Keybind Creep - Nit-picky, detailed thoughts on binds requested
Disclaimer: Not sure if this belongs in UI/Macro, but I am really looking for more of a general discussion of it.
I am having quite the time dealing with the huge number of binds required to raid/pvp/quest these days. This post is partially for me to get my thoughts in order, but also to ask for advice. Maybe it will help illuminate the problem for a future request to Blizzard about the number of binds required in the game these days too - I don't know. I'm talking about my specific DPS DK issues, but I have the same issues tanking, and with PvP, and I know other classes are in just as rough a spot or worse, so if you want to talk generally about this issue instead of offering specific thoughts on one lousy player, please do.
I'm going to post a quick summary of my problem for the tl/dr crowd, but I'll give the detail I can below in order to really get into the situation, because I don't think there's a quick, easy fix for me. Note that I say "for me" because I realize that individual skill, dexterity, etc. might play a big part in this.
I guess it may be useful to know that I do perform at a pretty high level in a top-100 25-man, regularly ranking circa top 20-30 as DK dps. I don't have issues playing the game, I am trying to make the part that is hard for me easier so I can be better about positioning, raid awareness, etc.
Summary:
Razor Naga using num-pad binds
ESDF movement. Turn is not bound.
Major abilities on easy to reach keys
Additional abilities on 1-6, F1-F6
Some Shift modifiers
~50 total binds for one spec for PvE, and no buttons left
I find many Shift combinations very difficult to use, especially while moving
Just about everything needs to be used while strafing (Think Attenuation)
For example: F to strafe + Shift-N or Shift-6 is not really workable
I do not have the dexterity to reliably use the Naga buttons for "rotational" or quick reaction abilities, so utilize it for cooldowns or off-gcd things like Blood-Tap on 1-3 only
Details: Rotation: 9 buttons - Plague Strike, Icy Touch, Outbreak, Pestilence, Obliterate, Frost Strike, Howling Blast, Death and Decay, Soul Reaper, Blood Tap, Plague Leach. Icy Touch/Pestilence are situational enough to be a Shift modifier. (R,T,Y,G,V,C,A,Num-1,Num-3) Cooldowns: 4 buttons - Pillar of Frost, Trinket, Engineering Gloves, Raise Dead, Potion, Army. I have this down to 4 binds thanks to not currently having an on-use trinket. Trinket/Pillar/Ghoul cannot be all macro'd together or I lose a GCD of pillar by casting Raise Dead with it instead of prior to it. (Z,F6,Num-6,Num-9) Utility/Buffs/Defense/etc: 16 buttons - Mind Freeze (+Focus), Strangulate (+Focus), Grip (+Focus), Tier 6 Talent (+mod for Gorefiends), Death Strike, Healthstone/Death Pact, Death's Advance, Rocket Boots, Presences (+mod for each), Control Undead (so useful... it gets put on 7),Chains of Ice, AMS (+mod AMZ), Horn of Winter, Brez (+Mouseover),Dark Simulacrum,Undead Racial,IBF. (1,2,3,4,5,6,7,Q,X,W,Num-4,Num-8,Num-2,Num-10,B,F2,F4) Encounter Specific (this starts to be the real problem): 2 Buttons - ExtraActionButton, Grip/Mark adds, @Focus versions of Howling Blast/Plague Strike for Garalon/Dogs/Whatever, Dark Simulacrum (e.g. @Warlock), Blood Boil (useful to break MC, get Lei Shi out, annoying), Symbiosis. (N, Num-5 for ExtraAction Button and Symbiosis - the rest I need to add CTRL-modifiers to existing binds on a per-fight basis) (mostly)Out of Combat stuff: 6 buttons - Mount, Use quest item, Goblin Glider. Some PvP things: Lichborne, PvP Trinket, A million things I'd like to bind but don't have buttons for (Death Gate, make food, switch specs, hearthstone, use plow...) (Num-12,Num-11,Num-7, F3,F5)
Total - 37 buttons (way more binds with modifiers). There are 39 buttons (plus 4 movement) between F1 and N on the Keyboard + Naga. This is already stretching it - F6, 7 are not easy to reach while moving, and some keys that have modifiers already are difficult to use while strafing. F1 is currently unbound, but would be used if I had an on-use trinket, so that leaves D as my 1 available button.
As I mentioned, this would be workable if it was the whole story, but I'm about to start progression for Wind Lord, and I don't have anything available for, say, Grip and Mark new Menders when they spawn, nor are my current solutions to things like HB on Garalon attractive, I just don't know how else to do it. I also have no binds available for quality of life things outside combat (though a couple can go on F7-F12 or 8-=, these require looking at my keyboard and my eyes are lazy). Even moreso, the current setup is horrible for PvP, as there's no room at all for @Arena1-3, extra focus modifiers, etc. (And I just realize I didn't list /focus Target above - middle mouse if you're curious).
Solutions?
Un-bind backpeddle - 1 more key! (kind of need it when tanking sometimes)
Teach myself to use the Naga way differently and add Shift and CTRL binds to every button for my whole rotation. I'm not even sure this is possible, I don't think I could perform that way.
Put strafe and run on the naga, using the mouse exclusively for movement. This would be a huge change...
I'm open to any suggestion, or to comforting thoughts from people with the same problem. Please recognize, as I said, that everyone's ability to use multiple modifier combinations is different, even due to things as simple as hand size. I know some people perform extremely well even with abilities bound to the standard blizzard keybinds, which is just flabergasting, but I am trying to make things easier than they are, however easy you may think that is.