*Tutorial* How to activate your WASD keys for keyboard movement

[DarkeWolf]

Ok, a while back, there had been a request for a mod that allows you to use the WSAD keys to move the character. It took me a while to find the file that controls that, but I FINALLY found it tonight, and am going to go ahead and share how to edit that file so that you can use your keyboard to move around.

 

First, go into where your bioware gamefiles are stored in your documents folder. in windows vista it's at C:\Users\"username"\Documents\BioWare\Dragon Age\Settings ("username" being whichever you are logged in as when you enter a password at the windows bootup). In winXP you should have a shortcut to MyDocuments or Documents in your start menu (hit the start key on your keyboard). Afraid I dont know where it is in win7, sorry :(

 

look for a file named KeyBindings.ini this is the file that controls your keyboard shortcuts/commands.

 

right click on this file, and choose copy. Now go to another part of your harddrive and create a new folder and name it something like DragonAge Backup Files. open that folder, and choose edit/paste, or right click paste. This is to make a backup file just in case you goof something up!

 

Now go back to C:\Users\username\Documents\BioWare\Dragon Age\Settings and open up the KeyBindings.ini file with notepad.

 

Now once you've got this file open in notepad, scroll down to where you find this batch of code, it's located down towards the very bottom of the page.-

RunCharacterForward_1=Keyboard::Button_W
RunCharacterForward_0=(UNASSIGNED)
RunCharacterBackward_1=Keyboard::Button_S
RunCharacterBackward_0=(UNASSIGNED)
RunCharacterLeft_1=Keyboard::Button_Q
RunCharacterLeft_0=(UNASSIGNED)
RunCharacterRight_1=Keyboard::Button_E
RunCharacterRight_0=(UNASSIGNED)
ToggleRunWalk_0=Keyboard::Button_Divide
ToggleRunWalk_1=(UNASSIGNED)

 

Essentially what you need to do here is switch all those 0's and 1's. And the 1's to 0's. So what you want to do is turn the ones that say 0 to 1 and the ones that say 1 to 0. But ONLY in this section that says RunCharacter.

 

after you've gotten those all switched around, go to the top of your notepad window, and click on file, then save. Or use the ctrl + s keys at the same time if you prefer to use the keyboard.

 

Now, this has got the keyboard movements turned on, but NOT for WASD. The problem now, is that some of those keys are used for panning the camera around. WSQE are validated for movement, and A + D are assigned to camera movement.

MoveCameraLeft_0=Keyboard::Button_A
MoveCameraLeft_1=Shift + Keyboard::Button_A
MoveCameraRight_0=Keyboard::Button_D
MoveCameraRight_1=Shift + Keyboard::Button_D

 

This is located in the very next batch of code right below what we just edited.

 

 

so what you are going to need to do is where it says MoveCameraLeft_0=Keyboard::Button_A Change that to A to Q (or another key that you want to use, but you'll have to scroll all the way thru the whole file to see which keys aren't already assigned. And then go back up to RunCharacterLeft_1=Keyboard::Button_Q and change that Q to an A.

 

Now go to MoveCameraRight_0=Keyboard::Button_D and change that D to E

go back up to RunCharacterRight_1=Keyboard::Button_E and change that E to D

 

 

 

After you're done it should have gone from looking like this-

RunCharacterForward_0=Keyboard::Button_W
RunCharacterForward_1=(UNASSIGNED)
RunCharacterBackward_0=Keyboard::Button_S
RunCharacterBackward_1=(UNASSIGNED)
RunCharacterLeft_0=Keyboard::Button_Q
RunCharacterLeft_1=(UNASSIGNED)
RunCharacterRight_0=Keyboard::Button_E
RunCharacterRight_1=(UNASSIGNED)
ToggleRunWalk_0=Keyboard::Button_Divide
ToggleRunWalk_1=(UNASSIGNED)
MoveCameraLeft_0=Keyboard::Button_A
MoveCameraLeft_1=Shift + Keyboard::Button_A
MoveCameraRight_0=Keyboard::Button_D
MoveCameraRight_1=Shift + Keyboard::Button_D

 

to this-

 

[b]RunCharacterForward_0=Keyboard::Button_W
RunCharacterForward_1=(UNASSIGNED)
RunCharacterBackward_0=Keyboard::Button_S
RunCharacterBackward_1=(UNASSIGNED)
RunCharacterLeft_0=Keyboard::Button_A
RunCharacterLeft_1=(UNASSIGNED)
RunCharacterRight_0=Keyboard::Button_D
RunCharacterRight_1=(UNASSIGNED)
ToggleRunWalk_0=Keyboard::Button_Divide
ToggleRunWalk_1=(UNASSIGNED)
MoveCameraLeft_0=Keyboard::Button_Q
MoveCameraLeft_1=Shift + Keyboard::Button_Q
MoveCameraRight_0=Keyboard::Button_E
MoveCameraRight_1=Shift + Keyboard::Button_D[/b]

 

Now, notice that on my new code, I had to switch both of these MoveCameraLeft_0=Keyboard::Button_Q

MoveCameraLeft_1=Shift + Keyboard::Button_Q to "Q" I dont know WHY but for some reason, the A wouldn't run sideways without doing it that way.

 

 

 

If you screw it up, go back to where you saved your backup copy, copy and paste that back into your \Documents\BioWare\Dragon Age\Settings and reopen the file from there and re-edit it until you get it correct.

File-save again, and there you go :)

[DarkeWolf]

I've also uploaded the modified file to the mods file sections. The mod includes that the file is edited to allow the console command on the ~ (tilde) key.

http://www.dragonagenexus.com/members/edit...pop.php?id=3861

 

Here's the tute on how to make your game run the console, you can ignore the part about editing the .ini file, since it's already done.

http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Console

[Axeface]

I'm staring at the screen, reading, and getting more and more confused.

 

WASD is enabled by default. Am I missing something that your 'mod' is doing?

[Tikkidew]

Ahh I see what you've done. Hmm .. I may have to try that, but I usually don't even think about it since I'm constantly holding down the "right" mouse button. I'm sure a lot of people will find this useful!

[bben46]

You should make this into an article.

[DarkeWolf]

heh, well it's actually easier to just go into the game options to reset those particular keys, through the options menu. You still have to remap the Q & E keys tho, if you're wanting the actual WASD keys to use.

Pretty much a case of me trying to help a guy that requested the WASD keys to work in his game and I didnt see the options tab in the game before I started editing files lol.