Factorio Forums

Hello, it would be good to add support for controller.

Added to viewtopic.php?f=80&t=307 Gamepad/controller support (also keybinding)

Controller support for XBOX360 controllers and Steam controllers should be added for ease and so it is more comfortable for those who prefer using controllers.

It could be like:
Move = Left Stick
Move Cursor = Right Stick
Mine = Right Bumper
Attack = Right Trigger
Inventory = Top Face Button (Y)
Pause = Start
Select Item = Bottom Face Button (A)
Back Out Of Menu = Right Face Button (B)

The game is designed for use with a keyboard, this has come up before and been denied.

I don't see why you couldn't remap everything except the mouse to the controller though but why would you want to?

Related suggestion thread:

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=51857 Together on one PC (two players using one controller each)

I don't own one but i thought the Steam Controller was explicitly designed to work with games that _don't_ have special support for them? For Xbox you might try a keyboard emulator like x360ce.

I think for this usecase a more realistic suggestion would be to ask the devs for hotkey profiles / double keybinds to make it easier to switch between a keyboard and controller layout.

I think the biggest issue is that Factorio has too many keys to rebind them all to a controller.

You would also need:

• Opening various screens: [T] Technology window, [L] Logistic networks, [K] Kill statistics, [P] Production statistics, [M] Map, Blueprint library (although some of them can be opened by clicking buttons/areas)
• Performing some actions: [Q] Clear cursor / Pipette tool, [R] Rotate (and reverse rotate), [F] Pick up items, [Z] Drop items, [TAB] Confirm message / switch weapon, [PAD-/PAD+] Smaller/larger terrain building area, [ENTER] Enter/leave vehicle, [ALT] Show info, [Mouse up/down] Zooming in/out, [G and V] Connect/Disconnect train
• Quickbar/Toolbar selection [(SHIFT+)1-5], [X] Change active quickbar, [MMB] Toggle filter
• Various Ctrl/Shift modifiers for Copy/Paste entity settings, alternative selection tool mode, Craft 1/5/all, Stack/Fast entity transfer

Also don't forget that some mods add their own keybindings which also need to be able to fit.

I think it's not possible to comfortably play with a controller unless the devs really implement an input scheme that allows you to play with a controller the same way as with a keyboard, and where buttons are made context-aware for what they are supposed to do and perform actions depending on what dialog/screen you're on. Maybe also something like a selection wheel, use a button to open it and then the analog stick or D-pad to select the desired action.

I play factorio and many other pc games from my couch and big screen tv using an xbox controller and joytokey to emulate mouse and keyboard. Factorio is a challenge because so many inputs but perfectly doable when you assign buttons to shift, ctrl and alt, which multiplies the number of available buttons x3.

I've been playing Factorio using the Steam controller for months. Thousands of hours played using that thing. It works great already, no changes required!

daniel34 wrote:I think the biggest issue is that Factorio has too many keys to rebind them all to a controller.

Oh right. That's an issue. With mods being able to define new hotkeys that's pretty much impossible to solve though as many mod actions wouldn't have a useful context to seperate them into. And even with context seperation there's only so many things you can differentiate until one context has too many buttons again .

If you want the convenience of a controller (e.g. sitting on the couch) why not add the power of keyboard and mouse? Get a lap desk.

I'm surprised nobody has requested controller compatible pianos, because you know, "sitting in front of a piano is such a constraint, I prefer playing piano half-laying in my sofa"
Sorry, couldn't resist It's just that I hate it when game devs degrade the gameplay experience just to make their game controller friendly. It never works the other way round.

Now back on topic.
viewtopic.php?f=80&t=307

Btw with a good amount of configuration work JoyToKey can support any number of hotkeys. Because it supports shift buttons and switching the whole layout using the controller itself. I've played countless "keyboard" games using that.

I hate the KB input for so much. How about some limited game controller support for movement and opening/closing things?

Maybe these links will help ?

viewtopic.php?f=80&t=307
viewtopic.php?f=69&t=17126

(They were found by searching search.php?keywords=gamepad ).

Koub wrote:[Koub] Merged into older topic. There's a search function on this forum you know ? .

i gave up on forum searches years ago..they never work.
It gave you something to do..don't complain.
Why don't you turn your attention to some of the very very silly and petty suggestions I see here?

Zavian wrote:Maybe these links will help ?

viewtopic.php?f=80&t=307
viewtopic.php?f=69&t=17126

(They were found by searching search.php?keywords=gamepad ).

I appreciate your desire to help but I have no desire to buy steam gear for this one thing.

At least one of the threads I linked to had generic gamepad setup instructions.

Zavian wrote:At least one of the threads I linked to had generic gamepad setup instructions.

I haven't had much luck in the past with software emulators to make a controller work in software not designed for it...
The forum is named ''ideas and suggestions'' and i made one for a feature I'd like to see built in.