[suggestion] Staves and spears

[Farmerbob]

Please allow us to make staves and spears. I find it completely incomprehensible that my character can repair a hunting rifle, create clothing from scratch, and all these other neat things, but they can't cut down a sapling with a hatchet and use it as a staff. Sharpen one end of a long staff, and fire-harden it, and viola. It's a spear.

Staves and spears will do quite nicely against wolves.

If the wolf manages to get inside your reach with a long weapon, then switch to knife, hatchet, or crowbar. That's an oshit moment.

That said, please implement something like Fallout VATS no matter what you do. Clickspastic controls are the least enjoyable game mechanic for me. I spent a few hours earlier today trying to deal with the combat system. I've decided that the stalker mode, while it might seem like a fun option, is ruined by the fighting mechanic.

Why? My mouse-controlling hand has no index finger, and my middle finger (used for LMB) has severely reduced range of motion. This clearly makes me an exception to your typical player, but people with carpal tunnel, arthritis, or other afflictions which impact the joints of the hand are going to be unable to effectively play the game as well.

If you were creating a Doom remake or something, then maybe that would be fine. But you're not. You are creating a beautiful world, an interesting world. You will be drawing in a lot of people from outside the First Person Shooter crowd. At least until they fight a few wolves.

[selfless]

Sorry you haven't enjoyed the new combat.

One great thing about PC games is you can remap most controls to whatever keys you like.

Select "OPTIONS" then "KEY BINDINGS" then you can swap Left Mouse Button (LMB) for Right Mouse Button or even the Space Bar or PaGeDowN.

Not all functions will follow the new map, but combat will.

Regardless, not fighting wolves is quite possible, even at Stalker level. I think it the more realistic approach.

- Avoid them by seeing them first.

- Break contact by running out of line of sight.

- Distract them by dropping food.

- Scare them with fire.

I generally do all before pulling a weapon.

[Farmerbob]

I might try to remap the button, but that doesn't change the fact that it's a click-fest.

On one side, you have a survival game, where it really is important for you to pay attention to so many things. Calories, temperature, clothing repairs, wind direction, etc. The world is alive.

And then there's a fight and you click a lot.

Really? That's like seeing the closing arguments of a thesis written in orange crayon. Breathe some life into the combat. Giving us the ability to make staves and spears would be a great start.

[Farmerbob]

OK, tried it again with the action function remapped from LMB to space bar. It was a little better, but not much.

It's still a terrible letdown to have such a nice game marred by such a painful combat system.

[Rooks_Nemesis]

To be honest on the Xbox one at least it could be a bit harder.. Anyone who's done some time playing a FPS is used to rapid tapping the triggers..

The use of spears could have some potential as long as they are not incredibly OP

Maybe have a fight prompt before the actual fight prompt

Meaning your mouse or joystick become the spears movements.. I just wrote somthing to this affect in a previous post but.. As the wolf pounces on you it grabs your spear.. From here you can try to shake it off.. If it does not get the spear from your hands, when it gets knocked off you have a chance to jab..

Now if it does grab it out of your hands as it stumbles back words and tosses your spear aside that gives you time to try to run,brace yourself or try to light a flare and scare it...

Regardless it can end up into the current fight prompt/screen but depending on how it went before the outcome could severely be different..

Maybe even you could tire it out and it backs off until it catches its breath and re groups? Idk

After words its cleaning yourself up. Finding your weapon and carrying on. I wrote this before with the rifle in mind and the rifle would take damage and lose condition aswell.

[elloco999]

I don't like the button mashing either, even if the new wolf struggle mechanic is an improvement over the old one.

@Rooks_Nemesis I've played a lot of FPS in my years, but I'm not used to rapid clicking the mouse at all. I either aim and should single rounds/ short bursts or sometimes I just let loose on full auto. Neither requires me to rapidly click the mouse button the way I need to do when fighting off a wolf in TLD.

[Farmerbob]

In any case, a staff or spear is useful for other things besides fighting:

They allow for better stability on rough terrain, helping to prevent sprained wrists or ankles.

They would allow for faster travel on already-sprained ankles.

They could be used as pry-bars, though they would take significant damage, and make the containers they were used on unusable for storage. (you are bludgeoning open lockers and car trunks, not just popping the locks.)