DTX Studios: Wiki launch content: written from the game's code, data and story bible (Tools/wiki/content)

2026-10-13T21:13:48Z

Wiki launch content: written from the game's code, data and story bible (Tools/wiki/content)

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{{DISPLAYTITLE:Controls}}
This page lists the default mouse and keyboard controls of ''Dawn of Embers''. Keys cannot be rebound in the game's settings today.

The game runs at one fixed speed: there is no pause key and no speed control.

== Quick reference ==
{| class="wikitable"
! Action !! Control
|-
| Move the camera || '''Arrow keys''' or '''W A S D''', or push the mouse to the edge of the screen
|-
| Zoom || '''Mouse wheel'''
|-
| Select || '''Left-click''' a unit, building or resource
|-
| Box select || '''Left-drag''' over your units
|-
| Select all of a type on screen || '''Double-click''' a unit
|-
| Add to / remove from the selection || '''Shift + left-click''', '''Shift + left-drag'''
|-
| Give an order || '''Right-click''' (see [[#Orders|Orders]])
|-
| Assign a control group || '''Ctrl + 1''' to '''Ctrl + 0'''
|-
| Select a control group || '''1''' to '''0''' (press twice to move the camera to it)
|-
| Next idle villager || '''. (Period)'''
|-
| Command grid (build or train) || '''Q''', '''Alt + W''', '''E''', '''R''', '''T''', '''Alt + A''', '''Alt + S''', '''Alt + D''', '''F''', '''G''' (left Alt only)
|-
| Build menu tabs || '''F1''' Economy, '''F2''' Military, '''F3''' Defensive, '''F4''' Unique
|-
| Rotate a building before placing it || ''', (Comma)''' and '''. (Period)''', or '''Ctrl + mouse wheel'''
|-
| Cancel placing a building || '''Right-click''' or '''Escape'''
|-
| Delete the selected building || '''Delete''' (asks you to confirm)
|-
| Disciplines window || '''U'''
|-
| Game menu || '''Escape''' or '''F10'''
|-
| Fullscreen || '''Alt + Enter''' or '''F11'''
|}

== Camera ==
* '''Pan''' with the arrow keys or W, A, S and D, or by moving the mouse to any edge of the screen. Edge scrolling is always on.
* '''Zoom''' with the mouse wheel. The camera keeps a fixed viewing angle: it cannot be tilted or turned.
* '''Jump''' the camera by left-clicking the [[#Minimap|minimap]], by pressing a control group's number twice, or with the idle-villager key.
* Holding the '''left Alt''' key stops W, A, S and D from moving the camera, so that Alt + W and the other command keys never scroll the view.

== Selecting ==
* '''Left-click''' a unit or building to select it. You can click anyone's units and buildings, including an enemy's, to look at them; you can only give orders to your own.
* '''Left-click''' a resource (a tree, mine, bush, fish or animal) or a [[Pillars|Pillar]] to see its details.
* '''Left-drag''' a box to select every unit of yours inside it. Boxes select only your own units.
* '''Double-click''' one of your units to select every unit of that type that is on screen.
* Hold '''Shift''' to change the selection instead of replacing it:
** '''Shift + click''' a unit to add it, or to remove it if it is already selected.
** '''Shift + drag''' adds the units in the box.
** '''Shift + double-click''' adds every unit of that type on screen.
** A Shift + click on empty ground keeps the selection as it is.
* With several units selected, the selection panel shows an icon for each. '''Click''' an icon to select only that unit; '''Shift + click''' it to drop that unit from the selection.
* A selection holds at most '''40''' units. If a gesture would select more, the panel says how many were left out. A box keeps the units nearest to where you started dragging.

=== Idle villagers ===
'''. (Period)''' selects the next villager with nothing to do and moves the camera to it. Press it again for the next one. (While you are placing a building, Period rotates the building instead.)

== Control groups ==
* Select some units and press '''Ctrl''' with a number key ('''1''' to '''0''') to make them a control group. There are 10 groups.
* Press the number on its own to select that group again.
* Press it '''twice quickly''' to also move the camera to the group.
* A unit can be in only one group. Adding it to a new group takes it out of its old one.
* Units that die drop out of their group. An empty group does nothing when you press its key.

== Orders ==
Right-click gives the order that fits what is under the cursor.
{| class="wikitable"
! Right-click on !! With units selected
|-
| Open ground || '''Move''' there, in the current [[Stances and formations|formation]]
|-
| An enemy unit or building || '''Attack''' it
|-
| Your own unfinished building || Villagers '''help build''' it
|-
| Your own damaged building || Villagers '''repair''' it
|-
| An ally's building || Move there
|-
| A resource || '''Gather''' it: villagers gather and chop, fishing ships fish, and other units walk to it
|-
| An ally's market || Trade carts and trade ships '''trade''' there
|}
* '''Rally point:''' with one of your buildings that trains units selected (and no units selected), right-click the map to set where its new units go. Right-click the building itself twice quickly to clear it. A dock's rally point must be on water.
* Orders are carried out one at a time: holding Shift does not queue orders or waypoints.

== Building and training ==
* The '''command grid''' shows the build menu for the current tab, or, when you have selected one of your buildings that trains units, its list of units.
* Its ten buttons have fixed keys, by position: '''Q''', '''Alt + W''', '''E''', '''R''', '''T''' on the first row and '''Alt + A''', '''Alt + S''', '''Alt + D''', '''F''', '''G''' on the second. Only the '''left''' Alt key works for these. The key is shown on each button and in its tooltip.
* '''F1''' to '''F4''' switch the build menu's tab (Economy, Military, Defensive, Unique). This works even when the build menu is minimised.
* '''Placing a building:''' after you pick one, a preview follows the cursor. Left-click places it. Walls are laid by pressing, dragging and releasing. Rotate the preview with '''Comma''' and '''Period''', or with '''Ctrl + mouse wheel'''. '''Right-click''' or '''Escape''' cancels.
* '''Training queue:''' click a unit waiting in a building's queue to cancel it and get its cost back.
* '''Delete''' opens a confirmation to delete the selected building. It never deletes without asking.

== Minimap ==
* '''Left-click''' the minimap to move the camera there.
* '''Right-click''' the minimap to send the selected units there, as a move order in the current formation.
* What the minimap shows depends on the [[Fog of war|fog of war]].

== Windows and menus ==
* '''Escape''' does the first of these that applies: it cancels the building you are placing, leaves the chat box, or opens or closes the game menu. '''F10''' also opens the game menu.
* The game menu holds '''Resign''' (see [[Victory conditions]]) and the settings.
* '''U''' opens the [[Disciplines]] window. Tap the key: holding it does not open the window.
* '''C''' opens the [[Callings|Calling]] window in story missions only. In a skirmish your Calling is chosen in the lobby.
* The [[Stances and formations|formation picker]] can also be cycled with '''Tab''' (and '''Shift + Tab''' backwards) after clicking on it.
* '''Chat:''' type in the chat box and press '''Enter''' to send. You can write on the Map and Team tabs; System and Combat are read-only.
* '''Moving the HUD:''' every panel can be moved and resized from the HUD layout editor in the settings. In the editor, '''Enter''' keeps your changes and '''Escape''' cancels them.
* While the game menu or the end-of-match screen is open, the game's hotkeys do nothing.

== Not in the game ==
* Rebinding keys.
* Turning or tilting the camera.
* Queuing orders with Shift.
* Pause and game speed controls (the game speed is fixed).

Controls - Revision history

DTX Studios: Wiki launch content: written from the game's code, data and story bible (Tools/wiki/content)