Key System Overhaul

[Moose65]

Right now, keys don't have much use in single player with no NPCs (which is fine). However, its immersion breaking in how they work. Basically if you want keys to a house, you drag zombies into a house, (re)murder them, and check for keys. Repeat till you have all the keys that you want.

 

I think a better way to handle keys would be through various hardware/retail stores. There should be lootable doorknob packages, which come with a doorknob + key combo. Now, the stores would also have blank keys and a key cutting machine. This should require no skill level to operate since most of them are pretty self explanatory, and even have instructions on them. They do require electricity to run though, so this is something you would need to plan ahead for. The blank keys could also be a very abundant loot, with tons of them on a keyrack next to the key cutter machine (make it a furniture container with 0 weight capacity, as if I recall keys weigh 0). Honestly, I see very few people wanting to run off with tons of blank keys in a zombie apocalypse, so this would make sense. You could make the key cutter machine an item like the portable generator, so if someone did want to take it, it would be difficult as you would have to carry it back to your base with both of your hands occupied.

 

Now in multiplayer, this may cause some issues. What if some jerk just loots every key cutting machine and hauls it back to their base? What if you can't find a portable generator after the power is out? Well, hopefully you could rely on courtesy (why take the machine, when your only gonna need maybe 4 or 5 keys tops for you and friends?). But, to solve this issue somewhat, let high level metalsmiths / carpenters get access to a simple door knob and key recipe. So in the absolute worse case, they could make a simple lock at high levels with keys to go with it.

 

Finally, one last thing is I think the door recipe should require a screwdriver + 4 screws. I also think that you should be able to change the locks from inside the door if you want to, without having to dismantle the whole door. If you have a doorknob, 4 screws, and a screwdriver, you should be able to swap out the doorknob. This would make a convenient way to change locks in the case that your safehouse becomes compromised,  rather it be from a rude player or an NPC going crazy that you no longer desire staying in your stronghold.

[Keshash]

It'd be cool to have keys labelled - i.e. add note to it, where you could describe which key is it. Like "Key - store near lake", "Key - my safehouse" etc. For more conspiracy, tying some small, currently useless items to it - rings, necklaces, buttons or colourful papers.  That would make it more interesting to collect keys and keeping them in order. Or finding already named keys.  

 

So when unlocking, one could choose to unlock with specific labelled key, or quickly try all of them (Maybe, a small menu that pops out when "E"-ing near locked door?).

 

Also, if we may start without key ring, why not add it's function to other items, like wallets? Or hidden keys in Spiffo dolls! 

[Moose65]

4 hours ago, Keshash said:

It'd be cool to have keys labelled - i.e. add note to it, where you could describe which key is it. Like "Key - store near lake", "Key - my safehouse" etc. For more conspiracy, tying some small, currently useless items to it - rings, necklaces, buttons or colourful papers.  That would make it more interesting to collect keys and keeping them in order. Or finding already named keys.  

 

So when unlocking, one could choose to unlock with specific labelled key, or quickly try all of them (Maybe, a small menu that pops out when "E"-ing near locked door?).

 

Also, if we may start without key ring, why not add it's function to other items, like wallets? Or hidden keys in Spiffo dolls! 

 

Keys can already be labelled. Right click on it and select rename item.

RJ already undid no longer spawning without a key ring.

 

Also, fumbling with keys while under panic sounds like a good idea. Right now you can hover over a key to highlight a door. Clumsy could be made into a more punishing trait if you had a chance to fumble with key(s) to unlock doors/vehicles when a zombie is chasing you.

 

Making customizeable key rings or keys is probably pretty low on the list for changes, if at all, especially since you can already rename them.

 

If they wanted to make the Burglar profession more interesting, lockpicking and hiding (and finding) loot in odd items like spiffo dolls could be interesting.

 

Edited August 30, 2016 by Moose65

[Trojan_Turps]

It would be cool if unlocked doors have a %chance to open when

zombies hit them. 

Keys would be more important then. 

[Magic Mark]

Having more ways to get keys is a must, in my opinion. 

 

When keys were announced, I was pretty ecstatic. I thought I was going to be looting keys off dead bodies and searching the near town to find where it came from.

 

That sense of discovery doesn't exist at all. Zombies don't even drop keys unless they are killed inside of the house you want the keys for.

 

This goes on top of the fact that only zombies drop keys and there is no real way to loot them otherwise.

