Controller questions

[Dweller_Benthos]

I tried to get my ancient Gravis Eliminator working with GTA and it does, sort of. Since the game doesn't see the D-pad for some reason in native mode, I used an Xbox 360 controller emulator that I've used before in games that only recognize an Xbox controller. That works decent enough, but while driving, I noticed one thing, how do you activate the current character's special ability? The black guy has the ability to slow down time while driving, which makes taking those sharp turns easier, and weaving around traffic becomes simple. On the keyboard, the default key is caps lock, but looking at the various controller settings, I don't see any way to activate the special ability, is there a trick?

I'm thinking of just getting an Xbox controller to replace my 10 year old Eliminator, but if you can't use that ability, what's the point?

[Stiku]

With the XBOX360 pad, you need to press left and right analogs down to activate the specials.

Eliminator is an old dInput device, which are no longer supported, and XBOX360/XBOXONE/PS3/PS4 pads are the newer xInput compatible devices that are in use nowdays.

[Dweller_Benthos]

Ah, that's nice to know, the config screen doesn't tell you that. Least not that I saw.

Yeah, I know the Eliminator is old, heck, I bought it when sound cards stopped having game ports on them and I had to stop using my Sidewinder lol. The emulator I have converts to xinput, but for some reason can't get the dpad working. Plus I don't know if it's because of the emulator or not, but the analog sticks are super sensitive and I'm over steering all the time.

Guess I'll head to Best Buy tomorrow and pick up an Xbox controller.

[Stiku]

That oversteering issues is mostly related to the games mechanic, and the skill levels of the character.
More you drive more smoother and precise the driving becomes.

direct input actually has limitations about how many analog sticks it can have(1), and other things related to the number of buttons etc etc. So most likely its because the emulator cant lock into all of the buttons in the dInput side and emulate them into the xinput side.

[PZ]

More you drive more smoother and precise the driving becomes.

I can attest to that - I'm at 100% with F and only starting with M.  The difference in handling is remarkable when I change characters

[Dweller_Benthos]

Yeah I see that now. I got an Xbox One controller which is nice, mostly for the analog throttle. Using a keyboard it's only off or 100% so it's much easier to control when you can give it half or quarter gas lol

But I got used to the controller after a bit, and drove around for a couple hours with the two guys I have unlocked (the rich guy and the black guy) and it was after a bit that the popup appeared that the driving skill had increased, so I need to get that maxed for everyone. Then I went to the shooting range (see another post about that) to get the shooting skill up.

Flying, though, wow is that tricky. Starting to get the hang of it, but I don't see how people pull off the stunts I've seen in videos.

[Stiku]

Once you get Binnati... sorry, Trevor, he actually has the best flight skills of them all.
Having 100 on driving skills with Michael(rich guy) isn't the same as having 100 with Franklin(Black guy), as driving is a special skill of Franklin's and Flying is Trevor's special skill.

I actually like flying with the lazers around the city in online, which I have done soy many times now, taking really right turns with the jet and landed on couple of the highrise buildings without destroying the jet in the process.

Also I do also the the xbox one gamepad, but somehow my hands arent made for that gamepad, so I reverted to use the older 360 pad, which is more to my liking.

[Dweller_Benthos]

Ah, yeah, I've been flying with Michael I guess. I did notice that Franklin has better driving skills. That's mostly what I came to figure out, each one has a different skill set, probably best to use the one that best matches the job, but not a bad idea to level each of them up at least a little in all the skills.

Since I've never used the XBox 360 controller, I don't really know, but the XBox one seems to fit comfortably for me, though I would like to have the underneath part where you wrap your fingers around be a little more beefy to fit my fingers better. It would also be nice if the bottom was wrapped in a more soft rubbery material to make gripping it a bit better.

[Dweller_Benthos]

I'm kind of bummed you can't re-map the controller to what you want. I find it awkward to have to press both sticks in order to activate the special skill, would be a lot better on the D-pad or a button.

Also not sure why they thought making the bicycle button to move forward not the trigger LIKE EVERY OTHER VEHICLE, but the A button? I did that bike race with the son on the beach and sat there for a few minutes mashing the trigger trying to get it to go. Hit every other button (except A, as that's always answer phone or something stupid, in any other vehicle) but never got it to move. Had to resort to the keyboard to get the bike moving. A while later I figured out it was the A button, just plain stupid if you ask me.

For everything else that's well thought out in the game, the control decisions just seem dumb to me.

Let me re-map controller buttons! I suppose I could always try Joy To Key, but don't really want to add another layer of emulation if I don't need it.

[Binnatics]

It's weird that they changed the forward button for the bikes ???

