When you hit a hotkey with equipment, it will equip that hotkey and switch the hotkey with whatever was previously equipped, so you can switch between two sets of equipment really quickly. If that's not what you want, unchecking Switch Equipment hotkeys in the gameplay options menu will equip/unequip the item without actually changing the hotkey.

For hotkeys changing randomly, that is probably because you are hitting the hotkey by accident when the inventory window is open. When you hit a hotkey in the inventory window, the selected item is set to that hotkey - and if no item is selected, it will clear that hotkey (which answers your other question).

"If that's not what you want, unchecking Switch Equipment hotkeys in the gameplay options menu will equip/unequip the item without actually changing the hotkey."

Like I said, I turned off that option in-game already. The switch still happens. Pressing same key should NOT swap between items. That makes absolutely no sense for keyboard (with 101 keys) and is designed for gamepads.

And I just double-checked, the switch is apparently between weapon equipped and pickaxe. So no matter which weapon, if you press its hotkey again it switches between that weapon AND pickaxe. This is a terrible way of doing it since you end up equipped with pickaxe if you end up pressing the hotkey twice in middle of the battle.

Again, this is a system suited to gamepads, not to PC where you can assign multiple keys to switch to different items instantly. It's really annoying since I keep ending up with a pickaxe during fights since because of shooters I end up pressing same key twice just to be sure I switched to that weapon (out of habit).



EDIT: Played a bit more. You get used to one time hitting keys but I still would prefer an option that disables the switch to pickaxe when pressing same key twice. It gets confusing and annoying when you're starting out. After upgrading to steel stuff it's less annoying since you can see your weapons clearly instead of them being a blended pixel mess on character.

Weapons and pickaxes go in two different slots, so you can have both equipped at the same time (pickaxes are used automatically when you move into a tile), it'll never switch between weapons/pickaxe. My guess is what's happening is that you're hitting the hotkey for a weapon that is already equipped, and it is unequipping it - and when you have no weapon equipped, it'll display the pickaxe. This isn't actually switching to the pickaxe, it's unequipping the weapon.

I think what you really want is for hitting a hotkey to never unequip an item, only equip (and do nothing if that item is already equipped) - so that you can hit the hotkey many times to make sure it's set. I can make that change.

Originally posted by David Maletz:

I think what you really want is for hitting a hotkey to never unequip an item, only equip (and do nothing if that item is already equipped) - so that you can hit the hotkey many times to make sure it's set. I can make that change.

Yes, thank you. That would be a good option.

Unless the item cannot be used anymore (durability 0, that is) the hotkey should not switch to Pickaxe. Even if 1/2000 durability is left, hotkey press should only show the weapon/item equipped and never switch.

Also, can you please add an option to "clear hotkey binds"? A lot of items like meat, which I replaced with cooked items, still show up as binds (but with 0 number since none in inventory). It would be nice if you use the same hotkey for different item, it clears that hotkey (or pressing same hotkey twice in inventory assigns and clears it).

Maybe game option that automatically unbinds items when they are removed from the player inventory? That would be easier to add.

I think adding a toggle for such options in game options should work out for everyone (who wants them or don't).

Anyway, looking forward to next update for these changes.


EDIT: Might be a good idea to add a TIP/Tooltip in-game that explains hotkey system more to avoid such confusion as well (unless I missed some tip in-game).

I think Miner talks about them a little. I usually speed through the dialogues early-game, though, as I have played enough so I'm not completely sure.

Originally posted by squirleybob:

I think Miner talks about them a little. I usually speed through the dialogues early-game, though, as I have played enough so I'm not completely sure.

They only talk about inventory (or other) stuff if you keep talking to them after they're done giving you quests.

Which honestly, I didn't do much and I doubt it that many will. Tips and tool-tips should be designed to be shown on the UI, not by clicking NPC's.