Controller setup and gameplay guide

First of all, before I put my stuff in here, I wanted to ask if people are interested in a guide for controller usage for Tera, since I got kinda pro with a PS3 controller, solo and group. Also, since Tera supports controller gameplay I guess there is no problem guiding others how to install and setup it so as how to play optimal with it.

This guide explains how to setup and use a controller, why it can be awesome in combat and generel movement and gives some advice specialised on warrior gameplay on controller.

The guide is divided in those sections:

1 - Setup controller/gamepad
2 - Advantages of controller/gamepad gameplay
3 - Gameplay
4 - Specialised: Warrior
5 - Diverse tips

Setup Controller/Gamepad
Viable controllers: DualShock3 PS3, XBox 360 controller, any computer gamepad

Programs needed: Up to date Windows 7 or higher, MotioninJoy Gamepad tool

MotioninJoy
Before connecting any controller, you should download and install this software, if I remember correct it´s a freeware. This program automatically recognizes any controller for pc and consoles via usb device and makes it usable for most games without a shield/antihack software. You can give your controller an XBox, PS3 or other profile or you can make your own profile with completely individualised keysettings. When you open MotioninJoy, you will see a few options and settings.

Connected game controller(s): Search automatically for one and more controller via USB device.

Select one mode: Those are standard controller profiles from PS1 to PS3 and XBox 360. If you are fine with it, chose them. Personally I advice to make your own new profile though, so you can setup your keys to your personal liking.

Custom/==>Create: Make your own profile with individual keysettings. This will be your focus, if you want to set it up for an MMORPG.

LED: This is for PS3 controllers propably only or with controllers having a LED. Usually it shows the order of controllers - here you can chose if the LED shows the order or the battery information.

Enable: Atleast for PS3/XBox Controllers you have to activate it to use the controller for Tera. PC controllers should work anyways.

Vibration Testing: Obviously a short vibration check of any controller supporting it.

Game Controller Panel: Opens the controller panel of Windows.

Custom profile
As explained already, you can access the profile editor to make your own profile from scratch via Custom/==>Create. Here you will setup every button to it´s belonging, on the left you chose the peripheral(gamepad, keyboard or mouse) and on the right the button you want to set for the shown key. Don´t forget to save when you are done with the keysettings. The saved profile will now show up in the costum popup list, ready to use.

Before you start Tera, always do sure that the status bar right of "Connected game controller(s)" is moving from left to right. Sometimes it´s just static what usually means: Controller is not active - which is caused by connection issues. Click on disconnect in this case to fix it and reconnect your controller via USB device again. The status bar should move now.

Also click on "Enable" before you start the Tera client. Some controllers still don´t work if you miss doing so, f.e. the PS3 DualShock3 controller.

Advantages of controller/gamepad gameplay
Mainly controller gameplay is viable for Berserker, Lancer, Slayer and Warrior. I can´t say really if it works good for ranged classes, since they need more precision or hotkeys. I would suggest to try out yourself, if you are a ranged class.

The advantage of controller gameplay is the better and smoother access to important actions and the deeper feeling of gameplay.
Sure, you can´t reach the precision of your mouse, but if you actually try out all gameplay functions in Tera you will see that there is something called "skill to face direction". This makes perfect precision a bit obsolete and makes it way easier to hit targets or evade and continueing backhitting. This function is only effective for controller though, with keyboard and mouse it leads to a complitated controle again.

Gameplay
If you play with controller, the combat goes way smoother but you don´t have so fast access to menues anymore. Though you can still keybind the most important menues, inventory and profile on f.e. left digit or right digit(DualShock3 PS3). You are able to
move the cursor over the screen as like you would play with mouse and it works surpringly good and fast.

The most important thing for combat-controller gameplay is the "skill to face direction" function. You´ll find it on the top settings of the controller menue(Select on DualShock3), check it and setup the rest to your likings. When playing with skill to face direction, it means you don´t have to turn cam anymore the whole time(this can be also good for low spec computers) and set your skill direction by moving the left analog stick to your destination while using your skills. When you practiced this, you ´ll recognize that it can be way more reliable than "skill to camera position", also in PvP.

Specialised: Warrior
As I found a good setting for my Warrior and play way better with it than back then with keyboard/mouse, I wanted to share my setup here. Mainly it´s good for PvE, turned out to be decent for PvP also yet though(didn´t do much PvP since I returned though).

Mainly there is enough space for every Warrior skill(most people claim warrior has most melee skill variety) and you even can use some keybinds for mount, 1-2 pots, etc. So for other classes it shouldn´t be a problem anyway...

Controller keys(DualShock3 PS3):
Cross, Square and Triangle(1, 2 and 4) - Basic attack skills(Comboattack, RoB, Jump)
Cricle(3) - Combative Strike and chain trigger(works surprisingly good with both functions on 1 key at once)
This key includes those skills via chain trigger: Traverse Cut, Blade Draw, Vortex
R3(10, right analogstick push down) - Rising Fury
R2(8 ) - Evade(most sensitive key, so it´s a good choice evading with it), Crossparry(Make 2 skillbar pages for switch)
L3(9, left analogstick push down) - Death from Above

R1+Cross(6+1) - Backstab
R1+Square(6+2) - Charge
R1+Circle(6+3) - Enmity shout
R1+Triangle(6+4) - "placeholder"

L1+Cross(5+1) - "placeholder"
L1+Square(5+2) - Instant healing potion
L1+Circle(5+3) - Offensive Stance
L1+Triangle(5+4) - Mount

R1+L2(6+7) - Map
L1+R2(5+8 ) - "placeholder"

Start(13) - Screen mode toggle
Select(14) - Controller setup menue

Left analogstick - Move character/scroll text
Right analogstick - Move camera/cursor
Down/Up digit: Zoom in/out
L2(11) - Speak to NPC, gathering, using objects etc.

Cursor menue:
Cross/R2: Selecting section/menue
Triangle: Selecting and acting with a NPC, player, object, enemy, etc.
Square(while holding cursor over an item): Using item

Combination examples:
Circle(3)+Square(2): Combative - RoB
Circle(3)+Circle(3)+Circle(3): Combative - Traverse - Blade Draw
R2(8 )+Circle(3)+Circle(3): Evade - Vortex - Blade Draw
R1+Square(6+2)+Circle(3): Charge - Blade Draw
R3(10)+Circle(3): Rising Fury - Blade Draw

Those are for offensive stance combat and there is still some room for other skills or consumables so as a few more unassigned key combinations. For defensive stance it´s optimal to setup a second skill page with a tank-key setup including skills like Torrent of Blows.

Diverse tips
Will be added later on excluded from this post(since this forum doesn´t allow editing after some minutes), if people are interested.

Very nice guide !!

+1