annoying use of weapon hotkey (2)

[Noquid]

I had a 99% rifle that was already loaded. I found another 99% rifle at the broken radio tower in Mystery Lake. When I started down the path, a pair of wolves were magically coming up the trail to the broken tower. I pulled out my rifle thinking once I shoot the first wolf, the second one will spook. I raise the gun, the wolf charges and "click"!!! My hotkey (2) armed my second rifle with no ammo!! I choose hatchet and fight him off. I go into inventory and select "equip" on my rifle that is already loaded. I tap (2) after I tapping (H) to make sure the loaded rifle is armed and it was (shows the number of rounds in the gun). I go around one of the corners on the trail down from the broken tower and sure enough two wolves are coming up. I press (2) and the wolf charges and "click" again!! I armed the wrong rifle again!! This time since I was already at half health I die. You can't repeatedly press (2) to get to the second rifle, it only arms one rifle, one bow, one rock. At first maybe I thought it was loading the rifle in best condition but they're both at 99% and in the past I've loaded lower condition knives over better knives in a fight, so what the heck happened?? I was actually doing decent in STALKER and this was...depressing.

[funguy]

I'm just thankful that some of the hotkeys still work at all. If I had to use the circle interface for everything I probably would've quit nearly before I even started.

[H34VY_R41N]

@OP As a workaround you may carry an empty rifle not in inventory but by RMB, so you may drop it in a split second and raise the loaded one.

[mf187doubleg]

I was on on new loper run. Just crafted a bow and was so happy but I had really bad clothing and low protection I was returning at night to my base. Suddenly a wolf pop out of nowhere. He does not notice my bait and is like 5-7 m from me - I have a torch in my hand and slowly backing off. I drop the torch and go for the flare gun but first bow, rock and flare gun....aaahhhhh....Game Over. I would like to have the option to draw gun first as I would like also to be able to prioritize bait dropping.

[ArnMan]

Originally posted by mf187doubleg:

I was on on new loper run. Just crafted a bow and was so happy but I had really bad clothing and low protection I was returning at night to my base. Suddenly a wolf pop out of nowhere. He does not notice my bait and is like 5-7 m from me - I have a torch in my hand and slowly backing off. I drop the torch and go for the flare gun but first bow, rock and flare gun....aaahhhhh....Game Over. I would like to have the option to draw gun first as I would like also to be able to prioritize bait dropping.

+1

[Alcator]

What is the logic behind carrying two rifles, if I may ask?
Or, if you really intend carrying two rifles, why don't you load couple cartridges into each?

[IFIYGD]

Originally posted by Alcator:

What is the logic behind carrying two rifles, if I may ask?
Or, if you really intend carrying two rifles, why don't you load couple cartridges into each?

Usually none. But you have one, loaded, and you are out looting, and you find another... it would be nice if the game would load the one with bullets loaded, instead of the one with simply higher condition %. I have a 53% rifle, with 6 rounds in it. I Find a rifle at 54% laying in the snow beside some dead guy. There are wolves nearby. I don;t have time to unload and reload into the one with 1% more condition. I hit [2] as the first wolf comes over the ridge, and my empty 54% rifle, that I found 5 IRL seconds ago, gets equipped instead of my 53% rifle with 6 rounds already loaded in it.

It should choose the gun that is loaded, over an empty gun of higher condition %.

Just kinda makes sense. Yeah, there are ways to deal with it, if you have time or forethought. But those sudden "oh crap..." moments do happen in this game, often. If the game is going to automatically select a weapon for me, and not let me select another one of the same type, that I have in inventory... it should ALWAYS select the gun with actual bullets in it first.

[Alcator]

Whenever the game does something crazy like that, I always imagine that it's actually a simulation of the psychology of a desperate, partially insane, survivor's mind.

Think about it: A wolf appears out of nowhere, and you are carrying 2 weapons. How likely would you be - after dozens of days alone in the wilderness, struggling to survive each day - to grab the wrong rifle, the one with no cartridges? And how could you possibly know it's the wrong one?

[IFIYGD]

Lol! Because IRL, the empty rifle would be slung across my back, for carrying ease, while the loaded one would be hanging at my side, or across my front, where I could grab it and fire it at a moment's notice.

[EN16M471C]

Indeed, irritating this issue is.

Happened to me with flare gun. Was going down the Summit and had a wolf popped behind the hill. Aimed it, waited for the right moment, I was going for a possible kill - "Click" - DANG IT!

Now I always check is the "hammer" ♥♥♥♥♥♥ and just for being safe I try reloading. Even if I have only one flare gun in my inventory. Sometimes I forget to reload too :)

Been a while since I used a rifle but I imagine I'd do the same precautionary measures.

[{O|G} Erik the Red]

Well in my case, I hardly ever use the weapon hotkeys, preferring and finding the radial menu to be a lot easier, IMO. My thumb is already hovering over space bar, and couple short clicks on the radial brings up the weapon no problem and you're ready to shoot. Whereas pressing a numbered hotkey requires ever so slightly finger movermovent from your movement keys; and I would likely to miss or not depress it correctly. Better to keep the fingers on the "W" in case you need to run too, than focusing on whether my hand is placed correctly or not.

I am curious now though, if having 2 rifles fills 2 of the radial slots for weapons, or if only one is shown... and potentially a higher condition but unloaded one...

[marbanno]

Originally posted by Alcator:

What is the logic behind carrying two rifles, if I may ask?

kicking ass....I love the smell of dead wolf in the morning

[Nil Desperandum]

Forewarned is fore-armed (pun intended) .

I hope sometime in the near future Hinterland get this problem sorted - it can impact on your gameplay - and certainly breaks the immersion. But, until then I stash the spare rifle as soon as I can - I always have a temp base on every map - especially for stuff I might need later on in the game. It's not ideal I agree but we must makey-do with what we have got - I guess most of us have different ways of handling the problem. But needs must! :)

[Noquid]

Originally posted by marbanno:

Originally posted by Alcator:

What is the logic behind carrying two rifles, if I may ask?

kicking ass....I love the smell of dead wolf in the morning

Actually, like I said I just found it and was going to take it back to my camp. Both rifles were at 99% and I had just taken out the loaded rifle and verified it had ammo, then hit (H) to put it away, along comes the two wolves and sure enough it equips the rilfe with no ammo. I'll check the radial menu if I ever have two of the same weapons again, might start using that instead.

With the amount of wolves in STALKER mode, they would be feeding on each other, or attacking bears with their overwhelming numbers. I'm starting to think STALKER mode is more annoying than challenging. Do everything right, and two wolves and a bear suddenly appear out of nowhere...kinda stupid.

[Shadrach]

They could easily make this a lot better by allowing the "Holster/Put away" command to toggle the last used item, either weapon or light source, as well as letting the selection keys (1, 2) remember what item was selected last.

So if you hold matches, flashlight, lantern and flares, select lantern, end press Put Away, then pressing the key again will take up the lantern. Same with weapons.

This will save a lot of time having to cycle through every item each time.

[PowerOn]

Originally posted by X-Erik the Red:

I am curious now though, if having 2 rifles fills 2 of the radial slots for weapons, or if only one is shown... and potentially a higher condition but unloaded one...

The radial menu give you the best condition rifle - not the loaded one, if this are in poor condition.

When you have two rifles with same % one are maybe, e.g. 90.4% other are 90.7% because their timer don't runs equally.

The game always select the best condition item.

But no reason for carry (even for "base") a second rifle, difficult an riffle plus 4/5 cleaning kit will last less than all ammo find.