Hellish Quart

Hellish Quart

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Easy Online Multiplayer Setup (updated on Jan. 2023)
By Doktor Headshot
This guide is meant to help you setting up your Steam multiplayer game in Hellish Quart
   
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Overview
Since Hellish Quart currently lacks a real "Online" mode, players are obliged to take advantage either by Parsec or by Steam Remote Play service; to avoid installation of any third-parties software (like Parsec), the Steam Remote Play is the only choice available.

Steam Reamote Play will simulate that two players from different locations are physically playing in the same room, a sort of "couch gaming". So, if we are dealing with couch gaming, it is possible to play HQ under three configurations:
  • gamepad vs. gamepad ("The Good");

  • gamepad vs. keyboard ("The Bad");

  • keyboard vs. keyboard ("The Ugly");

Gamepad vs. Gamepad ("The Good")
In order to have a gamepad vs. gamepad setup, only the Host (game owner) must connect his gamepad in the machine and start the game. Once HQ is running, the Host should perform the following tasks:
  • to begin with, the best thing to do is to clear all the unnecessary controls to avoid conflicts among players. To do so, please navigate through main menu screens until you enter "Rebind controls" screen;

  • from "Rebind controls" screen, click "Player 1" and make sure the button is selected (please note that the button is coloured in gray when selected). The gamepad should be assigned by default and should read "XInput Gamepad 1" below "Assigned Controllers". If for any weird reason this is not happening, please plug off the gamepad, connect again and click "Assign Controller" button and press any gamepad button to enable it in game. Erase everything from the other columns: this will prevent Player 2 from interfering with Player 1 in-game inputs by accidental keyboard and mouse tapping;

  • move to "Player 2" configuration and erase everything. Once done, click the "Done" button in the top left window and you are done with setup;

The Host can now send Steam Remote Play invitation to the Client. Once the Client is connected, he can plug his gamepad. After a while, the game should automatically detect the new device and the Client should be able to navigate through main menu screens.
  • NOTE: if everything has been set correctly, the special Steam Remote overlay will show a blue icon with number 1 next to the Host and a green icon with number 2 next to the Client. If for any weird reason this is not happening, please drag said icons accordingly.

Please navigate through main menu screens until you enter "Vs. Player" screen. The Host and the Client agree upon what side of screen to choose and press any of their gamepad buttons accordingly. If everything has been done correctly, both players are now ready to choose their characters and start a match.

Gamepad vs. Keyboard ("The Bad")
In order to have a gamepad vs. keyboard setup, the Host and Client should agree first about who will use what device.

# GAMEPAD (Host) VS. KEYBOARD (Client)

The Host (game owner) should start the game and perform the following tasks:
  • to begin with, the best thing to do is to clear all the unnecessary controls to avoid conflicts among players. To do so, please navigate through main menu screens until you enter "Rebind controls" screen;

  • from "Rebind controls" screen, click "Player 1" and make sure the button is selected (please note that the button is coloured in gray when selected). The gamepad should be assigned by default and should read "XInput Gamepad 1" below "Assigned Controllers". If for any weird reason this is not happening, please plug off the gamepad, connect again and click "Assign Controller" button and press any gamepad button to enable it in game. Erase everything from the other columns: this will prevent Player 2 from interfering with Player 1 in-game inputs by accidental keyboard and mouse tapping.

  • optionally move to "Player 2" and rebind keys in case you don't like the default ones. As matter of facts, Player 2 has now full control of keyboard and mouse so a more confortable keys binding might be expected. Once done, click the "Done" button in the top left window and you are done with setup;

The Host can now send Steam Remote Play invitation to the Client. Once the Client is connected, he should be able to navigate through main menu screens.
  • NOTE: if everything has been setup correctly, the special Steam Remote overlay will show a blue icon with number 1 next to the Host. If for any weird reason this is not happening, please drag said icon accordingly.
  • IMPORTANT: please make sure the Client is allowed using keyboard and mouse on the Host's machine. To do this, click on keyboard and mouse icons next to the Client in order to highlight them.

Please navigate through main menu screens until you enter "Vs. Player" screen. Have the Client be the "Left player" by pressing keyboard key and have the Host be the "Right player" by pressing gamepad key (it seems not possibile for the Host to be the "Left player"). If everything has been done correctly, both players are now ready to choose their characters and start a match.


