Demo on the Steam Deck

[SE_Weed]

OMG yes!

General Impressions:

• The game runs GREAT! Install, every strategy layer screen, tactical mode, air combat. It all runs great! And I am very excited to know that I can take the game with me anywhere. LOL
• There are some things that would make the deck experience better, but all minor. I would recommend you guys just getting a deck to help the experience. Or at least, plug a Windows controller into your PC and work out controller button options for many of the controls.
• The Steam Deck has a mouse pad, so it all worked just fine, but I can see how having some bumper options available (say to switch screens in the strategy layer) would make that easier, among other things. Having the A button for selection confirmation, like a left mouse click, etc. And that is not to say, all of this is configurable through the Steam Deck's controller config to map to anything. So as long as a command is mappable to a specific keyboard button, there is a way to configure it for a button on the Deck.
• The font was small, but I could still read everything no problem. All the numbers, stats, etc. looked great in tactical mode too. Including inventory screen, Xenopedia, etc.

Steam Deck:

• Cloud saves? The ability to go from my PC game and continuing that game on the road with me. Just a nice to have.
• Controller (button) options.
• Could not CTRL-click. Maybe there is a way to do this on the Deck. I am not sure. Maybe use something like the Y button?
• I did get one crash (CTD), but that was after having the game running for a couple of hours. Not really a big deal. I just loaded from the last AutoSave and all was good.
• Battery drain seems pretty standard, actually not bad at all. I run most games at 40 FPS as a default, and my brightness at about 40%.
• I have not tried it with the docking station yet to see how it all works on a big TV screen, but I can do that next. I have a wireless keyboard and mouse for the Deck, so my guess is that will feel like being on the PC, just a bigger screen.
• If you have any more specific tests for the Deck, I will be happy to test/try it.
• EDIT - Forgot to mention that the D-Pad worked great on the Armory screen. The ability to scroll down through the list was very easy and natural.

Game play stuff: Some minor things I noticed this time through:

• The msg window for the tactical combat saying the Skyhawk has arrived at the location shows a fighter jet.
• Will there be a way to shift priority in the engineering screen. I still want everything I ordered, but would be great to adjust the queue of items.
• In Tactical mode, the line of soldiers at the top have an indicator to show which soldiers are bleeding. Will there be indicators for those that have spotted aliens?

Overall:

• Overall the experience is just great. The Deck is a great PC, and the game runs VERY well on it. Anything you can do to enhance that experience is a total plus.
• I sincerely recommend picking up a Deck if you can to have the first hand experience.

Thanks!

 

Edited February 17, 2023 by SE_Weed

[Gijs-Jan]

Great to hear that it just works. I think some of the issues (CTRL-click) will be solveable once we move more things into configurable keybindings.
In general we already allow rebinding 95% of the keys, so I think you should be good. 

The moving between strategy screens using hotkeys I'll note down, I think it might be interesting for PC users as well - and then you can use it using configurable keybinding. 
The default accept for a dialog might already be in the game, I think. (By default bound to Enter maybe?)

[mclang]

Hello

I'm also playing using Steam Deck and the gaming experience has been great using custom mapping layout. I think it should be visible in community mappings, but the changes I made to the default keyboard and mouse layout were these:

• Mouse scroll up/down using L1/R1
• Left touchpad for numbers 1-9
• L4/R4: Q and E
• L5/R5: Ctrl and Space
• Y: Inventory (i)
• A: Crouch (c)
• X: Enter
• B: R

On thing missing for now is that I'd like to have F1-F4 keys somewhere, but otherwise works splendidly.

[Twigg]

On 2/19/2023 at 6:05 AM, mclang said:

Hello

I'm also playing using Steam Deck and the gaming experience has been great using custom mapping layout. I think it should be visible in community mappings, but the changes I made to the default keyboard and mouse layout were these:

• Mouse scroll up/down using L1/R1
• Left touchpad for numbers 1-9
• L4/R4: Q and E
• L5/R5: Ctrl and Space
• Y: Inventory (i)
• A: Crouch (c)
• X: Enter
• B: R

On thing missing for now is that I'd like to have F1-F4 keys somewhere, but otherwise works splendidly.

I just got a steam deck and am setting it up for Xenonauts 2. Is this still your recommended mapping layout?

[mclang]

On 7/18/2023 at 6:48 PM, Twigg said:

I just got a steam deck and am setting it up for Xenonauts 2. Is this still your recommended mapping layout?

Sorry for the late answer.

I haven't played X2 in several weeks due to System Shock Remake taking my evenings, but as I remember I haven't changed anything. There has been some in-game keymapping changes though, so maybe mine isn't optimal anymore.

Please share if you have found better settings.