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Krazy2c's avatar
Krazy2c
New Novice
1 month ago

Full Xbox Controller Support to Dragon Age: Origins and Dragon Age II on PC

To all the fans out there,

I am writing as a longtime fan of Dragon Age: Origins and Dragon Age II. I am asking for your help to convince BioWare and Electronic Arts to bring full Xbox-style controller support to the PC versions of Dragon Age: Origins and Dragon Age II.
I love both of these games, but there is one major thing that has kept me from enjoying the PC versions as much as I enjoy the Xbox versions: the controller experience.
I strongly prefer playing these games with an Xbox controller. The Xbox versions were designed around controller gameplay, and I really enjoy the way the controls, menus, and overall interface work with a controller.
Unfortunately, simply connecting an Xbox controller to the PC versions does not provide the same experience. The PC versions still rely heavily on the mouse and keyboard interface, which means that even when using a controller, I have to use the mouse cursor to interact with various menus and interfaces.
What I would really like is a true Xbox-style controller mode for the PC versions, similar to the controller experience already provided by Dragon Age: Inquisition on PC.
Dragon Age: Inquisition demonstrates that a Dragon Age game can provide PC players with a proper controller-based experience. I would love to see that same philosophy applied to Dragon Age: Origins and Dragon Age II.
Ideally, when an Xbox controller is connected, I would like the games to:
* Use the Xbox controller as the primary input device.
* Provide controls that closely match the Xbox versions.
* Provide a console-style interface designed specifically for controller use.
* Eliminate the need to use a mouse cursor during normal gameplay.
* Allow menus to be completely navigated with the controller.
* Make inventory, character screens, abilities/talents, dialogue choices, maps, and other interfaces fully controller-friendly.
* Display Xbox controller buttons and prompts.
* Allow the entire game to be played using the controller without constantly having to use the mouse cursor.
* Ideally allow players to choose between the traditional PC interface and an Xbox-style controller interface.
I am not asking to change the gameplay, story, characters, graphics, balance, or mechanics of these games.
I am simply asking for the opportunity to experience these existing games on a modern PC while having the same type of full controller experience that made the Xbox versions so enjoyable.
I understand that Dragon Age: Origins and Dragon Age II are older games, and I realize that implementing a complete controller interface could require significant development work. However, these games still have an extremely dedicated fanbase, and I believe many longtime players would welcome the opportunity to play them on PC with a modern, fully supported controller experience.
For me personally, this would make an enormous difference.
I want to be able to sit down at my PC with an Xbox controller, start Dragon Age: Origins or Dragon Age II, and simply play the game naturally—without having to constantly use the mouse cursor simply because the PC interface was designed around it.
The existing PC versions already provide access to the officially released expansions and downloadable content. I am not asking for additional content or changes to the games themselves.  I am asking for the existing games to receive a properly integrated controller experience.
If BioWare and EA could provide an update or modernized PC release for Dragon Age: Origins and Dragon Age II featuring:
Full Xbox-style controller support like Dragon Age: Inquisition + a fully controller-navigable interface + modern PC compatibility,
I would be extremely grateful.
These games have remained special to me for many years, and I would love the opportunity to experience them again on PC without having to give up the controller experience that made the Xbox versions so enjoyable.
Thank you for taking the time to read my request and thank you to everyone at BioWare who helped create these wonderful games.

Sincerely,
Krazy2c
A longtime Dragon Age fan

dragon age 2
dragon age origins
pc
xbox

9 Replies

  • Insomnia-0o0's avatar
    Insomnia-0o0
    New Traveler
    1 month ago

    Agreed, which is why I'm glad that someone mapped the console controls to work on PC if you do an online search in the most popular mod community. You can then tweak it to be exactly how you want it. I perfected mine and absolutely love it. Not sure if I'm allowed to share it here, but at least you'll have a great starting point.