# KEYBOARD (Host) VS. GAMEPAD (Client)

The Client must make sure his gamepad is unplugged and the Host (game owner) should start the game and perform the following tasks:
  • to begin with, the best thing to do is to clear all the unnecessary controls to avoid conflicts among players. To do so, please navigate through main menu screens until you enter "Rebind controls" screen;

  • from "Rebind controls" screen, click "Player 2" and erase everything: this will prevent Player 2 from interfering with Player 1 in-game inputs by accidental keyboard and mouse tapping;

  • optionally move to "Player 1" and rebind keys in case you don't like the default ones. As matter of facts, Player 1 has now full control of keyboard and mouse so a more confortable keys binding might be expected. Once done, click the "Done" button in the top left window and you are done with setup;

The Host can now send Steam Remote Play invitation to the Client. Once the Client is connected, he can plug his gamepad. After a while, the game should automatically detect the new device and the Client should be able to navigate through main menu screens.
  • NOTE: if everything has been setup correctly, the special Steam Remote overlay will show a blue icon with number 1 next to the Client. If for any weird reason this is not happening, please drag said icon accordingly.

Please navigate through main menu screens until you enter "Vs. Player" screen. The Host and the Client agree upon what side of screen to choose and press either "ESC" key and any gamepad button accordingly. If everything has been done correctly, both players are now ready to choose their characters and start a match.

Keyboard vs. Keyboard ("The Ugly")
In order to have a keyboard vs. keyboard setup, no special action is required to the players since they already have a keyboard plugged in their machine by default. An optional keys rebinding might be required in order to make players feel the least uncomfortable possible.

The Host (game owner) should start the game and send Steam Remote Play invitation to the Client. Once the Client is connected, he should be able to navigate through main menu screens.

  • IMPORTANT: please make sure the Client is allowed using keyboard and mouse on the Host's machine. To do this, click on keyboard and mouse icons next to the Client in order to highlight them.

Please navigate through main menu screens until you enter "Vs. Player" screen. The Host and the Client agree upon what side of screen to choose and press one of their "Attack" key accordingly. If everything has been done correctly, both players are now ready to choose their characters and start a match.

Final considerations
While "The Ugly" setup is easily avoided because it would costrict players in one keyboard cut in half, "The Good" setup does optimally replace the lack of real "Online" mode. If only one player has a gamepad, the "Bad" setup is second best choice though.

Please consider that this guide may be subject to future changes since the HQ's development is still in progress.

Credits aknowledgement: even if it is an hobby, writing guide in an accessible way to everyone is not an easy task and requires time and energy. If you liked this guide, please consider rating it in order to let us know that our work is useful at least to you. If you are in need to reproduce this guide in any document of yours, please consider giving a credit to us by referring to this Steam guide. Thanks.

7 Comments
Doktor Headshot  [author] 9 Nov, 2023 @ 9:53pm 
You're welcome! I hope you had nice gaming sessions since then (apologies for delay in answer)!
downlowtooslow 2 Jan, 2023 @ 9:12pm 
Was able to get host keyboard and client gamepad to work BUT had to reconfigure keybindings several times and was only able to actually get into the match after host pressed the "L" key on keyboard to confirm character selection, even though binding was set to "Enter". We figured it out after literal button mashing. Still have no idea why this is, as "L" is not currently mapped to anything.

Never got host gamepad/client k+m to work. Abandoned that idea altogether because it was becoming rage-inducing.

Purchased a cheap controller for other player to use as it seems obvious at this point gamepad + gamepad is the best way. Stopped trying to play vs. until the controller arrives.

Thanks for the guide though! Was very helpful in getting started. :steamthumbsup:
Doktor Headshot  [author] 2 Jan, 2023 @ 3:05am 
Hello and happy new year to the two most recent users here. Let see if the following tip can solve your issue...

As soon as the Client is invited via Steam Remote special overlay and blue icon with number 1 appears next to Host, please ensure the Client is allowed to use keyboard and mouse: to do this, click on keyboard and mouse icons next to Client in order to highlight them. By doing this, the Client will be able controlling the game via keyboard whilst the Host can excersise his control via gamepad as well. As soon as you reach characters selection screen, have the Client be the "Left player" by pressing keyboard key and have the Host be the "Right player" by pressing gamepad key.

Good luck!
Clearchus 29 Dec, 2022 @ 11:11am 
Gamepad Host and Client keyboard does not work, we managed to configure all key bindings but in the character selection my friend (client) can not submit the character he selected. I can choose a character but he can't. Which results in a stuck game that i need to restart again.
downlowtooslow 25 Dec, 2022 @ 10:39am 
I still can't get this to work for HOST=gamepad and CLIENT=keyboard. It's frustrating.
Doktor Headshot  [author] 16 Dec, 2021 @ 1:52pm 
Enjoy your game, friend! Thanks for stopping by :steamhappy:
Rumblefin [1st Prawns] 16 Dec, 2021 @ 1:50pm 
Cheers, mate!