A few simple but necessary changes.

BearTaxi

<u><b>This thread isn't to do with things like gameplay aspects and balance issues, it's just to point out a few small things that are incredibly annoying yet simple to fix (and shouldn't even be controversial - they are just common sense)</b></u>


1) 'Esc' key to get out of menus. I can't count how many times I've been in a menu, when a skulk runs up and I madly press 'Esc' out of habit to try quit out of the menu, only to have it bring up the actual GAME menu, which itself requires you to click 'Return' instead of just hitting 'Esc' again like any normal game.

Seriously, it's not that difficult to put in a simple function like this, and it's really just common sense.



2) Having everything ever bound to the 'E' key.

.....Why? Why is this still a thing? There are so many issues that will be solved by getting away from this obsession with 'E'.

Drop weapon NEVER should have been bound to the same key that allows you to interact with the environment, whether it be bringing up buy menus, building structures, or pressing buttons. Have drop weapon bound to 'G' just like in NS1. I don't recall ANY issues with having it like that, why change it?

Also, it wouldn't hurt to move the armory/prototype lab keys to 'B' for buy either - it also makes it more symmetrical to the aliens using the 'B' for the evolve menu.



3) The above issue could be also solved by this - Allow us to bind more of our own keys.

I know this requires a little bit more effort to implement than the above two, but in today's game market it's pretty commonplace to allow users to map their own interface - For whatever reason they might choose to.



[edit] 4) What's going on with the sound? Why do I have to turn my computer volume up 2.5x it's normal level to get it to an acceptable level? And yes, my ingame sound is all the way up. This has been an issue for me since I installed the game many patches ago, I would have thought it'd be fixed by now?


Well anyway, those are just a few things that have been bugging me since I purchased the game.
If there are any specific reasons not to implement any of these ideas I would appreciate a reply from someone working on the game as to why that is. Or, as opposed to that, if the team is planning on implementing the ideas but just haven't got around to it yet, I would also love to know.

Ranakastrasz

The first 3, Yep, Obviously all three are required. Also

As for the fourth, Yep, but also needs to include the voice chat fix, so you can hear people when you are chewing on buildings.

Soul_Rider

1 - Yes, although try moving :) All menus close as soon as the player starts moving :)
2 - Drop weapon isn't and never has been on e, it is on g. Pick-up weapon is on e. I actually don't have any real issues apart from weapon pick-ups at armory. Would rather use g to pick up a weapon, but otherwise it's fine, and I can cope with the system as it is.
3 - How Many More Times....

OK, follow this understand and do not make this post again!

UWE are redeveloping the Menu system. Once this is complete, then they will address keybind issues. Keybind issues are an integral part of the menu, and will not see any change until the menu is done. Please stop asking for keybind requests. :) Thanks.

4 - Get a better soundcard? I have a great soundsystem and the only issue I have is that biting a building masks *MOST* other sounds. I have no fall off issues, can hear voice chat fine, apart from when people have their mic too low. I have no issues with sound now the fall-off distance seems to be sorted.

Kouji_San

<ol type='1'><li>A new menu is in the works :)</li><li>This has already been fixed internally, by making weapon pickup and drop use the G key but it feel VERY awkward to use G for picking up weapons as well, instead of using E for this. I'd rather see the weapon pick up key be switched back to E again and use a something comparable to hitscan, tohave the engine test what you are pointing at with your crosshair. This would also make it possible to pick up specific weapons.

Let's say you want your shotgun back, but it is in a pile of other stuff, you can now point at the thing you want to pick up instead of cycling through them by luck

Press E to use buildings to pull up the buy menu is fine the way it is. You can move to close it, but I guess pressing E once more should close it as well. (X is a lie :P)</li><li>Keybindings would be awesome, not having to bind through the menu. But in a way you can already do some of this by using the options.xml. We just need more options to bind more stuff the way we want it...</li><li>As for sound, what kind of soundcard do you use, it seems like a local problem on your end as sound volume is fine for me apart from footsteps on skulks to some extend. I've got an Audigy 2, oldschool but still very capable. Voice volume controls are being worked on (and yes they are too low on volume right now)</li></ol>

Laosh'Ra

let me add one as well. it has been there for several versions although i reported it to getsatisfaction quite a while ago...

the evolve-bug:
if you already have upgrades evolved (lets say cloaking and carapace for 4 pres), the minimum cost for evolving an additional upgrade or a higher lifeform (lets say onos for 75 pres) will be increased by this cost. i.e. you cannot evolve to onos having less than 75+4=79 pres, although you already HAVE those upgrades. however, as soon as you have enough to evolve, it will only subtract the 75 so you don't have to pay twice.

still, it can take vital seconds to save up those additional pres. today, our 3rd hive died while i actually lacked 1 pres for onos because of this bug... it is also annoying and probably irritating for newbies too. sure, you can just evolve all upgrades in one go, but i prefer splitting it up as it allows my egg to be cloaked while morphing into the lifeform and you also get a chance to interrupt your evolution in case a marine is approaching.

BearTaxi

Cheers for the responses guys, It's quite appreciated.


It's good to hear a new menu is in the works. I'm keen to try it!

In regards to number 2 I saw my error soon after I posted it, when fiddling with binds I found that as mentioned, G is already drop weapon. How I should have phrased my statement was to have swap weapon in G.

<!--QuoteBegin-Kouji_San+--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Kouji_San)</div><div class='quotemain'><!--QuoteEBegin-->I'd rather see the weapon pick up key be switched back to E again and use a something comparable to hitscan, tohave the engine test what you are pointing at with your crosshair. This would also make it possible to pick up specific weapons.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

What you propose definitely sounds better than the current system, however I can't help but feel like I would still prefer G over E. I guess it would take trying to really know, though.

<!--QuoteBegin-Soul_Rider+--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Soul_Rider)</div><div class='quotemain'><!--QuoteEBegin-->UWE are redeveloping the Menu system. Once this is complete, then they will address keybind issues. Keybind issues are an integral part of the menu, and will not see any change until the menu is done. Please stop asking for keybind requests. :) Thanks.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Despite lurking these forums a decent amount, this thread was the first I've heard of this. Thanks for the info!


And as for the sound issue, my soundcard is just the stock-standard intergrated card for my motherboard, I guess that would probably have a lot to do with it, although I've never had issues with it before.

Classic319

<!--quoteo(post=1911435:date=Mar 9 2012, 12:24 PM:name=BearTaxi)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (BearTaxi @ Mar 9 2012, 12:24 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1911435"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->It's good to hear a new menu is in the works. I'm keen to try it!

Despite lurking these forums a decent amount, this thread was the first I've heard of this. Thanks for the info!<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

You can check the progress of the game here

<a href="http://www.unknownworlds.com/ns2/progress" target="_blank">http://www.unknownworlds.com/ns2/progress</a>