Non-customisable controls in PC games, when did this become a "thing?!"

[Haggisman]

I've been out of the PC gaming scene for a couple of years, after a lot of moving around, having a new baby, and financial limitations meant it has been unfeasible to have anything other than a lowish spec. laptop. To stop myself going insane, I've been gaming on a PS3.

Now that life has settled down a bit, I've decided to get back into "grown up" p) gaming again, so I picked up a half-decent PC from work a couple of weeks ago, and been catching up on what I've missed so far; at the moment working my way through The Witcher 2, and loving it (and my god it looks beautiful!)

I don't have a monitor yet (waiting on a bonus next month to to treat myself to a 29" ultra wide), so I've been playing on my TV with a PS3 controller (don't hate me..).

Anyway, to come to the point of the thread; a work mate bought a new nvidia card over the weekend, and wasn't really interested in Watch_Dogs, so let me have the code as a thanks for showing him the cheapest place to get it (where's my commission OcUK? ).

I fired it up to have a go, and was dismayed to see that I couldn't change the button mappings on the controller (I noticed the Witcher had this flaw as well, but the control scheme on that is good anyway.)

When I was playing PC games a few years ago, I can't remember any games which didn't let you remap your buttons, and it just seems like such a fundamental feature on any PC game that I can't fathom why it's not an option?

It wouldn't even be that difficult or time consuming to add - after all, the functionality is there for keyboard and mouse?!

Just a rambling rant really I guess, and does anyone have any suggestions/know of any methods to change these controls, e.g. in an .ini/.cfg file or so?

The only change I want to make is to swap the trigger and bumper buttons when on foot, so that aim is LB rather than LT, fire is RB rather than RT (like every other game ever invented )

I can do this by changing the mappings in MotionInJoy which I'm using to emulate the 360 controller, but this then also remaps the acceleration/braking controls when driving, so I lose the analogue functionality.



TL;DR version. Can't remap my controller buttons - seems to be a trend in newer games, which "genius" decided that was a good idea?

Any way I can change the mappings in Watch_Dogs, e.g. a cfg/ini file?

 

[Haggisman]

The controls are in the GamerProfile file found in My Docs, My Games, Watch Dogs

HOWEVER, the text makes no sense for the controls so unless someone has figured out the button mappings that match the text then it could be configured maybe. This pee'd me off too as I wanted to use the PageDown key on the kb but Watch Dogs dosent recognise it so they couldn't even map a keyboard properly, let alone a controller.

Hmm, I'll check that file out tonight and see if I can get the game playable, cheers

 

[Haggisman]

"x360ce" 360 controller emulator any good to you?

I doubt it, as I'm guessing that will only swap the "hardware" controls?

The problem is, aim/fire are set to the same buttons as brake/accelerate, so if I change one, it changes the other, meaning the analogue brake/accelerate buttons would become "OMFG STOP!!!!!"/"GO FULL SPEED!!!!"

I want aim/fire on LB/RB (mapped to L1/R1 on the PS3 controller through MotionInJoy) and brake/accelerate on LT/RT (mapped to L2/R2 on the PS3 controller through MotionInJoy)

 

[Haggisman]

Triggers are usually aim and fire The only games that generally use L1 and R1 are on the PS3 because Sony designed such a bad controller.

If you fire a gun, which finger do you use for the trigger? Your index finger or your middle finger?

 

[Haggisman]

index finger of course but that's what you use to operate the analogue triggers.

if you're using your middle fingers to operate them you are the first person i have ever met that does this

Really? I always play with index fingers on L1/R1 and middle fingers on L2/R2, saves having to constantly move my hands around to swap buttons

Edit: driving games no, but that's because the L1/R1 don't tend to be used for much

 

[Haggisman]

i and everyone i know always play with index fingers on the triggers and most games have not often used functions on the l1/r1 buttons except early games like resident evil where r1 was aim and x was fire.

Most games I've played have had grenade on r2 and special ability or similar on l2

 

[Haggisman]

i don't play fps's on consoles so can't comment on them.

I don't blame you, unfortunately I'm currently a victim of necessity

I use my middle fingers on the triggers but every single game game I've ever played on 360/PC has always been left trigger aim, right trigger shoot. You say what finger do you use to shoot a gun but you also pull a trigger on a gun, hence the trigger is better for it imo. Anyway, xpadder should let you change it if you wish.

Yes, but a gun doesn't have 2 triggers above each other =P

I guess it must be a PS3 thing, which is unfortunately what I'm used to

However it does still beg the question as to why the controls aren't customisable...

 

[Haggisman]

i just googled it and there are loads of forum threads all over the place about how to hold the controller.

seems most people use index fingers for the l1/l2 and r1/r2 buttons but there are some like you that use index and middle fingers.

Yay, I'm a special little *********!

 

[Haggisman]

i'd say the special ones would be the people saying they are using their feet and jedi mind control

Might just wait with playing it till I've got a monitor, so I can play with some proper controls... (e.g. m/kb)