Interesting gaming problem with Cherry blues

[SpatiallyAware]

I bought a Filco 87-key, it arrived today.. It's absolutely excellent for typing, as I expected. It's going to take a bit of getting used to, I'm not used to the clickiness at all.

However, I discovered something unexpected. It's unusable for me in FPS. Since I'm used to the rubber dome style keyboard I trust that the key activates at the bottom of the stroke. Therefore I tend to hover, with a key half-pressed (which would be 'off' on a dome keyboard but 'on' on a mechanical..) as I'm strafing around. It's hard to explain, but that style won't work with any mechanical keyboard other than maybe a capacitive topre board?

I believe I'm going to try changing my style up, maybe I'll eventually get used to it?

SA

[ricercar]

I feel for you. Best wishes learning a new style.

There are plenty here who'd take it off your hands if you decide not to learn how to game with it.

[majestouch]

You might get used to it but with that gaming style Cherry Blacks are a better choice.  But then Blacks are terrible for typing.  

We might be able to convince Elitekeyboards to order up some Custom Reds but I think that would take a concerted effort of both Geekhack and some gaming site like OCN.  Right now Majestouch is just coasting.   Order.  Run out of stock.  Order.  Run out of stock. Order......

hahaha, coasting...you got my attention rip.

[Phaedrus2129]

I don't know about blues, but with my browns I can "hover" right above the tactile point. That's not how I play, but I tried doing what you described and it's certainly possible. You'll just have a higher "hover" distance; since you'll be hovering at 1mm/4mm, rather than 2mm/3mm. Or whatever.

[EverythingIBM]

I bought a Filco 87-key, it arrived today.. It's absolutely excellent for typing, as I expected. It's going to take a bit of getting used to, I'm not used to the clickiness at all.

However, I discovered something unexpected. It's unusable for me in FPS. Since I'm used to the rubber dome style keyboard I trust that the key activates at the bottom of the stroke. Therefore I tend to hover, with a key half-pressed (which would be 'off' on a dome keyboard but 'on' on a mechanical..) as I'm strafing around. It's hard to explain, but that style won't work with any mechanical keyboard other than maybe a capacitive topre board?

I believe I'm going to try changing my style up, maybe I'll eventually get used to it?

SA

Maybe just have a seperate gaming computer that has a rubber dome keyboard specifically for that. I do.
Or, do it the old fashioned way, swap the keyboard every time you're going to play a game.

Although, one of my friends games on an industrial model M.

[Arc'xer]

The way the cherry mx blues operate you need to release most of the switch before it resets. Since the release point is above the actuation point.

Works fine for gaming(very responsive) but when needing to double-tap or continuously jump it gets in the way. When I used the blues I'd notice sometimes if I was paying attention at the way it works, you can make the clicker rattle lightly but it wouldn't produce a character individually.

[Viett]

I understand completely where the OP is coming from, having played FPS on different Cherry switches. Any kind of cherry switch is going to have the same problem, because actuation point is above bottoming out.

Honestly, for certain games (FPS) it'd make sense to maybe get an ALPs board (harder to actuate without bottoming out) or a scissor or dome. This only applies if you have that "hovering" play-style, though. I'm not so sure hovering on a cherry board is particularly something you can get used to, if you've played like the OP has for many years.

[kriminal]

I understand completely where the OP is coming from, having played FPS on different Cherry switches. Any kind of cherry switch is going to have the same problem, because actuation point is above bottoming out.

Honestly, for certain games (FPS) it'd make sense to maybe get an ALPs board (harder to actuate without bottoming out) or a scissor or dome. This only applies if you have that "hovering" play-style, though. I'm not so sure hovering on a cherry board is particularly something you can get used to, if you've played like the OP has for many years.

weird cherry blacks work perfectly for me in gaming

[Phaedrus2129]

Every Cherry has that "undocumented feature", but the blue Cherries have it worst. MX browns and blacks, it's no trouble at all.

[kishy]

Surprised BS hasn't been officially recommended yet...

Buckling springs, at least as found in Model Ms, can be held down just above their actuation point and then pushed a little extra to get the buckling effect. If you find the tactility and noise of blues acceptable, chances are an M will be OK as well, however the people with the coin stacks say Ms take more force to actuate. IMO this is a selling point for BS over the alternatives but to each his own.

[ch_123]

Yeah, the problem with the blues is well documented. I find my HHKB is probably the best for games.

[ch_123]

I've pointed out a few times and people agreed with my assessment of it.

[JBert]

Surprised BS hasn't been officially recommended yet...

Actually, they suffer from the same symptoms as the blues. You can hover them just about their buckle point but you can't double-tap by that hover technique due to the hysteresis.

[ch_123]

It's nowhere near as noticeable as it is on the Blues.

[Ulysses31]

I don't actually have a problem playing while using the blues.  I can press them as rapidly as I need, while the tactility and sound tells me if i've properly actuated the switch.  Domes are probably a little gentler for this sort of thing, but I wouldn't want to swap back to using them for gaming purposes.

[eunos]

Ive got a NKRO Filco tenkeyless Cherry black that Ive used for like 1 week because I dont play games and spend most of my time typing (gone back to my g80-3000 for now). .....more than willing to swap filcos with you!

[SpatiallyAware]

Ive got a NKRO Filco tenkeyless Cherry black that Ive used for like 1 week because I dont play games and spend most of my time typing (gone back to my g80-3000 for now). .....more than willing to swap filcos with you!

PM sent! That may be at least better suited to what I'm wanting to do..

[aegrotatio]

I have to agree that any Cherry is a bit irregular for gaming.  I don't know about you but the bottoming-out should be coexistent with the key actuation.  Now with the Model M they aren't exactly the same but they seem to be very close, or maybe the actuation click is just so pronounced that it feels right.  I never really "got" the idea of how Cherry switch actuations aren't at the bottoming-out point.  But that's just me.  I'm not a keyboard snob but I pretend to be.

[boaby]

What is the actual purpose of having the actuation/release point asymmetrical in the Blues? I've only been mine a day to be fair and it's taking me a bit of time to get used to almost completely releasing the key on consecutive taps. I can't help but think I'd prefer the Browns in the sense that it releases at the same point it actuates (but then no clackclackclack).

[Mental Hobbit]

I don't know about you but the bottoming-out should be coexistent with the key actuation.  

You're missing the point of most mechanical switches. They're actuating half way down in order to spare your fingers the hard landing, which gets very stressful when you type a lot.

What is the actual purpose of having the actuation/release point asymmetrical in the Blues?

There's no purpose, it's just a technical necessitiy due to the way the click mechanism works.

[itlnstln]

You're missing the point of most mechanical switches. They're actuating half way down in order to spare your fingers the hard landing, which gets very stressful when you type a lot.

This.  The only reason folks might correspond a bottom-out with a key register is years of training on rubber domes.  Topres are a weird beast in that they don't require pushing the switch all the way down, even though, they are essentially a rubber dome. I like how I can "float" on Cherry browns where I can type with very little force and not bottom out.

[boaby]

Nice, any animations of the other switches? Tried fudging the url but didn't get anywhere.

[itlnstln]

Here you can see how a whole variety of switches work.  I don't remember if there are any more animations or not, but pictures pretty much speak for themselves.

[itlnstln]

Sandy did the translations for some of his pages.  The Japanese IBM page is one of them.  I wonder if he has ever swung by Geekhack.

[itlnstln]

"Hard off" is what happens when you type on a rubber dome 'board.