Your Controller, Mouse, & Keyboard Configurations Options

[Renee]

Thought it'd be fun to share our controller configurations, since three of us have been discussing. Those who wish to post their keyboard/mouse layouts can do so as well. I shall start.

This first setup is for "Variable Movement". I have another set specific for "2-speed", which I'll post below later. In order to get variable character movement, I must make sure the controller is ON before starting the game.

Controller Type: Xbox 360 wireless

Xpadder Set 1

A = corresponds to Return and Left Mouse on a keyboard. So this is weapons, but A also selects menu choices.

B = This button is dedicated to selecting Xpadder Set 2 (see below). So, if I press + hold B, I'm able to press some other buttons/bumpers/triggers which perform an expanded set of functions.

X = Jump. I always configure X for Jump in Bethesda games.

Y = Draw or Sheathe Weapon

Start = Options Menu (Save, Load, etc.)

Back = Rest

Left Stick = Arrows (up, down, left, right) Heh, I thought I used WASD.
Right Stick = Character Look Around. I've got this set to Mouse - Normal thru Xpadder.

Left Bumper = Block. I have Rumble set 50% for Block, so the controller vibrates when this gets held!

Right Bumper = Sneak

Left Trigger = Grab (I think). This trigger also opens up Set 3 (see below) for changing menus.
Right Trigger = Cast Spell

Left Analog Stick (push) = Activate
Right Analog Stick (push) = Change View

D-pad = hotkeys 1 thru 8, similar to how it's done on consoles.

I also have Hotkey Pro, but I haven't configured it yet as I'm still rebuilding my game.


Xpadder Set 2 (this set of buttons, triggers, bumpers is available while holding B.

B + A = Mouse Wheel up. (zooms the camera out)
B + Y = Mouse Wheel down (zooms the camera in)

Hmm, I might change those somehow. But I like zooming the camera with these buttons because I can walk my character while also zooming in or out.

B + X = Not used
B + Start = Not used
B + Back =Not used

B + Left Stick = Not used
B + Right Stick = Not used

B + Left Bumper = Quicksave
B + Right Bumper = I'm not sure what this does, but it's configured to the letter P on the keyboard. Hmm.

B + Left Trigger = Menus
B + Right Trigger = Not used

B + Left Analog Stick (push) = corresponds to Ctrl Left, but I forget what I use this for. Probably for a specific mod.
B + Right Analog Stick (push) = Not used

B + D-pad = Arrows. While holding B and pressing the D-pad this is how I navigate menus. I can also hold B and use the left stick up/down for menu scrolling.


Xpadder Set 3

If I hold the Left Trigger while in a menu, I can use the Left Analog mushroom to move between Character, Items, Spell, and Map/Quest menus. And then as stated directly above, I use B+D-pad (or B+left stick) to move within those individual menus.

This sounds complicated and clunky, but I'm so used to menu-surfing without a mouse in this way. 🎮


============================================


This is my "2-speed" layout. The left analog stick no longer has variable movement if I use this. In order for me to get 2 speeds, the controller must be OFF before starting the game.

Really, everything is the same as the Variable Movement layout in the above post, except some Set 2 selections are different.

B + Right Bumper = Autowalk (corresponds to Tab on a keyboard).

B + Left Analog = Camera zoom, up for zoom out / down for zoom in.

B + Y = right mouse button. I need this for mods like Horse Commands, which I've got configured so that clicking on a horse with the right mouse (B+Y) opens an inventory menu. 🐎

Left Trigger = switches between Walk and Run.

There are some other buttons/triggers/bumpers set in Xpadder's Set 2, but I can't remember what they're for!

This post has been edited by Renee: Oct 16 2024, 03:24 PM

[TheCheshireKhajiit]

I have another controller question. Ok, I’ve got the left stick click (or L3) assigned to left CTRL (change view). It works but you can’t zoom the third person camera in and out. How would I go about setting it so that when I hold down L3 and then hold Ltrigger or Rtrigger it will activate the up and down mouse wheel function?

[Lena Wolf]

I have another controller question. Ok, I’ve got the left stick click (or L3) assigned to left CTRL (change view). It works but you can’t zoom the third person camera in and out. How would I go about setting it so that when I hold down L3 and then hold Ltrigger or Rtrigger it will activate the up and down mouse wheel function?

In my controller scheme it was configured on the second joystick tab, so that you would hold down the left bumper (switch to joystick 2) and then use right or left trigger to zoom in and out. You can copy that configuration to another button, but the bottom line is that you need two buttons for zooming.

[TheCheshireKhajiit]

I have another controller question. Ok, I’ve got the left stick click (or L3) assigned to left CTRL (change view). It works but you can’t zoom the third person camera in and out. How would I go about setting it so that when I hold down L3 and then hold Ltrigger or Rtrigger it will activate the up and down mouse wheel function?

In my controller scheme it was configured on the second joystick tab, so that you would hold down the left bumper (switch to joystick 2) and then use right or left trigger to zoom in and out. You can copy that configuration to another button, but the bottom line is that you need two buttons for zooming.

Yeah I figured I’d need to make it a button combo. On Xbox you hold down L3 and then one of the triggers zooms and the other backs off.

I guess I over looked it on your set up. Thanks for making me aware of it!

[Renee]

I've got Xpadder so probably won't help you specifically, Khajiit. But for anyone else who comes along and uses Xpadder....

