Controls

The game controls are the inputs by which the player directs movement and other game functions.

Default controls
The default controls, in vanilla Doom, for the most often-used functions are as follows.


 * 1) The single-key strafe controls (comma and period) are not listed in the instruction manuals
 * 2) The strafe key changes the left and right turn keys into left and right strafe keys
 * 3) The run key increases the speed of movement

Consult the game instruction manual regarding weapon selection keys, function keys and other controls.

Mouse and keyboard
The instruction manuals provide a tip that recommends using the keyboard and mouse simultaneously, saying "the mouse provides fine control for aiming your weapon (allowing you to smoothly rotate right and left) [...]".

In fact, the mouse also provides rapid rotation and rapid strafing, resulting in maneuvers that are not possible using the keyboard alone. For this reason, many gamers consider it the best way to play, and some even disparage keyboard-only players.

In mouse and keyboard mode, usually the mouse is used for turning, firing and (perhaps to a lesser extent) strafing, and the keyboard is used for the other functions.

Some source ports provide an option to disable mouse forward/backward movement (often called novert). This is used by people who wish to control forward/backward movement from the keyboard only and thus want to disregard inadvertant vertical mouse movement.

WASD
When using mouse and keyboard, some people (right-handed people in particular) find the default location of certain keys to be inconvenient. Using the options menu, it is possible to reassign these key functions to other keys. One popular arrangement is known as WASD (since those are the keys that are reassigned):

Analogous arrangements using, for example, ESDF and (for left-handed mousers) IJKL are also popular.

Joystick
Many experienced players find the joystick awkward and slow, and very much prefer the mouse.