Use medkit on ground with full inventory.

[solaris32]

Many times I will have a full inventory and see a small medkit on the ground and want to use it (when my inventory is full of large medkits I don't want to use yet). But I have to drop an item, pick up the small medkit, use it, then pick up my dropped item. A key to use medkits (or stimpacks) on the ground would be really helpful.

[evilevitch]

That feature would be nice, but not as default. Some Marines tend to hoard on medkits as they prefer healing with their passive/active, and they'd be annoyed if they'd use a medkit on accident when having full inventory.

However, we'll have a look on it, thanks!

[solaris32]

Originally posted by evilevich:

That feature would be nice, but not as default. Some Marines tend to hoard on medkits as they prefer healing with their passive/active, and they'd be annoyed if they'd use a medkit on accident when having full inventory.

However, we'll have a look on it, thanks!

I mean a new separate keyboard key just for this. So that if you wanted you could do it even without a full inventory.

[ocean pollen]

Rather than adding a separate key, just add "stuff on the ground" to the inventory, so that you can open your inventory like normal, and key down to the thing on the ground, and then use it just like you would something in your inventory.

[solaris32]

Originally posted by ocean pollen:

Rather than adding a separate key, just add "stuff on the ground" to the inventory, so that you can open your inventory like normal, and key down to the thing on the ground, and then use it just like you would something in your inventory.

This would also be acceptable. But from a programming standpoint a new key would be easier. Otherwise they would have to make alterations to the inventory UI.

[Epyon]

New key? Where should we add it on the controller? :P

And in all seriousness - we've been asked for a separate key to use a medkit, to unload ammo - generally adding a new key is a big deal, because we want the controls to be easy memorized. There is some other issues here (we'll need a key to compare stuff you have in your hand with stuff on ground). In general the moment where you want to use a medkit from the ground isn't often enough to warrant a new key.

[Steelpoint]

I'm not familiar with setting up keys for controllers.

But, perhaps set it that if you hold a button down long enough, while ontop a medkit, you'll use the medkit instead of attempting to pick it up.

[solaris32]

Originally posted by Steelpoint:

I'm not familiar with setting up keys for controllers.

But, perhaps set it that if you hold a button down long enough, while ontop a medkit, you'll use the medkit instead of attempting to pick it up.

This is a good idea. Another idea is that holding a certain button, say left trigger, causes the other buttons to have different functions, such as use medkit, unload ammo from weapon on ground, compare weapons, and so on.

[Epyon]

We cannot get that too complex. However, I'll take this under consideration when we will be solving the "compare with ground" issue. Might squeeze it in somehow if there's a natural and sane way to do it. And as mentioned somewhere else, unload weapon from ground wont happen, as it would make for a boring and repetetive optimal play style.

[Sirgibsalot]

If adding a new button isn't possible for a "Consume item from ground" action, can it be tied to the "Act" button? I suppose that having multiple things in reach could be an issue (item in front of a door), but it seems like you could solve that with a menu or some sort of prompt in those cases.

[Epyon]

Exactly that case is the problem. If you hit space when near two doors you get asked for direction of action - now imagine a medkit on the floor, and suggest me how to communicate to the player what he should press to actually use the medkit. This is not a criticism - if there's a good idea for that, I kinda like that idea.

[Sirgibsalot]

Originally posted by epyon:

Exactly that case is the problem. If you hit space when near two doors you get asked for direction of action - now imagine a medkit on the floor, and suggest me how to communicate to the player what he should press to actually use the medkit. This is not a criticism - if there's a good idea for that, I kinda like that idea.

I haven't ran into this situation in JH yet but if the prompt is like DRL where you open a door by pressing a direction when prompted, my suggestion would be to tie the "consume item" option to another press of the Act button within this prompt, unless that already does something else that's important?

Another way to tie it into the Act button could be to only allow this in special situations. IE the player's inventory is full and they can actually use the item. Rather than the usual "No room in Inventory" message when pressing Get Item, you could display "No room in Inventory. Use item from ground?" and only in this case would the Act button consume the item.

If the Act button is still a no-go you could do the above method, but tie it into another press of the Get Item button only while the "Use item from ground?" message is displayed, though I feel this is far less ideal because it would be much easier to consume an item by mistake.

[ocean pollen]

It would still be strange that it's easier to consume a medkit from the ground than to consume one from the inventory.

Ground: space, space.

Inventory: i, arrow, arrow, arrow, arrow, arrow, return

I say again, the natural and easy solution is to have the thing on the ground show up in the inventory. Have it colored differently, always on the bottom, with a little "on ground" in italics. Whatever. You won't have to teach people how to use it like you would space space; players will notice it during the normal course of their runs and then will think to use it in the common case of "let me open my inventory so I can drop something so I can pick up and use the medkit I am standing on"

[Sirgibsalot]

Originally posted by ocean pollen:

I say again, the natural and easy solution is to have the thing on the ground show up in the inventory. Have it colored differently, always on the bottom, with a little "on ground" in italics. Whatever. You won't have to teach people how to use it like you would space space; players will notice it during the normal course of their runs and then will think to use it in the common case of "let me open my inventory so I can drop something so I can pick up and use the medkit I am standing on"

I didn't catch your suggestion earlier but I agree that this would be a great solution to the problem. It neatly sidesteps all the issues that tying this feature to a keypress would cause.

[Epyon]

I'm not sure if it might be too confusing, but I'll mock it up and play around it because it's a sound idea.