Joystick Camera mode on trackpad

[halifax]

There have been a lot of complaints early on about the Steam Controller's emulation of a standard gamepad. The single biggest complaint being that it sucks to use the right trackpad as an emulated joystick.

I totally agreed at first. But I've been forced to use it by the PC version of Watch_Dogs. A game that is good and that I want to play more of - but it's mouse support is the worst I've seen in a while when it comes to console ports.

So I've been spending more time with the Steam Controller in standard gamepad/Joystick Camera mode and actually starting to like it now, and get more control over it.

You have to set it to "Aggresive" vs. "Linear" and also tweak the "Anti-dead Zone". The ADZ is a cool feature Valve deserves props for.

It's not bad! I can definitely fine aim with the virtual joystick on the pad better than a real joystick. Not as good as a mouse, but good enough to be a nice step up for shooters from an x-bone or PS4 controller.

Anyone else given the Joystick Camera mode a real run for its money?

[gibbletgravy]

I have been trying so hard to get used to using a trackpad as a joystick and I just can't. I do have it set to Aggressive and have messed around with the ADZ some but it sill just sucks. It is alright when I am just running or looking around in a game but when combat starts I am all over the place. I just can't really tell where my finger is like I can with an actual joystick.

I honestly do not know if I am going to be able to replace my xbox controller with the steam controller. I mean it is great for games that are built for keyboard and mouse such as the original witcher. Even with GTA 5 it is nice to have it set to trackball mode. But some games do not work well with a gamepad in mouse mode, you cannot move and look at the same time *cough* Dying Light *cough* Shadow of Mordor *cough*.

I hope steam adresses these compatibility issues in the near future.

[PlayerNameT]

Well let's put it this way: You won't ever use joystick emulation unless a game really forces you to.

Thats just how it is. Mouse emulation in trackball mode is SO much better than the joystick mode and this really can't be argued with. If you find yourself in need to use it however and get used to it it's not as horrible as it is on first sight.

But some games do not work well with a gamepad in mouse mode, you cannot move and look at the same time *cough* Dying Light *cough* Shadow of Mordor *cough*.

I've been playing a lot of Shadow of Mordor with the Steam Controller and actually never saw a problem with having the trackpad set to trackball mode. What exactly is the issue you are having with those games?

[madjr]

Woodsie (John SteemOS) did also a tutorial on analog emulation:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DnLiwGFQR_Y

[God Ginrai]

Originally posted by halifax:

You have to set it to "Aggresive" vs. "Linear" and also tweak the "Anti-dead Zone". The ADZ is a cool feature Valve deserves props for.

Yea, I did pretty much the same thing for Tales of Zestiria. I turned up my ADZ to about 50%, switched to Aggressive, and put the haptics on Medium to get a good feel of how the "stick" is moving.

[NeptNutz]

Same here: 1) Don't use Linear response curve (I chose Wide). 2) Up haptics to Medium or High to get the "sense" of a stick being under there. 3) Crank ADZ to ~50%. (A few other things I can't remember, but those are the big ones.)

I submitted a public profile for Batman: Arkham Asylum with those tweaks a while back. If it's in your library, you can go take a peek at it. It's not 100% dialed in, but it's a good start and waaay better than stock!

[gibbletgravy]

Originally posted by MrSmith:

But some games do not work well with a gamepad in mouse mode, you cannot move and look at the same time *cough* Dying Light *cough* Shadow of Mordor *cough*.

I've been playing a lot of Shadow of Mordor with the Steam Controller and actually never saw a problem with having the trackpad set to trackball mode. What exactly is the issue you are having with those games?

Well with shadow of mordor when I'm trying to use trackball mode the aim is extremely choppy, like it hangs up and stuff. In dying light you just simply cannot move with the left joystick while trying to look around or aim with the right pad in mouse mode.

[halifax]

Originally posted by NeptNutz:

Same here: 1) Don't use Linear response curve (I chose Wide). 2) Up haptics to Medium or High to get the "sense" of a stick being under there. 3) Crank ADZ to ~50%. (A few other things I can't remember, but those are the big ones.)

I submitted a public profile for Batman: Arkham Asylum with those tweaks a while back. If it's in your library, you can go take a peek at it. It's not 100% dialed in, but it's a good start and waaay better than stock!

