Zone around all NPC vendors/agents.
Although I like to see the NPC, so your suggestion is well appreciated. I consider it only from the “looks” perspective, because if you are close enough the cursor change and also the F key becomes active ignoring all the players around
No, Ronah, it is not just “looks”. The main concern is other “useless” NPCs standing close to the useful ones. I am constantly running up to a banker and pressing F only to have a nearby NPC turn to me and say “How do you do?” instead of opening my stash.
The same problem goes with picking up loot on the battlefield. Nearby NPCs, environmental items, mining ore, etc. all use the F key. So I am constantly trying to pick up loot and wind up with an NPC dialogue box in front of my view when I just wanted to pick up my treasure and continue the fight. Or picking up a boulder. Or mining ore. Or Reviving a downed character.
I suggest there be TWO keys to perform actions: the F key for PRIORITY actions, and SHIFT-F for all other actions.
The player should be able to select his preferred PRIORITY action (F-Key) in his OPTIONS for both combat AND non-combat situations. (You have a definite “COMBAT MODE” in which you cannot use waypoints, or change skills or armor, etc. You can tell what mode you are in, because your skills on the skill bar will not have the upwards-pointing arrow in the top right corner if you are in combat.)
For both Combat and Non-Combat modes, you could select from the following to be your Priority (F-Key) action:
“Search” (Loot bodies)
“Talk” (Talk to nearby NPCs – “Useful” NPCs being prioritized unless selected otherwise)
“Use/Interact” (The catch-all for interacting with environmental objects)
“Revive” (Revive downed characters – Players being prioritized over NPCs unless selected otherwise).
“Gather” (Gather plants / chop trees / mine ore)
This would allow players to perform actions that THEY consider to be a priority with the F key. They can still perform lesser-priority actions with SHIFT-F (prioritized by distance from the character unless specifically selected by clicking a target.)
Having a separate key for Priority actions means that if you prioritize SEARCHING, and you are not within range of any loot, you won’t talk to a nearby NPC instead.
Set a man on fire, and he’ll be warm the rest of his life.
– Unknown Fire Elementalist