Tripwire Interactive Forums
This is something that has bothered me when I first installed the 3.3 mod a few days ago (yes, I'm a pretty new player, but not new to tactical FPS in general).
The keyboard inputs for RO are just way too much. Normally I like to play with the cursor keys (not WASD, not the numeric keys, just the regular arrow cursors) and map the other function keys around my left hand's position on the arrows. This has worked fine with OP Flashpoint, Ghost Recon, Battlefield1942 and pretty much every other tactical shooter I've ever played.
But RO has such a ton of commands that it's really hard to sort out.
Yet, many of the keys can/should be context sensitive in my opinion. I'll try to give some examples with real-life comparisons:
1) When your weapon runs out of bullets, why can't the primary fire button not automatically "switch" to melee attacks? Have it go "click" once to indicate out of ammo, and then any subsequent press of the primary fire should activate a buttstrike/bajonet attack.
In real life, if you run out of ammo in the middle of a Close-Quarter Fight, you have two options - you reload, or you push forward and try to smack your opponent down. You won't need to think "I have to change from ranged attack to melee attack".
I would argue that the same could be done when you're within a minimum range of an enemy soldier. If you bump into an enemy when going round a corner, instead of trying to hit with a bolt action rifle, you would just naturally stab/beat him.
2) I understand and agree with "only one weapon for each player" so when we pick up a new rifle or SMG, we should get rid of the old one. But why does it have to be an extra keypress? I would argue that picking up a new rifle should automatically discard the old one. Again, in real life you wouldn't have to think about it, so why does the game make it so complicated?
3) Giving Ammo to MG-Gunners: If I'm close to a MG Gunner, I can see his ammo loadout. Then I can press an extra key to give him ammo. Why can't that extra key be the USE key, which would automatically "know" that I'm close to the gunner? Instead we have to map yet another key for it.
4) Setting up MGs/preparing for Hipshooting MGs: I noticed that on MGs that can hipshoot, the Iron sights button will prepare it for hipshooting. You need a separate button to deploy it. Again, this should be context-sensitive - if the "deploy" icon is visible (like, you're standing behind a window), Ironsights button should always deploy the gun. As it's right now (if I'm not mistaken) ironsights will ready for hipshooting even if you're in a position to deploy.
5) Barrel Change: Yet another unnecessary button. I agree that barrel changing shouldn't happen automatically when overheating. But why can't the USE key be used to change barrels? In a situation where you have the MG deployed, you're stationary and not moving around, the USE key is not going to be used for anything else.
I guess that many things I listed here are problems that have to do with not being able to edit engine functions in the mod itself. It remains to be hoped that with the full engine license, the team can implement context-sensitive and "logical" keyboard shortcuts to most of the functions. Games like SWAT4 are a good example - it's basically the same engine, but you have a ton of functions packed in only a few keys.
The keyboard inputs for RO are just way too much. Normally I like to play with the cursor keys (not WASD, not the numeric keys, just the regular arrow cursors) and map the other function keys around my left hand's position on the arrows. This has worked fine with OP Flashpoint, Ghost Recon, Battlefield1942 and pretty much every other tactical shooter I've ever played.
But RO has such a ton of commands that it's really hard to sort out.
Yet, many of the keys can/should be context sensitive in my opinion. I'll try to give some examples with real-life comparisons:
1) When your weapon runs out of bullets, why can't the primary fire button not automatically "switch" to melee attacks? Have it go "click" once to indicate out of ammo, and then any subsequent press of the primary fire should activate a buttstrike/bajonet attack.
In real life, if you run out of ammo in the middle of a Close-Quarter Fight, you have two options - you reload, or you push forward and try to smack your opponent down. You won't need to think "I have to change from ranged attack to melee attack".
I would argue that the same could be done when you're within a minimum range of an enemy soldier. If you bump into an enemy when going round a corner, instead of trying to hit with a bolt action rifle, you would just naturally stab/beat him.
2) I understand and agree with "only one weapon for each player" so when we pick up a new rifle or SMG, we should get rid of the old one. But why does it have to be an extra keypress? I would argue that picking up a new rifle should automatically discard the old one. Again, in real life you wouldn't have to think about it, so why does the game make it so complicated?
3) Giving Ammo to MG-Gunners: If I'm close to a MG Gunner, I can see his ammo loadout. Then I can press an extra key to give him ammo. Why can't that extra key be the USE key, which would automatically "know" that I'm close to the gunner? Instead we have to map yet another key for it.
4) Setting up MGs/preparing for Hipshooting MGs: I noticed that on MGs that can hipshoot, the Iron sights button will prepare it for hipshooting. You need a separate button to deploy it. Again, this should be context-sensitive - if the "deploy" icon is visible (like, you're standing behind a window), Ironsights button should always deploy the gun. As it's right now (if I'm not mistaken) ironsights will ready for hipshooting even if you're in a position to deploy.
5) Barrel Change: Yet another unnecessary button. I agree that barrel changing shouldn't happen automatically when overheating. But why can't the USE key be used to change barrels? In a situation where you have the MG deployed, you're stationary and not moving around, the USE key is not going to be used for anything else.
I guess that many things I listed here are problems that have to do with not being able to edit engine functions in the mod itself. It remains to be hoped that with the full engine license, the team can implement context-sensitive and "logical" keyboard shortcuts to most of the functions. Games like SWAT4 are a good example - it's basically the same engine, but you have a ton of functions packed in only a few keys.