PC mouse and keyboard controls

[Scholdarr.452]

Has there been a more recent update on this? I don't recall hearing any interviews or snippets from PAX where the Devs stated the PC Controls are STILL not done.

Trust me, I'm sitting here just as worried as you are, but there is still a little more time than days for the gold master (Probably more like a Month). Although at this point it would be pretty much inexcusable to not have the PC controls locked down, and if there's any really recent statements regarding the controls still not being done, then that really is cause for concern.

IIRC the usual period for finalizing the gold master is about 6 weeks before release. That's in 3-4 weeks. So yes, let's say a few weeks instead of a few days. Still not much imo for such a basic "feature". It just worries me that it's apparently that bad right now that they refuse to show it to anybody, not even speaking about letting play someone with mouse/keyboard.

And yeah, I haven't heard anything about that during PAX neither. Might have something to do with the console-centrism in the US though. It's usually the European journalists who are much more interested in the PC and especially mouse/keyboard specific stuff.

 

[Vigilance.492]

IIRC the usual period for finalizing the gold master is about 6 weeks before release. That's in 3-4 weeks. So yes, let's say a few weeks instead of a few days. Still not much imo for such a basic "feature". It just worries me that it's apparently that bad right now that they refuse to show it to anybody, not even speaking about letting play someone with mouse/keyboard.

And yeah, I haven't heard anything about that during PAX neither. Might have something to do with the console-centrism in the US though. It's usually the European journalists who are much more interested in the PC and especially mouse/keyboard specific stuff.

Mhm. I'm running pretty heavy skepticism until we actually finally get to see the PC Controls in action, but at the very least I have to assume they've nailed them down by now. It would be absurd this close from release and they are STILL trying to fiddle around with a basic feature that, IMO, should have been worked out months ago, if not longer.

I think the biggest tell will be what version of the game they send out to reviewers. If they give out a mix, then sure, but if EVERYONE receives X1 or PS4 versions of the game to review, that certainly is NOT going to inspire confidence that they are in-fact confident with their PC version of the game, or at least that's my view on the matter.

 

[Scholdarr.452]

It would be absurd this close from release and they are STILL trying to fiddle around with a basic feature that, IMO, should have been worked out months ago, if not longer.

This. This very much. The whole situations is to a great extend just absurd. It's not like the genre was completely new and the gameplay truly innovative. It's actually pretty "proven ground" that a lot of games have gone before, their own TW2 being one of them besides e.g. Assassin's Creed, Batman, TES and a lot of other 3rd person slashing games. It's completely beyond my understanding how they could still be working on PC controls so shortly before release to a degree that it's not showable to the public right now. That's truly absurd and deeply worrying, not just because I fear that the result might be lackluster but because it's also a kind of indication that something went deeply wrong here during the really long development of Witcher 3 in terms of controls and the PC version in general...

Another reason (one that I probably like even less) could be that they want to avoid discussion about the PC UI and stuff, not showing PC controls on purpose because people could be angry about not getting a different UI than the console/controller one. So the "happy surprise" might come only after release once you start the game for the first time...

 

[ONLY_ONCE]

People still play with mouse and keys!?! hahaha.. jkjk

 

[thislsmadness]

This. This very much. The whole situations is to a great extend just absurd. It's not like the genre was completely new and the gameplay truly innovative. It's actually pretty "proven ground" that a lot of games have gone before, their own TW2 being one of them besides e.g. Assassin's Creed, Batman, TES and a lot of other 3rd person slashing games. It's completely beyond my understanding how they could still be working on PC controls so shortly before release to a degree that it's not showable to the public right now. That's truly absurd and deeply worrying, not just because I fear that the result might be lackluster but because it's also a kind of indication that something went deeply wrong here during the really long development of Witcher 3 in terms of controls and the PC version in general...

