Star Valor provides partial controller support. This document attempts to document it.
 
Note: It only provides partial support. You will have also be able to use the keyboard/mouse.
 
 

Introduction

Star Valor has partial controller support, so you will have to use the mouse for menu interactions, and the keyboard for some things, but it's possible to limit that, and this guide suggests how. I am disabled and can only play games like these with a controller. Also, my right hand is swollen so my mouse is left-handed. Rebinding keys is essential.
 
 
Conventions
 
 
I'll try to use Xbox controller button names even though I have an 8bitdo Shift controller. Windows a*sumes every controller is Xbox controllers and there are some ghastly shenanigans that involve controllers not made by Xbox. You're also told by the game that you should use Xbox named buttons.
 
 
LStick/ RStick: left stick / right stick
 
RStick button: right stick button (press the stick until it clicks)
 
LTrigger/ RTrigger: left trigger / right trigger
 
LBumper / RBumper: left bumper / right bumper
 
select: the button to the left in-between the sticks
 
start: the button to the right in-between the sticks
 
 
Note
 
Although the game does not use custom pointers it follows Windows accessibility mouse settings. For example, I find it very easy to find my mouse pointers because they are very large. This is awesome. Thank you, Laious!
 
 
 

Shooting and Targeting

 
RTrigger button: Target enemy.
 
RBumper: Fire the starter laser.
 
LBumper: Fire the starter mining laser.
 
To target an enemy: RTrigger button
 
To ignite the starter laser: RBumper
 
To ignite the starter mining laser: LBumper
 
 
By default, when you add a weapon to your ship, and it's a good idea to do that ASAP because the starter weapons are miserable, it's bound to Mouse0. You can change this, but for now you can't (making it default on the controller is in Laious' longlist). Select the new weapon and click the Change key' button. Simply press the button that you wish to shoot the weapon. The RBumper (or LBumper) works fine for me.
 
 
 

Flying

Rstick: turn the ship to face the direction of the right stick, indicated by the pointer
 
LStick: apply thrust in the direction of the stick
 
D-pad down: come to a stop
 
 
A small ship will turn faster than a larger vessel. To increase your turning speed, use large gyroscopes (or gyroscopes), and improve your crew skills. Thrust is increased using speed boosters and thrusters. Mk II or III boosters are used for larger ships. If the ship is not facing in the same direction you are applying thrust, then (larger-sized) lateral thrusters will help.
 
 
 

Energy Efficiency

D-pad Left: increase thrusters
 
LTrigger + D-pad Left: decrease thrusters
 
D-pad Up: increase shields
 
LTrigger + D-pad Up: decrease shields
 
D-pad Right: increase weapons
 
LTrigger + D-pad Right: decrease weapons
 
 
'Increase' goes up from 0 to 5 pips, gives you more thrust/shield/damage, but it's less energy and heat efficient. The percentage increase of energy cost is shown on the right side with the pips. By default it goes up 200%. The maximum benefit, however, is only 100 percent.
 
 
'Decrease' conversely reduces the number of pips, gives you less thrust/shield/damage, and it's more energy efficient.
 
 
 

Docking, Inventory and Maps

X: dock at a station / inventory elsewhere
 
Y: open/close the sector map
 
A:
 
B:
 
 
 

My changes

I find it easier to use the remappings which I have created.
 
 
Target enemy: RTrigger
 
Target friend/neutral: RStick button
 
Galaxy map: start
 
Cloak: select
 
 
 

This is false!

Comment below. I'm all ears! Seriously, I'm terrible at spotting errors, and you can't edit your own work. I'm not at my computer right now, and I can't recall some defaults. I will fill them in later.
 
 
 

Things I'd love to see (or may be already there, but I don’t know how).

This game was developed by a single person. Expecting to release a lot of accessibility features is a recipe that will not work.
 
 

• LTrigger modifies a D-pad. However, AFAIK doesn’t modify the ABXY button. This is something I would love to see. Y opens a sectormap, so having LTrigger+Y open a galaxy map would be ideal.
• There are also keyboard bindings that can be used to display your skills, knowledge, or faction rep.
• If a controller was used, the galaxymap should pause the game. It is important to be able to warp safely. However, not pausing for accessibility is horrible. For most able-bodied
   
   
  People say that it takes less then a second for a system to be warped to safety. If one is already selected, it takes much less. The mouse click can be slow and tedious for controller users. My reactions are slower that normal. I'm visually impaired and have a shaking sensation, so it takes me a while to warp. Sometimes, it can take up to 5 seconds, which is enough time to get you dead.
• Being able and able to use dock/inventory screen as a controller. I would imagine:
   
   
  LBumper/RBumper navigates between the tabs of a station (and I would separate the active tabs with a slightly darker background, and light grey text).
   
   
   
  LTrigger/RTrigger navigates tabs in the active column. It can either show me what's in the ship, my hangar, or my inventory. I don’t know if there is any use for the tabs ever being different, so maybe just syncs them.
   
   
   
  Move up and/or down a column or between them in the hangar using the D-pad/LStick. Don't bother with the buttons.
   
   
   
  A: equip/unequip (+LTrigger for all)
   
   
  B: deposit (+LTrigger for all)
   
   
  X: Buy (+LTrigger For All)
   
   
  Y: destroy (+LTrigger for all)

 
 
I hope you enjoy the Using a Controller – Star Valor guide. This is all for now! If you have something to add to this guide or forget to add some information, please let us know via comment! We check each comment manually!