What was the rationale for not having "9" as a possible hotkey?

[Bohandas]

I've seen this in several Bethesda games. Number keys 1-8 can be assigned as hotkeys, but 9 cannot. What the heck is up with that; it seems pretty stupid.

EDIT:
Also, what would you recommend as the best mod for expanding the available hotkeys? Are there any mods that make every key on the entire keyboard a possible hotkey?

[baddude1337]

Because the game and game engine was primarily developed on Xbox 360, which used the D-pad for item select and ammo change, which meant 8 directions. It's as simple as that.

It's probably a bit more complex than you wanted but here is the most popular hotkey mod:

http://www.nexusmods.com/newvegas/mods/37043

[Incunabulum]

As he said - the consoles and gamepads were the primary development platforms. Be thankfuly you got a UI as useable as this one (even if the Pipboy can only display 2 ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ thigs on a page) - Skyrim's is a mess of reheated garbage (that's gone cold again).

[baddude1337]

Автор сообщения: Incunabulum

Skyrim's is a mess of reheated garbage (that's gone cold again).

The instant I brought up the inventory, I quite the game and got Sky UI. Eurgh.. Seriously, who thought that HUD was a good idea? Even on the gamepad, Oblivion's was much better and easier to navigate.

[Dosbilliam, Boring but Practical]

Автор сообщения: baddude1337

Автор сообщения: Incunabulum

Skyrim's is a mess of reheated garbage (that's gone cold again).

The instant I brought up the inventory, I quite the game and got Sky UI. Eurgh.. Seriously, who thought that HUD was a good idea? Even on the gamepad, Oblivion's was much better and easier to navigate.

I forgot what the inital UI looks like in Skyrim. :S

[baddude1337]

Автор сообщения: Dosbilliam (Big Serious Egun)

Автор сообщения: baddude1337

The instant I brought up the inventory, I quite the game and got Sky UI. Eurgh.. Seriously, who thought that HUD was a good idea? Even on the gamepad, Oblivion's was much better and easier to navigate.

I forgot what the inital UI looks like in Skyrim. :S

Yeah, I repressed it too.

[Incunabulum]

Автор сообщения: Dosbilliam (Big Serious Egun)

Автор сообщения: baddude1337

The instant I brought up the inventory, I quite the game and got Sky UI. Eurgh.. Seriously, who thought that HUD was a good idea? Even on the gamepad, Oblivion's was much better and easier to navigate.

I forgot what the inital UI looks like in Skyrim. :S

Let me refresh your memory ('cause I hate you).

Imagine a UI where there's only 1 list, that list *starts* in the middle, and the top and bottom of the list are cropped off even though what's there only takes up half the screen height (ie a quater of the screen at the top and bottom are left inexplicably unused).

Add in no rational sorting of items (not alphabetical for damn sure, let alone by type), fidgety mouse controls, no scroll bars *and* the direction keys don't work in a consistent manner (sometimes 'up' doens't go up, it goes 'down').

Overall its a prime exampe of 'sometimes, dead is better'.

[Warlord]

lazy

[Bohandas]

Автор сообщения: baddude1337

Because the game and game engine was primarily developed on Xbox 360, which used the D-pad for item select and ammo change, which meant 8 directions. It's as simple as that.

Even that doesn't fully explain it though; I've played console games with item selection systems like that whose developers found a way to fit in more than eight items in quick select, and on systems rather less advanced than the 360 no less (The Playstation 2 game Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal for example fit 16 items on its quick select by allowing the player to bring up a alternate set of quick select options by pressing the r1 button in addition to the regular button for quick select)

EDIT:
Now that I look at it, it looks like this is basically what the mod that you suggested later in your post does

EDIT:
On that note, does anybody know of any mods that add entirely new potential hotkeys (ie. the ability to hotkey things to "9" "0", "L", "Page Up" etc.)?

[Dosbilliam, Boring but Practical]

Being a veteran of R&C, you NEEDED those extra spaces.

[Bohandas]

Автор сообщения: Dosbilliam (Big Serious Egun)

Being a veteran of R&C, you NEEDED those extra spaces.

I concur

[baddude1337]

I still need to get Into The Nexus. Is it any good?

[Dosbilliam, Boring but Practical]

Автор сообщения: baddude1337

I still need to get Into The Nexus. Is it any good?

I haven't played any since the PS2 port of Secret Agent Clank, which was ♥♥♥♥♥.