# Needful things (simple additions to improve the game)

**URL:** <https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/needful-things-simple-additions-to-improve-the-game/5570>\
**Category:** The Drawing Board\
**Created:** [March 23, 2014, 10:36pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/needful-things-simple-additions-to-improve-the-game/5570 "2014-03-23T22:36:07Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 20\
**Page:** 9

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**Author:** ![Wuzzy](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/wuzzy/32/41_2.png) [@Wuzzy](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Wuzzy)\
**Post date:** [May 4, 2014, 6:21pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/needful-things-simple-additions-to-improve-the-game/5570/161 "2014-05-04T18:21:42Z")

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Swamp monsters need to spawn more often again. For now it feels like swamps are dead, boring and empty, in earlier versions swamps were populated and deadly places. What happened?

(See also: [https://github.com/CleverRaven/Cataclysm-DDA/issues/7504](https://github.com/CleverRaven/Cataclysm-DDA/issues/7504))

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**Author:** ![Paquito](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d9b06d/32.png) [@Paquito](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Paquito)\
**Post date:** [May 4, 2014, 8:57pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/needful-things-simple-additions-to-improve-the-game/5570/162 "2014-05-04T20:57:00Z")

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> [@Kevin Granade](#):
>
> By the way, in general the idea for this thread was to hold lists of changes that a new developer could try and tackle. From that point of view it’s an abject failure, there are some simple requests in here, but the vast majority range from difficult to impossible. ☹

Maybe you should create a poll. List a bunch of changes people have requested. Provide links to the request threads in the OP.

Members can vote on the one they want the most. Developers can take one look at the vote tally and see which is the most desired.

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**Author:** ![Zireael](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/zireael/32/956_2.png) [@Zireael](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Zireael)\
**Post date:** [May 5, 2014, 7:09am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/needful-things-simple-additions-to-improve-the-game/5570/163 "2014-05-05T07:09:26Z")

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> [@Paquito](#):
>
> [quote=“Kevin Granade, post:158, topic:5570”]By the way, in general the idea for this thread was to hold lists of changes that a new developer could try and tackle. From that point of view it’s an abject failure, there are some simple requests in here, but the vast majority range from difficult to impossible. ☹

Maybe you should create a poll. List a bunch of changes people have requested. Provide links to the request threads in the OP.

Members can vote on the one they want the most. Developers can take one look at the vote tally and see which is the most desired.[/quote]

That’s a good idea.

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**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/uploads/cataclysmdda/original/1X/21b5d044e8473b25d0bf905d60477e25f6fbe0cf.png) [@system](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/system)\
**Post date:** [May 5, 2014, 12:10pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/needful-things-simple-additions-to-improve-the-game/5570/164 "2014-05-05T12:10:51Z")

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A few simple quality-of-life suggestions:

- A “deposit all money” option for bank machines.

- Default value for deposit into bank machines should be maximum value, not 0.

- Bank cards should show dollars, not cents.

- A way to semi-permanently select ammunition for bows so you don’t have to keep choosing every time you fire.

- Consistent UI. If right-arrow selects, it should select in all menus. Example: crafting menu select is carriage return.

- Everything should stack. Right now lots of things (the worst offender being bones) don’t stack, making searching through base storage a nightmare.

- A weapon pool in inventory. Switching between weapons should be a single keystroke.

- Longer burning wood. Given the wide, easy availability of essentially limitless quantities of wood, being forced to use up huge quantities of wood only results in having to frequently make trips for more loads. It’s just busywork and not fun.

- A “beneath my feet” or “here” key so you can activate, reload, or recharge objects without needing to have them in inventory.

- Shift + direction = run until I hit a key, spot a monster, or hit an obstruction.

- Dropping things (or picking up things) should either interrupt on damage or take no time. If I’m transferring 20 items to a shopping cart, an ambushing wolf shouldn’t get 20 free attacks.

- Randomize drops from broken windows: 2-5 glass shards instead of 3, 0-2 strings either short or long, and 0-2 sheets.

- Auto-sorting. I spend more time sorting my loot into lockers than I do fighting zombies. Items in containers should sort into categories the same way they do in inventory.

