Noob question inc.
What are the strategic advantages to mouse scrolling over using awsd to move the camera? I started playing mobas when hon was released and I knew dick all about them. I was never good at RTS games so I didn't pick up any skills from those, either.
So when I started playing hon, I rebound my keys to what made sense to me at the time, which was moving the camera with awsd and using abilities with 1234. Is mouse scrolling important enough that I should try to re-train my muscle memory?
Some of the more experienced have chimed in so I'll offer my view as a new'ish player who went through this.
I did not come from an RTS background at all, so like you when starting MOBAs using WASD seemed more natural. I think that came from hating the click to move system in some MMOs at the time so it was like an instinctual aversion.
My first 200 games were with WASD until Dandain convinced me to try edge-pan. Honestly it seemed completely made up that there could be any functional difference and for my stubbornness refused to accept it.
My last 200 games have been with edge-pan and it is night and day, absolutely (for me) 100% better. I still don't use a lot of hotkeys, and even the limited ones I do not appropriately, but WASD was getting in the way. Unless you can effectively map (A)ttack, (S)top, control groups if you use them, abilities QWERD, your inventory hotkeys, quick buy, anything else you want, taking away four is gonna suck.
The other thing that personally I find a bigger advantage... you're much less likely to screw up your camera positioning, or your positioning, by using edge-pan. With WASD camera controls it was real hard to try not to micro the camera position during fights or laning, when I should have been much more focused on my last hitting, leaving the camera in a more or less good position, and not misclicking. There's enough to do with the mouse without having to deal with constant camera moves, even nudges. And once you get more or less proficient with edge=-an making those nudges becomes even easier and more fluid.
Transitioning was a pain in the ass but luckily most of my character bad habits were tied to Shadow Shaman b/c out of 200 games like 70 or 80 were with him, and to this day I still screw up shackle and accidentally drop wards b/c of the change from E/R and wards use to being F. I'm certainly not good by any measure and there is undoubtedly 6k+ players out there using WASD (someone was streaming the other day but can't remember who), but ultimately even I had to give up and admit it was hurting me more than helping.
