There are two good methods that can be used for maneuvering your sorc. The first method is to have the run key toggled to constant run, while using the SHIFT key to stop abruptly when needed. The virtue of always running is that you are never caught flat-footed if a monster rushes at you. And of course, running is more convenient than walking for covering large areas quickly. However, you need to compensate for this by having the SHIFT key at the ready, or else you may accidentally run headlong into a pack of monsters. The other drawback of this method is that unless you have special boots, you may often find yourself with low stamina, and sometimes, you will want a stamina reserve in order to run away from sudden danger. Also, you need to be extra careful, since reckless running may attract more monsters than you care to deal with at a given moment.
The second method is to have the run key toggled off while using the CTRL key to accelerate and decelerate as needed. Stopping is automatic if you do not issue left-click commands and can also be done manually by using the SHIFT key. I prefer this method for at least two reasons. First, it offers a middle speed between stop and run, which can be useful for more accurately positioning your char before/while using particular spells. Second, once you get fastest run/walk boots, you will discover that your walk speed is fast enough, perhaps even too fast, when venturing into unexplored areas.
Your default mouse setup is left-click: weapon, right-click: spell. However, since you do not want to use the left button for making physical attacks, its only other functions are to tell your sorc where to move to and to manipulate objects. You might alternatively set your left mouse button to cast a spell (as opposed to performing a physical attack), which has its advantages. First, you can use spell combos with greater accuracy and efficiency. One common combo is GS and FW. Normally you would have to switch spells using your hotkeys, but with (e.g.) cold on the left button and fire on the right button, you can quickly get off a fw as soon as the monster is frozen, maximizing the time it spends taking fire damage, all in one fluid use of the mouse buttons. However, there are a couple of drawbacks to this method. First, only projectile-type spells can be assigned to the left mouse button. You cannot assign popular spells such as SF, BLZ, FW, or Hydra. Second, if you want to cast the left-button spell at a monster, you must either specifically target the monster (which you may not want to do) or hold down the SHIFT key. Holding the SHIFT key will allow you to cast a left-button spell without targeting a specific monster, but at the cost of not being able to move while you are holding down the key. Although this system can be a little awkward at first, and possibly even dangerous at times, it could end up being very effective for you overall, and is worth trying out. Just the same, there is nothing really wrong with using the default mouse button settings either, and that does have the twin advantages of being intuitive and familiar.
It will not take you long to figure out that you want to assign your favorite spells to all 8 hotkeys. How you do this is up to you. As long as you can easily remember how you set them, any arrangement will do. The only tip I have here is that if you find yourself often using two particular spells in tandem, then it would be best if the hotkeys for those spells were next to each other. This will minimize the amount of time you need to switch spells.
This section was last modified: October 5, 2000.
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