Torches

Today I thought of a nice way to incentivize the use of torches - allow them to be automatically equipped in your off hand when it gets dark!

The devs could make a toggle flag under OPTIONS that read: Automatically use torch. Then when the game went dark, as long as there is a torch in your inventory it would automatically be in use.

So that everyone in the same scene didn't use their torches at EXACTLY the same time, there could be a random number of seconds assigned to torch use. This would be a pretty cool visual effect as the world got darker, one player after the next casually lighting up a torch.

 

I assume you mean exclusively while not in combat. Though oddly enough I was just thinking that torches could used as weapons but with less durability. Anyway.. presumably when you entered combat you'd put your torch away if it wasn't equipped manually.

 

If I might make an alternate suggestion.. allow us to place the torch on the non-combat hot bar so we can toggle it off and on while not in combat (assume again that it isn't equipped manually).

 

I suggested better management of deck swapping out of combat. So you could have a list of setups for Equipped and Alternate decks, and move between them, https://www.shroudoftheavatar.com/forum/index.php?threads/swapping-deck-swaps.27936/

 

The whole idea is that when it gets dark, your torch just kind of "works" in a convenient way. Kind of like in real life when you say "I can't see" you turn on a light. In SOTA right now it's kind of annoying to have to open up your inventory and find your torch. It's annoying enough that people usually just avoid it and try to make it to their destination without using a torch or even magical light. So the end result is a lot of people just pushing through the darkness in an unimmerssive way.

 

Oh I have light on non combat hotbar...

Maybe if I had bigger hotbar and could pick torch (or other equipment) from it...

 

Also, when you're holding a torch and you go into combat, you should automatically switch from torch to shield, if that is how you have your avatar set up.

 

Part of the issue here is inventory management.

Free bag inventory needs auto sorting options. I should be able to place filters on bags, so whenever I pickup loot, it automatically falls into the appropriate bag, rather than on top of everything every time.

List mode needs a 'recent' tab. Alphabetical order alone is often not helpful.. things should be in categories like 2-handed blunt, armor, 1-handed, shields, accessories.. but they're not. So at least let us see items in the order I placed them in my inventory. It sucks picking something up, then opening my inventory and going, "huh.. i wonder what i just picked up?? who knows.. it's in here somewhere.. maybe?" So yeah, things you used recently like a torch, or recently picked up new.. basically anything freshly placed in the inventory should always be in top when in the recent tab.

Also, with either mode, I'm tired of random equipable items from loot drops automatically replacing my chosen weapon just because I wanted to pick it up quickly (without opening my inventory). When moving objects from loot drops, the auto function should never be 'wear it'. it should only be 'wear it' if i'm dragging it from my inventory.

I still dislike list mode, i want to see my items, not words.. but at the moment, neither inventory satisfies me. I really want a visually appealing inventory with nice large visuals, but with sorting options so that we don't feel the need to jump to list mode whenever we want to do some crafting or trading with another player.

Finally, the merchant windows should use the same interface as our personal inventory. Right now the merchant interface looks like list mode, whether you're in that mode or not. Which makes using bag mode that much more frustrating because it's obvious it's not a completed system. I should be grabbing things off counters or shelves or tables, or other people's bags.. why use the cool graphics for some windows but not for all? Lets make this system work!

I find myself really missing the large bag slots. I would like to have those back, and be able to put big items, or items you want readily available in them. these dedicated slots could have a permanent spot on your hotbar, and so torches placed there could be readily activated without looking through your inventory. ;-)

 

As a dual wielder, I'm glad you suggested this to be an option. I'd keep it turned off at all times.

I find it interesting how one can watch a behavior and determine all the motives behind it. By wildly double guessing. And being wildly wrong.

For once, I don't want to use torches nor Light in scenes because - having always the PVP flag - I don't want to be seen at night.

For me it's far, far, FAR more immersive to play the night crawler (with night vision, thank you for asking), than putting a huge, luminous arrow on my head saying "hey, come here and ambush me!".

 

I agree with the opening post.

Depending on which system I am on, I can really struggle with the level of darkness in this game during night cycles.

A more elegant approach for equipping the torch at night, something other than drag and drop, would be most welcome.