Quckdraw keys issue & my idea how to remedy it

[Mroz4k]

Introduction

Hello everyone! I made this topic as a reaction to an anticipated new weapon in the future update, and because I spoke on this issue in the past, and while it was, and still is not, a major issue, but with the increase of light source variety and weapon variety within the game, this is bound to become a major issue in the future.
 

Issue description

As most of you know, hitting certain buttons (1 through 4 above AWSD keys at keyboard, for example) will prompt the character to do certain things - pull out a light source item, a weapon, drop a decoy or start building a campfire...

Now, each player has their own unique playstyle. However, the way these quickdraw keys work can be a major pain, depending on your playstyle. Because right now, the character has a pre-set list of items to pull out in a specific order, regardless of the taste of the player. So, for example, a player who prefers bows to a rifle will still pull out the rifle first, as long as they have it in their inventory.

This was not a huge issue back when the game simply had Rifle and Bow, but now, with the introduction of Revolver, we will have a total of 5 weapons possible per game (6 including Bear spear if it becomes craftable within Sandbox as well). The game also has a total of 5 light sources within the game, and starts by pulling out an electrical torch - an item quite essential in Aurora, but utterly useless otherwise. Now, imagine how useless is a defensive weapon will be if the player starts pulling out different weapons first. The main advantage of quickdraw key is the ability to pull out items to defend yourself with fast.

Naturally, most players wont carry that many weapons on them, but still, it becomes cumbersome, and if you enjoy using torches to start fires, or carry them with you on trips by chaining your torch use, you will understand how annoying it is to pull out electric torch, flare, and storm lantern before the torch. Not to mention if you use lit torches to keep wolves at bay...


How to fix this?

My idea on how to fix this problem would allow players to chose which weapons, and which light sources they want to pull out first when hitting the quickdraw key for them. Additionally, it would also make the game a little bit more challenging because it would limit the amount of light sources/weapons down to 2 items per quickdraw key, or 3 with the use of a new, special accessory item.

I suggest the clothing menu slight overhaul - by adding two new bars below the character. Top bar would be for light source items. The bottom bar would be a weapons bar.
There would be three windows with number 1, 2 and 3 in them, the third one would be grayed out and crossed out. Player could select from their inventory an item they wish to equip to their quickdraw bar. That way, you can only quickly draw two weapons or two light sources at the time. Should you want to equip any other, you would have to go into the inventory.

Additionally, for those who carry, for example, two bows, and wish to use the more damaged one to break it and discard it... hitting the quickdraw will always pull out your better bow, meaning you need to manually equip the worse one in order to break it on purpose. With this in mind, you will always equip a specific item through a quickdraw. Simply put your damaged bow on the bar, and by hitting the quickdraw, you will pull out the more damaged one.

New accessory item - Wolfskin bandolier

A fancy bandolier, made out of leather straps and fur of a wolf. Allows you to keep more tools close at hand.

By equipping this accessory item, which can be crafted out of 1 wolf skin and 2 cured guts, you would unlock the 3rd quickdraw bar for your light sources and weapons. Meaning you could carry 3 types of light sources or weapons on your quickdraw keys.

To further make it easier to understand, I made this quick sketch to visualize my idea better.

Yes, this means you need to equip several torches on your hip to quickly pull them out. That way, it is a bit harder to carry the fires via torch linking, but not all that difficult. However, it does present sort of a realistic approach in a sense that you need to eventually stop for a bit and put more torches on your hip. However, in this sense, the suggestion could also be adjusted so that once an item is lost (its durability runs out and its broken or so, etc - the item would be replaced by the same kind of an item with better best durability. That way, you only need to equip torch to one spot, and each time you lost a torch (burns out or is thrown away) - the game would put a new torch to your belt for you.

This is something a community could decide. I may turn this into a poll. For the time being, please share your opinions and suggestions via comment.
 

[Willy Pete]

Overall, I agree, though I feel like those are more hotkeys than quick draw keys and the issue is, for the most part, remedied by using the radial menu. With enough practice, you can quickly select the right light source or weapon...though this doesn't fix the issue of those carrying two bows (which I will admit I do on rare occasion) as, if memory serves, no matter what only one bow will show up in the menu and it's always the better one.