  • holger1405's avatar
    holger1405
    Hero+
    1 month ago

    Krazy2c​ 

    As long as there is no true remaster or remake of these games, there will be no updated controller support for them.

    So, as Insomnia-0o0​  said, using mods is the only way.
    I would assume Insomnia ​is referring to the "The Definitive Dragon Age Origins Gamepad" mod on the Nexus. 
    If not, posting the name of the Mod without linking it is ok Insomnia-0o0​ 

  • Insomnia-0o0's avatar
    Insomnia-0o0
    New Traveler
    1 month ago

    Ah ok, that's what I was worried about, so was trying to be careful. The mod I used on  Nexus is called DAO Controller Config for Xbox Console Type Functionality. I bought the application used with the map configuration, was like 14 bucks, but the best 14 I've spent. Used it to map the old Baldur's Gate games too and tweaked them all to perfection.

  • St_Jimmy18's avatar
    St_Jimmy18
    Seasoned Newcomer
    1 month ago

    Hi everyone,

    During the past weeks I've been working on restoring the native gamepad support for Dragon Age 2 into the PC version. I've been testing it for a while and after many bug-fixes it looks like it's fully working.
    Just to be clear, this is not a input mapper like Joy2Key or SteamInput, I've taken the missing code and UI elements from the console versions and injected them back to the PC version. Here's the link for anyone who wants to try it: 

    https://github.com/PRomeotheus/DragonAge2NativeGamepadSupport

    Full disclosure, I've used AI to create the mod.

  • Krazy2c's avatar
    Krazy2c
    New Novice
    28 days ago

    Thank you so much for this.  Dragon Age 2 is so much better to play now.  Do you have any plans on making a gamepad support for Dragon Age: Origins & Awakening?  Also, whenever I use the gamepad support for Dragon Age 2 it always freezes when I want to change my character's look.  Can you tell me why?  All I have to do is unplug the gamepad support then use the mouse & keyboard to change my characters looks and then plug it back in.  I was just wondering if you knew why it was doing that?  Thank you again for creating this.

  • St_Jimmy18's avatar
    St_Jimmy18
    Seasoned Newcomer
    28 days ago

    I’m glad you are enjoying it!!!

    About the character’s look. I think I know what might be the cause. Each specific menu needs to be replaced by the console counterpart, and I normally start from my already created characters to test each class or play the intro sequence battle. That menu completely got past me. I found some other smaller non-game breaking bugs. So I’ll upload a version 1.3 shortly fixing that menu and some other stuff, and I’ll let you know.

    As for origins and awakening, I certainly thought about it, but I would first have to see how interchangeable the UI from the console version is for the PC version. It might not be “as easy”, because DA 2 had a lot of left over code from the console version in PC, so it was mostly about bridging what was taken out.

    Still, it would be a project for another time, as I’ve been working on other mods right now. (Adapt the missing dlc from the consoles into the PC version of Prince of Persia 2008, native gamepad for Baldur’s Gate 1&2 EE and Vampire The Masquerade Bloodlines 1)

  • Krazy2c's avatar
    Krazy2c
    New Novice
    26 days ago

    Thank you again for all that you have done.  I hope you or someone one day will be able to do the same for Dragon age: Origins, and Awakening.  Until then I will be eagerly waiting for Dragon Age 2 version 1.3.

  • St_Jimmy18's avatar
    St_Jimmy18
    Seasoned Newcomer
    14 days ago

    Version 1.2 is now available in my Github (I incorrectly said v1.3 before)
    This one fixes the character generation screen and some leftover text on loading screens.

    If you are updating from the last version, just replace the dinput8.dll file in the game folder and the chargen_stage2.gfx file in packages->core->override.

    Or just copy everything from scratch

  • Krazy2c's avatar
    Krazy2c
    New Novice
    8 days ago

    Thank you so much.  It's freakin awesome.  I really hope one day you can do the same for Dragon age: Origins & all the DLC's.  

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