PC Please please add an auto run key

[Heafus]

7 Days to Die is killing my left hand. Holding down W with my middle finger and shift with my pinky starts to ache after only a minute or two. The older I get, the worse its become. I know people have asked for this many times and my impression is the devs have said they will not put it in the game? I could be wrong about that, but for some reason I remember reading that. Anyway, I love 7 Days to Die, it is one of my most played games on steam and even though I take breaks from it, I always come back, but my hand just can't take it anymore. Put it in the set up menu, so that you have to go into the controls to turn it on. That way people that do not want to use it or servers that don't want it, can opt not to use it. It would make all the difference in the world to alot of people. I know it's wishful thinking on my part, but boy I sure would love to have it. 

 

[Pernicious]

Get a macro keyboard. When I fly between my main base and my wasteland base, I can get a drink, use the bathroom, read "War and Peace" twice, and never have to touch the keyboard.

 

[pApA^LeGBa]

Yeah much needed with the horrible map generation right now and having to travel a lot if you want to see T5 POI´s other than Dishong or Higashi. That is if you even get any other T5´s. Seriously this needs to be fixed also. I had a map with 4 T5´s only. Appartment building, Dishong x2, Higashi.

Sure let´s spend money on a keyboard, instead having the devs adding a QoL feature, that is propably very easy to add. @Pernicious

And before anyone brings the stupid argument that people will blame TFP for dying because they ran out of stamina due to autorun: Make it an option that is set to "off" at default. Problem solved.

 

[Pernicious]

Seems like a bit of a silly argument to me. I mean, you could ask the devs to make the arrow keys change your view instead of spending money on a mouse...

Macro keyboards are such a basic gaming feature now, gaming with an office keyboard is almost like trying to game with the iGPU. Sure, you could do it, but it just doesn't make sense. Sure, I paid a little more for mine as an early adopter, but a friend picked up a macro keyboard and mouse for AUD 130. I think that's about $100 USD? That's about two burgers or four coffees more than than an basic office keyboard.

 

[pApA^LeGBa]

Auto run is a well known feature in gaming. It´s a simple QoL update for the devs. There are people playing games who are struggling to take screenshots on the PC and upload them. And you say macros are the solution? And yes i am dead serious about the screenshots. Seen that a lot in gaming FB groups. And those people, mostly the older generation are exactly those who struggle without autorun up to a point where it is a painfull experience when flying/driving for longer distances.

 

[Pernicious]

Hmm. Recording macros seems easier to me than turning on a non-default action? This is my 7d2d Run Macro:



But, to each their own. I solve problems with the tools I have, not wish for tools I don't have.

 

[pApA^LeGBa]

Yeah, each to their own. But why not let have people auto run who want it? As an option to turn on, wich is literally just a single click in the menu, so no one is forced to use it.

 

[Pernicious]

I ain't stopping you petitioning for the feature, just offering you a way to get it without relying on the devs.

 

[ElCabong]

it's needed. 

 

[Crater Creator]

...my impression is the devs have said they will not put it in the game? I could be wrong about that, but for some reason I remember reading that....

The weird thing is, I remember a dev video (A17 or so?) where Madmole talked about adding this feature. As I recall, they may have even demoed it in the video.  I don't know what would have changed their minds.

 

[outhous]

Auto-Run seems like too much of an AFK feature for a (supposed to be) constant threat survival game. I understand the OP's point, the awkwardness of the keyboard pushes me to use a controller for most of my gaming. I absolutely can't stand WASD only games & refund them ASAP.

 

[Roland]

I just think it isn't high on their priority list. It may get added at some point. I don't think they are against it. Its not like its some kind of slippery slope that will lead to auto aim or anything...

 

[Maharin]

What about semi-auto run?

 

[pApA^LeGBa]

Auto-Run seems like too much of an AFK feature for a (supposed to be) constant threat survival game. I understand the OP's point, the awkwardness of the keyboard pushes me to use a controller for most of my gaming. I absolutely can't stand WASD only games & refund them ASAP.

I would actually mostly use it for flying large distances, where you don´t have to pay attention to anything else than flying in the right direction anyways. I wouldn´t mind a simple auto sprint also, where i only need to hit the shift key once and keep on sprinting but still need to press W. It´s only having to hold down shift for ages that really bothers me.

 

[NekoPawtato]

I am curious if anyone has ideas on the best key to remap sprint to (maybe caps lock? tho that would cause issues when chatting).

I used to bind sprint to R in other games, but this game has a reload mechanic so that won't work for me here (and makes sprinting right a bit awkward)

Thought about left Alt but that would make jump sprinting a bit awkward as well.

We need more fingers

I'd love to bind it to a side button on the mouse if my mouse was actually fancy enough to have those.

 

[John Black]

The problem with a macro is that it blocks you from doing anything except the basic actions. So you either have to integrate the basic actions(movement etc) with the map/inventory open, which will not happen, or add an autorun(fwd) feature. That way you can still check your map without stalling the gyro and streamers can set their volume while running away from zombie bears. Win-win!

And a note on implementation. While in auto ____ state, allow shift to toggle between 'auto run' and 'auto walk'.

 

[Heafus]

Glad to hear other people feel the same, I will look into the macro fix.

 

[Gamida]

I found it much easier to rebind my keys of my left hand. For now I am using Tab for inventory, Q for run, W for walk, E for action key and R for reload.

Basically I switched the Q key for running. Found it sooooo much easier than trying to hit shift with pinky while using middle finger for W.

Edit: Oh also as I don't use V key for ingame voice chat I rebound that one for toggling prone position so I can use my thumb on that for prone, C for crouch and spacebar for jumping.

lol this screwed up my typing speed as I played 7 Days so much my muscle memory for home keys are now TAB, Q, W, and E

 

[Ezed]

I recently for a new Logitech mouse with macros ('cause the Razor software for my keyboard blows) and have been using that.  One button for W and one for E...so much better to be able to remove my hand from the keyboard once it a while. 

I've lobbied for auto-run/cruise control in the years past and still believe it should be a thing.  Really, given the long play sessions this game is built for, it's almost a health issue. 

PM me to sign up for the carpal tunnel class action

 

[theFlu]

We need more fingers

Hmm.. can't help you with that, but, want some more keys? I abandoned WASD for movement ages ago (earlyish WoW or so), started using WERD instead. That moves the left hand one row further down the keys, giving a whole row of extra easy-to-reach binds. Also places the hand where it's designed to be, index on F.

Takes some getting used to, sure. It comes with the extra benefit of having just one ergonomic setting to optimize. Ergonomics, huh? Yeah, that's the thing that will allow the use of the little finger on the shift without fatigue. For me, finding the proper spot and angle for my hand-forearm-shoulder is just stupidly useful; over time I realized I'm able to use left-ctrl with the pad attaching to the little finger (the edge of the palm, roughly.) That practically gives me an extra finger in and of itself.

The whole ergonomic thing is just stupidly exact; my current desk is about 3 cm (an inch and some) too high, which keeps me going between "can't get feet on the floor" and "the angle of my arm is all wrong, the edge of the desk hurts and the keys are hard to use"

Ergonomically, you want your whole body in a pretty specific position; feet on the floor, most of leg weight there, back "straight" in a position that doesn't "jam" (allowing for a little movement), shoulders relaxed when the hand rests on the desk, (a proper arm rest is useful, but not mandatory), hand resting passively on the keyboard when on the spot where you want it.