recommend a game pad?

[Lukas]

yo peepz, i'm wondering to myself "would ffxi be good to play on a gamepad? after all it is a final fantasy game". i know some of you must have played it on a game pad. obviously ps2 people did, but i'm speaking at PC people.

So what gamepad is a good game pad to use in this game? I dont wanna spend alot of money, so wireless and "rumble pak" gamepads are out of the question. one game pad i was considering was the ps2 gamepad itself (with an adapter for the PC of course). would this work well do u think? i know i would have to use my keyboard to talk, but could i do most everything else on my game pad and would it be just as easy as a mouse (after i got used to it).

My mouse is kinda dumb, its optical and once in a while it just flies across the screen on its own (tho its rare) plus it would just be nice to play this final fantasy game like i played the older ones.

Please tell me all ur thoughts on gamepads, thanks ^^

[Area51]

The adapter works great. You can pick one up at radioshack for $10. I'm sure it wouldn't be that hard to get the controls to be set up just the way they are on the ps2 version. If you already have a ps or ps2 controller, I would say just get the adapter. It is especially useful in sports games.

[Lukas]

hmm have u tried it tho?

[Area51]

I've used the adapter, but not not in FFXI because I wasn't in the beta.

[Cerag]

If you don;t have a PS2 and you need a gamepad, I would recommend the Saitek P880. It's only about $20 and has 2 joysticks(which act as buttons too) and 8 other buttons, plus a directional pad.

Here's the link to it: http://www.saitekusa.com/usa/prod/p880.htm

There is a cordless version(P3000) for ~$40.

[Synji]

Didn't beta FFXI but I have this Logitech gamepad and it's great-

http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm?page=products/details&CRID=11&CONTENTID=6951&countryid=19&languageid=1


$20 and same layout as a PS2 controller

[Lukas]

ok i'll try it on my keyboard and then i'll probably get one of those controllers, thx ^^

[vulcan4d]

I found PC gamepads to be of incredible low quality. The PS2 dual shock controller is awesome but nothing beats the Xbox S controller. That's what I use for my PC and no special adaptor is needed. It uses the same connection as USB but with different plug, even the wire colors are the same. Just have to switch it and voila. Drivers can be found on the internet easily and it works great. I used a break-away cable so I can still use it for my Xbox aswell.

[Dragoon412]

I'm with Vulcan4d - The Xbox Controller S is the best controller ever made. It's comfortable for long time periods, and the analog sticks are absolutely perfect (not all loose like the PS2, GCN and most PC gamepads).

The problem is that the adapters are tricky to find; I've never seen them in major retail outlet stores. You can find instructions online for building your own (which is very easy), or you can order one from Lik-Sang; $12.90 USD, and only $5 for shipping.

Another option, if you want something dirt-cheap, would be to get the Gravis Gamepad Pro -- it's identical to the PS1 controller, and you can pick it up at Best Buy or Circuit City for $10-15.

[Yossar]

I highly recommend the Chameleon PS2 Controller.
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?id=1055388018852&type=product&productCategoryId=cat08187
What makes this controller so great is tht the R2 and L2 buttons are off set from the R1 and L1 buttons. This makes the PS2 controller very comfortable. Plus It's only $15.00. Of course you'll have to buy an adaptor for it. There are many different adaptors out there. I suggest the Super Joy Box 4. http://www.ps2modchip.com/search.php?page=joyboxahttp://www.ps2modchip.com/search.php?page=joyboxa
It enables you to use the vibration function of the ps2 controller through DirectX. Though you might be able to find a cheaper adaptor, you'd only save yourself $5-$8.

[Yossar]

Here's a picture of the controller from behind. It's from an IGN review of it.

[Lukas]

thankyou for all help and suggestions, i decided to go with ceraqs recommendation and i ordered a p880 saitek dual analog controller.

well... theres good news and bad news...... i found one for $11 for the controller and $5 shipping, thats about 9 bucks less then u can get it from most sites. i was like, hell ya! i bought it from a store using the amazon.com website (the store was called kc_media), and they said "you can expect the same quality of service you would get from amazon" and also the shop had like a 4.3 out of 5 rating and over 1k people rated it.

but AFTER i bought it, i went to check out exactly what people had to say. it turns out that kc_media THEMSELVES were posting in thier own store ratings, spamming it! the reviews that actually came from customers themselves were really mixed reviews, half of them being really bad reviews. some people claimed that they sent a generic or broken item, or a completely wrong item entirely. this is really scary... and im a little inclined to believe the bad reviews cause the price is so low...

i really hope i dont get screwed, but things arent looking good. well, after i get the controller, i'll tell u if it actually was what i wanted, AND THEN you should go get this offer if u are also looking for a controller, because it really is a good price. (btw they claim it is factory sealed and new, not a used controller)

[Selenitic]

Can you setup game controller from in-game or does it take external app?

[Cerag]

Originally posted by Selenitic
Can you setup game controller from in-game or does it take external app?

From what I heard, since this game was originally desinged for a console, you can setup the gamepad in-game, altho, I didn't play beta, so I cannot verify.

[marionette]

how many buttons can be assigned to a gamepad within ffxi? since mine would actually be consisting of 2, any beta testers that know?

check my ascii gamecube keyboard/controller question at:
http://www.ffxi.cogn.net/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=21665

[TeK-DeLorean™]

I would have recommended getting a ps2 - usb adapter as that is what I use and it is beyond great and cheap. You can find them on ebay for under 10$ bucks. I have a radio shack one and since I love the PS2 dual shock controller I am in heaven. I hope the controller you purchased isn't a piece of crap Lukas :sweat:

marionette this is how the Controller setup looks in the FFXI pc version: