If you have another button to spare, you could use a third-party Macro, ShortKey, or KeyChange program to turn it into a mouseclick, then you'd just hit that button instead of have to reach for the mouse.
I used to use a program called XPadder, I remembered you could assign an analog stick to mouse function, or assign a certain button to press to switch one to mouse function. For instance when I used my 360 controller, I had the left analog stick set for normal character movement, but if I held a certain button down that made the left stick move my mouse instead. Then when I let go of that button, it switched back to character movement. It also let you assign certain buttons to mouse clicks.
Not sure where I got it, but you can probably find it on Google.
I use a Logitech Dual-Action Controller. I have a the left mouse button set as button 9.
For a Logitech controller, use the Logitech interface to set-up your commands. Bring up the controller interface before you start CoH. Once CoH has started up and you are in the City, alt-tab to the Logitech interface and move your sticks and click some buttons, then toggle back to the game.
The settings will stick until you log out of the game completely.
Make sure to follow that procedure when you start-up the game or you may end up triggering things that you didn't intend to as the game will use it's settings unless you alt-tab out to the Logitech interface to over-ride the in-game settings.
This will only work on the live servers. I have never been able to get the Test server to accept the Logitech settings. And, as I'm sure you know, there is no way to set a mouse button to controller using the in-game interface.
I usually use the mouse to target, but here is a trick that I do with some powers.
- Set the mouse cursor to how far you want the power to go off in front of your character. (works best on flat surfaces)
- Activate the power; the targeting graphic comes up where the mouse pointer is pointing.
- Click on your controller button related to your left mouse button; the power goes off where the cursor/targeting graphic is currently located.
The hard part is to remember to re-park your mouse cursor over the point where you want to use it for those powers after moving it to do something else.
I'm pretty good at parking mine now, but it is usually over the shoulder so that I can run up to a door, get the the blue hand, and press the button for the left mouse click -- so that I can go in-and-out of doors on the fly.
I'm running on a mac so I'm already stuck with an usb controller program. I'll probably sacrifice one of the d-pad buttons I had been using for zoom control.
Hadn't thought of that approach at all so thanks for the suggestions. Though if there's any devs lurking about a way to simulate a left click in a macro or just a powexec_name_at_location would be very nice.
I've been using a gamepad which has worked quite well until I started some builds that use location targeting powers. I've tried a macro with powexec_name for them but they still bring up the targeting reticule. I'd prefer to not have to switch over to the mouse for those powers so the mod+lbutton binds aren't what I'm looking for.
Does anyone have a macro (or a bind if that is the only way) to get those types of powers to fire off on a press of a gamepad button without requiring a mouse click? I generally leave the mouse cursor centered on the character which is where I'd generally want those powers to target.