This being the first game I've speedrun I didn't think anything of rebinding the hotkeys for this game to reduce hand cramps after reading a now defunct rules page on speed demos archive that stated one to one keyboard remapping was typically allowed.

While looking at the forum posts for Heroes 3 I saw that changing the key bindings was ruled against which scared the heck out of me as I might have inadvertently cheated every run I've submitted since my 18 second easy skirmish run. While there's not too much benefit to clustering most of the hotkeys as I can already span E to Enter (the most important pair), there is definite consistency and speed added from the new proximity of my escape key allowing me to exit menu's and claim exp from treasure chests faster without wildly viper striking across the keyboard.

Seeing as I was about to start attempting runs on the Roland campaign category I figure I might as well look for a ruling before I flush 100 attempts down the toilet.

To preemptively advocate for it, my opinion on changing key bindings is that it adds accessibility to a game and removes advantages that could be gained from different hardware, such as mini/travel keyboards, laptop keyboards, split ergonomic keyboards or alternate layouts such as Dvorak which can give easier access to hotkey locations as given. It also removes the advantage given by large hands such as my own which can span most of the hotkeys barring esc, (albeit painfully) while being technically available to anyone without additional purchase.

I know now that this wasn't the obvious conclusion I thought it was and probably should have been asked prior to submitting 13 potentially tainted runs. But better late then never I suppose. I look forward to the ruling so I can carry on trying to quietly usurp Hydralicious in the Roland campaign.

I can understand adams point in the H3 section. Maybe there are less "tech savvy" people that dont know how to fix key bindings. That would in a sense give an advantage to someone binding keys to their preferred place.

With that said, I do agree with you that ergonomically this game is chore to grind. Toggling between E, C, M and Enter (with a qwerty keyboard at least) is not by any strech of the imagination fun. One of the reasons at least I dont grind this more (yes I've been eyeballing your archibald record (because it's awesome)) is exactly because if you want to go fast your wrist will suffer.

A potential solution that I would think of is to add a quide on how you could rebind the keys in the rule section. That way everyone is on the same playing field.

I'll quietly sit in the shadows lurking until I get my Roland silver medal.