Before this post a bit of background, I always drive with controller + keyboard. I always play with safety system on, and this post is written mostly around operating german trains, since they are more demanding in terms of controls, however recently I've started to use the shifts more and has allowed me to use the keyboard a lot less, however I have some improvements in mind. I will also assume the current bug of the reverser moving while in operational shift is going to be resolved. I will also give a final controller scheme at the end highlighting the changes from current. If I forgot to add something it remains as it is now. Camera shift is a bit awkward to use, keeping the right stick depressed can be a bit finicky, also it's easy to activate it by mistake if you want to change cam but are inputting a bit of movement in the left stick. Once in camera shift it would be more intuitive if the left/right arrow on the d-pad changed the internal view (basically acting like the left and right arrow on a keyboard), and then having the up and down arrow to cycle between the external cameras. Consider an option to make camera shift a toggle, if for example someone is just playing as a passenger, it could be more convenient, similarly to the drone/driver mode in classic. BUT MAKE IT OPTIONAL. In operational shift, use the up and down arrow for the low/high horn, left stick can be used to acknowledge safety systems, leaving B open to use as the camera shift key. Possibly another basic function (for example sander). Add the possibility of activating AFB/Tempomat to operational shift So everything can be summarised as: A - Interact B - TBD (Sander?) / Camera Shift (held down) Y - Get up / Sit Down X - Switch Brakes / Operational Shift LS (up/down) - Zoom LS (pressed) - Safety System Acknowdlege/Contact Signaller RS (movement) - look around RS (pressed) - toggle external/internal camera D-pad UP - Reverser/Master switch/gear up D-pad DWN - Reverser/Gear Down D-pad L - Open/Close L Doors D-pad R - Open/Close R Doors ----Operational Shift (X held down): RT - AFB/Tempomat Increase RB - AFB/Tempomat Decrease LB - Tempomat/AFB toggle D-pad UP - Horn (High)/Bell/Whistle D-pad DNW - Horn (Low) D-pad L - PZB Release D-Pad R - PZB Override (Befehl 40) ----Camera Shift (B Held Down) D-pad UP - cycle external cameras D-pad DWN - cycle external cameras D-pad L - Cycle Internal Cameras to the Left D-pad R - Cycle Internal Cameras to the Right RT - Move camera directly UP RB - Move camera directly DOWN
Matt has already said on stream that the aim with the updated immersion controls was not to change existing functions, but to add to them. He has said the next evolution of the control scheme will likely be configurable controls so we can set them to how we want, but he has made no promises and given no timescales as to when we might see this.
I see but it seems a bit wasteful, the shift have opened up new possibilities to free up some of the existing controls, but I'm not the one in charge and I don't represent the whole player base and so far everyone seems to be reasonably happy about the immersion scheme, so I'd say even if you drop the idea of switching between B and LS I still believe the camera shift could have been a bit better still. Overall it's not bad though, I like it.
