Moving a character with a stick is the easy part of imagining WoW on a controller. Then you remember the bags. And the quest log. And somebody in the party asking you a question while you are trying to find a spell. Xbox Wire editor Mike Nelson has been trying those ordinary jobs in Forever ahead of launch.
Gamepad (Alpha) is enabled in Options. The interface then uses controller button prompts, with triggers and bumpers changing which actions the face buttons perform. Nelson also describes a ping menu accessed by holding the right stick. For communicating with a party, though, he still favours keeping a keyboard nearby or using voice chat.
A PC feature, with some limits
This is controller support for the PC game. The Xbox article is not an announcement of a console version. Its handheld example comes with a qualification too: the ROG Xbox Ally setup described there is not officially supported yet and takes some touchscreen and keyboard work to get going.
We would keep a keyboard within reach. There is a difference between settling in for a quiet evening of quests and trying to explain something to a group in a hurry. The controller may suit the first evening very well. The second is where being able to type a quick answer could save a lot of fuss.
When Forever opens
Blizzard lists the worldwide launch for November 4 at 3 p.m. PST. Access is included with a WoW subscription or Game Time; optional upgrade packs are sold separately. The official site also says a Skyborne Heroic Pack or higher edition is required for the Skyborne race and its Zephras Isle starting experience.
We have not tried the feature ourselves, and the Alpha label is worth taking seriously. Our first stop would be a quiet patch of the world, with time to learn where everything has gone. Finding the bags should become second nature before a dungeon gives you more pressing things to think about.