Final Fantasy XI

Can you use the keyboard effectively, ie, map movement the way you want to (WASD?)

Do you need the mouse, or can you even use the mouse?

If the game can be played with PS2 or XBox controllers... how do you communicate?

When I was playign FFXI  I hooked up my XBOX controller to my PC USB port and used that to move around.  It was MUCH easier than tryign to use the keyboard and mouse, but you could still do that.  The controller does not replace the keyboard and mouse but augments it, allowing you to move around using the controller and do all the keys from the keyboard, including typing in chat.

Originally posted by Aetherial

Can you use the keyboard effectively, ie, map movement the way you want to (WASD?)

Do you need the mouse, or can you even use the mouse?

If the game can be played with PS2 or XBox controllers... how do you communicate?

If you want to use the keyboard, I suggest going into the config and setting your keyboard to Compact. This allows you to move around with WASD; you use the arrow keys (or IKJL as they suggest in the screenshot) to move the camera and/or steer your character as well.

You never even need to touch the mouse with that setup; at least I don't.

Here are some screenshots to illustrate where the setting is:
 

1. First go to the second panel of the main menu by pressing the minus "-" key twice. Move the selection down to Config and hit "enter" (or equivalent) to access the Config menu options.

2. Next move the selector down to the 'Misc 2' option and hit enter (or equivalent).

3. Finally, move the selector down to the "Keyboard Type" section, then over to the "Compact" option.

You'll notice that it gives you a pop-up showing what keys do what; a handy reference. Hit 'enter' (or equivalent) to enable it. Escape out of the menus... and you're good to go. Along with Alt and Ctrl for using macros, those are the only keys you'll ever really need to play.

Hope that helped :). I used this setup once when I didn't have access to my gamepad, intending for it to be temporary. I've never gone back to using a gamepad.

Originally posted by WSIMike

Originally posted by Aetherial

Can you use the keyboard effectively, ie, map movement the way you want to (WASD?)

Do you need the mouse, or can you even use the mouse?

If the game can be played with PS2 or XBox controllers... how do you communicate?

 

If you want to use the keyboard, I suggest going into the config and setting your keyboard to Compact. This allows you to move around with WASD; you use the arrow keys (or IKJL as they suggest in the screenshot) to move the camera and/or steer your character as well.

You never even need to touch the mouse with that setup; at least I don't.

Here are some screenshots to illustrate where the setting is:
 

1. First go to the second panel of the main menu by pressing the minus "-" key twice. Move the selection down to Config and hit "enter" (or equivalent) to access the Config menu options.

 

2. Next move the selector down to the 'Misc 2' option and hit enter (or equivalent).

 

3. Finally, move the selector down to the "Keyboard Type" section, then over to the "Compact" option.

You'll notice that it gives you a pop-up showing what keys do what; a handy reference. Hit 'enter' (or equivalent) to enable it. Escape out of the menus... and you're good to go. Along with Alt and Ctrl for using macros, those are the only keys you'll ever really need to play.

 

Hope that helped :). I used this setup once when I didn't have access to my gamepad, intending for it to be temporary. I've never gone back to using a gamepad.

lol

Thanks guys...

But how do you communicate if I choose to use an xbox360 controller?

Don't people type messages with their keyboard in this game?

Originally posted by Aetherial

Thanks guys...

But how do you communicate if I choose to use an xbox360 controller?

Don't people type messages with their keyboard in this game?

 

Yep... You just have to put down the gamepad and type... then pick it back up and play. And I know there are either keyboard accessories, or you can find gamepads with built in keypads. A friend of mine in FFXI uses one of those on the PS2.

Originally posted by xantho10

Originally posted by WSIMike

 lol

My screenshots are funny....?

It's funny because it's true.  Probably because you went step by step to explain how to change the keyboard layout. The fact that something so easy usually needs to be explained to people who say the controls suck and don't bother to change them is kind of interesting.

Yeah, because Misc. 2 is so intuitive.