Guild Wars 2

I am sure this issue has been brought up before, but as the forums search is extremely clunky I can’t seem to find another thread with these specific suggestions in them.

One of the most irksome problems that I run across in gameplay is in regards to the loot/interact keybind (default F). This is particularly a problem in large escort DEs (such as escorts to Orrian temples, where there are 20 NPCs and 50 lootable corpses at any given time). In order to be useful to the group, you need to keep moving and keep attacking. But part of the incentive to run missions like this is all the loot that drops along the way – so what is the solution? Spam F occasionally while you run around killing mobs and keeping up with the movement of the event. The trouble is, 9 times of 10 you will end up “greeting” an NPC instead of looting a corpse on the fly or reviving a player. Or a player may be downed right next to an NPC, and instead of reviving your team-mate you end up starting a revive on a useless NPC instead.

I am aware that a recent patch gave a loot—>revive—>interact priority, but it hasn’t made any noticeable difference to me, and I do not feel that it is a suitable solution to such a clunky mechanic, especially in a game whose mechanics otherwise (generally) seem to flow together so nicely.

It baffles me that this problem has not already been addressed. It seems to me that with lack of loot animations/pauses to reach down and pick up loot, the intention was to streamline gameplay so that looting bodies took no significant amount of time, even during a protracted battle that moves from point to point. The current system is anything but efficient.

Dialogue with an NPC is always the lowest priority, and there is absolutely no reason that any player would wish to open a dialogue box with an NPC during combat, which covers half their screen and cannot be closed without either clicking [x] or pressing Escape. Ever. The obvious solution to the problem is to allow players to key-bind separate keys for looting and “interacting.”

A secondary (more minor) annoyance is the fact that one must run over every single solitary lootable corpse pressing F in order to get loot off each corpse. A tidy solution to this problem would be to allow a player to enable an “area loot” option, which would automatically loot all lootable corpses in the immediate vicinity by simply looting one. This could open a dialogue with all available loot for those who do not use auto-loot, or could simply take all available loot and deposit it into your bags if you do use auto-loot.

Thirdly, I propose that there be an option to disable NPC dialogue boxes while in combat. This would relieve the extremely frustrating habit of certain NPCs assuring the player that they can “chat later when it’s safe” in the middle of a raging battle, while said player is trying to fight for their life, revive an ally, or merely loot a nearby corpse.

TL;DR:
- Give the option for two separate key bindings for “loot” and “interact.”
- Implement AREA loot mechanic.
- Disable NPC dialogue boxes in combat.

A lot of us have proposed:

1. True auto-looting: stuff automatically goes into inventory, with the names/icons flashing on the right.
2. Current auto-sorting: the game calls it auto-looting, but if you have to manually press [f], there’s nothing automatic about the looting. What the game does is to automatically send the loot to inventory after pressing [f].
3. No sorting/looting: each time you press [f], you get a dialogue box offering certain items. You can choose to accept the item, defer the choice for later, or refuse (meaning the item would be destroyed). The game currently offers this option when you inventory is full.

I don’t think anyone is going to deliberately choose (3); I expect most people will choose (1).

In addition, as you suggest, the range should be longer and the player should be able to choose whether to use the same key or not for: looting, picking up a bundle, talking w/NPCs, other interactions (e.g. opening doors, turning on a switch), or picking up warrior banners.

Finally, as you also note, we shouldn’t need to stand next to a corpse to loot. In WvW, loot flies to you, but in PvP you often have to choose between rezzing an ally, getting to safety, targeting another foe, or getting your loot.

Unfortunately, there appear to be a few developers who think the current system is more fun, since you have to take a moment to grab the loot. I think that’s like brownie mix manufacturers requiring you to add oil & egg — the technology exists so that you just have to add water, but they want you to feel that you are actually involved in mixing the ingredients.

Last night during a Fractals run, I had a Jade Colossus die, leaving a lootable corpse. Well, a few moments later, one of my party members gets downed, right there in the middle of that lootable corpse, and as my inventory is full, and I really didn’t want to go through the trouble of throwing something out just to loot something I didn’t want, there was no way for me to revive that player. I’d be glad to have separate keybinds for looting and reviving.

Illconceived Was Na.9781:

Unfortunately, there appear to be a few developers who think the current system is more fun, since you have to take a moment to grab the loot. I think that’s like brownie mix manufacturers requiring you to add oil & egg — the technology exists so that you just have to add water, but they want you to feel that you are actually involved in mixing the ingredients.

I get that, and I am partially in agreement with said devs. There is a certain amount of anticipation – small as it may be – when you loot a corpse, because you’re always looking for that drop you’re wanting. And there’s some fun in that, of course.

What doesn’t make sense to me is why I have to go through it 36 times in, say, one phase of an escort event, when what I am supposed to be doing is running along and keeping up with the group… but what I am actually doing is running over every single thing I just killed, frantically spamming the F key (and likely cursing up a storm of kittens when some NPC tries to have a pointless chat with me along the way). Meanwhile, the escort keeps moving, and I am scanning the area for anything I might have missed.

It would still be possible to preserve the sense of anticipation while expediting the looting process with area loot. And there is absolutely no reason why looting, “omg haaalp rez plz,” and “hurrr let’s talk later” should all be the exact same key.

At any rate, I am glad to see I am not the only person tearing my hair out over this; perhaps with enough noise they might reconsider…

I think that WvW and SPvP need to automatically have true auto-loot. At least for badges of honor, rares/exotics, and money. There usually isn’t time to go back and loot or if your group gets wiped you don’t get the loot at all most of the time. Picking it up as you go requires stopping or sometimes even moving backward which are both good ways to die when facing off against players. I don’t think PvE requires it though. It’s a bit annoying to die and lose a corpse or two of loot, but you have enough time to slow down and pick stuff up. Do agree with turning off greet and talk in combat.

I understand the frustration with the “F” key functionality, but I’ve taken my own steps to improve it’s behavior. I don’t think the devs will do more to this function than they already have.

Map F to a mouse button, and keep a finger near the Esc key.

+1 to Autoloot in WvW, that would remove hell of a problems (ppl tend to break the group/formation and go back for loot bags)