An alternative might be implementing something similar to how food items work, with the ability to select the "add to radial menu" option (going off memory here, if I'm wrong, please correct me). In an upgraded system the first thing that you select to add to the menu would be the item that appears in the top section of the radial menu, with other items taking up slots going clockwise. This would then be reflected by hitting the 1 and 2 hotkeys, cycling through the items as they appear clockwise in the radial menu.

This system would then allow those players that aren't so concerned about an expedient order of items (like me) as simply not selecting anything would automatically revert back to the way things currently work...though I would like to see a wolfskin bandoleer, that'd be cool.

[Guest kristaok]

I like your ideas! because for me I prefer to use the Bow, but I am always taking out the Rifle first when I use the quick draw keys.  I also find myself always taking out the Flashlight, Flares, Torches, whatever before I can get to my Lantern. 😛 

[Willy Pete]

1 hour ago, kristaok said:

I like your ideas! because for me I prefer to use the Bow, but I am always taking out the Rifle first when I use the quick draw keys.  I also find myself always taking out the Flashlight, Flares, Torches, whatever before I can get to my Lantern. 😛 

I feel you, I tend to just carry either the rifle or the bow personally, never both. Funny enough, I always use the radial menu for my lantern and rely on the 1 key for flares or the flashlight (which I only take if there's an aurora out).

[Guest kristaok]

@Willy Pete I should try using the radial more then.  I've only used It mainly for Snow Shelters because for some reason it won't work on my Laptop trackpad, I have to use an external mouse.  

[Mroz4k]

7 hours ago, Willy Pete said:

Overall, I agree, though I feel like those are more hotkeys than quick draw keys and the issue is, for the most part, remedied by using the radial menu.

I respectfully disagree with you there  The radial menu came around the time the game moved on to consoles - which is only natural. Through its use, controllers can be used to play the game pretty effectively. I mean, I make a use of it, for things like campcraft and medical help... but if you want to use tools quickly, radial menu is sort of slow and chaotic, at least that is the feeling I get out if it, when I play with keyboard and mouse.

And I believe for most of my fellow keyboard players, its the same. Radial menu is, by all means and purposes, a controller kind of game mechanic. It works with keyboard and mouse too, but it is not seamless mechanic.

I think your idea for the radial menu and with the weapons of different durability being placeable on radial menu is a very good idea - for the purpose of the radial menu use, and for controller players. Does not really disregard the use of this suggestion, in fact, I think we could make it work together. 

If for light sources and weapons, there were only 3 possible buttons on radial menu, and one of them was greyed-out and could not be used unless the player had the bandolier on, then this idea would affect not only the quickdraw keys for the keyboard players, but also the radial menu for the players with controller. In a way, it would put everyone on mutual grounds. So thanks a lot for your input.

7 hours ago, Willy Pete said:

This system would then allow those players that aren't so concerned about an expedient order of items (like me) as simply not selecting anything would automatically revert back to the way things currently work...though I would like to see a wolfskin bandoleer, that'd be cool.

One thing I did not consider before was how to teach players to make use of those bars... but again, with your comment about radial menu you reminded me of how it works there. When you don't have anything equipped on the radial menu, the t few items you pick up in that department will be added to the menu automatically. This could be the case with this suggestion as well. So, if you have no weapons at all, then pick up a rifle - rifle jumps automatically to your 1st set of items on the bar.

I dont think the radial menu makes this idea irrelevant. In fact, Id say it could work quite well in unison with it. And, in a way, Radial menu selections could also be limited down to make only certain tools quickly accessible, and the rest of them would have to be accessed slowly through inventory. Like, you know, in real life... where you cant have everything always ready-at-hand.

[Willy Pete]

@kristaok I've got a fancy mouse with a #4 and #5 mouse button where the thumb is, I use these to turn on the radial menu and the mouse to cycle through. I've gotten quite good at it, like two up gets me to my lamp, one down and one up gets charcoal, and one right and one up is the distress pistol. Practice makes perfect (just like being able to quick-draw in real life...)

@Mroz4k Fair enough, I haven't been playing TLD all that long so a neat bit of history there. I do think that all the radial menu takes is a little bit of practice to master (as mentioned above). Almost reminds me of my days playing Crysis and using its radial menu to cycle through suit powers. Eventually, I could swap between each lightning fast.

[Guest kristaok]

@Willy Pete Yea I have a mouse that has the buttons too, I haven't used it in a while... Hopefully I get a desk soon with a nice chair so I can more easily use a mouse, I been using a laptop.  We moved a month or so ago, so we are not completely set up / settled in all the way.