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**Author:** ![Zireael](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/zireael/32/956_2.png) [@Zireael](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Zireael)\
**Post date:** [May 5, 2014, 2:36pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/needful-things-simple-additions-to-improve-the-game/5570/165 "2014-05-05T14:36:26Z")

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I like those suggestions!

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**Author:** ![Straume21](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/straume21/32/236_2.png) [@Straume21](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Straume21)\
**Post date:** [May 5, 2014, 7:53pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/needful-things-simple-additions-to-improve-the-game/5570/166 "2014-05-05T19:53:34Z")

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Nuts as a comestible, spawning in bags in grocery stores and gas stations. The healthy version of potato chips.

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**Author:** ![KA101](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/278dde/32.png) [@KA101](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/KA101)\
**Post date:** [May 6, 2014, 9:56pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/needful-things-simple-additions-to-improve-the-game/5570/167 "2014-05-06T21:56:47Z")

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> [@Zireael](#):
>
> I like those suggestions!

Ask not! whether you like the suggestions.

Ask! whether the suggestion is achievable for a new modder.

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**Author:** ![Nappist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c37758/32.png) [@Nappist](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Nappist)\
**Post date:** [May 6, 2014, 11:24pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/needful-things-simple-additions-to-improve-the-game/5570/168 "2014-05-06T23:24:19Z")

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Change the spawn point for shelters to be the basement of the shelter, with a single nearly-discharged flickering light (glowstick with 10 charges, lightstrip nearly empty, maybe a dead generator, etc- so long as it is basically useless). Randomize empty food wrappers or the like surrounding your character ranging from zero to about four. Empty bags, maybe an aluminum can, some paper wrappers. Junk.

Create new styles of shelters to match. Different arrangements, bombed-out shelter surrounded by craters.

Allow people to start in community centers they took refuge in or small churches (not cathedrals).

Simple, but time consuming:  
Pack all the guns into a mod called complexguns. Extract a select series of guns (real or not) from that mod that have very distinct differences and fall into each category of weaponry, and pack that into simpleguns. That way you can turn guns off entirely if you feel like going through a bullet-less apocalypse for whatever reason; or if you are brain dead (like I am) and can’t really wrap your head around what makes another gun better if there’s only minor differences.

The guns I’d really like to target for the complexguns pack are those that are not “special”/futuristic weaponry and aren’t hand-crafted which use specialty ammunition. It’s really pointless and nobody will pick them up because ammo is a pain to craft and they aren’t powerful enough to be useful. Pistols are mostly guilty of this, but there are some uzis.

The exception should be starting profession: I can definitely understand giving a profession a ‘worse’ gun as part of a lower point cost.

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**Author:** ![latogato](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b9bd4f/32.png) [@latogato](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/latogato)\
**Post date:** [May 10, 2014, 11:34am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/needful-things-simple-additions-to-improve-the-game/5570/169 "2014-05-10T11:34:03Z")

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Few days ago while i played cdda and tried to find water in a city, IRL rained outside and the precious water just flowed noisily from the rain gutter of the house.

While there is a funnel in the game, i think we also need rain gutters to collect rainwater.

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**Author:** ![Mrnocamera](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/mrnocamera/32/61_2.png) [@Mrnocamera](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Mrnocamera)\
**Post date:** [May 10, 2014, 11:41am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/needful-things-simple-additions-to-improve-the-game/5570/170 "2014-05-10T11:41:50Z")

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Some almost completely useless recipes gains from reading normal (Read: Not skill books) books.

Like a Pan-Galactic Gargle Blaster recipe from reading The Hitchhikers Guide to the Cataclysm, or a few makeshift items from reading action novels.

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**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/uploads/cataclysmdda/original/1X/21b5d044e8473b25d0bf905d60477e25f6fbe0cf.png) [@system](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/system)\
**Post date:** [May 10, 2014, 12:50pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/needful-things-simple-additions-to-improve-the-game/5570/171 "2014-05-10T12:50:52Z")

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[quote=“KA101, post:167, topic:5570”]Ask not! whether you like the suggestions.

