Interface/GUI suggestions compilation

[Hiemalis]

Greetings, fellow pilgrims, voyagers and stalkers.

I've started playing TLD for the first time recently and... well, let's just say I love it. This is the game I've been longing for years without even knowing I did. Everything is so mindfully, carefully crafted and interwoven: the visuals, the sound design, the mechanics, the experience. Hinterland Games have my respect, admiration and gratitude for bringing us this game. Thanks. Sincerely.

Now, just like everyone else, I also have suggestions. This isn't meant as criticism, on the contrary -- if I didn't care for the game, why would I bother? I want it to thrive. I've been reading the forums and there certainly are excellent ideas. What I tried to do here is to compile some of them. While there are other interesting ideas, these are the ones I think that would greatly add to the game. Of note: I excluded great ideas that'll probably be solved (or won't make sense anymore) by future updates.

Please do help me in case I missed/misinterpreted any information/reference.

I'm focusing on interface suggestions, at least in this thread. These are not suggestions for algorithms, mechanics, items or locations.

It should be mentioned that I get (and approve and love) the minimalist GUI, but quality of life, as I understand it, comes first. As they say: it's the game that should play against us, not its interface.

• Hunger/thirst meters on inventory menu
From [http://hinterlandforums.com/index.php?/topic/12001-hungerthirst-meter/].
Access to important information should be redundant, and since this is a game in which we're regularly checking our thirst and hunger measures, both should be accessible in multiple ways.

See: we're holding a piece of cooked meat in our hands; we're focused on it; we should be able to instantly assess how hungry we are. 

Values wouldn't need to be presented in numbers; the meters themselves would suffice, as screenshot-edited by Ruruwawa [http://hinterlandforums.com/uploads/monthly_2016_07/57839f63b96c5_20160711071131_1(2).thumb.jpg.136248e7d76000e5eb5b38f643ea630e.jpg].

Instead of (A1) open inventory menu and realize you didn't check your stored calories, (A2) close inventory menu, (A3) activate survival menu, (A4) memorize quantity of stored calories, (A5) reopen inventory menu, (A6) check food item, (A7) consume it, it would be (B1) open inventory menu, (B2) check food item and calories storage, (B3) consume it.

• Current/max weight indicator on survival menu
From [myself?, I don't remember seeing it].

I'm against cluttering the screen with unnecessary information, but current encumbrance is something the character should know/feel constantly, just like she knows how cold/tired/thirsty/hungry she is.

I know. A little bit more and we're reaching aircraft cockpit level, but this would spare us from an unordinary amount of keystrokes and mouse clicks, even more after a few hundred hours of gameplay.

• Additional keys for navigating the menus
From [several threads].
We're already able to navigate the inventory with the movement keys (default WASD). We can also define the tools/materials used in lighting a fire, adjust the amount of meat/hide/guts to harvest from game, turn the crafting recipes' pages, etc. -- but there are a few missing areas.

We should be able to adjust rest time with the left/right keys. And while we're at it, why not add "1", "2" and "3" as shortcuts for moving between the tabs available in some screens (such as the fire/food/water tabs when we're interacting with a fire)?Or just let us highlight the tabs' names and move from one to another using the same left/right keys. Or map the "previous/next tab" actions to the [Q]/[E] keys.

The fewer clicks, the better: I don't have repetitive strain injury (yet), but I bet many players do.

But if I had to choose a single suggestion to be implemented, this would be it: let the right-click cancel any active menu (and ongoing actions, just like [Esc] does).

• Control keys for inventory management
From [https://www.reddit.com/r/thelongdark/comments/4s79bd/suggestion_allow_single_click_movement_of/].
[Ctrl] + [click]'ing an item should drop it to the ground. I know many people don't mind moving the mouse and clicking the menu buttons... but since inventory management is an important part of the game, shouldn't it present more efficient options?

Likewise, [Shift] + [click]'ing an item, in case we're interacting with a container, should move it to/from our backpack.

If it's a batch of items, these should drop/move them all instantly, bypassing the "how many?" menu.

• Survival menu while starting a fire.
From [me, I think].

A simple one. So we can check our conditions (i.e., mentally evaluate how we're actually feeling) while we're starting a campfire. At worst, it's something to do while we're watching the animation. 
_____

Edits. Added links to URLs. Added an emoticon because devs and moderators seem to like them.

[Baukster77]

Hi @Hiemalis! Welcome

Like the ideas, especially the Hunger/thirst meters on inventory menu! +1