the muscles attached to my thumb. I prefer the broad concaved thumb control on the N50/N52. One of my projects down the road is to design my own controller using a microcontroller, 3D printed structure, mechanical keys and a N50/N52 style thumb pad.