Setting up Joy to key

[Kondibon]

So I've decided to try out the game with Joy to key due to the fact that I can't assign functions to specific combinations on the gamepad.

So my question to those who already use it, how do you personally have it set up, so I can have some ideas of where to start.

[Coatl]

I'm curious as to how you go about setting it up as well. The things I've heard you can pull off with Joy to Key sound too good to be true.

[Kondibon]

It doesn't look TOO complicated, I just wanted some example layouts cause there isn't much room in my default layout for shifting things. ;;

[Darki]

JoyTokey user here.

I don't have it as customized as Inazuma with his Razer gamepad with a crapton of buttons, in fact I use it with a classic Wii controller that has less buttons than your average controller (no joystick buttons), but it works fine for me.

The main problem you face is the fact that some keys work different for keyboard and gamepad. For example gamepad A key (using default Xbox mapping) is used to pick items and to interact with items, and also to accept options in menu. But in the keyboard you use a key only for interaction/pickup and the "accpet" key is usually tied to the chat window. If you wanna map most buttons, including ABXY you'll have to affect slightly the way you use the chat, for example (at least in my case). Also, some keys have functions assigned that you can't modify, for example the D-pad in the menus will always be used to navigate even if you set off all functions assigned to it.

What I did was to set off all the gamepad keys and leave only joysticks natively. I also left the Y button in the gamepad as native because I use it for jumping and cancelling in menus and it's easiert to leave it like that than try to map keyboard keys to it.

Now, for one of the bumpers, I added both lock-on functions in a tap/hold button. You know there's a button that locks-on, another that changes target, these two functions are usually in the same button in most games. So I set it so I can tap the button to lock-on and jump targets, then hold the button a bit longer to drop the target. Similarily, I added hold/tap buttons for the map/area map functions, menu/quick menu, and autorun/TPS mode to save some space in the start, select and home buttons of the wii controller.

Instead of having a bumper tor sub-palette ussage, I simply disabled that function and used the button as a profile change button in J2K so I can change what buttons do while I hold it, and have more functions to them. That way, when I press the button Y I use the secondary attack function (PAs for example), and when I hold the bumper and Y, I use the subpalette 3 button instead. That way I can use the subpalette from the gamepad without needing to go to the keyboard. Of course I don't have that many buttons so some of the subpalette functions remain in the keyboard only, but that's stuff I don't need that often like stances or telepipe.

I also modified the D-pad functions. Instead of navigating through the subpalette, I set it so pressing any direction automatically changes the weapon (assigned the numpad keys to the D-pad), and to access the "original" D-pad function so I can change subpalettes I added it as a bumper + D-pad function using the same bumper as before.

Sounds complicated but is not that difficult. Using the Xbox analogy it would be:

A= Normal attack
B = Jump/cancel
X = Pick item/access
Y = Special attack

LB = Dodge
LT(tap/hold) = Switch target/lock-on
RB = guard/extra function

select (tap/hold) = autorun/TPS mode
home (tap/hold) = main menu/quick menu
start (tap/hold) = area map/switch map

D-pad = change weapons

RT + A = Subpalette 2
RT + X = Subpalette 1
RT + Y = Subpalette 3
RT + D-pad = navigate subpalette

I'm missing some functions since I prefer to modify it slowly so I don't need to get used to many changes at a time, so this is not the final mapping. I plan on adding another button switch so I can change the attack and jump buttons to bumpers and triggers while in TPS mode, for example, and try some other combinations. As I said my gamepad is far from good for this since it has only 11 buttons, so if you have something better it's definitely a good deal to use this program. I suppose Inazuma can tell you his setup which is really freaky, he has over 40 funtions mapped.

If you want more suggestions on setting this stuff up and more details (I had to modify many keyboard functions ingame for this to work, for example), I dunno, send me a PM or contact me ingame or something, lol.

[Soultrigger]

I use a Logitech controller, which is very similar to PS3.

Instead of using the game's mapping to controller buttons, I remove the majority of them and assign the buttons to keys through JoyToKey (this is done to make button combinations possible).

In order to get the most of my buttons, I designate a few buttons which, when used in combination, change the function of practically every button on my controller. For example, I set Circle as Access, but when used in combination with my D-Pad/Left Shoulder Buttons, I switch weapons on the fly without having to scroll.

In the "Options" tab, you can set your profile to have multiple Joysticks. The beauty of this is that you can have any button on your standard "Joystick 1" to swap to another Joystick # while being held/through toggle, which allows a vast amount of possibilities and easily lets you hotkey every subpalette button/weapon hotkey/menu you can think of.

