HOW TO PLAY GUILD WARS 2 WITH A DUALSHOCK 3 CONTROLLER

or

THERE AND BACK AGAIN

by Kyle Prahl

Twitter: @PaybackPrahlGW2: PaybackPrahl.3192

{Feel free to use this guide and republish on any website you choose, with the exception of GameFAQs. I respectfully ask that credit be given to my name if the document is sourced or used elsewhere.}

First things you will need to do: Install this driver to allow Windows 7 to recognize the DualShock 3 as an input device. Install version 0.6.0005 of MotioninJoy, a software that translates PS3 controller input into PC

gamepad language. I currently use a very old version of MotioninJoy (0.4.000X), but there isn't much difference. Mine's just buggier.

Install free version of Xpadder, from this site. Xpadder allows you to assign keyboard buttons and mouse emulation to buttons on a gamepad.

Acquire a LOOONG mini-USB cable (the one I use is 15 feet, which was a ~$6 purchase online).

The Setup

For anyone with a decent amount of computer knowhow, installing the DualShock 3 drivers and getting MotioninJoy to run shouldn't be much of a hassle. Part of the process will be booting Windows 7 in “Test Mode”; a necessary step that allows Windows 7 to run unsigned drivers. The information you need should be found through the site I hyperlinked above, but Google is also your friend.

Once your computer can recognize the PS3 controller as an input device, boot up MotioninJoy and connect the controller via mini-USB. If memory serves me, MotioninJoy should recognize the controller automatically, which leaves you free to select from the available emulation options. For best compatibility, select “Xbox 360 Controller Emulator”, then click “Enable”.

Now, boot up Xpadder, and follow the onscreen instructions to create a controller layout. Xpadder works by first allowing you to create a “layout” that matches your controller, then assigning functions to each button in the layout. As you create the layout and press the buttons it prompts you to, be sure to click and drag the corresponding squares and circles that appear in Xpadder to their approximate positions on the controller. After dragging into appropriate spots, my layout looked like this:

Once the layout is set, save it with a relevant name (ex: PS3 to Xbox 360 controller layout). Now, we're ready to start mapping the gamepad. If this is starting to seem complicated, just remember this basic chain of logic for what we're doing:

MotioninJoy (for making computer think your DualShock is a 360 pad) ------>Xpadder (for mapping keyboard and mouse functions to your “360 pad”) ------>Guild Wars 2 (special key bindings make additional functions possible)

The Controls

To start off, I'll give you some images that show what your MotioninJoy window, Xpadder window, and Guild Wars 2 key bindings should look like. If you match my images exactly, you'll have a control setup that is identical to the one I describe below.

Step 1: Open MotioninJoy / DS3 Tool

Step 2: The controller should not be connected yet

Step 3: Connect the controller via mini-USB. Select “Xbox 360 Controller Emulator, and click “Enable”. Your version of MotioninJoy may appear differently than mine, which is quite old.

Step 4: Open Xpadder. After creating your layout, set up a profile with the following configuration:

My layout closely resembles the DualShock 3 layout. L3 and R3 are the square buttons between the sticks (F and V). The R1 trigger is mapped to L Ctrl. The L1 trigger is mapped to L Shift. The L2 and R2 triggers are mapped to Left Click and Right Click, respectively.

Step 5: Under the Guild Wars 2 Control Options, change key bindings to match the following screenshots. Important / relevant changes are highlighted.