Another reason (one that I probably like even less) could be that they want to avoid discussion about the PC UI and stuff, not showing PC controls on purpose because people could be angry about not getting a different UI than the console/controller one. So the "happy surprise" might come only after release once you start the game for the first time...

I agree that its probably something related to the UI and not actually controlling Geralt thats the issue. I can't fathom that its too difficult to slap together a set of controls for KB/M, especially when the game doesn't control that differently from Witcher 2. Theres more actions but thats strictly a controller concern since a keyboard has 101 buttons.

I bet the real issue is that the PC UI is just not done. We see that they've completely re-written the controller UI, so it doesn't seem too far fetched to think that they've done the same with PC. Which can be taken two ways: Its either, as you said, they want to conceal that they've done nothing to leverage KB/M. Or it could mean that making the UI work on the kb/m is more work than just rebinding a handful of buttons.

 

[G3nome]

as i posted in the ui thread

i just hope when they release the mod tool we can really mod the shit of the game aand somebody could make a proper pc ui

i have faith

 

[archaven.84]

as i posted in the ui thread




i have faith

That is kind of really disappointing as i see it that the community needs to rely on modding to have a "Proper UI". I really hope CDPR dont let us down for those who love playing on KB&M.

 

[G3nome]

That is kind of really disappointing as i see it that the community needs to rely on modding to have a "Proper UI". I really hope CDPR dont let us down for those who love playing on KB&M.

for pc gamers thats how it is since rpg consolization


cd project red gave up proper pc ui since the withcer 2

i whi devs should understand that ui for pc=/= ui for console

 

[Scholdarr.452]

for pc gamers thats how it is since rpg consolization


cd project red gave up proper pc ui since the withcer 2

i whi devs should understand that ui for pc=/= ui for console

The problem ist that even with most more in-depth mod tools it's often very hard or impossible to change the UI. Bear in mind, that modding the UI doesn't only mean to just change the graphical layer of the interface (the GUI) but also complex functionalities that are often deeply integrated in the basic source code. It's a lot harder to mod that properly than making skins, new quests or even new assets with the respective first or third party tools. Without access to the source code itself and a deep knowledge of how the UI is composed and how it works within the engine and code it's unlikely that someone will be able to truly mod a new UI for the PC version, at least not within a reasonable time frame...

 

[Ajira]

Prepare your gamepads people. And don't forget, if you don't have a x input gamepad, you can always buy a cheap one and use xbox 360 gamepad emulator...

 

[Scholdarr.452]

Prepare your gamepads people. And don't forget, if you don't have a x input gamepad, you can always buy a cheap one and use xbox 360 gamepad emulator...

I rather wouldn't play the game at all than playing it with a gamepad. Period.

 

[Reverendblue]

I rather wouldn't play the game at all than playing it with a gamepad. Period.

I agree. If I buy a game on a PC I expect it to work with the Platforms default control scheme. Asking PC users to "just use a controller" is like me telling a console player to only use half the controller. Or like the devs disabled half the buttons on a controller at random. It wouldn't be acceptable there so why is it acceptable to say that for PCs?

I got burned with the pre-order of DAI ( i returned it and got my money back in full at least) because of how god awful the PC controls were and still are.

I have no intention to spend a dime on this game until its been released and I see feeback from the forums. I don't trust any game review sites as almost none of them reported how bad DAI was with its controls for PC. Everything is so console centric now days its a real shame.

 

[Reverendblue]

Has anyone seen any updates from the Devs on what the state of the PC controls are? I don't understand how this isn't a bigger issue. Is this forum like 95% console players?

 

[Garrison72]

Has anyone seen any updates from the Devs on what the state of the PC controls are? I don't understand how this isn't a bigger issue. Is this forum like 95% console players?

Mostly PC players, And yes, we hope PC has been graced with a competent port.

 

[sidspyker]

Is this forum like 95% console players?

Quite the opposite if the polls are anything to go by...

