I usually select a human for the main character in D&D games, and I think this was maybe the first game where Darkvision was actually a factor at character creation for me. But was mainly because torches are so wonky and frustrating to use. The tutorial doesn't cover it, so the first encounter is like bah.
I don't mind the idea that having a torch equipped might impact whether I can carry a shield or a second weapon at the same time in combat. I love the idea of torches. And of throwing the torch, or dropping it to the ground and doing cool immersive stuff like that. It's just a pain to equip and to light initially right now.
The mini-management isn't fun enough to justify all the steps involved.
They should just approach it as an item with limited uses like a potion. I think they should automatically be lit and doused from a quick key, and go in the offhand slot. If you drop a lit torch on the ground you should be able to switch back to the shield or offhand weapon. But they need to make it slick, so its fun to do, instead of a UI chore.
By approaching it like a limited use item, it would leave the door open for other ideas for longer lasting lights like lamps and lanterns, or a torch of ever burning light, or other magical equipment that glows later on. Right now the downside of the torch is just that its clunky to set up.
If light and being able to see is going to be such an important part of the game, it would be cool if it had its own hotbar tab section for utility items, where torches or light related cantrips could be organized, and bring it up in the prologue tutorials.
In BG1/2 they kind of went the easy route of group infravision as a game setting, and then going the extra mile by providing a Helm of infravision almost immediately when the Party arrived in Nashkell, to really let us know that light wasn't going to matter lol. But NWN had a fun torch. I still prefer the way they handled quickslots there, allowing you to ready different combos, sword and shield, sword and bow, sword and torch where the icons of the weapons would display in the hotbar.
But yeah, from the way its set up now, I'd rather it just have a quicktab and light up torch automatically during exploration. I'd use it more often that way
Last edited by Black_Elk; 12/01/21 02:43 AM.