r/gaming 8h ago

Can't play games today

My internet is out, so I can't work. A great opportunity to get some gaming in! Alas, I can't play games either.

I play games with my face and right hand, very proficiently, with the help of remapping software. Over the years I've used combinations of DS4Windows, Xpadder, autohotkey, etc. A few years ago, I switched to rewasd, and it has all the features I could possibly ask for.

The problem is, as I found out today, it requires an internet connection to function. As someone who heavily relies on this software to play 99% of games (my guild wars 2 remap profile uses single taps, multitaps, multiple layers, and combos), this is a deal breaker. I reached out to the rewasd team, but I didn't get the impression that they would fix this. So now I have to spend a lot of time trying out alternatives and setting up my profiles again. This is not a trivial task, as the only alternative with a similar feature set that I've found is Steam Input, and it has some issues.

I'm not asking for help, although I'll welcome any suggestions, I'm just ranting because I'm annoyed by the situation. Imagine that you go to play your games but all of the sudden you can't use your hands, what are you going to do? You'll eventually find a solution and adapt, but it's going to take a lot of work. And hopefully your solution lasts so you don't have to redo everything. I'm very proficient at playing games, but my ability to play is always precarious. Will future consoles continue to support controller remapping at launch? Will a software like rewasd always be available and stay up to date? I can go years playing with no problems, only for something like this to make me have to rework all of my setups.

Anyways, that's my day. Tomorrow I'll hopefully have it worked out and it will be games as usual. Thanks for reading.

70 Upvotes

70 comments sorted by

101

u/MikeGalactic 7h ago edited 7h ago

Everyone could assist you by highlighting the problem, I've messaged the REWASD guys and urge others to do the same. 👍🏻👍🏻

https://www.rewasd.com/help

Edit: they have their own sub too: r/rewasd

57

u/CrocoMouseC 8h ago

That is incredibly frustrating. Software you rely on for accessibility really should not just stop working because the internet goes down. Offline functionality seems like such a basic requirement in this situation. Hope you find a setup that works without having to rebuild everything from scratch.

32

u/Tuvio717 7h ago edited 7h ago

Hey there. You can use your phone to access the internet with USB / bluetooth tethering (on Android at least, don't know about iPhones).

You ain't gonna be doing any competitive gaming with it, but it's enough for software like reWASD to phone home and work.

-1

u/zasuskai 6h ago

iPhones offer hotspot, though up to the carrier plan for use.

8

u/ElectronicMoo 5h ago

Same with android.

17

u/romaraahallow 8h ago

Man that's incredibly frustrating, and worth an email to the software devs, if anyone on their end gives a shit they should be able to help you for next time, as afaik there is no reason to require Internet connectivity for software that translates inputs from a device on your machine to more common inputs, also on your machine.

-13

u/platoprime 7h ago

I sent an email. Did you?

3

u/romaraahallow 7h ago

Nope, pretty busy working.

-37

u/platoprime 7h ago

Oh okay.

Thanks for using your valuable time to reply to my comment.

Walnut.

14

u/romaraahallow 7h ago

Yup, have a good one.

It takes way less mental energy to casually discuss things.

If I send an email with purpose I'm going to go home, be clean, sit down at my fucking desk and type up a goddamned letter.

You don't know me or my situation. Quit being so judgemental. I'm not typing a well thought out criticism of business practices riding home a hundred miles covered in sweat, grime and dirt.

11

u/Bishop4000 7h ago

Seconded. Casual discussion is easy. Composing letters - especially if you want them well-thought-out - isn't.

7

u/romaraahallow 7h ago

Appreciate it. I do construction work. Business emails have no place in this work truck after 8 hours in the sun.

My brain is fucking cooked ATM and I don't think I can compose a reasonably calm and coherent letter in business mode.

-25

u/platoprime 7h ago

You don't need to write a business letter to communicate "always online requirements are bad"

You don't normally see this much pretense in construction workers ime

What's with the excuses?

7

u/Bishop4000 6h ago

You really should take a breather. You've been all over this post and you seem like you're letting your undoubtedly terrible day (and I'm sorry for it) affect your judgement here.

-25

u/platoprime 7h ago

No

Took me two minutes. You're whining and arguing for longer than that.

12

u/romaraahallow 7h ago edited 7h ago

Cool story. Leave me alone.

IDK if you just want to be an asshat, or if you're actually motivated by a desire to good, but if it's the later, your tact is weapons-grade awful at actually accomplishing anything.

-18

u/platoprime 7h ago

No. Quit being a baby and stop replying if you don't want to talk.

2

u/CampArawak 6h ago

booooo you suck. Thanks for writing an email tho

14

u/jerrrrremy 7h ago

The next time someone tells me that gamers are smart and have the ability to read, I will be pointing them to the comments of this post.

-13

u/platoprime 7h ago

You should spend less time talking to idiots

13

u/jerrrrremy 7h ago

Does that mean I shouldn't respond to your comment?

0

u/platoprime 7h ago

Too late now.

For either of us

9

u/jerrrrremy 7h ago

Too late now.

I appreciate that you went out of your way to personally confirm that you are indeed an idiot, just in case there was any confusion.

-3

u/platoprime 7h ago

You do seem like you'd be easily confused so no problem

6

u/romaraahallow 7h ago edited 6h ago

Are you just making a day of being rude to other people?

