How to CTRL+S/CTRL+L for games with quick save/load!

[DankWestern]

Here's the solution that ended up working, feel free to read through the discussion as there is a lot of helpful information contained within if you'd like more context!

Originally posted by DankWestern:

TL;DR - To set up a CTRL+S / CTRL+L for saving and loading in games, configure as follows:

Command 1 = Control Key < Fire End Delay 80 >
Command 2 = S Key < Fire Start Delay 60 >

And alternatively, but untested:

Originally posted by ugafan:

Okay, now that you've got it working, go back and test this:

Command 1 = Control key
Command 2 = S Key <Fire start delay 25>

Howdy all, I am revisiting some older games, Divine Divinity for example, and I thought it would be pretty convenient to utilize the "Back Grip Buttons" for stuff like quick save, and quick load.

In case you're not oldschool, they used to govern these commands with CTRL plus S for save, and L for load. This doesn't seem to be working for me when I attempt to put them both as one button, say L4 for quick save, and L5 for quick load, or vice versa.

I've attempted the following different ideas to no success whatsoever:

Making L4 be CTRL, and then "Add extra command" and make that extra command S. - Nope, does nothing

Making L4 be CTRL, and then "Add sub command" and make that extra command S. - Nope, does nothing.

Making L4 be S, and then "Add extra command" and make that extra command CTRL. - Nope, does nothing.

Making L4 be S, and then "Add sub command" and make that extra command CTRL. - Nope, does nothing.

I have also tried toggling the slider which makes them interruptible, and it does nothing regardless of which toggle it is.

I thought for a bit that my Back Grip Buttons might be broken or something somehow, and performing the calibration test shows that everything is working as intended.

TL;DR - Does anyone know if it's even possible to set a single button to be a multi-button command, and if so... HOW DID YOU DO IT???

lol thanks in advance!

[ugafan]

Add extra command S and give it a fire start delay. That way Ctrl is pressed before S.

[DankWestern]

Hmm, I do see the fire start delay, but it's not a button or a toggle, it's a slider. I tried setting it to 100 because the number is completely arbitrary to me as I have no idea what the difference between 1 and 1,000 is, but that also did nothing unfortunately.
I tried it again on 200, and also nothing.

*Edit - Also, S is the sub command, the only options for it are "Remove command" and "Cancel"

*Edit2 - Thank you for the reply btw :D

*Edit3 - Wait, are you saying that the option to do that is only available as you are adding it? I'll try that...

*Edit4 - That didn't work either, there's no option to add anything to the sub command when creating it, you just tell it you want S as the sub command, and then it goes "Okay" and that's all you get.

I did try setting the fire delay to 1,000 just to see, and then again to 25, but it doesn't do anything either way. Are the numbers miliseconds of delay or something?

[ugafan]

The numbers are milliseconds of delay.

Don't use a sub-command. S will need to be an extra command with a fire start delay.

EDIT: If it's still not working, you can add a fire end delay to CTRL.

[The Nintendo Patent Lawsuit Fest]

I have ran into this in many games, as is suggested, you need to make it so CTRL is pressed some time before the other command

Like ugafan says, bind to CTRL, leave as is. Add extra command. Add fire start delay to the extra command, doesn't have to be long. Done. Should do the trick. Fire end delay to CTRL is a good idea too tho, so you don't have to hold the button

[DankWestern]

Thanks for the replies, but it seems like I'm still missing something... I'll go through my exact process step by step and maybe someone can tell me where I'm missing a step.

Controller Settings > Add Command for L5 > Set to keyboard CTRL > Click gear > Settings > Fire End Delay to 25ish as I still have no idea what the precise number should be, or even a ballpark > Back > Gear icon > Add extra command > Keyboard S >

I may have figured out a potential roadblock, on the quick settings for L5, the extra command just has the 2 options for Remove and Cancel... however, going into the screen where you can edit other buttons seems to open up the same settings that the main command had, so I've set the Fire End Delay to 25 for CTRL, and the settings commands for the extra command Fire End Delay to 25 as I still don't understand or know why a delay should be used, or for which command.

I've given them both a Fire End Delay of about 25 each, and left the Fire Start Delay at 0 for both, and it's still doing nothing.

I can't believe how much of a pain in the butt doing something this simple is. Thanks for your patience so far, I really do appreciate everyone helping!

[retro_Ed]

Another way to set two keyboard combos is to bind CTRL to one button and combine S and L to another button.
Press S for save and long press L for load

[DankWestern]

Originally posted by retro_Ed:

Another way to set two keyboard combos is to bind CTRL to one button and combine S and L to another button.
Press S for save and long press L for load

I'm very open to alternatives as I've hit a wall on this entirely. How do you go about doing that?

[retro_Ed]

Originally posted by DankWestern:

Originally posted by retro_Ed:

Another way to set two keyboard combos is to bind CTRL to one button and combine S and L to another button.
Press S for save and long press L for load

I'm very open to alternatives as I've hit a wall on this entirely. How do you go about doing that?

