Hey Jumpyfoot. Movement and rotation are tied to turns or fraction of turns (ie, rotation progresses time) and some things in the game are tied to this mechanic. Pressing numpads to rotate and move would be more confusing since rotation 180 degrees to move back would take about 2 turns.
If you're having trouble with orientation, try skipping strafe buttons (A & D) and stick to moving forward and backward (W & S), and rotating left and right when needed (Q & E). Using just rotations should be simple enough.