Ask! whether the suggestion is achievable for a new modder.[/quote]

Is it really that difficult to change the displayed value on cash cards from cents to dollars? Or to change the default deposit value in ATMs from 0 to the current cash value of the card? [Spoiler](It’s really not.)[/Spoiler]

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**Author:** ![KA101](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/278dde/32.png) [@KA101](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/KA101)\
**Post date:** [May 10, 2014, 8:17pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/needful-things-simple-additions-to-improve-the-game/5570/172 "2014-05-10T20:17:38Z")

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[quote=“NoJusticeNoPeace, post:171, topic:5570”][quote=“KA101, post:167, topic:5570”]Ask not! whether you like the suggestions.

Ask! whether the suggestion is achievable for a new modder.[/quote]

Is it really that difficult to change the displayed value on cash cards from cents to dollars? Or to change the default deposit value in ATMs from 0 to the current cash value of the card? [Spoiler](It’s really not.)[/Spoiler][/quote]

Then, by all means, do so, file the PR, and we’ll merge it.

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**Author:** ![Slax](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/slax/32/5385_2.png) [@Slax](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Slax)\
**Post date:** [May 11, 2014, 8:51am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/needful-things-simple-additions-to-improve-the-game/5570/173 "2014-05-11T08:51:50Z")

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Armed [Nazi Zombie](http://thefile.me/ol2op329pjx0) scenario.

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**Author:** ![bugsniper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e95f7d/32.png) [@bugsniper](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/bugsniper)\
**Post date:** [May 13, 2014, 6:27am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/needful-things-simple-additions-to-improve-the-game/5570/174 "2014-05-13T06:27:44Z")

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Reducing the encumbrance of small cardboard boxes to 1 so that we’re not motivated to unload and drop all of them, which gets irritating after a while. Also making them combustible like paper scraps.

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**Author:** ![bugsniper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e95f7d/32.png) [@bugsniper](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/bugsniper)\
**Post date:** [May 13, 2014, 4:24pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/needful-things-simple-additions-to-improve-the-game/5570/175 "2014-05-13T16:24:58Z")

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It would also be nice to add the saved game and templates folders to the gitignore list by default.

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**Author:** ![Zireael](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/zireael/32/956_2.png) [@Zireael](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Zireael)\
**Post date:** [May 13, 2014, 6:44pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/needful-things-simple-additions-to-improve-the-game/5570/176 "2014-05-13T18:44:03Z")

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… I always thought cardboard boxes were combustible? They need to be!

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**Author:** ![bugsniper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e95f7d/32.png) [@bugsniper](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/bugsniper)\
**Post date:** [May 13, 2014, 9:44pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/needful-things-simple-additions-to-improve-the-game/5570/177 "2014-05-13T21:44:00Z")

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If possible, grocery stores, malls, pharmacies, and house cupboards should be changed to occasionally have shopping bags that work like bindles. The use of this is to allow people playing with the surrounded start option to have a way to hold supplies without having to break a window and attract the horde.

If this overpowers the player, we can later on design a change to make them combustible, composed of paper, and damaged by rain.

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**Author:** ![KA101](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/278dde/32.png) [@KA101](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/KA101)\
**Post date:** [May 13, 2014, 10:37pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/needful-things-simple-additions-to-improve-the-game/5570/178 "2014-05-13T22:37:49Z")

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> [@bugsniper](#):
>
> It would also be nice to add the saved game and templates folders to the gitignore list by default.

Perfect. This is simple and would improve the game (for anyone who uses git, but open-source means that everyone could be using git). Nice job.

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**Author:** ![bugsniper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e95f7d/32.png) [@bugsniper](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/bugsniper)\
**Post date:** [May 15, 2014, 7:36pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/needful-things-simple-additions-to-improve-the-game/5570/179 "2014-05-15T19:36:40Z")

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> [@Zireael](#):
>
> … I always thought cardboard boxes were combustible? They need to be!

I’ve tested it. They are indeed combustable now.

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**Author:** ![Deveak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/71c47a/32.png) [@Deveak](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Deveak)\
**Post date:** [May 31, 2014, 9:32pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/needful-things-simple-additions-to-improve-the-game/5570/180 "2014-05-31T21:32:13Z")

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Some cosmetic changes to the bunker. It sticks out like a sore thumb. Might be better to make a real military base to put it in but in the short term, add crates and lockers. Make the loot spawn in them. Maybe add a few dead soldiers in the hallway. Right now its just an underground locked room with piles of random ordinance on the ground.

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