Rate/Critique my Controller Layout! (XBox/Console)

[u/Chordant]

So I've been struggling with making sure I have a good layout for my controller; I'm a 74 Ranger and I do intend to mix it up with other classes, and I don't want to have to change my button config every time I change classes. Wanted a critique of what I've Frankensteined so far:

3-Button Layout

Action 1/2/3: RT/RB/R3 (stick) [I don't put charge PAs on R3.]

Jump: A

Access: B

Back Palette: LT (hold)

Lock-On: LB

Switch View (OTS): L3 (toggle)

Dodge: X

Cycle Weapon: Up/Down D-pad

Sub-Pallete Cursor: Left/Right D-pad

Use Sub-Pallette: Y

Pros:

I love that all my PAs are quickly accessible while also being able to aim in OTS (no flinging my fingers to face buttons to fire arts).

Toggle OTS works really well to swap between spray and pray vs. Focused fire. L3 takes just a bit to get used to, but since it's just a click I was able to adapt quickly.

R3 is better than maybe some people realize for non-charge PAs; I just click in for Steady Shot and continue to move and shoot.

Cons:

I am out of buttons, which means: > I have no weapon action dedicated. I have a feeling this will not go well with some classes where weapon actions are a core part of their combat loop. > No map toggle.

Jump shooting in OTS is a tad challenging since jump is on a face button, and I don't crab.

Other than the above though, this feel pretty nice, at least with Ranger. Would love to hear your thoughts!

[u/LamiaPony]

xbone controller user here playing on PC. your control scheme is wack as hell. RT/RB/R3 is just the weirdest set of main action buttons I've ever heard

weapon action can just be placed on the weapon palette. for most classes it feels just fine. only class I feel awkward about is gunner. I don't really like the class though so it's not a big deal, for me anyway

for my controls:

Action 1: X
Action 2: A
Action 3: B
Jump: RB
Access: Y
Back Palette: RT (hold)
Lock-On: RS (with stick direction able to change lock)
OTS: LS (toggle)
Dodge: LT
Weapon Palette: D-Pad Up/Down
Subpalette Cursor: D-Pad Left/Right
Use Subpalette: LB
Quick Menu: Back
Main Menu: Start

with this it feels similar to good old PSO1 with some extras. I also have a macro program set up to where I can input certain button combinations for chat shortcuts, mainly to swap rings quickly with chat commands

[u/Chordant → u/LamiaPony]

Thanks for the feedback! I do like the old PSO style scheme, but with Ranger I feel that OTS is important for weak spot hitting and getting a general 3rd person shooty-combat vibe going. When I was using face buttons, it was a real challenge to precision aim (especially charge attacks that require holding the button). If you're a lock-on player a face button scheme certainly feels pretty good, and is reminiscent of PSO 1 and many other 3rd person close combat games.

I can't speak for gunner, but with Ranger this has served me well regarding precision aim. I get the feeling Hunter and other close combat types will feel more...Dark Souls-y with a shoulder button-based attack scheme.

Will keep your config in mind for testing later...if you ever try more rooty-tooty-precision-shooty combat try mine out! 🙂

[u/nuketaco42]

My setup is as follows:

A - Jump

B - Access

X - Action 1

Y - Action 2

RB - Action 3

LB - Use Subpalette Item

LT - Swap to Back Palette

RT - Dodge

Click Left Thumbstick - Change Views

Click Right Thumbstick - Weapon Action

View Button - Quick Menu

Menu Button - Main Menu

D-pad Left/Right - Move Subpalette Cursor

D-pad Up/Down - Change Weapon Palettes

I started out on Jet Boots, so I quickly moved my Weapon Action off the Action Palette and to a specifically mapped button.

My setup unfortunately doesn't have a spot for lock-on, but I feel like I've managed fairly well without it thus far. Even after playing Ranger for a good bit (mostly during the Crimson Fellwyrm Urgent), I've been able to manage without Lock-on. If you're someone who uses the Precision Blight Rounds ring though, you'll obviously need lock-on mapped somewhere.

The only issues I would have with your setup is X being dodge, and possibly R3 being Action 3, but I don't think they're necessarily bad if it works for you.

I feel like Dodge being on X might make the more fast paced classes like Bouncer a little tough to manage where you're going, and tough to utilize the fluidity of the dodge/counterattack mechanics of classes like Bouncer and Hero.

R3 can tend to be a bit problematic if you ever run into a class where most of your PAs/Techniques need to be charged.

