PC UI and control scheme complaints and suggestions
It kinda sucks that this is the first thread I make after release but I really can't wrap my head around how bad the control scheme for PC is on release.
Where to start...?
Multi-action bindings:if you re-bind an action that shares the key with another (like say Witcher senses and parry share RMB as default) you won't be able to use the same non-default key for two actions (I can't rebind senses and parry to say LMB for both, it's a silly example but that's not the point). Not entirely true but not entirely false either. This seems to be a bug with the call horse/stop horse key, unless you leave it as default you can't bind the same key to these two commands.
A fix for this is to break up the actions in different categories similar to how other games work: you have a common category like basic movement, you have a swimming category, a on foot one etc. And don't have bindings from one category affect bindings from another. Then you give the option to bind one key to multiple actions and also an option to have one key for each action. If you played Battlefield 4 you'll know what I mean: in the key bindings menu I have a bind for sprint+steady scope, one for steady scope and one for hold breath. That way everyone can set up their keys how they want. It's not difficult.
Hard coded bindings: several commands (movement, open journal, open map etc.) are hard coded. That's silly, especially in the case of movement controls being hard coded to WASD. Also, there's an annoying bug with the sheathe command (hard coded bind to C), I can still assign other stuff to C so I might get stuff like being in combat and wanting to drink a potion but also sheathing my weapon by accident which is very very bad.
Quick-cast key absence: this was a great thing in TW2, I could press a key and it would cast a sign. It's a huge shame this was taken out because now I have to fiddle with selecting the sign either via hotkey or the radial menu which pauses the action and then cast it. Please let us quick cast our signs. It's actually beneficial because it clears up one key bind.
Input delay: I start moving forward, take my finger off W and Geralt still moves for about 2 more steps. This makes moving around the world very annoying. How did nobody notice this in the development team!?
UI: having to use the top arrows to switch between categories is annoying, even if you can use the hardcoded keys to switch to them rapidly it not ideal. If you've ever played Skyrim with SkyUI installed you'll know there's a pretty nice and elegant fix: instead of dots have an entire row of icons at the top each representing a category (a "dot") that you can click.
You aren't told what a skill does past the next level: basically if a skill gives me +5 socks on the next level I might ignore the next level whtout know that at the one after that it gives me something I really want. Way to fix this is add a button that displays the entire skill line similar to how I can press shift to compare armor pieces.
Also, a tip for PC users: enable hardware cursor in the options. Mouse is way more responsive that way!
As for the rest of the game: I'm enjoying it so far so kudos for CDPR in that regard... just please please PLEASE fix the key binding issues and the UI.
EDIT
I might add more to the first post if I run into other issues or forgot something.
It kinda sucks that this is the first thread I make after release but I really can't wrap my head around how bad the control scheme for PC is on release.
Where to start...?
Multi-action bindings:
A fix for this is to break up the actions in different categories similar to how other games work: you have a common category like basic movement, you have a swimming category, a on foot one etc. And don't have bindings from one category affect bindings from another. Then you give the option to bind one key to multiple actions and also an option to have one key for each action. If you played Battlefield 4 you'll know what I mean: in the key bindings menu I have a bind for sprint+steady scope, one for steady scope and one for hold breath. That way everyone can set up their keys how they want. It's not difficult.
Hard coded bindings: several commands (movement, open journal, open map etc.) are hard coded. That's silly, especially in the case of movement controls being hard coded to WASD. Also, there's an annoying bug with the sheathe command (hard coded bind to C), I can still assign other stuff to C so I might get stuff like being in combat and wanting to drink a potion but also sheathing my weapon by accident which is very very bad.
Quick-cast key absence: this was a great thing in TW2, I could press a key and it would cast a sign. It's a huge shame this was taken out because now I have to fiddle with selecting the sign either via hotkey or the radial menu which pauses the action and then cast it. Please let us quick cast our signs. It's actually beneficial because it clears up one key bind.
Input delay: I start moving forward, take my finger off W and Geralt still moves for about 2 more steps. This makes moving around the world very annoying. How did nobody notice this in the development team!?
UI: having to use the top arrows to switch between categories is annoying, even if you can use the hardcoded keys to switch to them rapidly it not ideal. If you've ever played Skyrim with SkyUI installed you'll know there's a pretty nice and elegant fix: instead of dots have an entire row of icons at the top each representing a category (a "dot") that you can click.
You aren't told what a skill does past the next level: basically if a skill gives me +5 socks on the next level I might ignore the next level whtout know that at the one after that it gives me something I really want. Way to fix this is add a button that displays the entire skill line similar to how I can press shift to compare armor pieces.
Also, a tip for PC users: enable hardware cursor in the options. Mouse is way more responsive that way!
As for the rest of the game: I'm enjoying it so far so kudos for CDPR in that regard... just please please PLEASE fix the key binding issues and the UI.
EDIT
I might add more to the first post if I run into other issues or forgot something.
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