Needful things (simple additions to improve the game)

[Azrad]

Small windows placed up on the wall, near the ceiling. Can let some light in during the day, but you can’t see through it since it’s up high, and anything outside can’t see inside. On the other hand, if there’s a nearby source of light inside, the ones outside can see some of it. Or something.

[BeerBeer]

• When viewing a skill book’s description, mention the character’s current skill level too, such as: Computers 3 (76%)
• Come up with a new text color for skillbooks which requirements are currently too high for the player, instead of just listing them as yellow, which would suggest the book only contains unmemorized recipes.
• An unload command that would only display valid items with charges that CAN be unloaded, instead of the whole inventory.
• A version of the command above that would also list nearby items that could be unloaded.
• An accurate indicator for showing the currently piloted vehicle’s current heading.
• A command that would print out a tidy list of the mods (one per line, in the message log) that are currently attached to a weapon.
• When a sighted creature interrupts crafting, and the player is prompted whether to stop the task, also mention the creature’s direction and distance in relation to the player.
• When issuing a “lengthy” disassembly task, prompt the player about it, asking if it’s OK that “Disassembling this item might take a while…”. What constitutes as lengthy, could be a menu setting, defaulting to 30 minutes (maybe). Alternatively, report the estimated/normal disassembly duration in the item’s description text.
• When disassembling, let the player know which skill is involved in the disassembly process. Potentially list this information in the item’s description.
• Add the ability to get a description of the installed parts of a vehicle. In other words, when viewing a vehicle, and the commands at the top read as: install, repair, refill… etc., also include ‘view’ or ‘info’ or a similar option and then allow the player to browse the parts.

[Cat09]

- An accurate indicator for showing the currently piloted vehicle's current heading.

This might be accomplished as a percent from sine/cosine or a 5W by 1N display

[Random_dragon]

There IS supposed to be a vehicle heading indicator, but it doesn’t seem to show up in tilesets. Unless anyone knows if any of the tilesets have a sprite for it?

EDIT: Also, a suggestion concerning tools. Remove the “fine screwdriving” quality from basic screwdrivers, and add a screwdriver set item that has the qualities screwdrivers currently have. Likewise, add a pliers item that has basic bolt turning quality.

[Cat09]

I was reminded by a recently merged PR over on git, allow for dynamic use of vehicle storage tanks so that any liquid can be stored in them. Finally a way to keep all that bleach and ammonia from labs!
Allow for parts to have multiple possible liquid sources, eg water cannon can be set to fire bleach or gasoline… or mutagen if you wanted?
this would also allow for flex fuel engines.

[Random_dragon]

Sewage cannon.

[Cat09]

I really like bleach cannon - anti fungus upgrade ; ]
gasoline cannon + flamethrower or laser could also be very intruiging.

at some point an air cannon that fired whatever junk you wanted would be fun too - finally a use for those AOL discs! (or cash cards)

[Bioworm]

[quote=“deoxy, post:2043, topic:5570”][quote=“Cat09, post:2040, topic:5570”]remove linkage of (a)pply and (E)at commands, I want to use my fungicide on the fungus infested ground, not eat it! I’m certain there are other scenarios like that one, and more to crop up w/chem additions over time.
Related: the ability to choose a direction for (E)ating, to grab and eat at the same time, Double tapping “E” would do just your inventory perhaps?[/quote]

More generally, the ability to perform all inventory activities on something that is in your square (or perhaps the next square) without having to pick it up - removing batteries, for instance, or removing liquids (yes, let’s PICK UP that 55 gallon drum full of water to put water in this half-liter bottle… I’m sure that’ll work just great).[/quote]I should agree. ToME 2 and ZAngband (and maybe even vanilla Angband) displayed items right below you as part of inventory and it worked just fine, moreover, it seems logical. The one don’t have to have something in his pocket to eat it.

[Cat09]

I’d like to see environmental protection increasingly split off into specific types of protection against specific things, rather than generic.
edit: also, an explanation of why robots all attack you / making them not all attack you

[vache]

There is an explanation about the robots, but I think it only appears in newspaper snippets. Basically, the robots were programmed to try to eliminate the zombies, but they were unable to tell a regular human from a zombie, so they began killing everything. And then something about no longer being under remote control for some reason or another.

[Eric]

Recorders.

Five-dollar plastic clarinet wannabes of evil.

Can be found at music stores and cause a slight morale decrease to other NPC’s who can hear you playing it

EDIT: On that ‘note’, how about a Skilled Musician trait that causes the player to get a higher morale bomus from playing instruments?

[Random_dragon]

[quote=“Eric, post:2071, topic:5570”]Five-dollar plastic clarinet wannabes of evil.

Can be found at music stores and cause a slight morale decrease to other NPC’s who can hear you playing it[/quote]

Also related, the Cephlopod mutation category should have its mutations affect the morale that playing music gives you and/or how it affects NPCs. o3o

[Eric]

[quote=“Random_dragon, post:2072, topic:5570”][quote=“Eric, post:2071, topic:5570”]Five-dollar plastic clarinet wannabes of evil.

Can be found at music stores and cause a slight morale decrease to other NPC’s who can hear you playing it[/quote]

Also related, the Cephlopod mutation category should have its mutations affect the morale that playing music gives you and/or how it affects NPCs. o3o[/quote]

Only when playing the clarinet

[Random_dragon]

For maximum memes, sure. Though logically tentacle arms would hinder playing any wind or string instrument. Hard to play the chords normally when you lack fingers for handling the strings or holes. o3o

[dovla]

Seems building-destroyers could be toned down a bit. I went to a hospital looking for a stethoscope and half of it was reduced to rubble. Seemed a bit excessive…

And here’s the mall I was looking forward to looting. Key word: was.

[RAM]

I sort of feel that having the world reduced to rubble is sort of fitting. There are monsters about who walk through buildings and just don’t care. Although, perhaps an indicator displaying how pristine a site is could be added to the regional map. Presumably you can gleam some sense of such things with your trusty binoculars. It would be a proper pain to implement though.

[renton55555]

Seems like it could be solved by making more things out of reinforced concrete. In reality, any mall is going to have reinforced concrete load bearing walls and pillars. The zombies can still rip through the partitions that divide the tenant shops, though. Most of the commercial buildings in Cata should consist of a mixture of concrete and standard walls if architectural realism is a goal.

[dovla]

Yeah, what seems to be happening is the Zeds are ripping through pillars which act as ceiling supports and bringing the whole roof down. Shouldn’t be quite that easy in a building of this kind.

EDIT:
Would it be possible to add a door which can be installed on adjacent frames and “disappear” (slide to the side or swing out) when opened? I’ve been wanting to mod a semi with a loading dock down the middle to allow carts to be dragged inside the vehicle but am loathe to leave the space open for any critter to wander into (don’t want to build a separate room for sleeping).

[Eric]

What about crafting recipes that allow the player to forge swords made of gold and silver?

They would be a lot heavier and less damaging than a sword made of iron or steel, but wielding it would make the player feel fancy (for those who pick the Stylish trait)

EDIT: On that note, what about gold and silver helmets, masks, and armor? Again, they would be very impractical, but make characters with the Stylish trait feel super fancy.

[Vorchar]

Some child zombies should drop propeller hat. Wearing propeller hat would recharge your power by 1 for each 100 tiles.