Arkham City is the one I need to load back up and finish, otherwise, I'd check it out... One of the biggest gripes I have right now is community profiles are cool and all, but I REALLY need to be able to make my own universal templates I can bring into any game.

I'm constantly having to make the same damn changes over and over to the default templates - because my idea of "a good starting point" has boiler-plate tweaks over Valve's defaults that I will use in every game.

[halifax]

Originally posted by gibbletgravy:

I have been trying so hard to get used to using a trackpad as a joystick and I just can't. I do have it set to Aggressive and have messed around with the ADZ some but it sill just sucks. It is alright when I am just running or looking around in a game but when combat starts I am all over the place. I just can't really tell where my finger is like I can with an actual joystick.

I honestly do not know if I am going to be able to replace my xbox controller with the steam controller. I mean it is great for games that are built for keyboard and mouse such as the original witcher. Even with GTA 5 it is nice to have it set to trackball mode. But some games do not work well with a gamepad in mouse mode, you cannot move and look at the same time *cough* Dying Light *cough* Shadow of Mordor *cough*.

I hope steam adresses these compatibility issues in the near future.

I played several hours of Watch_Dogs today, and made it through several action missions with car chases and firefights. I was starting to get the hang of it - it's not as good as mouse mode, but it also has its own standard console game vibe now with a better version of a joystick.

Where it really makes a difference is the fine tuning of your aim, you have much more precise control over tiny (virtual) joystick movements with the Steam Controller.

Sure, like you said, your thumb has to get used to using a virtual joystick that isn't there, but the extra joystick control is there to learn is all I'm saying.

Valve could stand to make some patches/improvements to the joystick drivers, though. That's been said several times now, and I agree. Ex: the gyro aiming assist for the joystick is still fairly useless.

[God Ginrai]

Originally posted by halifax:

One of the biggest gripes I have right now is community profiles are cool and all, but I REALLY need to be able to make my own universal templates I can bring into any game.

I'm constantly having to make the same damn changes over and over to the default templates - because my idea of "a good starting point" has boiler-plate tweaks over Valve's defaults that I will use in every game.

You can already do that. You just can't do it through the UI yet. Once you make a template you like, just copy it into the templates folder and it will show up in your templates.

[halifax]

Good to know, thanks!

[NeptNutz]

Originally posted by God Ginrai:

Originally posted by halifax:

One of the biggest gripes I have right now is community profiles are cool and all, but I REALLY need to be able to make my own universal templates I can bring into any game.

I'm constantly having to make the same damn changes over and over to the default templates - because my idea of "a good starting point" has boiler-plate tweaks over Valve's defaults that I will use in every game.

You can already do that. You just can't do it through the UI yet. Once you make a template you like, just copy it into the templates folder and it will show up in your templates.

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This, so many times over! Aside from beat-em-ups and third-person action-adventures, which were almost made for controllers to look sensible, I can easily see "My racing setup", "My FPS Setup", "My Platformer Setup" becoming pretty standard fare for most Steam Controller users.

[Rake]

forget using this thing on like a payday 2 or saints row, TR, AC, batman, etc,games you need to ACT fast! ABXY buttons are in too much AND too small. obvioulsy MS or SONY have some patent over something with a controller. best part is i never had an xbox or a playstation and yet the xbox controller was like BAM right out of the box.

[madjr]

Originally posted by Rake:

forget using this thing on like a payday 2 or saints row, TR, AC, batman, etc,games you need to ACT fast! ABXY buttons are in too much AND too small. obvioulsy MS or SONY have some patent over something with a controller. best part is i never had an xbox or a playstation and yet the xbox controller was like BAM right out of the box.

buttons are similar size / location as Wii U pad buttons: http://imgur.com/a/M9UAz

csgo is probably one of the fastest reaction times needed (1 shot dead) and people are even winning once used to it or after tweaking their settings (like gyro aiming).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSeRwYotCQ0

[Mangaki86]

I really wish Valve still made this controller. Using a mouse for shooters is the Elite tier, Yet I can't really get used to the Keyboard when playing. Even though the Steam controller's trackpad isn't as good as a mouse. It's still worlds better than using a right thumb stick for me. I came late the party, but this is the only controller I use for first and 3rd person shooters now.