Your button mapping should now be the same as mine, which is as follows:

Left Analog Stick – Movement (Forward, Back, Strafe Left, Strafe Right)L3: F (Talk, Greet, Activate, etc.)Right Analog Stick: Mouse cursor, moves camera if R2 is held downR3: DodgeL2: Left clickR2: Right clickX: Skill 1; Skill 4 w/ R1; Skill 7 w/ L1Square: Skill 2; Skill 5 w/ R1; Skill 8 w/ L1Triangle: Skill 3; Skill 6 w/ R1; Skill 9 w/ L1Circle: JumpStart: MapSelect: InventoryD-pad Down: F1 Profession Skill; Target Nearest Enemy w/ R1; Turn 180 degrees w/ L1 + R1D-pad Right: F2 Profession Skill; Target Next Enemy w/ R1; Contacts menu w/ L1 + R1D-pad Left: F3 Profession Skill; Target Previous Enemy w R1; Swap Weapons w/ L1; Party menu w/

L1 + R1D-pad Up: F4 Profession Skill; Call Target w/ R1; Hero menu w/ L1 + R1

My control setup focuses on making almost all skills available by pressing the face buttons. This is accomplished by assigning X, Square, and Triangle to Skills 1, 2, and 3, BUT having them activate 4, 5, and 6 OR 7, 8, and 9 IF R1 or L1 is held down, respectively. Basically, L1 and R1 are used for “swapping” what skills the face buttons activate. The closest console game comparison I can think of is Assassin's Creed. In any case, by keeping most skill function mapped to the face buttons, the D-pad is freed up to perform many of the other important functions in an MMO (like bringing up your inventory, changing targets, turning 180 degrees, etc.).

If you pay close attention, you'll notice that there are MANY control options open for business that my current scheme doesn't include. A couple of the D-pad buttons aren't mapped when both triggers are held down, and L1 + D-pad has no mapping for three directions. Same goes for the face buttons when both L1 and R1 are held. There are options open to you, so if there's a particular function you really can't live without, go nuts. Useful additions might include Autorun, Walk, Zoom In/Out (on Map), Target Ally, or Turn Left/Right. You can also opt to map additional functions onto Circle when either or both of the triggers are held, rather than keep Jump always active like I chose to do. Then again, this whole layout is yours to play around with – find what's comfortable and makes sense to you.

Important:

You will most likely prefer that pushing Left Stick to the left or right will cause your character to strafe versus turn (tank controls). Make sure that Strafe Left and Strafe Right are mapped to A and D, respectively.

Ground-targeting in Guild Wars 2 is a bit slower with this setup, so I find that enabling automatic ground-targeting at cursor location helps streamline and speed up AoE attacks. Just make sure your cursor is in the place you want it before hitting the AoE skill in question. You can find this option in the general options menu.

You might have noticed that my control setup doesn't have a mapping for 0, the Elite skill. This used to be R3, but when I moved Dodge to R3 during experimental setup, I didn't remap 0 to a different button/combination. This is mostly because it's not necessary for my character yet – feel free to use one of the many open button combinations available to you, or change the layout to suit your needs.

A Couple Notes:The mapping that I used is based on trial-and-error with a number of theoretical configurations. L1 and R1 are primarily used as modifiers that change the function of X, Square, Triangle, and the D-pad buttons while held down. As such, it seemed fitting to set L1 and R1 as Shift and Alt respectively, but I soon found that Shift+Alt+[some other key] is not acceptable format in the Guild Wars 2 control menu (I've no idea why, your guess is as good as mine). Therefore, R1 was arbitrarily assigned to Ctrl instead. I would've also liked to use L1+R1 to Dodge. While this might be possible if either L1 or R1 is assigned to something other than Shift or Ctrl (Shift+Ctrl is not acceptable format; the two together must be paired with a third key in the Guild Wars 2 control menu), it creates problems with the skills that get activated when L1 and R1 are both held. As such, I opted instead to map Dodge to R3, which works pretty well.

For MotioninJoy beginners:In my experience using this software to play everything from modern PC games to emulated PS2 classics, I've ran up against some quirks and oddities that you should be made aware of. First, never

unplug the controller from the computer without first hitting “Disconnect” in the MotioninJoy menu. It's harmless in the sense that your controller will be unaffected, but 60% of the time I try this, my computer crashes. Second, try not to mess around too much with the default button mappings within the MotioninJoy software. The Xbox 360 emulation works really well with PC, and there's really no point to tinkering. Feel free to use MotioninJoy to do things like calibrate your analog sticks and test your buttons, of course.

THE END