While Ghost in the Shell: First Assault now supports gamepads natively, the built-in solution leaves much to be desired. However, using a combination of built-in functions and keyboard/mouse emulation, it is possible to achieve a gamepad configuration comparable with modern AAA FPS games.
Find out how in this guide, using only open source software and a premade game profile designed just for Ghost in the Shell.
Fans have spoken, and Neople has listened and added native controller support to Ghost in the Shell: First Assault. However, the new built-in support is currently lacking several features that make it a very subpar experience compared to other popular FPS games. Control settings are awkward and limited, making any sort of standard configuration impossible.
The solution (at least until gamepad support is implemented properly) is keyboard/mouse emulation. By combining built-in gamepad functions with regular keyboard and mouse functions mapped to gamepad controls, it is possible to add:
- Auto melee
- Analog movement acceleration
- Binding multiple functions to the same button
- Menu navigation
- Even fix controller bugs present in the actual game!
Sound interesting? Then read on to the rest of the guide below.
Step 1: Download and install AntiMicro
First of all, in order to add new gamepad functionality to Ghost in the Shell, you will need to download an open source application called AntiMicro.
AntiMicro is similar to programs such as Xpadder and Joy2Key in that it takes regular gamepad input and emulates keyboard/mouse input from it, however being open source it is not only free, but offers a wealth of deep fine-tuning options not available anywhere else–crucial for creating a controller profile that feels truly natural for a specific game.
If you aren’t sure which file to get, go for antimicro-2.23-win32.msi (or the latest version). If you’re on an older PC, you may need to use the no SSE (“nosse”) version instead. You can also get the AntiMicro portable .zip versions if you don’t want to run through an installer.
Once you’ve downloaded and installed AntiMicro, be sure to run the program as admin, otherwise GITS won’t recognize input from it. Don’t worry if you forget, as AntiMicro will conveniently display a button at the bottom of the window reminding you. Click it and the program will re-launch in administrator mode.
Step 2: Download controller profile
Next, download the Ghost in the Shell: First Assault AntiMicro controller profile, here.[dl.dropboxusercontent.com]
AntiMicro profiles can be saved and loaded anywhere on your hard drive, but for safekeeping you may want to create a ‘profiles’ folder wherever AntiMicro is installed and save the profile there. In any case, once you’ve loaded it up once, it will appear in your recent profiles list at the top-left corner of the AntiMicro window for easy access in the future.
Step 3: Set up keybinds
But wait: we’re not done yet. As the Ghost in the Shell: First Assault AntiMicro profile is designed to work with built-in controller functions, it is not a complete solution in and of itself and requires the proper keybindings to be set in-game for everything to function as intended. So next, run the game and enter the configuration screen for controls, and set the gamepad buttons exactly as follows:
(Note that some bindings will be replaced by AntiMicro, so don’t worry if they seem a little weird)
Gamepad
- Movement:
- Sprint -> L Stick Press
- Sprint mode -> Toggle
- Jump -> A Button
- Crouch -> B Button
- Crouch mode -> Toggle
- Walk -> R Stick Press
- Interaction:
- Pick Up/Share Location -> Y Button
- Use Skill (Tier 1) -> Left Bumper
- Interact -> Right Bumper
- Combat:
- Fire Weapon -> Right Trigger
- Aim/Melee -> Left Trigger
- Precision Firing Mode -> Press and Hold
- Reload -> X Button
- Weapons:
- Primary Weapon -> D-Pad Left
- Secondary Weapon -> D-Pad Right
- Melee Weapon -> D-Pad Down
- Throwing Weapon -> D-Pad Up
- Misc:
- Scoreboard -> Select Button
Keyboard
Also, in order for keyboard-emulated functions to work properly, you must set your keyboard bindings to:
- Movement:
- Walk -> M
- Interaction:
- Use Skill (Tier 2) -> Q
- Interact -> E
- Combat:
- Aim/Melee Kill -> Right Mouse Button
- Weapons:
- Last Used Weapon -> 5
- Misc:
- Select Preset A -> F1
- Select Preset B -> F2
- Select Preset C -> F3
All other keyboard/mouse bindings can be set however you want.
Mouse
You may also want to set your Sensitivity in the 20-30 range (this affects both mouse and right analog stick) and Iron Sights Sensitivity in the 60-70 range. Play around with these values to see what feels best to you.
Step 4: Learn the Controls
With this gamepad configuration and AntiMicro running the GITS controller profile, gamepad controls will be mapped like so:
Game Mode
Menu Mode
Step 5: Profit
And…that’s it!
Practice in the tutorial modes to get a feel for the controls, then take your controller into the real game!
Oh, and for the naysayers who claim using a controller inherently puts you at a disadvantage: bottom line is, it’s the player that counts, not the tool. Use what works best for you!
Some matches I’ve played on a controller using this very profile:
