Toggle Controller UI to enable/disable without Steam Big Picture Mode

[FreshNinja007]

I've tried to get answers and it seems that nobody knows how it works.

I'm looking for a list of command-line options for WarFrame, specifically how to force-enable the Controller UI so that I can fully control the game 100% with the controller.

I can do this with Steam's Big Picture Mode (BPM) but I'm looking for a way to do what I need quickly without needing to go through all that.  On top of this, having the BPM constantly running in the background is an additional drain on resources that I need to manually-close once I am in-game.  I'm trying to avoid the need for BPM completely.

If anyone can assist, I'm sure many players would greatly appreciate it.

Edited August 23, 2017 by FreshNinja007

[artemisfortune]

Just to be clear, you can't be bothered to click big picture mode?

It's like an extra click and 4 button presses. I don't understand the problem.

[FreshNinja007]

I want to run the Controller UI without Steam Big Picture Mode.  Basically be able to force-on the button prompts for Xbox or Playstation depending on what kind of controller is plugged in.  It seems BPM is required to enable the on-screen keyboard, otherwise chatting isn't possible within the game.

I just want to be able to run WarFrame without having to go through Steam BPM.  Number of clicks is not the issue.  The issue is that I'd rather prefer a better controller-focused UI for PC as a toggle option (or command line option) similar to how it is on consoles.  Something that already exists and yet hasn't been ported over because...reasons?

Many players use controllers for comfort and/or being unable to K&M due to personal injuries or medical reasons or whatever.

Going through Steam BPM enables 'controller support' within WarFrame that allows full menu navigation and access to everything else.  I just want this to be a thing without having to go through Steam BPM.  Those who are still on the standalone client would also benefit from this.

[FreshNinja007]

Using Controller UI makes it a pain to do simple things like viewing profiles or adding friends.  The lack of the right click on chat tabs also removes a lot of accessibility.
If this is how the console version works then I have no clue how they get by.  I suspect their systems are a bit more refined than the half-assed controller UI mode we seem to have here.

Despite these issues, a TOGGLE option for Controller UI would still be amazing, preferably in-game.  That way I can just toggle it on when soloing stuff and toggle it off when needing to chat/trade/socialize.  I'd be able to do this without having to restart the game.

[188pilas]

Have you made any progress on this issue? I would also like to have the option of managing extra action sets instead of relying on the default DE config which seems unable to edit to add extra action sets. Having the feature, as suggested, to disable controller support within Warframe would be an ideal solution that way we can add our own custom config. 

[FreshNinja007]

Well I figured out a few things.

• Warframe command-line options seem to be a closely-guarded secret among vets that they are unable or unwilling to share.  Only one I could find was -high and that would only run the game in a higher priority which MAY cause issues for anything else running in the background and is NOT really recommended on anything other than the lowest of the low-end (machines older than 2010).
• The controller UI must be enabled and disabled by (re)launching through Steam Big Picture Mode to enable it, and launching regularly to disable it.
• Unfortunately it seems the game saves two different sets of options so controller/keyboard keybinds need to all be redone for each 'mode' with and without the Steam BPM thing.
• Also the game always force-enables Full Screen mode on my computer since unchecking it via launcher just throws it into a window instead.  I always have to go in and switch to Borderless Full Screen but this option is never saved no matter if I'm launching with or without Steam BPM.
• The Controller UI has its own quirks such as being unable to close private message chat windows (so if you chat a lot then your chatbox gets very quickly out of hand) as well as being a real pain just to be able to send friend requests to others.
• Sometimes when alt-tabbing or even just doing missions, it messes up the button prompts so that they appear blue/faded/outlines after a mission or after alt-tabbing.  I suspect this particular issue may be unique to my setup but it is cosmetic-only so it doesn't bother me.  Functionality remains the same and I'm able to determine relatively easily what does what.
• Steam's Big Picture Mode (BPM) is required to utilize any chatting or chat functionality while the Controller-UI is enabled.  If Steam BPM is closed then chatting will become completely unavailable until the game is restarted.
• I feel that the foundations are here for a decent experience but they need just a bit of TLC and fine-tuning before really becoming a useful alternative to the standard.  Most veterans seem to be using mouse/keyboard hardware macros to get past the terrible default keybinds rather than bothering to address the issue with the devs themselves.  Either that or the devs have listened and completely ignored said feedback since at least 2013.

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• With the new Plains expansion coming out, I feel that the first impression of players will be crucial and the lack of proper controller UI support on PC will be detrimental towards keeping new players around long-term.  If the game could auto-detect controller or mouse use and automatically switch between modes on the fly, that would be ideal and permit the best of both worlds.  Using whatever combination is available for the task at hand.

Edited August 23, 2017 by FreshNinja007

[ViolenceAtaraxis]

Hey I set up Warframe in bpm with a controller and now when I try to load the game without bpm it crashes my entire pc and makes me pc run slow when reloading too. How do I make it so i can play with kb/m when I want and controller when I want without crashing my pc?

[topse909]

I have made an addditional install of standalone client to be able to play keyboard and mouse.

 

[Orcao]

I kind of want the opposite. Every time I play a game with my Steam Controller I have to remember to go into big picture and shut it off, letting it shut off on its own isn't enough. If my Steam Controller has been used in like the last hour without doing this I get forced into the gamepad mode for Warframe, which prevents the mouse from interacting with menus and tends to messup my borderless fullscreen setting. I would love to just have a checkbox to NEVER enter gamepad mode...

[H.BOSS.81]

Has this issue been addressed at all during Live Streams? I too support the idea of having this functionality available by default. Even if I didn't use a controller (most of the time I use kb/m for this game). We already have a great looking and playing game, so how about pushing development for this too through some TLC into these features for native controller support for those with the stand alone client as well as the Steam client version. Such a great game should be on par with this technology of built-in controller detection, specially when Steam doesn't exactly have the greatest of UI design and which puts additional resource costs to run in the background alongside any game. Steam could certainly use some streamlining in their software.

Edited November 15, 2017 by H.BOSS.81