 

Possible solutions off the top of my head:

 

Add home keys to the loot table for dressers/nightstands.

Add rare chance of keys to the closest home outside to spawn in the next house over.

 

Having door/key packages is also a great idea as players would no longer have to "harvest" houses for their doorknobs as it hardly represents what should be done in real life in order to make your doors lock.

 

Making the door and lock mechanism two different aspects should be a given - remove the doorknob/lock, not the whole door, at least as it stands where you can only rebuild makeshift doors with the locking mechanism.

 

Anywho, that's my 2 cents of the USD, I don't think any of that goes too far out of it's way to give too much attention to keys to the point where it seems to in depth... but with that said, I must disagree with the idea of a key cutting machine at least until other systems in the game get even more fleshed out.

[Moose65]

2 hours ago, Kim Jong Un said:

Having more ways to get keys is a must, in my opinion. 

 

When keys were announced, I was pretty ecstatic. I thought I was going to be looting keys off dead bodies and searching the near town to find where it came from.

 

That sense of discovery doesn't exist at all. Zombies don't even drop keys unless they are killed inside of the house you want the keys for.

 

This goes on top of the fact that only zombies drop keys and there is no real way to loot them otherwise.

 

Possible solutions off the top of my head:

 

Add home keys to the loot table for dressers/nightstands.

Add rare chance of keys to the closest home outside to spawn in the next house over.

 

Having door/key packages is also a great idea as players would no longer have to "harvest" houses for their doorknobs as it hardly represents what should be done in real life in order to make your doors lock.

 

Making the door and lock mechanism two different aspects should be a given - remove the doorknob/lock, not the whole door, at least as it stands where you can only rebuild makeshift doors with the locking mechanism.

 

Anywho, that's my 2 cents of the USD, I don't think any of that goes too far out of it's way to give too much attention to keys to the point where it seems to in depth... but with that said, I must disagree with the idea of a key cutting machine at least until other systems in the game get even more fleshed out.

 

I could have sworn I've occasionally looted a key inside a nightstand or dresser before. Perhaps their really rare. May I ask what it is though that you don't like about having key cutter machines? That seems like it goes against what you wanted, which is having more ways to get keys. The UI doesn't seem like it would be very complicated to do on it, simply make it a container with 0 weight capacity, put the key you want cut and a blank in, turn on, wait a short time, and loot both keys. You would obviously need power in the building to run it, so after its out you would have to either get a generator or rely on a high level metalworking.

 

To me it seems like the machine would be more valuable in single player when NPCs are added (so they can enter and exit your safehouse) and of course multiplayer. Otherwise you may just end up looting multiple door/key packages for every exterior door you desire, clogging up your keyring more than what is necessary. That does bring up another point now that I think about it, that perhaps the doorknob packages should come with a varying amount of doorknobs, from 1~4 that all match the same 1~2 keys that come with the package, to prevent you from needing a ton of extra keys.

[Magic Mark]

2 hours ago, Moose65 said:

 

I could have sworn I've occasionally looted a key inside a nightstand or dresser before. Perhaps their really rare. May I ask what it is though that you don't like about having key cutter machines? That seems like it goes against what you wanted, which is having more ways to get keys. The UI doesn't seem like it would be very complicated to do on it, simply make it a container with 0 weight capacity, put the key you want cut and a blank in, turn on, wait a short time, and loot both keys. You would obviously need power in the building to run it, so after its out you would have to either get a generator or rely on a high level metalworking.

 

To me it seems like the machine would be more valuable in single player when NPCs are added (so they can enter and exit your safehouse) and of course multiplayer. Otherwise you may just end up looting multiple door/key packages for every exterior door you desire, clogging up your keyring more than what is necessary. That does bring up another point now that I think about it, that perhaps the doorknob packages should come with a varying amount of doorknobs, from 1~4 that all match the same 1~2 keys that come with the package, to prevent you from needing a ton of extra keys.

Okay, from checking the file it appears that you can find keys in the "sidetable"  loot table, but only 1 roll is made for that so finding anything on that list specifically is unlikely. It is the only loot table that spawns keys. Tons of improvement to be made here should the devs choose to represent keys heavier as a mechanic in the game.

 

The reason why I think having a key cutting machine doesn't fit is simply because keys aren't center to anything in the game as it stands. To have key creating very in depth with how keys are valued in game feels totally out of place.

 

It's a solution to the issue but until anything more important gets some kind of "machined production" there just isn't a demand for it.