In my game the Xbox's B button causes a second set of buttons, triggers, sticks, and bumpers to be available. So I hold down B + left joystick to move the camera in our out. Pushing B+ left joystick/forward makes the mouse wheel go up (which corresponds to Zoom Out) and pushing B + left joystick/downward (toward me) is mouse wheel down/Zoom In.

I also went into the Advanced menu for each (Mouse Wheel Up and Mouse Wheel In) and the clicked Turbo on. This controls how fast or slow the mouse wheel "blips" as I'm zooming in our out. Doesn't work as variably as the mouse wheel itself, but that's okay.

This post has been edited by Renee: Sep 19 2024, 10:20 PM

[Lena Wolf]

I've got Xpadder so probably won't help you specifically, Khajiit. But for anyone else who comes along and uses Xpadder....

The exact same thing could be configured also with JoyToKeys. Because an analogue stick is actually 4 buttons. You are using only 2 of them - up and down, and probably have nothing configured for left and right. On JoyToKey you can also configure an analogue stick as 8 buttons (diagonal movement becomes "buttons"), but I have a feeling it wouldn't work very well. However, I never tried it!

[Renee]

Yes, that is true for Xpadder too. Hey, why don't you post your controller layouts? Would love to see what ya got.



This post has been edited by Renee: Sep 20 2024, 02:34 AM

[Lena Wolf]

I'm too lazy to type it all out. Here it is in screenshots. The configuration file for JoyToKeys is posted in the other thread ("Oblivion technical issues" or some such) and it has all keys marked in it as well.

I have two maps, known as "Joystick 1" and "Joystick 2" (as in: joystick map 1 and 2). The first one is straightforward: press the button and stuff happens. The second one is accessed by pressing and holding LB (left bumper). Besides that, I also have some button combinations defined, as listed in the configuration.

My main idea is to use the first map for common actions, movement, etc., and use the second map for mod-added keys. The only common key there is zooming, more or less.

The left stick in the first map does walking as well as running. Push it lightly for walking (in any direction), and push it all the way for running. It then applies Shift which makes them run.

This works in conjunction with that OBSE mod "Use WASD keys in menus" and obviously the bunch of mods for the mod-specific keys.

In these screenshots, "Stick1" is the left stick and "Stick2" is the right stick, "POV" is the funny wheel on the left side of the controller. I have it set up for 8 buttons since my controller is good enough at responding to diagonal presses.





This post has been edited by Lena Wolf: Sep 20 2024, 11:01 AM

[mirocu]

*looks at thread*


*leaves quietly with keyboard and mouse in hand*

[Renee]

Lena: Wow, look at that! Really detailed!! Feel like I could learn a thing or two.

mirocu: just post your keyboard / mouse configurations. Do you prefer WASD or arrows? That sort of thing.

It's just interesting to see how we all do things different.

[mirocu]

mirocu: just post your keyboard / mouse configurations. Do you prefer WASD or arrows? That sort of thing.

I've always used the arrow keys. I don't like WASD because they are not directly square to each other but slightly disaligned. I also find it much easier to find additional keys by feel when using the arrow keys.


Also; I've always thought that the NES and XBOX 360 controllers are the best

[Renee]

Also; I've always thought that the NES and XBOX 360 controllers are the best

That's right, you do have some early consoles. You ever played Faxanadu on original Nintendo?

Acadian's wife got a console (a PS4, I think) and I was teaching her (thru him) how controllers work. And I realized that for a pure PC gamer, controllers can be difficult to get used to. I'm only good with them because I've been gaming since the early 80s. There was a progression there:

Atari 2600 only had ONE button and ONE joystick.

Nintendo bumped this up to two buttons and a directional pad, along with two inner auxiliary buttons.

A roommate had a Sega during my 20s (1990s), which had a more complex controller.

Playstation introduced 4 bumpers (upper and lower) along with the d-pad, the two auxiliary buttons and extra buttons on the right.

The dual-shock added two joysticks. Variable movement from joysticks. The two lower bumpers became triggers. Pretty sure original Xbox also had all of this, although I never owned an original Xbox myself.

PS3/Xbox 360, the joysticks are now also buttons.

My point is there was a progression over the years. Those of us who evolved through the progression have gotten used to each new feature one at a time. Acadian's wife had to learn all of this at once!

This post has been edited by Renee: Sep 24 2024, 05:00 PM

[Lena Wolf]

Those of us who evolved through the progression have gotten used to each new feature one at a time. Acadian's wife had to learn all of this at once!

As had I. I never owned any consoles or joysticks until... well... 2010 or so. So I don't know any of those earlier versions, and I do NOT play games with a keyboard and mouse (because RSI). I found the Xbox controller design easier on the old carpal tunnel, but at the same time I found the PlayStation controllers easier to handle because the sticks and buttons had a lighter touch... go figure.

[TheCheshireKhajiit]

I started gaming way back in the lateish 80’s on an NES. Then we had a Super NES, a Sega Genesis, an N64, an original PlayStation (which is ‘ackshually’ when Sony introduced their first two joystick controller with the DualShock controller). It wasn’t until after the N64 and PlayStation that we got a PC capable of running any games. Controllers are just a more natural fit for me than M&KB.

[mirocu]

That's right, you do have some early consoles. You ever played Faxanadu on original Nintendo?

Same answer as before; no. Never came in contact with that game though you have told me it's apparently a good'un.


On topic I also have a Sega Genesis/Mega Drive controller but that one I have to say is crap. I never liked that controller design at all.