Lets Talk About the Use Key

(rapid_shot) #1

I just wanted to spend some time to talk about the “Use” key in Xt. It doesn’t seem to get too much attention because it isn’t a huge game mechanic in itself, but I believe it deserves some discussion.

Personally I think in its current state, its kind of an inconvenience. So many times I’ve ran up to the objective pressing my use key and it doesn’t work right away. I have to press it over and over changing where I’m looking to get it to work and then end up cancelling the action because I pressed it one too many times.

I believe that the intentions were to make it easier for us and make it so that depending on the objective, you pull out the correct tool and not need 5 slots for tools. Totally makes sense and I love the idea, but the areas around objectives in which you can actually complete the objective is rather small. Take the panel you hack to open the doors in Waterloo, very small. I think the triggers should be larger and not require you looking directly at the objective.

That is for the PDA and screwdriver / blowtorch, but I think the C4 is also broken. Apparently anyone who goes to plant is temporarily frozen with fear. I believe the intentions behind this were to make sure you’re planting inside the allowed area and not require a second step of arming. I think locking up the players feet for any other reason besides mounting an MG just makes me feel like I’m temporarily stuck in a bug. Bringing back the screwdriver / blowtorch to arm would fix this. I can put down the C4 (which I think should be plant-able on walls with an animation that would only play of you planting C4 if you were in the radius and looking at an allowed surface you’re next to, but I digress) and arm it when I’m ready. Plant, defend, arm some, defend, finish arming. But this would only really work if the previously suggested ideas about the screwdriver / blowtorch were in effect.

Random-yet-still-related: Would love to see carry-able objectives auto pick-up, and keep drop off the same. Very annoying trying to pick up those things.

</rant>
(html joke. trust me, its funny)

So what do you guys think about the “Use” key and current objective completing methods?

(Kendle) #2

Needs work, for the reasons you give, especially the activation area and the fact it can often be fiddly to get it to work, trying to find the right spot and make sure you’re looking in the right direction.

Not so fussed about the carryables anymore, the much (much) bigger problem with carryables is where they are and where they have to be taken. The route invariably being towards or away from defender spawn is just stupid. The route should be perpendicular to each team’s spawn. Until / unless that happens it doesn’t matter how you interact with the carryable object itself, the whole process will still be rubbish.

(Seanza) #3

I’ve never really had a major issue with the use key until last night on Canary Wharf’s first objective on the roof. I accidentally pressed the F key as I was running past the plant area and it engaged me into a planting animation.

I was always under the impression that you had to hold down the use key for it to continue working, but last night that wasn’t the case.

(iwound) #4

good point about being frozen.
the code prevents you from arming outside the area after starting inside anyway.
try running, jumping, arming to outside the area.
the freeze is so annoying and not fun at all.

(amazinglarry) #5

I had the same impression until I was muckin around on an empty server the other night. I let go of the F key and my action was continuing. I felt like I had been lied to all my life.

I suppose there’s nothing really wrong with pressing the use key once and having whatever happens carry out – but then I’m just kinda standing there, not really interacting with the game in any significant way. It may be a small detail, but it was a little weird for me.

(Mustang) #6

For things like self-revive/plant/construct/etc it should be press-and-hold, not press-to-start-press-to-stop.

Also if you do release and press again it should carry on from where you left off, not start all over again.

(attack) #7

lets face it with the use key it feels like an console shooter.
a keyboard have so many buttons.why have i to hold e to plant and cant choose my c4 before and ran to it,.

(twincannon) #8

Agreed about it being pretty clunky.

There’s a lot of cases where holding it versus tapping it produces different results, it should support either. Also moving sometimes interrupts some actions and not others. Also it can be hard to purposefully interrupt yourself if an enemy comes sometimes. The act of starting to use an object and stopping should be made much quicker I think, or at least make it consistent across the board.

(Ashog) #9

The only prob with use key I often have is on last stage of WC.
When the EV has reached its final destination, often it happens that I wanna pickup the kegs but the use key sends me to mount the EV’s MG :confused:
I think that can be easily fixed my disallowing to mount the MG on the last objective - it is not really needed there anyways.