Proposal: Interface changes

[skjarl]

It makes sense to me that the amount of commands in this game could be reduced significantly by merging redundant actions. Examples would be evoking potions, scrolls, wands, etc instead of having different commands for each. Equipping armor, weapons, and jewelry with the same command. You could also merge spells and abilities into the same command.

Having different commands for all of these things adds complexity to an already difficult game while providing no obvious benefit to the player. I think it would simplify the code as well. Thoughts?

[XuaXua]

Never allow food to be arbitrarily assigned in inventory to "e".

[Patashu]

It makes sense to me that the amount of commands in this game could be reduced significantly by merging redundant actions. Examples would be evoking potions, scrolls, wands, etc instead of having different commands for each. Equipping armor, weapons, and jewelry with the same command. You could also merge spells and abilities into the same command.

Having different commands for all of these things adds complexity to an already difficult game while providing no obvious benefit to the player. I think it would simplify the code as well. Thoughts?

I think the main reason why such actions are not merged is to greatly reduce the chance of fat-fingering the wrong key and doing an action I don't want (which could kill me if I'm in a bad situation). Especially bad in the case of wanting to swap a piece of jewellery and accidentally taking off your plate armour instead for example.

[cerebovssquire]

While memorising many commands might lead to a steeper learning curve, it's quicker in the end. I can look at three different, short item lists for W/P/w, if I was looking at one long list I would take longer to find the item I want to equip each time.
edit: and you would have to scroll through your list a lot, which means more even more time and keypresses.

[dpeg]

Apart from what cerebovssquire said, you can do it with one list just fine already!

inventory (i) -> item letter (?) -> action

Granted, it's one more key to press, but you didn't have to remember a thing.

As long as people are playing in standard terminals (which is probably includes half the current devteam), there is no chance of making an item-centered interface the default. I realise this is different for mouse users, and I hope that webtiles will get mouse support eventually.

[bcadren]

Only one of these interface squabbles really bothers me. You evoke wands, rods, etc. but if I'm wearing an evokable ring (say Ring of Flight)...I can't e(v)oke that ring; instead I gain the (a)bility to fly. That one is just counter-intuitive as its the only thing that uses the evo skill that you don't e(v)oke.

[skjarl]

Everything should still fit on a single screen due to the insistence on a 52 item limit. Evoking (or Using as I'd probably rename the command) would only show you the things you can actually use and would filter the rest. I already constantly have to look through long lists every time I want to drop something or pick up an item from my stash or a big pile of loot on the ground. That's what the Control+F command is for: pattern matching. Or you could modify lists to auto-filter when you type in the symbol for an item type: !"+ etc. In any case, everything useful to the command is probably going to already be on your screen at the get go.

The whole system is an ancient throwback to Rogue itself and bothered me even when I was playing it on my friend's Tandy in the later 1980s. I can't be too critical of the original developers, though, because they didn't have decades of gaming and interface experience that many of us do.

[dpeg]

skjarl: You are free to say that. I am convinced that contextual commands are the better interface. When I am making a weapon choice, I don't want armour pieces, scrolls and whatnot to clutter my screen. (Also note that my screen generally has 24 lines: this means lots of one-paging, and occasional two-paging).

Why aren't you happy with "i"nterface? We added this for people like you! It fulfills your wishes to the T.

[skjarl]

My apologies, dpeg. I totally missed your comment because I was skimming the thread on my phone. I'll explore "i" the next time I fire up DCSS. Also, maybe you should switch your terminal to a 4 point font so you can squeeze more on the screen.

[duvessa]

The 'i' interface isn't really comparable at all to a generic use command. You still have to type a different letter depending on the type of item, you just press that key after selecting the item instead of before. And then you have the extra 'i' keypress on top of that. If you only want to memorize fewer keys, and care about absolutely nothing else, then yes, it fulfills that wish to a T, but I don't think that's the case for most people.
I actually think a generic use key would be a good feature, so long as the existing quaff, wear, etc. commands stay in addition to that, because like cerebovssquire said they actually make things faster once you know them.

[tedric]

Never allow food to be arbitrarily assigned in inventory to "e".

or "y", for when I'm trying to eat a bunch of chunks in a row and then I run out and hit e - y again and waste permafood

[crate]

food already will never assign itself to 'e' unless that is the last letter available...

[skjarl]

As an aside, has consideration ever been given to the idea of Evocations skill affecting usable items in general? It could make heal potions heal more, fog scrolls generate bigger clouds, etc. It seems odd (and arbitrary) that it would only affect wands and miscellaneous items such as the fan of gales.

[DracheReborn]

Never allow food to be arbitrarily assigned in inventory to "e".

or "y", for when I'm trying to eat a bunch of chunks in a row and then I run out and hit e - y again and waste permafood

Tip: Enable easy_eat_chunks = true in your rcfile. Never press "y" to confirm eating chunks again! auto_eat_chunks is good too.

[XuaXua]

food already will never assign itself to 'e' unless that is the last letter available...

Spoiler knowledge.

[jejorda2]

Only one of these interface squabbles really bothers me. You evoke wands, rods, etc. but if I'm wearing an evokable ring (say Ring of Flight)...I can't e(v)oke that ring; instead I gain the (a)bility to fly. That one is just counter-intuitive as its the only thing that uses the evo skill that you don't e(v)oke.

Ever had a randart that lets you blink *and* fly? (Or rage, or ctele, or teleport etc) It would have to work like an old rod, where you evoke it then choose the action from a list.