Civ on Laptop

[sadu]

I have just installed C3C onto my laptop, and have a small problem I'm sure a lot of others have found.

There is no numeric keypad, how do I move troops?

The laptop has a function key which converts the right hand side of the KB to a keypad ie the 789,uio,jkl keys become 789,456,123. This works for entering numbers into windows apps, but not civ. The arrow keys work for scrolling the screen, not movement, and the diagonals are missing anyway.

I have been using the goto command to move around, but it's a hassle.

What does everyone else do?

 

[thescaryworker]

I just click on the unit and drag the mouse to where I want it to go.
This also works for attacking.

 

[Jon Shafer]

Using Fn and the keypad has always worked for me.

 

[ybbor]

i use a laptop too. i just drag, you don't even have to be on the unit, just drag the mouse 5 or so pixels, and release on the desired tile

 

[penvzila]

It was a while before I realized I could just hit 'G' or drag with the mouse. On most laptops FN+NUM lets you use the directional pad. For people who insist on it, you can get a 17-key USB or PS/2 pad like accountants use.

I actually bought one of these:

because I was doing a project that involved typing a lot of numbers into excel, and the FN numpad on the keyboard just doesn't cut it.

 

[sadu]

Cheers for the info. The drag seems to be keeping me going, I might look at getting a usb keypad if the addiction gets too strong.

 

[TriangleMan]

I always have a finger over "G" when I play Civ now.

 

[Jon Shafer]

Am I the only one whose Fn Numpad actually works?

 

[mikehunt]

my laptop number pad works, but it's a pain in the ass to use having to hold Fn while using it (although I think I once saw a bios setting to allow it to work with only numlock on).

 

[KabeDerlin]

Ohhh. A usb numpad isnt a bad idea. I've been despairing since G just seems to take longer and the FN+Numpad on the keyboard is annoying sometimes....

 

[Zavior]

Why not just plug keyboard in?

Well, this is how I spend my car trips.

 

[sadu]

Why not just plug keyboard in?

Well, this is how I spend my car trips.

The whole idea of loading civ onto the laptop is so you can sneak a sly game in at work, or on the bus, or at a lecture or whatever. Carrying around a full sized KB isn't practical, although the USB keypad would fit nicely into the side pocket. We get them here in New Zealand for around $20, I suspect they would be cheaper in the USA.

 

[warpstorm]

No, Trip, you aren't the only one. My Fn-keypad works fine (although when I'm playing on my laptop, I'm as likely to drag the units as to use the keypad).

 

[TriangleMan]

my laptop number pad works, but it's a pain in the ass to use having to hold Fn while using it (although I think I once saw a bios setting to allow it to work with only numlock on).

exactly...

 

[Lockesdonkey]

I use click and drag all the time and totally ignore the numpad. (I don't to a lot of war, so when I move units, it's almost always long-distance).

 

[MOTH]

On my laptop I have a cluster of 4 arrow keys and a cluster of home-end-pgup-pgdn that I use for keyboard navigation.

 

[warpstorm]

On my laptop the Fn key is a toggle. Once I press it it stays that way till I press it again.

 

[Jason Fliegel]

I play almost exclusively on my laptop and move units almost exclusively with the Fn keypad. Ocasionally, I'll use the (G)oto command, but I hate that infernal touchpad far more than I hate the Fn keypad (actually, I don't mind the Fn keypad one bit).

 

[warpstorm]

Jason, buy a mouse. You'll be glad you did.

 

[Longasc]

I use the mouse, and Civ3 plays really well on my 1,5 Centrino Laptop.

Jason, as warpstorm said, get used to using a mouse, I never got used to the touchpad either.