OK, this controller business is becoming a serious annoyance

[vinraith]

I have no problem with PC games supporting controllers. I have no problem with PC games that play better with controllers, if the controller is the more natural control scheme for that kind of game. I have a SERIOUS problem with any game, and especially any first person game, jumping to the conclusion that because I have a 360 controller plugged in it should lock out mouse/KB control.

This is becoming really aggravating, I've had several recent games (Two Worlds 2 and Metro 2033 come to mind) where not only did they default to the pad, THERE WAS NO WAY TO SWITCH THEM BACK WITHOUT PHYSICALLY UNPLUGGING THE CONTROLLER. That's insane. It's also massively inconvenient, and I have no desire to go crawling behind my desk every time I want to play a particular game.

Does this really aggravate anyone else, or is it just my pet peeve?

[mpk]

I have a front side USB, and I only plug my gamepad in when I intend to use it. So, no, doesn't bother me.

Why not get a USB extender thing?

[vinraith]

I have a front side USB, and I only plug my gamepad in when I intend to use it. So, no, doesn't bother me.

Why not get a USB extender thing?

I've got front USB ports too, but they're much too high-traffic to make room for a 360 controller. That aside, the notion that a controller is fundamentally superior in all cases to mouse/KB control (especially in FP games where that's flatly absurd) is as much the source of my rage as the practical issues.

[SirKicksalot]

I'm only annoyed when I use m/kb and the controller vibrates when I shoot. I use headphones and I keep the controller on the floor. It either creeps towards me and makes me jump or someone comes in and asks WTF is that noise...

[vinraith]

I'm only annoyed when I use m/kb and the controller vibrates when I shoot. I use headphones and I keep the controller on the floor. It either creeps towards me and makes me jump or someone comes in and asks WTF is that noise...

Yeah, that bugs me too. Damned thing keeps knocking shit off my desk.

[Christian]

A simple solution: Don't play Two Worlds 2 and save yourself from some frustration (if you haven't come to riding a horse yet..I wonder how sane people could implement something like that, it's punishment).

But seriously: Yeah, I'm with you there. Metro was pretty bad in that regard. Although there seems to be some sort of hidden config that you can use there.
And before the patch BF3 did something similar: there seemed to be no way of disabling the vibration. The first time I got shot after the patch before the last one I really jumped out of my chair because of that (the controller was lying on the table and it startled me..being concentrated and all).

A positive example in this regards is Just Cause 2. Lovely implemented: pick up the controller --> it simply works, and the icons turn to colorful icons. Move the mouse: taadaa, mouse & kb-controls. Seamless.

@mpk:
There's a small problem with some games when doing it like that and forgetting to unplug it before starting..some of them see you have a controller and won't let you switch back in-game and vice-versa.

[Kodeen]

Damned thing keeps knocking shit off my desk.

If ever there was a quote to be read in the voice of Farnsworth, it's that one.

Anyway, I guess the developers are thinking that if you have a controller plugged in, that you intended to do so for the game you are currently playing. I also leave mine plugged in, one time I had some bills I just paid sitting on top of the computer, and the controller on top of them, and it knocked itself and the bills behind the desk.

[slick_101]

my suggestion would just be to get USB hub on your desk (just 1-4 ports) would do just fine and it would make life easier as you could plug in and pull out quite easily. I know this isn't a great solution and you're still going to be pissed at game Developers but hey-ho. It's just slightly better than nothing.

[vinraith]

my suggestion would just be to get USB hub on your desk (just 1-4 ports) would do just fine and it would make life easier as you could plug in and pull out quite easily. I know this isn't a great solution and you're still going to be pissed at game Developers but hey-ho. It's just slightly better than nothing.

I'd take a recommendation there, if anyone has one. USB hubs I've used in the past have been prone to occasional disconnection, which would be wholly unacceptable for a controller. I'd also need one with a fairly long cable due to the configuration of my desk/computer set up. Something reliable with a long cord would work, though, and would be handy for a number of other reasons as well.

[CMaster]

Yeah, it's annoying. Especially as some games show how to do it really well, with letting you use both and switching prompts on the fly (Saints Row 3 was good in that way and I've seen this elsewhere too). Bethesda games on the other hand, lock out the mouse (EVEN FOR MENUS) until you deactivate the controller entirely.

[Snargelfargen]

One of the items on my christmas wishlist is a keyboard with 2 usb ports and in/out audio ports for this exact reason.

It's worth noting that the usb 360 controller has a wee cable it plugs into at the end, letting you furiously yank it out without causing your computer harm.

[vinraith]

Yeah, it's annoying. Especially as some games show how to do it really well, with letting you use both and switching prompts on the fly (Saints Row 3 was good in that way and I've seen this elsewhere too). Bethesda games on the other hand, lock out the mouse (EVEN FOR MENUS) until you deactivate the controller entirely.

In New Vegas, at least, there's a menu option to disable the controller. Does Skyrim still have that?

[pakoito]

Get a wireless controler. Pop battery out, unrecognized pad.

[DigitalSignalX]

The spastically vibrating cat attacker (aka 360 pad) is plugged in the back of my PC case because the ports up front get used too much as well. It's a pain to unplug, so I just disable it in hardware settings. Sometimes even that doesn't work. It's one of the lesser symptoms of LAZY PORT syndrome, which is a strain of disease very similar to LAZY DEVELOPER.

