Controller and Map

Status: Planned

This page defines the pack and UI baseline for controller-led play.

Target Assumptions

• Primary input: PS5 DualSense
• Normal play should be on controller all the time
• Keyboard and mouse should not be required for ordinary play
• Custom systems should be built around controller-readability from the start

Hard Requirements

• Full game progression should be normally completable on controller
• PlayStation glyphs should be available
• Menus, inventories, maps, and custom screens should support controller navigation
• Minimap and waypoint use should be practical during active play
• Custom GUIs should not break controller support

Controller Support Baseline

Current pack baseline:

• Controlify

Why it is the current front-runner:

• Explicit DualSense and DualShock support
• PlayStation button glyph support
• GUI navigation support
• Modded GUI compatibility claims
• Active NeoForge and 1.21.1+ support

Important boundary:

• Source pages confirm current availability and stated features
• Final controller quality still needs real gameplay validation with a DualSense

Minimap and World Map Baseline

Current pack baseline:

• Xaero's Minimap
• Xaero's World Map
• Open Parties and Claims
• Optional Xaero's Minimap and Waystones Compatibility

Why this stack currently fits:

• Minimap with manual waypoints
• Fullscreen world map
• Cave readability support
• Waypoint management from the world map
• Ally or party visibility on the map stack
• Player display as dots or heads, including player-head style icons
• Existing compatibility path if Waystones stays in the pack

Important boundary:

• The map stack is source-backed for features and availability
• Controller comfort around map navigation and waypoint editing must be treated as an acceptance test, not assumed

Custom UI Rules

These systems must remain controller-safe:

• Relic slot and equip screens
• Crafting station and recipe-list screens
• Gear upgrade and Etch Scroll screens
• Mount summon, tack, and stable interactions
• Grapnel configuration if any custom tuning screen exists
• Trail Ledger
• Field Guide
• Outpost service menus
• Boss rematch flow

Design rules:

• Prefer focus navigation over free-cursor precision
• Keep target sizes generous
• Use radial menus where they reduce friction
• Show button guides for confirm, back, compare, inspect, and quick actions
• Avoid burying important actions behind hover-only affordances
• Recipe lists should expose craftable, missing-material, and station-locked states clearly on controller
• Nearby-storage ingredient availability should be visible without extra chest-by-chest browsing

DualSense Presentation Rules

• Use PlayStation glyphs where the controller layer allows it
• Keep face-button meanings consistent across the project
• Reserve shoulder buttons for paging, tabs, or category swaps where possible
• Avoid overloaded hold-combos for routine actions

Map Rules

• A persistent minimap should be available during regular exploration
• A fullscreen explored-world map should be available for planning
• Players should be able to create and edit manual waypoints in-game
• Co-op players should be visible on the minimap and world map
• Preferred presentation is proper skin-face or player-head icons, not only abstract dots
• Cave travel should remain readable on the map stack
• Co-op route planning should be easy enough to do during play, not only in menus
• If Waystones remains, the map stack should expose travel anchors clearly

Accessibility Rule

Controller-first design is also a readability rule:

• Fewer fiddly interactions
• Better prompts
• More consistent navigation
• Lower friction in co-op when one player is less mod-savvy

Current Tooling Candidates

Tool	Role	Notes
Controlify	Controller support baseline	CurseForge page states DualSense or DualShock support, GUI navigation, and NeoForge support on 1.21.1 and above
Xaero's Minimap	Minimap and waypoint layer	CurseForge page states player display as dots or player heads, waypoint support, automatic cave mode, and NeoForge support
Xaero's World Map	Fullscreen explored-world map	CurseForge page states waypoint management from the world map and NeoForge support
Open Parties and Claims	Ally or party visibility integration	CurseForge page states integration with Xaero's Minimap and World Map for ally-player display
Xaero's Minimap and Waystones Compatibility	Optional waypoint and waystone bridge	Use only if the pack keeps Waystones and the integration actually improves the play flow