Tribes Ascend Using Xbox Controller Guide

Tribes Ascend Using Xbox Controller Guide by AFireInAsa

I play this game with an Xbox controller to get my kicks sometimes, and I can tell you right now that it’s not as hard as people make it out to be. It’s completely doable for any casual player who wants to have fun (don’t flame it until you try it). In fact, I top the arena scoreboard most of the time while playing with one (I’m pretty d*** good at this game with a mouse though, and that helps tremendously).

I find that you can’t use any sort of chain gun or assault rifle because they require too much fine control only a mouse can bring, but you can still be pretty d*** good with a spinfusor or any other kind of slow-moving high-splash weapon. The reason is because instead of fine-tuned aim, aiming a spinfusor is more about your prediction.

Note: You’ll need a corded controller to do this; wireless controllers don’t work as far as I know.

Binds You Need to Change

You’ll need to change some of your binds before you try to play because some of them are screwed up to begin with (for instance, instead of jump/jet it only has jet, meaning you can’t get off the ground easily). Here’s what you need to do…

First, follow this directory (Windows 7, not sure if the directory is the same with any other OS). Documents>My Games>Tribes Ascend>TribesGame>Config

Here, you’ll click TribesInput and open it up with Notepad. Save an extra file of this to your desktop just to make sure you don’t f*** anything up, and be sure not to change anything other than what you really need to. Maximizing this file full screen will help because the text goes on for a while.

First, push ctrl+f to open the find tool. Search downwards: lefttrigger – no spaces in between the words. There should be a few of these, and you want the very first one. Change the “Command=” part to say “GBA_ToggleJumpJetpack”, just like this…

Bindings=(Name=”XboxTypeS_LeftTrigger”,Command=”GBA_ToggleJumpJetpack”,Control=False,Shift=False,Alt=False,bIgnoreCtrl=False,bIgnoreShift=False,bIgnoreAlt=False)

This changes the left trigger on your Xbox controller to jump+jetpack which is a must for pretty much everything.

Now, right above lefttriger should be leftshoulder. Change the Command= part to say “GBA_DoSki”, just like this…

Bindings=(Name=”XboxTypeS_LeftShoulder”,Command=”GBA_DoSki”,Control=False,Shift=False,Alt=False,bIgnoreCtrl=False,bIgnoreShift=False,bIgnoreAlt=False)

It should say something like “DelaySki” at first instead. I’m actually not sure if this changes anything, I just did it and it works so I guess you should too. If someone tests out how it works without changing this bind, please tell me.

Binds You Want to Change

Now, if you want to change any of the other binds, you’ll need to stay in this part of the document (towards the top) and you have to change the Command= to say whatever you want it to actually do. To find the command of what you want it to do, scroll down just a tad bit and right under all the Xbox bindings are your key bindings. Copy the commands there that you want from your keyboard keys (for example, I’d go to R if I want the reload command. I’d copy paste “GBA_Reload” onto “XboxTypeS_Y” if I wanted the Y key to be my reload instead of switch weapon. Then of course I’d change the “GBA_WeaponSwitch” over to X so it is no longer reload.

Also, in order to go though a ski to jet in the air transition smoothly, you’ll have to do this semi-awkward thing with your finger where you press the trigger and the shoulder at the same time with one finger, unless you can get used to using two separate fingers (it’s not that bad really). You could also try setting toggle ski on in game and seeing how that works.

You also need to set toggle zoom in your in game settings so you won’t have to hold down your left thumbstick to do it.

Sensitivity

Players have asked me this, and I haven’t found a way (or really tried to find one) to change you senstitivy with an Xbox controller. If you know how, please get to me about it.

The default sensitivity is a little slow, but it’s not that bad. You just need to be aware which way people are flying so you don’t lose them. You’ll see how I do this in the videos that follow.

Videos

I hope to dispel some of the anti-controller attitude prevalent ariound T:A with these videos. People ask simple questions concerning a controller, and they are greeted with nothing but flame from people who have never even tried to use one them self. Now, you won’t be a top competitive player using an Xbox controller, but it’s possible to have fun with one and achieve a level of skill much higher than most mouse users.

This video is against some pretty low level players who are outnumbered for a portion of the video, but it shows off the level of aim and domination you can achieve with a controller.

This is a pretty good video of myself in arena getting 11 midairs and 44 kills, though I get rolled for a while when we are down two players in a 3v5; it also has a pretty funny twist ending.

Good luck and happy fraggin’.