Hidden BAR UI Shortcuts: CTRL+Click State Settings and Custom Defaults
Beyond All Reason includes several interface shortcuts that new players do not discover on their own. The CTRL plus click modifier on state settings allows players to change defaults. This article explains how it works and what else to customize.
CTRL plus click to change defaults
Beyond All Reason interface includes a hidden shortcut for changing default settings. Players who CTRL plus click on a state setting can modify the default value that applies to future sessions. This is not immediately obvious and no tutorial prompts explain it.
Shift plus click does not work for this function. The correct modifier is CTRL plus click on the specific state setting toggle. Some settings require initial configuration before CTRL plus click activates the default override. Players should experiment with this in the settings menu to discover which toggles support it.
Common settings that benefit from custom defaults include camera behavior, unit grouping preferences, and build queue positioning. Setting these once saves time in every subsequent match.
Learning from experienced players
The Beyond All Reason community maintains tutorial content for advanced interface techniques. Experienced players with thousands of teamplay games often produce guides that cover these hidden shortcuts. New players benefit from watching or reading these tutorials rather than discovering each convention through trial and error.
Community channels that share tip videos, written guides, and walkthrough links serve as the primary knowledge base for BAR techniques that do not appear in-game documentation.
Replay website awareness
Experienced Beyond All Reason players direct new players toward the replay website as a learning resource. The replay site at beyondallreason.info stores all public match replays automatically. Players unfamiliar with this resource miss out on free game analysis and strategy study material.
The community encourages using the website to find replays rather than relying solely on local files. The website search function, despite occasional bugs, remains the most convenient way to locate games from specific players or on specific maps.
AI matches versus human matches
Some Beyond All Reason tips and strategies translate directly from AI matches to human matches, while others do not. AI opponents follow predictable patterns that human players exploit. Human opponents adapt, scout, and counter. Players who rely exclusively on AI strategies find human matches much more challenging.
Community knowledge sharing
Pieces of BAR knowledge spread through community channels as players share discoveries. A player who figures out CTRL plus click defaults tells one person, who tells another, and eventually the trick reaches newer community members through word of mouth. Structured communities accelerate this process by creating dedicated tutorial channels and training sessions.
"It is so easy to get on with everyone and there is zero toxicity. Just fun games of BAR which can have quite a toxic community usually."