Programable buttons - Custom controller maps

jdoggg12

Platinum Member
Aug 20, 2005
2,685
11
81
Why do they have ONLY pre-configured button layouts in most games on consoles these days? Why don't they give the freedom to setup the controls however we want? If its an issue of analog vs digital buttons... oh well! Just put a disclaimer on the configuration menu and let us do to them what we wish!

What is the reasoning for not allowing it???

If nothing else this ability is one of the best selling points for PC gaming b/c they (usually) don't limit what you can bind to what.
 

AstroManLuca

Lifer
Jun 24, 2004
15,628
5
81
There are some games where it would be really nice to have extra control options. Super Smash Bros. Brawl, for instance. I know you can configure a lot of things, but a friend of mine really prefers using the D-pad for movement over the analog stick. I have a classic controller that he's tried to use, but it's impossible to remap the D-pad on the classic controller to movement. So he has to use the plain old sideways Wii remote.

However, there are also games that give you too much freedom to change the controls. Star Wars: Battlefront II is an example. There are five separate control presets, and if you want to change how something behaves globally, you have to change it in all five presets individually. You can remap anything to anything, which is kind of nice, but games these days have so many functions that it's hard to create a better-balanced control scheme than one of the presets. That really depends more on the developers, though, and how good they are about providing a varied assortment of control schemes.
 

pennylane

Diamond Member
Apr 28, 2002
6,077
1
0
Yeah I wish there were more options for binding keys instead of just choosing presets.

For one thing, it'd help me standardize an FPS layout, instead of each FPS being slightly different.
 

Soundmanred

Lifer
Oct 26, 2006
10,780
6
81
Originally posted by: AstroManLuca
There are some games where it would be really nice to have extra control options. Super Smash Bros. Brawl, for instance. I know you can configure a lot of things, but a friend of mine really prefers using the D-pad for movement over the analog stick. I have a classic controller that he's tried to use, but it's impossible to remap the D-pad on the classic controller to movement. So he has to use the plain old sideways Wii remote.

However, there are also games that give you too much freedom to change the controls. Star Wars: Battlefront II is an example. There are five separate control presets, and if you want to change how something behaves globally, you have to change it in all five presets individually. You can remap anything to anything, which is kind of nice, but games these days have so many functions that it's hard to create a better-balanced control scheme than one of the presets. That really depends more on the developers, though, and how good they are about providing a varied assortment of control schemes.

That reminded me of Crysis. I got the controls just how I liked them, but once I jumped in a truck I just sat there wondering if I was supposed to hotwire it. :)
I had to go to the controls and change them for all the vehicles, and I was back in business!
 

Wuzup101

Platinum Member
Feb 20, 2002
2,334
37
91
It would be very nice. To be honest, I wish I could map all my shooters with the same button configuration (within reason). Every time I play halo 3, I'm always throwing nades instead of zooming in, or reloading instead of throwing nades, etc... as I play CoD4 much more often :/
 

mugs

Lifer
Apr 29, 2003
48,920
46
91
Originally posted by: Wuzup101
It would be very nice. To be honest, I wish I could map all my shooters with the same button configuration (within reason). Every time I play halo 3, I'm always throwing nades instead of zooming in, or reloading instead of throwing nades, etc... as I play CoD4 much more often :/

My problem is that I can never find the sprint button in Halo 3!


(I know, it doesn't have one)
 

jdoggg12

Platinum Member
Aug 20, 2005
2,685
11
81
I play with only one hand and getting to the left trigger/bumper is a PITA, so i'd prefer to just map my least used buttons over there. But nooooo.... i gotta get acrobatic if i wanna use a grenade in Halo. :-\