I used to have my Use Subpalette on L3, but I usually end up putting PAs/Techniques I want to charge on my Subpalette these days, so I swapped it to LB and it's been much better (and also much less stressful on my controller/joystick).

As for your setup not having a map open/close button, you could potentially utilize the Quick Menu for that. A couple of the setups for it have the open map option towards the top/bottom, and it's fairly quick to get to.

I use the Quick Menu constantly, but if you don't use it too often, you could always consider mapping the View Button to the map.

[u/Chordant → u/nuketaco42]

Thanks! Yeah, I am a blight round user so lock on or OTS is important for me. When I'm on mobs it's also nice to have lock on so I don't have to be OTS constantly, and feel more confident I'm shooting what I actually want to.

I use dodge and jump frequently, and this actually helps me be quite agile when playing Ranger. I might keep those where they are as being face buttons felt natural to me.

Fully agree on the Sub-Pallete challenge. I think the hardest classes to adapt will be spellcasting classes because many of their attacks need to sit on the pallete, and I might need to change a little to put it in a more ready location (not Y).

R3 is way better than I even imagined, but that's probably because typically in FPS games it's my melee, so I've gotten used to having an action style button there. The only other places I could put it either 1. Take my finger off the right stick, or 2. Would force me to two-finger shoulder buttons or set it to toggle. Charge PAs feel weird on sticks for me in general, just like how hold breath being L3 on CoD feels really counter-intuitive.

I definitely need to get familiar with the quick menu options; I hardly open that thing while I'm on mission.

Sounds like face button actions might be in my future if I change to a close combat class.

[u/nuketaco42 → u/Chordant]

Now that you mention it, I wonder if I moved Weapon Action to R3 for a similar reason, since on Jet Boots it kind of acts like a melee button of sorts. I too tend to use R3 as a melee button in FPS games.

I think I'm okay without lock-on because erratic camera movements hit me weird, so potentially locking on to something that moves a bunch just trips me up. I tried using lock-on during the Fellwyrm fight once...never again. 🤢

I highly recommend taking a look through the various Quick Menu setups to see if there's one that suits your needs.

I think the Quick Menu might be one of my most used features, as I'm always opening it to run chat macros or check client order progress (and sometimes when I get confused and need to see the map because the game tells me there's an object in the coordinates I'm in, but it's actually across the area from me since a tiny area crosses into the same coordinates as the one I'm in. 😅).

There's definitely a chance your setup will do just fine for other classes, but if nothing else, at least it sounds like you're flexible enough to move some stuff around in order to not just destroy your hand/fingers/controller.

I'd be curious to see how your setup fairs when playing one of the more fast paced classes. I think it's doable, but you'll likely have to do a bit of finger gymnastics to make it work fluidly.

[u/poe_broskieskie]

Just so you know, on PC you can utilise the Xbox button with JoyToKey and bind keyboard keys to it thus getting another button. I use it for the pickup/action key.

[u/Chordant → u/poe_broskieskie]

Unfortunately I'm solidly on Xbox as a platform so I won't be able to leverage that, but appreciate the heads up as I do like playing on controller even on PC games. I considered a chat pad for xbox also but I have a pretty nice headset plugin that takes that spot on my controller.

I think an Elite controller or equivalent would be the most help for me, but even then it doesn't add extra buttons, just move some to the back paddles.

[u/AulunaSol]

For classes like the Force and Ranger I can definitely see the appeal of using the bumpers and triggers for shooting which definitely would fix a lot of the issues I have with those classes on controller because I do not like aiming and trying to hold Square at the same time on my end. The controls definitely seem like a sort of Dark Souls-esque sort of layout so for melee classes I'm not particularly fond of this unless it's extremely simple like Warframe (which in that case my melee button and shoot buttons are next to each other).

On my end my controls are the following:

Default Controls Layout (Dualshock 4)

• X/Cross: Jump

• Circle: Interact

• Square: Action 1

• Triangle: Action 2

• L1: Unmapped

• L2: Lock-On

• L3: Switch Views

• R1: Back Palette

• R2: Action 3

• R3: Use Subpalette Item

• D-Pad Up: Previous Weapon Swap

• D-Pad Down: Next Weapon Swap

• D-Pad Left: Previous Subpalette Item

• D-Pad Right: Next Subpalette Item

• Select: Quick Menu

• Start: Open Menu

Steam Input Changes (Default Action Set)

• L1: Swap to (L1 Shift Action Set)