I never liked controllers and I guess I never will. I've bent my fingers to fit on the keyboard for so long now, they feel quite at home there :-D
On;y when driving, especially in FPS mode on a bike, it's nasty to not being able to softly steer to the right or left. It's indeed 'on' or 'off' so if you have to make a slow turn you have to keep pushing it in short bursts to make a perfect turn. And the vision will go up and down equally on the bike
But I am enjoying myself a lot better in 3rd person, I've been playing the game in FPS for at least 15 hours (I got that achievement, lol) and only underwater it has advantages over 3rd person for me.  ^-^

[Art Blade]

I never liked Batman but that was the game I bought the controller for. Now, after Batman, I am happy that I have both got a controller and sufficient experience with that controller. My xbox for PC controller is just great for GTAV. I use it most of the time except when it comes to shooting.. then I put it aside and use mouse and keyboard. I spend about 50/50 in first and third person view.

And I agree D_B, there are some weird decisions regarding the controller mapping.

[Dweller_Benthos]

Yeah the analog steering and throttle control on the controller are what make driving so much easier. You can throttle down and take a corner smoothly instead of jerky motions and uneven throttling. I may just go back to Far Cry 4 now that I've got the controller and see how much of a difference it is. It never bothered me using the keyboard while driving in that game, but GTA is so much more finicky.

And I had a thought this morning while I was still in bed waiting for the alarm to go off... maybe the controller buttons can be changed? There is the "Alternate" option in the keyboard config, I wonder if it will take an input from a controller? Have to try tonight.

[Art Blade]

I think there is that one thing for alternative hand braking and there are quite a few other presets that change the whole layout.

[Dweller_Benthos]

Yeah you can't bind controller inputs in anyway I can find, just change the entire pre-set layout, and none of them have what I'm looking for.

What I would want to do, is steer and do throttle with the left hand so I can keep my right hand on the mouse to look around and shoot with.

[Art Blade]

oh man, that would be perfect

[PZ]

What I would want to do, is steer and do throttle with the left hand so I can keep my right hand on the mouse to look around and shoot with.

I seem to recall that you've done that before in other games - true?

[Binnatics]

That would indeed bring the good of those two together ;)

[Dweller_Benthos]

I seem to recall that you've done that before in other games - true?

Yeah, but with mouse and keyboard. Without a way to re-map controller input, there's no way to do it with a controller. Unless I try JoyToKey, and that might just cause issues if it's trying to send one input and the game is expecting another. It's mostly made for older games with no controller support so you can map keyboard inputs to controllers buttons.

[PZ]

 Best of luck, D_B  :-X

I'm probably wrong in my recollection, but I thought I remembered someone balancing a controller on one knee and using a mouse with the other hand.  Probably your post about a keyboard on the knee

[Dweller_Benthos]

Might have been me, as I use the controller to drive, then drop it in my lap and use the mouse and keyboard to walk around.

Googling around, there have been some attempts to weld a trackball onto an Xbox controller, but they are all home jobs, no one has made a commercial one as far as I can see. The problem is, they are making them for the Xbox which can not understand a trackball and they have to cludge the thing with a calibration to make it think it's still a thumbstick. On GTA on a PC, it natively understands mouse input, so just adding a trackball shouldn't be too hard, it's just a matter of cramming one in there. I doubt I'll do much about it, unless there's a pre-made option, I'll just deal with it. As it is, when I need to drive and shoot, I just go back to the mouse and keyboard and deal with it until I can switch to pure driving again and use the controller.

[Art Blade]

when I need to drive and shoot, I just go back to the mouse and keyboard and deal with it until I can switch to pure driving again and use the controller.

same here. I use the controller for almost everything except shooting while driving and shooting generally, which is when I switch to mouse and keyboard.

[PZ]

Although I've not done much of what you chaps do, I can see why - shooting with the controller is almost impossible for me unless there is some kind of aim assist.

[Binnatics]

I've seen videos of people doing amazing jobs with the controller when it comes to eaiming and shooting. I've even played against other players in Max Payne 3 MP who used a controller against me with the mouse and they were better than me. Without aim-assist. It's a matter of getting used to it I guess. But I won't even try to get used to it, since I like the liberty a mouse gives you.  ^-^

[Dweller_Benthos]

They are just poor souls who don't know any better, Binn, let them have their controllers, because if they are that good with those clunky things, imagine how much they could do with a mouse and keyboard?

Or just join any Counterstrike game online and have your hind quarters handed to you, to see what someone who's really good and plays way too much can do on mouse and keyboard.

[Art Blade]

 :-D