XBox 360 Controller on PC - Working

[tnt118]

Hey guys.

I just got an xbox 360 controller working with the PC version of FFXI. It works rather well (although not 100%, yet). I figured I'd make a quick post in case anyone ever wondered about if, or how well, it worked.

It took less than 15 minutes to get everything installed and working -- and that included doing google searches for information. The drivers from Microsoft (which I don't think were out at xbox launch, which caused some problems and confusion) are called the "Xbox Controller for Windows Software". Once that is loaded, the controller shows up in the Control Panel just like any other. It has 10 buttons, D-pad, and 3 axis (movement, camera, and the 2 "rudder" shoulder buttons). There's an 11th "Xbox Live" button that right now seems unaccessable outside normal Xbox use.

The controller itself feels great in your hands, and is also very responsive in game. Now I'm not trying to convert anyone who uses the keyboard or anything (I'll still use the keyboard for a lot of things) but instead of buying a PS2 controller and the radioshack adaptor, this was an excellant alternitive. For mindless running around, or other tasks, this is just more comfortable for me.

It's a pretty small list of things that don't work or need configuration.

Xbox Live button: Seems to be disabled on PC, might be a way to get it working later

Force Feedback: Didn't work by default, and no time to play with it. Might be a windower problem more than anything

Shoulder Rutters: Two of the shoulder buttons are not technically buttons, but rutters on another axis (think Gamecube's force-sensitive shoulder buttons. I couldn't get FFXI to registar them as button presses, but again there's probably a way around it.

Ventrillo: I'd love to find a way to make a button my ventrillo hotkey, but that seems to be a limitation of ventrillo that it only uses mouse/keyboard buttons. Probably a way around it if I think creatively. It would also be nice to execute windower commands from a button.

BTW, right now this only works with the wired controller. I hear rumors of getting the wireless ones working using the charge & play kit, but I didn't want to spend the money to try something untested.

[tnt118]

Since my origonal post was a little while ago, I figured I'd make a second instead of just editing.

Got JoyToKey working -- http://www.electracode.com/4/joy2key...%20Version.htm -- it's a program that allows joystick input into applications that normally wouldn't be set up for them. This way Ventrillo can use a controller button as a hotkey.

Just by having vents hotkey as one button, and matching JoyToKey to that button, DOES NOT WORK. Once you have JoyToKey set up like you want, go back into Ventrillo's setup and remap the hotkey to the controller's version of it -- it reads differently this way and works just fine.

I'm using a set of drivers called XBCD. They are a little tricksey, and don't install like normal drivers, so if you have any questions just ask. The guide I followed for them is here: http://xbcd360guide.50webs.com/

Rumble works but its annoying!

The 3rd downloadable config file makes the L/R rudders work as digital buttons.

Vent works with JoyToKey.

Only thing left is the Xbox Live button, which I think they are working on in these drivers.

I also read that microsoft is planning to release a USB dongle to allow their wireless controllers to work. I may switch over then, dunno, I hear the wireless controllers are actually a bit unnaturally heavy.

[FogSurrounds]

Thanks for this, I have been playing (for the whole 4 days i've been playing this game so far :D ) with this controller and had been wondering how to tweak it a bit. I find it to be very responsive in-game, and it has a nice button config. but the lack of a keyboard to talk with makes switching all the time between the two very tedious, so i'll probably be switching to using that for most things. I have to say though, when playing solo it is nice to have.

[Vietone]

Personally it doesnt matter what gamepad you use, it will work with FFXI because the pc version is designed to use standard gamepad inputs. So any gamepad that works in windows will work in FFXI. Im using a ps2 controller with a wireless keyboard and mouse and its great for FFXI.