[Suggestion] Update game controller support for Windows

[Zhronne]

The controller setup of FFXI is pretty limited, very old and doesn't allow you to handle common gamepads, like the Xbox360 Game Controller, in the two analogic shoulder buttons which get recognized as "Z Axis" and not digital buttons.

Things could be easily solved in many ways if SE could think about updating that tool in the future, since they're re-doing the UI as well.
I can see at least two main paths of action:

1) Update the current Gamepad utility allowing it to handle analogic buttons as digital buttons
2) Update the support to Xinput as well

[Rosina]

you mean for the pc? if so I hope they do this fix if it is an issue. I used my 360 controler for ffxiv, out side taking time to get used to it, its pretty ok (and they getting a complete controler UI revamp) maybe they should have a configurations similar to ffxiv into ffxi.

[Zhronne]

you mean for the pc? if so I hope they do this fix if it is an issue. I used my 360 controler for ffxiv, out side taking time to get used to it, its pretty ok

Like others said, it works fine in FFXIV because that game uses Xinput instead of Dinput.
Dunno if SE can implement Xinput in FFXI though, I'm afraid it would be pretty complicated since it involves DirectX 9 if I'm not wrong?

[Dsherman]

The Xbox 360 controller is an Xinput compliant controller... or at least it behaves that way on my system. Unfortunately, FFXI is looking for the older Directinput compliant controller.

I have a Logitech F710 Gamepad now. It has a switch on it to change it between the more current Xinput mode and the older Directinput mode. In Directinput mode, it works just fine with FFXI as is. If I try to use the Xinput mode with FFXI, it behaves very much like the Xbox 360 controller.

If SE can just add the ability to use Xinput compliant controllers (without taking away the ability to use Directinput mode) in FFXI, that should solve the problem.

FFXIV already has either mode available. It would be nice if FFXI could do the same.

[Eric]

You can install custom drivers for Xbox controllers that allow you to map the buttons as you please. I have my triggers working correctly on my wireless controller. That being said, I should have not had to go through the trouble of finding the drivers, installing them, etc just for ONE game, when the Xbox controller is automatically recognized by a lot of other games.

[Zhronne]

@Dsherman
Actually Xbox360 controller (both the wired and wireless ones) are both Dinput and Xinput complaint.
Problem here is on both sides.
X360 Windows basic drivers do not allow you to set triggers as digital.
FFXI does not allow you to set those buttons for anything other than an axis.
It could be solved any of those sides imho.


@Eric
There aren't many solutions if you're on Windows 7 x64.
You have XBCD 0.2.7 which work fantastic but only for the wired version.
Then you have Masahiko Morii's custom drivers, which are incredible and work for both the Wireless and Wired controller. They are the ones I use on my old PC and I love them.
Problem is that they do not work on my new PC for some reason. I tested for 3 days straight but I couldn't find the reason... They do "work", but the right stick ("rotation" axis) doesn't, it gets stuck on a direction. I was really disappointed

Another way to solve the issue is form the guys behind "X360ce", a tool that allows dinput peripherals to work as if they were xinput ones through emulation. They make your PC think your pad is an X360 pad, basically.
They said they would like to work on a "reverse" emulator, that is make your PC think that your xinput device is a dinput one.
With that you would be able to use the X360 pad with FFXI no problem.
Thing is... will they ever do it? It's hard to contact them. Their official page is a Google Project page, there is no forum only an "issues" page.

Or... last chance and what I'm asking for here, SE could do something about their 10years old Gamepad configurator and magically we would all be happy.

[Daniel_Hatcher]

@Dsherman
Actually Xbox360 controller (both the wired and wireless ones) are both Dinput and Xinput complaint.
Problem here is on both sides.
X360 Windows basic drivers do not allow you to set triggers as digital.
FFXI does not allow you to set those buttons for anything other than an axis.
It could be solved any of those sides imho.


@Eric
There aren't many solutions if you're on Windows 7 x64.
You have XBCD 0.2.7 which work fantastic but only for the wired version.
Then you have Masahiko Morii's custom drivers, which are incredible and work for both the Wireless and Wired controller. They are the ones I use on my old PC and I love them.
Problem is that they do not work on my new PC for some reason. I tested for 3 days straight but I couldn't find the reason... They do "work", but the right stick ("rotation" axis) doesn't, it gets stuck on a direction. I was really disappointed

Another way to solve the issue is form the guys behind "X360ce", a tool that allows dinput peripherals to work as if they were xinput ones through emulation. They make your PC think your pad is an X360 pad, basically.
They said they would like to work on a "reverse" emulator, that is make your PC think that your xinput device is a dinput one.
With that you would be able to use the X360 pad with FFXI no problem.
Thing is... will they ever do it? It's hard to contact them. Their official page is a Google Project page, there is no forum only an "issues" page.

Or... last chance and what I'm asking for here, SE could do something about their 10years old Gamepad configurator and magically we would all be happy.

Try going to Game Controllers > Properties (on your controller) > Settings > Reset to default

Worked for me.

[FrankReynolds]

@Eric
There aren't many solutions if you're on Windows 7 x64.
You have XBCD 0.2.7 which work fantastic but only for the wired version.
Then you have Masahiko Morii's custom drivers, which are incredible and work for both the Wireless and Wired controller.

Those are the drivers that I use too, but I have never been able to get the wireless ones to work on Windows 7 and it seems that he is no longer hosting them, or he has blocked public access.

I really wish SE would just add support for the 360 controller on PC. Logitech controllers are complete crap. I've replaced so many buttons on those things that it's not even funny.

[Zhronne]

Those are the drivers that I use too, but I have never been able to get the wireless ones to work on Windows 7 and it seems that he is no longer hosting them, or he has blocked public access.

He stopped hosting them and he "disappeared" from the web.
Another japanese website is hosting them though.
I can give you the url if you want.


For some reason they worked fantastically on my old PC on both wired and wireless controllers (they are 2 different sets of drivers) but on my newly bought PC they do not work.
To be more accurate they DO work, triggers are considered as digital, but I cannot seem to make the right analogue stick be recognized by the game. Works fine from the drivers configurator, but FFXI's configurator doesn't "feel" the right stick.

I really have no clue why. After a few attempts and a few formats I gave up and atm I'm just using the default windows drivers, which means no triggers for me.
I wish I knew why they do not work on the new system... the old one has the same exact SO, only difference is of course a different motherboard, different chipset, different USB controller etc.

I have no clue what's creating this difference betweeen my two systems. Wish I knew

[FrankReynolds]

He stopped hosting them and he "disappeared" from the web.
Another japanese website is hosting them though.
I can give you the url if you want.


For some reason they worked fantastically on my old PC on both wired and wireless controllers (they are 2 different sets of drivers) but on my newly bought PC they do not work.
To be more accurate they DO work, triggers are considered as digital, but I cannot seem to make the right analogue stick be recognized by the game. Works fine from the drivers configurator, but FFXI's configurator doesn't "feel" the right stick.

I really have no clue why. After a few attempts and a few formats I gave up and atm I'm just using the default windows drivers, which means no triggers for me.
I wish I knew why they do not work on the new system... the old one has the same exact SO, only difference is of course a different motherboard, different chipset, different USB controller etc.

I have no clue what's creating this difference betweeen my two systems. Wish I knew

I really hope they consider adding support for those controllers and others as well. I would love to have that link if possible. I don't think it's against the TOS (unless it's hosted on a bot site or something?) to post links for controller drivers. Maybe a forum mod could let us know?