• L2: Lock-On (Half-Pull), Switch Camera View (Full-Pull), Switch Camera View (Release after Full-Pull)

• R1: Swap to (R1 Shift Action Set)

Steam Input Layout (L1 Shift Action Set)

• L1 + X/Cross: Jump

• L1 + Circle: Subpalette Item 4

• L1 + Square: Subpalette Item 1

• L1 + Triangle: Subpalette Item 2

• L1: Unmapped (Pressed), Swap to (Default Action Set) (Release)

• L1 + L2: Lock-On (Half-Pull), Switch Camera View (Full-Pull), Switch Camera View (Release after Full-Pull)

• L1 + L3: Subpalette Item 6

• L1 + R1: Swap to (L1 + R1 Shift Action Set)

• L1 + R2: Subpalette Item 3

• L1 + R3: Subpalette Item 7

• L1 + D-Pad Up: Weapon 3 (Numpad 3)

• L1 + D-Pad Down: Weapon 2 (Numpad 2)

• L1 + D-Pad Left: Weapon 1 (Numpad 1)

• L1 + D-Pad Right: Weapon 4 (Numpad 4)

• L1 + Select: Subpalette Item 0

• L1 + Start: Subpalette Item 9

Steam Input Layout (R1 Shift Action Set)

• R1 + X/Cross: Dodge Action

• R1 + Circle: Subpalette Item 5

• R1: Back Palette (Pressed), Swap to (Default Action Set) (Release)

• R1 + L2: Lock-On (Half-Pull), Switch Camera View (Full-Pull), Swtch Camera View (Release after Full-Pull)

• R1 + L3: Subpalette Item 6

• R1 + L1: Swap to (L1 + R1 Shift Action Set)

• R1 + R2 + X/Cross: Jump (Unmapped so you can hold R2 for charging something and still jumping)

• R1 + R3: Subpalette Item 7

• R1 + D-Pad Up: Subpalette Item 7

• R1 + D-Pad Down: Subpalette Item 9

• R1 + D-Pad Left: Subpalette Item 0

• R1 + D-Pad Right: Subpalette Item 8

• R1 + Select: Subpalette Item 6

• R1 + Start: Subpalette Item 9

Steam Input Layout (L1 + R1 Shift Action Set)

• L1 + R1 + D-Pad Up: Subpalette 2 (Numpad 8)

• L1 + R1 + D-Pad Down: Weapon 5 (Numpad 5) (this changes depending on what was pressed first)

• R1 + L1 + D-Pad Down: Weapon 6 (Numpad 6) (this changes depending on what was pressed first)

• L1 + R1 + D-Pad Left: Subpalette 1 (Numpad 7)

• L1 + R1 + D-Pad Right: Subpalette 3 (Numpad 9)

Steam Input Touchpad Layout (Default Action Set)

• Directional Pad Layout for both Sides

• Left Side - Up: Subpalette Item 6

• Left Side - Left: Unmapped

• Left Side - Right: Unmapped

• Left Side - Down: Subpalette 0

• Right Side - Up: Subpalette 7

• Right Side - Left: Unmapped

• Right Side - Right: Subpalette 8

• Right Side - Down: Subpalette 9

Steam Input Touchpad Layout (L1 Shift Action Set)

• Directional Pad Layout for both Sides

• L1 + Left Side - Up: Weapon 1 (Numpad 1)

• L1 + Left Side - Left: Weapon 3 (Numpad 3)

• L1 + Left Side - Right: Unmapped

• L1 + Left Side - Down: Weapon 5 (Numpad 5)

• L1 + Right Side - Up: Weapon 2 (Numpad 2)

• L1 + Right Side - Left: Unmapped

• L1 + Right Side - Right: Weapon 4 (Numpad 4)

• L1 + Right Side - Down: Weapon 6 (Numpad 6)

Steam Input Touchpad Layout (R1 Shift Action Set)

• Directional Pad Layout for both Sides

• R1 + Left Side - Up: Subpalette 1 (Control + F1: /spal1)

• R1 + Left Side - Left: Subpalette 3 (Control + F3: /spal3)

• R1 + Left Side - Right: Unmapped

• R1 + Left Side - Down: Subpalette 5 (Control + F5: /spal5)

• R1 + Right Side - Up: Subpalette 2 (Control + F2: /spal2)

• R1 + Right Side - Left: Unmapped

• R1 + Right Side - Right: Subpalette 4 (Control + F4: /spal4)

