Suggestion about the "Action menu"

[joxer]

[size=8pt][sup]In case someone reading is unaware, The action menu ( Default key “%” ) provides a list of all the tools, common meds & various actions.[/sup][/size]

Well, I’d love to see the tools that are worn / embedded in you in that list!
“survivor utility belt” & “Integrated toolset CBM” being the ones I’d personally like to see there the most.

[Coolthulhu]

Those tools don’t appear there because they don’t grant the relevant abilities. ie. you can’t saw metal wires with just a toolbox (I think?), currently you have to dismantle it.

Wouldn’t be hard to make them do this stuff, though.

[joxer]

[quote=“Coolthulhu, post:2, topic:9761”]Those tools don’t appear there because they don’t grant the relevant abilities. ie. you can’t saw metal wires with just a toolbox (I think?), currently you have to dismantle it.

Wouldn’t be hard to make them do this stuff, though.[/quote]

Unsure about metal wires, Don’t you need Bolt cutters for them?
Activating the toolbox ( or the survivor utility belt ) Prompts you with a list of usable the tools on it ( hammer, hacksaw, wood saw ) Right?
~There’s already a prompt from the action menu to pull out nails ( Using the hammer from either one of the tool sets i assume )
~ I’ve tested Applying the hacksaw ( from the belt ) to nearby metal bars ( however rare those may be ) it worked just fine. works on display racks aswell.

I Don’t think dismantling them would provide any benefit but, getting to the chase. Shouldn’t we have full access to all the tools stored in these toolsets?
Specifically, the Integrated Toolset CBM offers a tool capable of heating, soldering and welding - but cannot be activated directly in any manner, Only fulfilling the need in recipes.
This i find to be a real naughty tease :F However powerful it may already be.

[Coolthulhu]

I remember now why doesn’t toolbox support nail pulling, cutting rags etc.:
It’s because each item can have only one cost associated with it. Meaning that if the toolbox could both repair wood items and pull nails, it would either cost 25 duct tape to pull nails or it would be free to repair wood items.

With the integrated toolbox and costly operations there is also the problem of actually consuming the charges. We can’t reuse the code that does just the item functions, we have to wrap it with code that consumes the charges from the player. This one isn’t as hard as the no multi-charge-use thing above.

[joxer]

I Think i’m getting the picture slowly as i’m writing the replay ( which i now feel is rather negligible )

What seems to be an exception to the set of rules you’ve described comes to mind however
That’s Cauterizing / making zombie slaves / cutting up fabric / carving a writing into an item. all using the same sword

[sub]-negligible reply, in honour of the time i’ve spent fantasizing about code-[/sub]

[spoiler]Pardon me for talking about the coding part without any programming experience, but…

@survivors toolbelt ( Unless it identifies itself as a toolbox ) Could it- unlike the toolbox, provide all the non charge-consuming functions related to the tools in it? i.e. simply unable to repair wooden items

The toolbox already provides it’s tools to be used actively by [a]ctivating it ( Those which do not consume charge ), But there’s only one tool available on the action menu
Just to make sure, is that related to the issue? or more of a case of ‘clutter reduction’

@integrated toolset
If “The code that consumes charges from the player” is a code that’s only executed when you’re [a]ctivating the item(set)

As it stands, one cannot simply [a]ctivate the integrated toolset, But i’m assuming the hammer in it is linked to the action menu as the only action it performs outside providing tools for recipes?

Wouldn’t it be more beneficial for the heating/soldering/welding implement to take priority as the only tool you’re able to activate?
Being somewhat rarer and far more cumbersome to haul around[/spoiler]

[Coolthulhu]

Nope, cauterizing/zlaving/cutting/carving fine, because all of those have the same cost: 0.
Cauterization may cost fire charges, but it still doesn’t consume anything from the knife and works exactly the same regardless of which knife is used.

Survivor toolbelt could provide the functions, because none of them consume charges. It could be really simple to implement.

[quote=“joxer, post:5, topic:9761”]As it stands, one cannot simply [a]ctivate the integrated toolset, But i’m assuming the hammer in it is linked to the action menu as the only action it performs outside providing tools for recipes?

Wouldn’t it be more beneficial for the heating/soldering/welding implement to take priority as the only tool you’re able to activate?
Being somewhat rarer and far more cumbersome to haul around[/spoiler][/quote]

The hammer in the toolset (and the toolbox and the utility belt) is abstracted. In the game it doesn’t exist as a hammer, it only provides the hammering function checked in crafting (and construction and vehicle construction). Neither the toolset nor the toolbox can be activated as hammers.
Crafting menu doesn’t actually use the functions from the tools, it only checks for the existence of those tools and consumes charges from them. Toolset is special cased there.

Adding no-cost functions to the toolset would be relatively easy. Adding costly ones wouldn’t be as easy, because it would require some special handling to transfer the cost to player.

[joxer]

I greatly appreciate the work and time you all put into this game
my observations / suggestions are here merely to contribute

to keep it simple, do you think it’s worth the time?

[Coolthulhu]

to keep it simple, do you think it’s worth the time?

Charge-less usage of the belt yes - it should be really simple. Charge-less usage of the toolset could be easy.
Soldering existing items with the toolset or using tools from the toolbox not so much.