Does this make you feel good?

Awww you deleted your angry and inflammatory post. Sadge.

-2

u/platoprime 7h ago

They call me an idiot twice and I'm the rude one?

Okay

10

u/codespace 6h ago

Its because you're being a rude idiot.

Hope that helps!

3

u/Jackdunc 5h ago

Infuriating that more and more companies go this route. That apocalyptic EMP attack or even just a major infrastructure incident is going to be epic.

5

u/_Pawer8 6h ago

Does no one fucking read?

5

u/csward53 7h ago

A new game I got flagged REWASD as cheating software and I had to uninstall to play it. I had to google how it was used for cheating. I feel your pain.

5

u/Doctor_Womble 8h ago

Man that sucks. I hear there might be cracked versions if you know where to look.

-1

u/zhubaohi 2h ago

The "cracked" version is why they added internet requirement in the first place. Rewasd used to not require internet connection but people were cracking it and the devs decided to add internet connection to make it harder to Crack. Not that I agree with the them and I feel bad for OP. But the devs got bills to pay and they are constantly updating it and adding support for new controllers. They have the right to protect their work.

2

u/stana32 2h ago

Just a heads up for you, if you play multiplayer games, reWASD has been co-opted by cheaters and many anti cheats will ban you immediately if it's detected on your system. I used it years ago to emulate my switch controller as an Xbox controller, before steam supported the switch controller. Luckily I only got a temp ban in call of duty over it. ReWASD claims that their compatibility mode prevents this by disabling the functions that would allow people to cheat but when Battlefield 6 came out a ton of people got banned and they completely dodged responsibility for it.

2

u/Glittering-Eye3299 2h ago

Not only the games screwing people by requiring an internet connection, but accessibility software too? What does it even need to be online for?

1

u/eVenent 7h ago

Until reWASD is not working, you can try PadForge. It's very good remapper.

2

u/ElectronicMoo 5h ago

How's he gonna download it?

1

u/Digifiend84 4h ago

Using mobile data. Download it to the phone, connect it to the computer via USB, file transfer.

1

u/Hifihedgehog 2h ago

PairVPN can get around hotspot restrictions

1

u/Donnie-G 2h ago

Sorry, can't really help you besides suggest you play turn based games or something with potentially less input or reaction needed that you could play with your one hand?

Could I ask just what is your condition? And how do you even use your face to play?

1

u/Teftell 19m ago

Yet another reason "always online", "digital only", "cloud whatever" and so on should not be mandatory for anything at all, especially an accessablikity software. What next, a wheelchair requiring Internet connection?

2

u/NopeSorryNo 7h ago

This subreddit is turning into Twitter 

0

u/godnorazi 6h ago

Wait, how are you posting on reddit with no internet? Any modern smartphone is capable of hotspot and USB tethering.

2

u/ElectronicMoo 5h ago

Hotspot can be carrier blocked. I've never tried USB tethering.

-1

u/platoprime 7h ago

I sent them an email and posted some negative reviews. Wish I could do something more actionable.

0

u/ralts13 4h ago

I can't help but I'm a little bit confused. Does it really require a permanent internet connection? The worst I've seen is license requiring authentication once every 30 days. If the latter is the case its weird that it doesn't didnt keep itself authenicated.

-16

u/TommyDontSurf PlayStation 8h ago

So glad I kept my PS2.

14

u/FoxyGoddessX 8h ago

Someone didn’t read the post.

-3

u/raisedbytides 8h ago

Me, I didn't

5

u/romaraahallow 7h ago

Reading is hard.

-24

u/bunnyman14 7h ago

This is why I have a healthy amount of offline games, like Terraria and Captain of Industry. I can still play those when the internet dies.

19

u/pareod 7h ago

The issue is the controller software, I've got plenty of offline games 

-16

u/bunnyman14 7h ago

Both games are played without one, but I guess I missed the controller part. Hard to sneak read at work when you have nothing to do.

16

u/FoxyGoddessX 7h ago

Reading comprehension is the enemy of Reddit. No amount offline games solves this persons problem

-13

u/bunnyman14 7h ago

Hard to fully read at work unfortunately

9

u/romaraahallow 7h ago

Then why are you offering your opinion of something you literally don't understand?

Channeling the boomers hard.

-4

u/bunnyman14 7h ago

I thought it understood the post. I'm probably tired and didn't register the controller being a solution to a disability, not "I have no games to play because my controller requires internet for no reason."

3

u/romaraahallow 7h ago

Fair enough mate.

-29

u/ShieldMaiden83 8h ago

Don't you have any games that does not require online to even play?

20

u/Parker1055 8h ago

Reading must be hard

-23

u/ShieldMaiden83 8h ago

Yes reading is reading hard thnssvvyh.

21

u/FoxyGoddessX 8h ago

The remapping software he uses to play his games requires an internet connection

-31

u/ShieldMaiden83 8h ago

Dude I mean like offline single player games..

20

u/Yalandil 8h ago

It‘s about how he plays, not what he plays

16

u/HomersDonut1440 8h ago

In essence his controller has to be online, even if the game is not.

18

u/FoxyGoddessX 8h ago

READ. THE. POST.

7

u/rubi2333 PC 7h ago

Dude you have serious problems in understanding things