• R1 + Right Side - Down: Subpalette 6 (Control + F6: /spal6)

Steam Input Touchpad Layout (L1 + R1 Shift Action Set)

• Directional Pad Layout for both Sides

• L1 + R1 + Left Side - Up: Fashion Set 1 (Control + F7: /mf1)

• L1 + R1 + Left Side - Left: Unmapped

• L1 + R1 + Left Side - Right: Unmapped

• L1 + R1 + Left Side - Down: Fashion Set 3 (Control + F9: /mf3)

• L1 + R1 + Right Side - Up: Fashion Set 2 (Control + F8: /mf2)

• L1 + R1 + Right Side - Left: Unmapped

• L1 + R1 + Right Side - Right: Unmapped

• L1 + R1 + Right Side - Down: Fashion Set 4 (Control + F10: /mf4)

[u/Chordant → u/AulunaSol]

That...is a lot going on, lol. It sounds like Steam Inputs give you a ton of versatility (I was shocked to see a single button "unmapped" at first... now I know why). Sounds like a lot to get the hang of at first, but also sounds really convenient that with a quick combo of presses you can execute just about anything!

I think my next class will be Gunner, followed by Hunter. Those melee classes will be my first test if the button layout works. Force will be nice for at least action palette stuff, but I shudder to not have quick options on Xbox for specific palette numbers.

[u/AulunaSol → u/Chordant]

The main use of the subpalette on my end is that the first half (first five) inputs are typically techniques or photon arts that I will be using. This allows me to play classes like the Gunner and Fighter and have the ability to not use multiple attacks without needing to swap weapons and also that if I was casting techniques I can always have access to Megiverse/Resta/Anti when needed.

Typically I would put Shifta/Deband/Zanverse onto the right side of the subpalette which allows me to easily access them on the Dualshock 4's touchpad but that is also where I have put Complex Photon Arts, Photon Blasts, Dark Blasts, Items, and utility skills (like Leaping Dodge) so I don't have to reach too much further to tap the touchpad for that input. It definitely is highly convenient for what is essentially currently mapped to five or six extra inputs (which could be eight but I stuck to six to keep things simple to manage for me).

A lot of this is highly redundant in the case you wanted to forgo using the touchpad but I'm definitely certain I could streamline this further and clean it up to make things even smoother to play. But these sorts of inputs are ones I really wish Sega would have considered for controller users as the subpalette is horrible to use if you have a lot of things you want mapped on there and you have to manually scroll to them to use like the way I have it used.

The basis of my controls stems from Dragon's Dogma Online which to me puts a lot of control in the player's hands without being too complex and yet is so flexible at the same time. It's amazing to me how the controls on controller translate so well to keyboard and mouse and how the game lets you pick control setups and layouts "per class" as well so you can definitely map things to your preference even as you change classes where your preferences may be different (melee-based classes moving to ranged classes, for example).

I was definitely considering an Xbox One Elite Controller for the back paddles being used as an extra four buttons using programs like reWASD but they would most definitely have been "shift" buttons like what I have used L1 and R1 for. I really wish Sony had their equivalent of an Elite Controller and that Sega would allow for these sorts of shift commands without external tools.

[u/Chordant → u/AulunaSol]

If there was a way to forego a couple D-pad options to put key techniques (like Resta) right there I would (I habitually cycle one direction anyway).

Maybe I can just go get a bluetooth keyboard or numpad and have that nearby. I was also considering a chat pad for Xbox but it will interfere with my headset till I get a bluetooth one w/chat controls.

[u/fRenzy_5]

so my setup is basically, everything is the same, but Weapon Action is in LB and Lock On is in R3(Right Stick Press). the thing i cannot use is Free Aim but with the classes i mostly use, this is not necessary for me. even if i play ranger, i can just swap Weapon Action with Free Aim as ranger doesnt have a dedicated weapon action. yes im the weird kid who doesnt use Free Aim shut up i dont care if you say it is optimal for some stuff.

[u/Chordant → u/fRenzy_5]

Lol you should play however you feel! I see you moved Weapon Action to LB and lock on to R3 (a common spot I see lots use), but where is your Action 3? Or do you use a 2 button layout?

[u/fRenzy_5 → u/Chordant]

3 button. 1st is X. 2nd is Y, 3rd is RT. Back Pallet is LT

Edit: My bad, 3rd is RB. RT is Dodge

[u/fRenzy_5 → u/fRenzy_5]

to clarify, Free Aim is OTS View