Horse controls for PC

Gameplay
#1

Are sorely in need of revamping. First, let’s acknowledge the fact that they’re clumsy, and require an extra hand to use effectively on a pc keyboard to use; second that having to hold down your left shift button AND the W button and then steer is awkward and almost undo-able (and if that’s not how it’s supposed __to work, it’s certainly how it works on my rig), and third, horse behavior is awkward. I’ve never (until this game) seen a horse run into a tree and then stop. And since you didn’t ask, I’ve been gaming since the Commodore 64.

I had been anticipating this game for some time. I purchased the game 3 days ago, and as a result of the awkward mechanics in riding a horse am seriously considering returning it.

Before I do that, however, I should ask: Will there be a patch to fix those controls? And if so, When?

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#2

Don’t think so. Isn’t that a normal thing in pc control? In most of rpg you hold shift to run, w to walk. What is the problem?

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#3

Afreed. Horse control works like any other FPS game. You use the WASD keys plus shift for the horse’s movement, and you can use the mouse to look around (moving Henry’s head) while mounted. No real issue here. :slight_smile:

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#4

Once you level up, riding a horse becomes much more natural.
that being said, horses have no mass/no physics. You can gallop for 300 yards and stop immediately. That is nonsense. Also, they appear too fast. Appart when they want to throw you or he is tyred of galloping, the horse makes zero noise. The only time i saw a horse in real, it was for five minutes. The beast took a huge dump on the street and produced some noise, I swear it was a laugh.

#5

I agree with the OP. To use Left Shift and W AND use A and D to move left and right, riding is impossible. Why doesn’t the horse have mouse steer? Then the horse is going where you are looking and you just need W and Left Shift! I too am thinking of refunding on the game!

#6

I just feel bad for the devs having to sort through this feedback. Almost every modern game has the same control scheme. You use WASD for movement and hold shift to sprint. While I agree that making a round trip from Uzhitz to Rattay and back can be a bit tiring on the fingers, it’s laughable to see someone claim they are thinking of returning the game over it. I’m only about three “Henry” days past the tutorial and I’m already riding through small hunting trails in the woods bobbing and weaving through the undergrowth.

Really not that hard people.

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#7

You can use the mouse to to aim your bow or sword while riding your horse. So you can use WASD for the horses direction, and swing your sword with your mouse in another. Devs - don’t change a thing here. :slight_smile:

#8

WASD and shift is extremely normal for keyboard and mouse.

The only twist is that the mouse moves your head while on horseback. A simple mod to couple your head to direction of movement might benefit some people, but to be fair, it is not a great feat of coordination to move the mouse a bit to change view and pay attention to where your horse’s head is pointing.

Refund for such a thing is silly- many, many PC games have used mouse for head look while in a vehicle. It’s nothing unusual. Hopefully you’re joking.

#9

I agree the controls make no sense. Using the mouse to steer and W for forward L shift for speed is far more doable. I cannot get past the prologue where Henry is supposed to run from the destruction. every time I try, the horse runs off the road even though I’m holding down the autosteer key (L shift). The horse definitely doen’t follow any path unless it’s the river bank which it loves to plunge into! This is so frustrating I’m not sure I can ever do this! I will try a few more times and then it’s a refund for me I’m afraid. Eight months of anticipation and then this, it’s so soul destroying :frowning:

#10

Not weird at all, unless you’ve been playing on a console all your life. As many have said PC games have used mouse look for decades. Typically you don’t see it that much anymore due to the limitation of the console controller. Not that many buttons on those horribly designed devices where you are required to have little appendages growing out the side of your thumbs if you want to keep your thumbs on those sticks. Never understood that design. PC games would generally have a button for using mouselook, while still giving you the ability to turn left/right with the mouse. Being able to look around without having to move your steed the same direction is done well. Using a/d to turn works just as well and makes sence while using the mouse to look. I have no issue with it. Using the mouse to steer would make little sense…Unless they have a button that allows mouse look to go along with it… Works better as is.

#11

You can’t turn much until you have higher levels of horsemanship. Once you get a good set of spurs you get a big boost to your horsemanship stat.

I think Gold Spurs give you +5 modifier.

Basically the higher your horsemanship the better you are at riding… So…

Working as intended.

#12

I agree with yangao5e its just basic standard controls, read a fewposts about people struggling, but I dont get it. Anyone who cant hold down shift and move with wasd must have never played a PC game before in their lives. Its stock standard FPS controls

#13

Holding left shift isnt autosteer, tapping it once puts the horse into a canter, where it will try to stay on the path, but that depends on your horsemanship skill. hit shift twice, hold it the second time and steer yourself using wasd. mouse looks around, its extremely easy

#14

Wow. This sucks. Riding a horse is impossible. After dying 12 times I had to call my friend who recommended the game to ask how he manages to ride a horse. He said he has no problems. It turns out PC gamers either use their pinky finger to push shift or their ring finger. I use my ring finger, which makes horse riding impossible, and he uses his pinky which makes horse riding simple.

I’ve been playing FPS’s on the PC since Wolfenstein in the 90’s and I have never run into this problem. KC is really amateur with their keyboard setup. You don’t ever require the player hold down shift and press A at the same time. Pressing shift one time to make the horse or character run is how it is done. At the very least a toggle to run option should exist, like in every other game. That would solve this issue completely.

After 25 years of gaming this way I cannot contort my pinky to push shift. I tried and it is uncomfortable, unnatural, and I could not complete the stupid horse mission. I was finally able to pass it by mapping sprint to the right shift key and using my right hand to hold down sprint while I held down W and steered with A and D. I had to completely abandoned the mouse with my right hand. If riding horses aggressively is a requirement to play this game I am going to have to quit.

Seriously, put in a toggle to sprint. Maybe get rid of holding down W to make the horse go forward as well. If we want the horse to stop going forward we know how to press the S key. Seriously, this is really amateur stuff.

#15

On PS4, canter/gallop are O, draw/shoot R2, move body R3… all on the right side of the joystick. Would be helpful if one could remap the controls. A month of so ago, WH told me they aren’t changing horse controls :man_facepalming::face_with_head_bandage:

#16

HOLD SHIFT+W , left or right turn use your directional keys.

#17

Or use an Xbox 1 wireless controller. I do.
Never could WSAD worth a damn.

#18

I have same problems controlling a horse on pc in this game. Stuck in the beginning. Maybe cause I am very used to the horse controls of The Witcher 3, Skyrim, etc. Thanks for the advice to use a controller - I`ll try. Anyway my real life horses are much easier to control than the ones in this game :wink:

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#19

You have two extra legs to control them in real life… and if not an expert, need to use 2 full hands just to ride. :wink:

In game mechanics, horse is not much different than driving a car (GTA in example), no ppl asking for refund for a GTA just because they can’t control car, in fact, most players have most fun while driving cars.

#20

I’m far from a master with the keyboard, so my solution has been to use the Logitech Setpoint control panel to assign the W-key to the back button of my mouse. That has made it much easier to control Henry’s movement, on and off the horse.

mouse
mouse.jpg742×552 240 KB

With the Setpoint panel it’s possible to assign different functions to mouse buttons for single applications, so the mouse functions normally when I’m not playing KCD.

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