Use a joystick/joypad with or instead of keyboard and mouse

**Rob_the_Celt** · August 07, 2007, 04:11 AM

I can't really play games using the keyboard and mouse that well as I would be a console junkie, so I use my playstation joypad to play games on PC as its just easier. I know of people who use a joypad or joystick instead of the keyboard for WASD and still use the mouse to look as well. It hasn't not worked on any game or demo I've played, and it's nice to have the option of twiddling your thumbs instead of hammering a keyboard looking for the right key.

This can be done by mapping your keyboard controls to buttons on the joypad (any type recognised, which is almost all types known to man) using ControlMK, found here:
http://www.redcl0ud.com/controlmk/

Instructions on how to set it up can be gotten here (its in section V, Configuring and Using ControlMK): http://www.redcl0ud.com/files/XBCD.pdf

Long story short, select your joypad type from the dropdown list for both "controllers found" and "activate controllers", then create a new profile (you can have multiple configurations for different games using different profile names).
Click on a joypad command (X-, X+, etc), then select the function from the keyboard/mouse that you want it to emulate from the dropdown list on the pop up window. When all keys are mapped save, then select export from the arrow on the top right (beside Profiles text) and save that too, at which point the joypad should become active.

Open a text file and press the buttons to make sure it worked alright.

You can use ControlMK to do analog stick controls for mouse and directions in conjunction with JoytoKey, another program that allows keys to be mapped onto a joypad, but also allows for multiple configurations to be set up on the same profile (i.e, you could have a configuration for the world map by pressing 1, then a different configuration for battles using 2, etc). Hope this helps a few people and makes the game that bit easier to play.

**Armatus** · August 08, 2007, 06:47 AM

Originally Posted by Rob_the_Celt

I can't really play games using the keyboard and mouse that well as I would be a console junkie, so I use my playstation joypad to play games on PC as its just easier. I know of people who use a joypad or joystick instead of the keyboard for WASD and still use the mouse to look as well. It hasn't not worked on any game or demo I've played, and it's nice to have the option of twiddling your thumbs instead of hammering a keyboard looking for the right key.

This can be done by mapping your keyboard controls to buttons on the joypad (any type recognised, which is almost all types known to man) using ControlMK, found here:
http://www.redcl0ud.com/controlmk/

Instructions on how to set it up can be gotten here (its in section V, Configuring and Using ControlMK): http://www.redcl0ud.com/files/XBCD.pdf

Long story short, select your joypad type from the dropdown list for both "controllers found" and "activate controllers", then create a new profile (you can have multiple configurations for different games using different profile names).
Click on a joypad command (X-, X+, etc), then select the function from the keyboard/mouse that you want it to emulate from the dropdown list on the pop up window. When all keys are mapped save, then select export from the arrow on the top right (beside Profiles text) and save that too, at which point the joypad should become active.

Open a text file and press the buttons to make sure it worked alright.

You can use ControlMK to do analog stick controls for mouse and directions in conjunction with JoytoKey, another program that allows keys to be mapped onto a joypad, but also allows for multiple configurations to be set up on the same profile (i.e, you could have a configuration for the world map by pressing 1, then a different configuration for battles using 2, etc). Hope this helps a few people and makes the game that bit easier to play.

Interesting Rob, I'm wondering how you play TW like this?

**Rob_the_Celt** · August 08, 2007, 07:00 AM

TW is alot easier to play with the good old fashioned mouse and keyboard as its slower paced, and the analog stick is awkward to position the cursor exactly where you want it to be at times. Having said that I find that M&B is alot easier to play with the 2 thumb sticks to look and move around while using the shoulder buttons to block, strike and change weapons.
Its something similar to the setup for a FPS and although it might not be everyones cup of tea but its nice to have the option of doing it.

**Armatus** · August 08, 2007, 07:59 PM

Originally Posted by Rob_the_Celt

TW is alot easier to play with the good old fashioned mouse and keyboard as its slower paced, and the analog stick is awkward to position the cursor exactly where you want it to be at times. Having said that I find that M&B is alot easier to play with the 2 thumb sticks to look and move around while using the shoulder buttons to block, strike and change weapons.
Its something similar to the setup for a FPS and although it might not be everyones cup of tea but its nice to have the option of doing it.

I'm not much of a console player, I just bought Black and haven't played it yet, I can see how M&B might work with a joystick where as TW would be a little harder I think. Ever played Crusader kings? Kinda reminds me of TW but on the console.

**Rob_the_Celt** · August 09, 2007, 03:26 AM

Ah Black, the amount of days I spent playing that to death was rediculous, its brilliant. I've never played Crusader Kings, to be honest I haven't heard of it before, whats it about?
I'm a real noob at PC games, I only have a few; C&C's, TW eras and M2TW, a pirates game and now M&B (seriously, thats it), but I have dozens of Playstation games so the Playstation controller seems better suited to M&B for me, theres nothing to click on screen so its ideal for a controller and the camera used feels alot like a FPS when you use the 2 analog sticks.
TW is awkward with it, selecting a unit and deploying with the analog stick isn't as handy as a mouse is and theres not enough buttons on the joypad to map out all the controls you need either.

**Armatus** · August 09, 2007, 05:12 AM

Yeah Black looks pretty nice, I'm letting my friend finish it. But about "Crusader Kings" I was thinking of the wrong game heh.... I meant Kingdom Under Fire: Heroes

In this game I can see how one might be able to work out a way to control units in TW with the joystick, but still I would prefer the mouse.

**Rob_the_Celt** · August 09, 2007, 05:49 AM

Kingdom Under Fire is for the Xbox only unfortunately, I haven't got one of them.
I had TW going with the joypad using the same program, but it wasn't as easy as using the mouse and keyboard, there's no way to get groups set up, spread formations and wheel a unit around using just a joypad + the stick will never be as responsive as a mouse on screen either.