I don't recommend heavily mapping functions based on button sensitivity or analog (especially diagonal). A downside of button combinations is that you sometimes have to press/release the buttons in the right order, or else you can get unexpected behavior like a premature uncharged Tech, or no Tech at all (canceled through Evade/Guard for example). I personally don't use Toggle very much as I don't like memorizing my current configuration and would prefer the controls to always respond the same way.

And of course, despite the vast amount of possibilities, there are limitations. Stating the obvious here, but your design should be intuitive and not need to rely on hands crossing over to the other side.

[Kondibon]

That's quite a lot. It's not too complicated (I've messed with this kind of stuff for my emulators), but I tend to use my whole subpallet, so I'm going to have to figure out a way to map the whole thing without taking up every key combination. Thanks though. :3

I use a Logitech controller, which is very similar to PS3.

Instead of using the game's mapping to controller buttons, I remove the majority of them and assign the buttons to keys through JoyToKey (this is done to make button combinations possible).

In order to get the most of my buttons, I designate a few buttons which, when used in combination, change the function of practically every button on my controller. For example, I set Circle as Access, but when used in combination with my D-Pad/Left Shoulder Buttons, I switch weapons on the fly without having to scroll.

In the "Options" tab, you can set your profile to have multiple Joysticks. The beauty of this is that you can have any button on your standard "Joystick 1" to swap to another Joystick # while being held/through toggle, which allows a vast amount of possibilities and easily lets you hotkey every subpalette button/weapon hotkey/menu you can think of.

I don't recommend heavily mapping functions based on button sensitivity or analog (especially diagonal). A downside of button combinations is that you sometimes have to press/release the buttons in the right order, or else you can get unexpected behavior like a premature uncharged Tech, or no Tech at all (canceled through Evade/Guard for example). I personally don't use Toggle very much as I don't like memorizing my current configuration and would prefer the controls to always respond the same way.

And of course, despite the vast amount of possibilities, there are limitations. Stating the obvious here, but your design should be intuitive and not need to rely on hands crossing over to the other side.

I'm thinking of setting the right trigger so that when combined with my x/y/b buttons and the d-pad it it activates certain parts of my subpallet. That way it'll be a bit like the weapon toggle for tech weapons and guns while still allowing me to jump.

[Gardios]

I'm not using it in this game (using the ingame gamepad options), but I used it with a PS2 controller in a fairly similar game (Arad Senki, if that matters).

Basically, I had L2 and R2 toggle to another gamepad setting when hold, with a few actions (like jump) set to the same button on all configurations. Aside from the face buttons, I also used the right analog stick for 4 extra actions per shoulder button. Just make sure to ignore sensivity.

[Inazuma]

I use a Razor Sabertooth and was able to fit everything on the controller with Joytokey.

- all 10 hotbar items
- all 6 weapon change shortcuts
- all 10 chat shortcuts
- autorun/autofollow
- both map toggles
- change target
- * and + to zoom out
- quick menu
- weapon menu
- unit menu
- mag menu
- turbo E
- auto item pickup On/Off

Without spending a very long time explaining it in great detail, I have a ton of toggle buttons that change the function of other buttons. If I hold down two toggle buttons, it works like another toggle. I also have a few tap/hold buttons.

[Kondibon]

I use a Razor Sabertooth and was able to fit everything on the controller with Joytokey.

- all 10 hotbar items
- all 6 weapon change shortcuts
- all 10 chat shortcuts
- autorun/autofollow
- both map toggles
- change target
- * and + to zoom out
- quick menu
- weapon menu
- unit menu
- mag menu
- turbo E
- auto item pickup On/Off

Without spending a very long time explaining it in great detail, I have a ton of toggle buttons that change the function of other buttons. If I hold down two toggle buttons, it works like another toggle. I also have a few tap/hold buttons.

That thing seems to have 6 more buttons than mine. XD I'm a bit skeptical about using toggles for the same reason as soultrigger. Keeping track of which toggle I'm on would confuse me a bit too much without a hud to check for it.

[Darki]

But if you use hold toogles those are easy to memorize. they toogle between profiles, but all you gotta remember is that A does something, L1 + A does something else, and L1 + L2 + A does yet another thing. When you release them, it all goes back to normal.

I'm tempted on directly set two toggle buttons (currently use only one) so I can do as Inazuma and have four profiles working (normal, L1, L2 and L1+L2), but I'd have to get used to lock-on with a different button (I would have weapon action and dodge in all profiles) and that's kinda too bothersome. I suppose I'll try a new setup and see how much it messes my reflexes.