Try first L4 CTRL and L5 L load combo

edit: add S also to L5 button but make it LONG PRESS

[DankWestern]

Ohhh, I'd considered using 2 buttons, but I did not want to have to double the amount of buttons needed as it would reduce the overall availability of buttons... however, this might be the only way to do it it appears... Thanks for this suggestion, I may just end up doing that.

Also, just for anyone reading, I've Googled this, drudged through countless Reddit posts, watched an endless number of YouTube videos, and nobody seems to ever directly address how to configure a CTRL+S/CTRL+L for saving and loading. It's bizarre how uncommon this is! My plan is to configure Deck controls for a whole bunch of retro classics, but this one thing is preventing me from sharing these layouts in the community controls for others to use.

Thanks again in advance, I'll be closely monitoring all replies to this!

[retro_Ed]

I use original Steam Controller on my television. My browser settings works for zooming webpage.
CTRL - and CTRL + are on separate buttons. Also CTRL 0 for default zoom level.

Only issue for helping is that I have used this settings many years and it was made before this current big picture mode.

It seems that my CTRL -+ are made with bindings method.

[DankWestern]

Hmm, I don't understand what you mean by just using 'the bindings method' aren't all controller configurations a method of binding functions to buttons?

I would be curious if you wanted to share that layout as a community share, and what it's for so I can find it. Maybe I can reverse engineer your method?

[ugafan]

S (Extra command) = Fire START Delay 25
That is the most important step. If it doesn't work at 25, increase to 50.

If you want, you can change S to a start press. But no matter what, it will still need the fire start delay. It should NOT have a fire end delay.

Any fire end delay should only be applied to CTRL.

[DankWestern]

Originally posted by ugafan:

S (Extra command) = Fire START Delay 25
That is the most important step. If it doesn't work at 25, increase to 50.

If you want, you can change S to a start press. But no matter what, it will still need the fire start delay. It should NOT have a fire end delay.

Any fire end delay should only be applied to CTRL.

Are you sure? Everyone before this seems to think that's the important part... Maybe people are messing with me or something lol, or maybe you are. Hard to tell, but I'll be fussing around with everyone's suggestions periodically as my free time allows till something works.

[DankWestern]

Alright, I'm still not able to do this. I think I might be getting confused with all the conflicting instructions and lack of steps. Let's take it from the start again and maybe someone will see what step I'm missing or performing incorrectly.

Steam button
Controller Settings to Controller Settings
Edit layout
Back Grips

Add command for L5
Keyboard set to "CTRL"

Gear icon

Hold to Repeat (Turbo) - off
Haptics Intensity - Off
Fire Start Delay at 60
Fire End Delay to 0
Cycle Commands to OFF
Toggle to OFF
Interruptible to ON

Clicked on Close

Under L5, click Gear icon ,then 'Add extra command'
Keyboard set to "S"
Fire Start Delay set to 100 because I guess... you'd probably hold CTRL first and then hit S to save, so I'd guess the delay should be longer before S is pressed???

Then that's it, and it does nothing. Thanks again for all your replies, and thanks in advance for anyone still patient enough to assist.

[The Nintendo Patent Lawsuit Fest]

Originally posted by DankWestern:

Thanks for the replies, but it seems like I'm still missing something... I'll go through my exact process step by step and maybe someone can tell me where I'm missing a step.

Controller Settings > Add Command for L5 > Set to keyboard CTRL > Click gear > Settings > Fire End Delay to 25ish as I still have no idea what the precise number should be, or even a ballpark > Back > Gear icon > Add extra command > Keyboard S >

I may have figured out a potential roadblock, on the quick settings for L5, the extra command just has the 2 options for Remove and Cancel... however, going into the screen where you can edit other buttons seems to open up the same settings that the main command had, so I've set the Fire End Delay to 25 for CTRL, and the settings commands for the extra command Fire End Delay to 25 as I still don't understand or know why a delay should be used, or for which command.

I've given them both a Fire End Delay of about 25 each, and left the Fire Start Delay at 0 for both, and it's still doing nothing.

I can't believe how much of a pain in the butt doing something this simple is. Thanks for your patience so far, I really do appreciate everyone helping!

Well this is wrong, read again what we said...
Give CTRL a Fire >>END<< Delay (optional, but means very short taps don't miss the combo)
Give S a Fire >>START<< Delay (crucial)

Fire END Delay means "wait this many milliseconds before ending the key input (fire)"
Fire START Delay means "wait this many milliseconds before firing the key"

The number is in milliseconds, so how long you want this to take is up to your discretion, or up the game which might need a longer amount of time between the key presses. The higher the number, the longer CTRL will be pressed before S is pressed

The reason why only setting both commands to one key doesn't work is unbeknownst to me, but a lot of games have this problem with various key combinations. I can only imagine what happens is that the Steam Deck will "press" both keys and send both inputs to a game at the exact same time, while the game in question is programmed to listen to CTRL in one step and only in subsequent steps accept S as a combined key. So sending both at the same time would cause the game to process merely an individual CTRL input and an individual S input within a single step. Just my guess