Suggestions for more ergonomic ToMI inventory mouse controls

[DjNDB]

Hey there,

I guess I speak for several ToMI fans when I say, that the Inventory controls could be improved.

Here are my proposals based on ease of usability.

Right Mouse Button (RMB) to open the Inventory
It can be used to close it, but not to open it. If the hand lies on the mouse it is probably more convenient for the most people to press the RMB than the scroll wheel.

Combining items by dragging one onto the other
This would make combining a lot easier and faster. I found the current combining system so annoying, that i didn't try a lot of combinations if i thought they might be nonsense. It is however not always obvious what can be combined, which is clearly part of the puzzle.
Therefore a more efficient way such as dragging would be appropriate, and would encourage players to try more combinations.

Examining by double clicking an item
Dragging an item to the magnifying glass or turning on the examining mode are both quite inefficient, similar to the combining. Double clicking would speed up examining multiple items one after the other.


I think that's it. Those controls could coexist with the current ones for people who prefer those. At least i don't see any conflicts. I hope you like the ideas and are willing to implement them, if others agree that they would improve the gamers experience.

[Astro Gnocci]

Examining by double clicking an item

I think right clicking would work way better there. I kept trying to do that even though i knew it didn't work.
Which screws up your idea of using it to close the inventory, but i think the opening/closing of it is not the main issue anyway.

[DjNDB]

Originally Posted by Astro Gnocci

I think right clicking would work way better there. I kept trying to do that even though i knew it didn't work.
Which screws up your idea of using it to close the inventory, but i think the opening/closing of it is not the main issue anyway.

I guess it would not be hard to adapt to double clicking. It's something people do all the time.
In my opinion using the scroll wheel as a button is much more annoying than double clicking. I think it is just not comfortable, but i don't know how others position their hands on the mouse. My index and middle fingers are on the left and right button respectively. If I press the scroll wheel i use the index finger.
If the scroll wheel was left out, I could leave my hand in the same position all the time. I also don't like how pressing the scroll wheel feels compared to the other buttons.
How often do you open the inventory?
Isn't it something you do all the time to interact with the environment?
Examining objects however occurs significantly less and should therefore have less priority.

[TheMandingo]

After finishing playing SoMI:SE, I went back to TMI and kept trying to use keyboard hotkeys, like "L" to look at a map. I wish those were in place in TMI.

[PariahKing]

Look at map is M in TMI.

[DjNDB]

Originally Posted by PariahKing

Look at map is M in TMI.

That's only in the press release and has been removed for the official one because it was buggy.

[jortlaban]

The first time I played TOMI chapter one I really liked it, however I just started playing for a second time and I really got anoyed with the user interface/inventory.

It is just too much work to combine items.
Why not just click on one item and drag it over the next, like all the other adventure games out there (mostly the classics).

now you have to select one, drag it to a box, select the second, drag it to the other box, press + and hope you can make that combination.

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE remove this from the next chapters and make it simple "one item over the other"... it is an absolutely pointless set of actions as it is now.

And maybe (hopefully) change the mouse movement back to point and click, like the rest of the game's interface is (or like StrongBad is).
Whats up with the weird shift/drag movement. Why do we have to switch between keyboard for movement and mouse for item interactions??

This is an awesome start of the return of the Monkey Island series.
The story so far is absolutely fun and I congradulate Telltale on this revival, but the controls need tweaking BADLY.

[PariahKing]

Yeah, I wouldn't mind if they simplified the inventory combination controls from Chapter One. It's not horrible or anything though.

Point and click...I don't even want to go there.

[pleeyer wan]

I totally agree, it's so pointless what they make you do!
what's wrong with just putting an object over the other to combine them...

The keyboard controlls aren't too bad, we've seen it before with other adventures, but you can't make guybrush run with the right mouse button while walking with the keyboard... you'll have to push shift while you are pressing the walk-buttons! unconvenient? YES!

The side-scroll pop-up menu for your items is also fudgin' annoying, how many times that thing pops up by accident, just because i wanted to look at something what was at the right side of the screen, is just unbelievable!
Why would they change the simple inventory item into a scroll bar, is beyond me.

[Spadge]

I wouldn't mind a button that turns on/off autorun. I've seen it in many games, usually the "Caps Lock" or "Tab" keys do the trick.

I'm not too bothered by the combine item mechanics. It's ok. Probably the reason to do it harder is to discourage people from randomly combining all the items in their inventory untill a combination works by chance.

[guitarsareboring]

Originally Posted by jortlaban

It is just too much work to combine items.

Too much work. Brilliant.

I think I'd prefer double clicking on each item I want to combine and then pressing on the combine button.

It's probably to make it clear to people not used to combining items that the option is there.

[pleeyer wan]

Originally Posted by guitarsareboring

Too much work. Brilliant.

I think I'd prefer double clicking on each item I want to combine and then pressing on the combine button.

It's probably to make it clear to people not used to combining items that the option is there.

By making Guybrush saying just once: maybe i could try combining some stuff... that problem is easily solved.
It seems a good idea to work with a double click to put the desired object in the combine-corner. maybe a single click to make guybrush view the object, instead of the magifiying-glass.
But the fun of trying to combine everything and maybe receiving an amusing comment is also made very annoying and not worth it by dragging every single item to the combine-space.

[alexonfyre]

I agree with this, it shouldn't be any harder to combine items than it should to interact them with the surroundings. I believe that they should keep the combiner machine in the inventory, but also have the option of "using" one item on another in order to combine them (just have the game place both items in the combiner and auto attempt to combine them.)

[DjNDB]

I made a topic about Inventory ergonomics some weeks ago

[jortlaban]

Originally Posted by DjNDB

I made a topic about Inventory ergonomics some weeks ago

Guess I missed that, maybe a mod can combine both topic's

in any case, sorry for double posting but it still needs fixing

[DjNDB]

Originally Posted by jortlaban

Guess I missed that, maybe a mod can combine both topic's

in any case, sorry for double posting but it still needs fixing

I will merge them. I think they should fit together without confusing everyone.

[SHODANFreeman]

I used tab to open the inventory, right mouse click is already used for mouse only movement controls so it can't be used to open the inventory.

[DjNDB]

Originally Posted by Pale Man

right mouse click is already used for mouse only movement controls so it can't be used to open the inventory.

Only in combination with the left button. As long as you don't need to open the inventory while walking there should be no problem.