I don't think there's been any 'update' per se but I remember one article I read some time ago saying they want to put "extra effort" into "fine tuning" the Keyboard and Mouse controls. The reason stated was that Konrad Tomaszkiewicz is a huge PC Gamer. Obviously that's not really how things work, "XYZ is a PC gamer so we'll do extra for it". I suppose he said he is one and the article writer inferred it from that.

But the point gets across, it's not so much that "Keyboard and Mouse controls don't work properly" as much as they want to make them better.

 

[Reverendblue]

Quite the opposite if the polls are anything to go by...

I don't think there's been any 'update' per se but I remember one article I read some time ago saying they want to put "extra effort" into "fine tuning" the Keyboard and Mouse controls. The reason stated was that Konrad Tomaszkiewicz is a huge PC Gamer. Obviously that's not really how things work, "XYZ is a PC gamer so we'll do extra for it". I suppose he said he is one and the article writer inferred it from that.

Yeah it hasnt worked out that way in recent titles from big publishers. They dont seem to give a crap about PC games. You still cant even bind mouse keys in dragon age...

 

[mecha_fish.619]

i've actually find it easier/better to play with a console controller simply because of this consolisation attitude we're getting these days-- I can't play the witcher 2 with KB+M anymore. it's too cumbersome. :c there's a limit to the grace of playing a beautiful game like this though.

(and on using mods -- mods are for personal taste, for me. i expect mod use in tw3 to be for, idk, changing Ciri's boots or the COLOUR of the UI. not for a completely necessary revamp of the UI or the control scheme.)

i surely hope it's simply a matter of fine tuning and making them better because I really miss playing a good old rpg with kb+m and it'd be nice to play a good new rpg in this manner some time soon.

 

[Vigilance.492]

I can't play the witcher 2 with KB+M anymore. it's too cumbersome.

Each to their own, but I don't know how you do it. I did a full playthrough with a DS4 just because I heard so many people make the same "Witcher 2 plays better with a Gamepad" claim, and it was awful. Even using the radial menu was more of a pain because the analog stick is way less precise than a mouse. I couldn't swap my targets as easily, I felt like overall I just had way less control in combat, everything felt slower and more frustrating.

As another separate point...
One of the recent videos in the interviews thread the Devs were talking about how they were taking feedback from the Journalists at the press events to make little changes to the control scheme. If that is so, why didn't they let people who played on PC use KB/M so they could get some feedback? If they were so confident in their KB/M controls that they didn't require feedback then they would have had them finished already, but they don't, so surely they could have used some feedback?
Or they just assume that they don't really have to worry all that much, because as long as they give players the ability to rebind, who cares?

It's all just a little weird, and I can't make sense of the decisions (Or I guess lack of information) regarding the PC controls honestly.

 

[mecha_fish.619]

Each to their own, but I don't know how you do it. I did a full playthrough with a DS4 just because I heard so many people make the same "Witcher 2 plays better with a Gamepad" claim, and it was awful. Even using the radial menu was more of a pain because the analog stick is way less precise than a mouse. I couldn't swap my targets as easily, I felt like overall I just had way less control in combat, everything felt slower and more frustrating.

i use a xb360 controller and you're right-- it's terrible. but for me, it is... i can't say smoother or better... but easier than using the kb+m. for me, the controls don't make any sense. that being said, i haven't tried rebinding them. i liked how tw1's controls were, maybe i ought to try that...

but i surely hope i don't have to do any such thing for the witcher 3. as you say, it looks doubtful there is love for the PC community given what lack of kb+m work we've seen, but i can only be optimistic.

 

[thislsmadness]

Witcher 2 is a weird game where I dont really know which control method was primary. They included the wheel and a list based menu, but neither of them work that well with the controller. Apparently, it works better in the 360 version of the game but they didnt bring those changes to PC for some reason.

The isnt a platformer that need precise analogue controls or a fighting game that requires some convoluted inputs... There is almost no excuse for kb/m controls to be bad.