[Scumbag]

Bad porting controlers where they over-ride M&KB or display Controler buttons in PC versions REALLY get on my nerves. I know I can just unplug it, but I'd rather not have to do that each time I want to play something like Oblivion, Fallout 3 etc... It would be far, far easier if you could deactivate it in a menu somewhere.
Also, this is the PC! Shouldent M&KB be the default for most games? Platformers and / or racing games I'm fine with, but FPS games? It just seems odd to me.

The vibration function is annoying, but I've noted it in some very un-controleresque games of late. For some reason Red Orchestra 2 makes my 360 pad rumble a lot when I get shot, plus it buzzes slightly when I blot a rifle. Jokes about RO2 being a bit goofy aside, who the hell would play that with a pad?

[Althea]

Some games, as has been mentioned, implement it really well. Arkham Asylum was one of them. Others do it terribly, notably Bethesda/Obsidian (New Vegas, for example). It also took me a short while to get it properly working in Vegas 2, but I gave up with it shortly.

I'm like some others who've posted in that I plug my controller in when I need it, I don't leave it plugged in. Saves me a lot of hassle.

Bigger problem for me, personally, is when the UI bugs out. It's happened in Fable 3 and Hunted - I've seen the UI "lock" to the PC version despite using a controller. So in Hunted it'll tell me to press "F" to switch weapon, or in Fable 3 I'll find myself greeted by a menu using the Function keys until I move the controller. It's really annoying.

[airtekh]

No you're not alone, I find it very annoying too. Thankfully, most games have the option to just disable the controller.

There is a workaround for Metro 2033 but I don't have the link handy. I just googled for a fix and found a zip file that you just extract and drop in your game folder; it just stops the game from recognising the pad.

Mirror's Edge is another culprit. Unfortunately I couldn't find a fix for that so I had to plug out my controller in that case.

[Vandelay]

Do you all use the 360 pads? Mine is a Logitech and I can't say this has ever been an issue. I always leave it plugged in too.

The only time I have had a problem was in Darksiders, which also does something that is my own pet peeve. It only works if you use a 360 pad and no patch has been released to fix the issue. This is an extreme example, but most games nowadays expect you to be using 360 pad and usually display button prompts that are fairly meaningless without one, particular as it rarely assigns controls to the same position as on a 360 controller.

[thegooseking]

Get a wireless controler. Pop battery out, unrecognized pad.

That's true. But then you get the problem of some games not recognising the controller unless you switch it on before launching the game.

[Xercies]

Skyrim does allow you to change to K/M in a menu if you got the controller plugged in. Somewhere in the settings i believe.

[slick_101]

I'd take a recommendation there

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Plug-Socket-Extension-Cable-Speed/dp/B00077DJK4/ref=sr_1_22?ie=UTF8&qid=1324030963&sr=8-22
1.8 metres long should do you the trick; followed by a Belkin hub, I say Belkin because I've had one for about 2 years and I have NEVER had any disconnection issues with it.

[Christian]

[...]
There is a workaround for Metro 2033 but I don't have the link handy. I just googled for a fix and found a zip file that you just extract and drop in your game folder; it just stops the game from recognising the pad.
[...]

Here, I just found it again (I knew I had it somewhere): Steam-forum to the rescue. (http://forums.steampowered.com/forums/showpost.php?p=24731058&postcount=9)

[gwathdring]

Sort of off topic, but my Logitech Rumblepad is on it's last legs. What's a good alternative to the 360 pad? I prefer the PS2 layout. Has logitech improved the analog stick durability since the Rumblepad or is that still a bit of a crapshoot?

[Rii]

Y'know, this is the sort of thing Games For Windows would actually be good for. Hell, it probably is part of the standard.

[Althea]

Y'know, this is the sort of thing Games For Windows would actually be good for. Hell, it probably is part of the standard.
Controller support is part of the standard, but seamless/contextual switching between KB+M and gamepad is not.

[FuriKuri!]

Sort of off topic, but my Logitech Rumblepad is on it's last legs. What's a good alternative to the 360 pad? I prefer the PS2 layout. Has logitech improved the analog stick durability since the Rumblepad or is that still a bit of a crapshoot?

You can get a PS3 pad to work with your PC (even through bluetooth!) with motioninjoy (http://www.motioninjoy.com/) drivers. Expect a bit of elbow grease to get it working as you want it and be warned that the interface for it is godawful. But it does work with full support.

[Rii]

Controller support is part of the standard, but seamless/contextual switching between KB+M and gamepad is not.

Well there's a missed opportunity...

[gwathdring]

Controller support is part of the standard, but seamless/contextual switching between KB+M and gamepad is not.

Which is a shame. I don't run into this problem often though, perhaps because I don't play many games with automatic 360-recognition or perhaps because I use a logitech controller. I do find it aggravating when it comes up though ... I really like not mapping a menu button when I use a controller in games-- it saves a valuable control spot for hotkeys or macros and I can just use Esc on my keyboard as per usual. Similar for pause buttons and the inventory key in certain games. I also just prefer navigating menus with a mouse. Although, most of the games I've had this problem with also have insanely sluggish menu control with a mouse even when in-game mouse acceleration and smoothing are shut off.

Far Cry 2 comes to mind ... in game I got things working, but I never managed to speed up menu control past a crawl.

[gwathdring]

You can get a PS3 pad to work with your PC (even through bluetooth!) with motioninjoy (http://www.motioninjoy.com/) drivers. Expect a bit of elbow grease to get it working as you want it and be warned that the interface for it is godawful. But it does work with full support.

Interesting. I'll look into it. I still really like the logitech controllers best in hand, but my rumblepad wore out a lot more quickly than it should have and I've heard similar bad luck from others.