I'm curious why the default keyboard layout of games is of particular issue to a lefty?
Asking because while I am not a lefty, I created my own standard 3D game layout way before games made wasd standard. The very first thing in every single game is to go to settings and reconfigure.
If you are wondering, it's basically just one to the right. ESDF, which is superior to wasd because it gives more keys to access without having to reach very far. In particular it avoids having to use caps lock, which in some games doesn't even work or it is at the very least very annoying when turning the game off or alt+tabbing out (say coz you died and want to do something other than watch while you wait).
As a lefty it seems very conceivable to me that something like uhjk would work comparably?
Well.... when I started gaming, remapping keys was not a standard capability. And then, it's not just wasd you have to remap. And, again, back in the day your settings did not persist in the cloud. Overall, it just didn't feel worth it. I thought I would eventually catch up with right hand mouse, but I feel like I still don't have the same dexterity that I did.
Also, just my 2 cents worth - no matter how much better your capabilities are - users hate changes
That first point is fair enough. Trying to play an old Tomb Raider is impossible nowadays, as no remapping can be done, so I can't use ESDF, so I won't play it.
I don't get the rest though. Of course it's not just WASD you gotta remap. I literally, for each game, go through the entirety of the controls and remap every key around my ESDF as per perceived usefulness of the command. Before I've ever played the game. Then as I start playing I might find that a certain key is more useful or less useful than I thought and I remap them. It always takes a minute or two until my muscle memory adjusts but that's about it.
I also agree with the standards thing, which is why I do the ESDF thing. That's what I am used to. And of course there were no cloud persistence and I still don't and won't use Cloud persistence. Why would I do or need that and what does that have to do with anything?
I do agree w/ my sibling post that shift, ctrl, alt had some advantage, if you needed a three key combo for something. Like I crouch with Z, so crouched strafing while also moving forward or backwards might have been a problem sometimes. Not nowadays though.
I think your issue is at least 50% absolutely not a lefty issue, but a willingness one. You mention you're still not as good when using the mouse w/ your right hand. I think it's totally worth it to "get over that hump" and try the mouse in the left hand and just do that remapping. If I was able to do it consistently throughout the years before Cloud was even a thing, you can do it too! ;)
Another potential issue when remapping keys involved rollover and ghosting effects for individual keyboard models.
Some clusters of keys were simply better than others when it came to being able to press bunches of them at once--and have the program actually notice--and the modifier keys (control, shift, alt) were especially privileged.
Asking because while I am not a lefty, I created my own standard 3D game layout way before games made wasd standard. The very first thing in every single game is to go to settings and reconfigure.
If you are wondering, it's basically just one to the right. ESDF, which is superior to wasd because it gives more keys to access without having to reach very far. In particular it avoids having to use caps lock, which in some games doesn't even work or it is at the very least very annoying when turning the game off or alt+tabbing out (say coz you died and want to do something other than watch while you wait).
As a lefty it seems very conceivable to me that something like uhjk would work comparably?