[Suggestion] 'Automatically' use next available potion of same type

Assume your flask bar looks like this:

1: HP flask
2: HP flask
3: Hybrid flask
4: MP flask
5: MP flask

If you press 1, and the flask in that slot is empty, it should use the flask in slot #2, because it is of the same type. It should not use the hybrid or MP flasks because they have differing benefits, but if you want HP, you shouldn't have to check whether or not a flask is empty.

This proposed change would still retain the strategic use of flask-effects if you want it and at the same time be a big boost to quality of life.

Optionally/alternatively, the following should be taking into consideration:

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MorriganGrey wrote:

It would have to be coded so that you don't get a magic effect if you are "borrowing" charges from another flask, so it would create a tradeoff. Get some health when you misclick, at the expense of losing a useful effect like armor and potentially draining an important flask. I'm a fan of this kind of give-and-take. I think it adds interest to a game system rather than detracting from it.

The downside would be that it would make the game slightly easier. So it comes down to weither or not keeping-track-of-many-buttons skills should matter that much or not.

In most ARPGs that I have played you had one potion button and it would just consume whatever you were carrying.

Having to look away from the action disrupts the fluidity of gameplay, I doubt that is in anyone's interest. There certainly is a lot to be said for managing ressources and having to consider multiple factors at once (think SC minimap, gotta keep an eye), but looking at the UI to determine whether I need to press #1 or #2 seems...menial.

I doubt anyone feels using potions is 'hard', as is.
Purely a quality of life thing, IMO.

I think it's pretty hard, when under pressure.

What, then, in your own opinion, does the difficulty exist of? Remembering to look at your HP? Moving your fingers from QUERT to 12345 (very small hands)? Balancing your damage-output and use of flasks?

I ask this without any sarcasm, your theoretical issue simply eludes me completely.


That aside, like you stated previously, at it's heart, this is a philosophy-question that only the designers can answer; I merely hoped to make them consider this.

The problem with this is that if the system were rigid (1 = hp pot, 2 = hp pot) than it defeats the point of the flasks. I sometimes use a HP flask simply because it is the only one that gets rid of frozen. Some of my builds have 3 utility flasks and no mana flasks. Some of my builds only have HP flasks.. etc

Now, if the system weren't rigid than it wouldn't be an issue, obviously.

It's simply an issue of using potions wisely. Only having to deal with "Do I have any life" and "Do I have any mana" is very much simpler than using the correct flask that will actually give you life or mana.

Making the game simpler just for the sake of being simpler isn't necessarily a good thing.

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WhiteBoy88 wrote:

It's simply an issue of using potions wisely. Only having to deal with "Do I have any life" and "Do I have any mana" is very much simpler than using the correct flask that will actually give you life or mana.

Making the game simpler just for the sake of being simpler isn't necessarily a good thing.

I agree to an extent, however "only having to deal with 'do I have any life/mana?'" is a situation I already often find myself in. There sure are moments when I need a potion to rid myself of freeze and other effects (and that wouldn't change), but it's not the norm for me personally.

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Wittgenstein wrote:

The problem with this is that if the system were rigid (1 = hp pot, 2 = hp pot) than it defeats the point of the flasks. I sometimes use a HP flask simply because it is the only one that gets rid of frozen. Some of my builds have 3 utility flasks and no mana flasks. Some of my builds only have HP flasks.. etc

Now, if the system weren't rigid than it wouldn't be an issue, obviously.

Yes, I was merely making the example of how I have it set up at the moment for ease of explanation. It should not be rigid, as, like you say, the benefits from different flasks can vary so much.

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FluffyMeowington wrote:

What, then, in your own opinion, does the difficulty exist of? Remembering to look at your HP? Moving your fingers from QUERT to 12345 (very small hands)? Balancing your damage-output and use of flasks?

Mainly keeping track of where the buttons are, for me. That is, hitting them without looking down is a little tricky, and you can't always afford to look down in a pressured situation.

Also keeping track of which bottles are empty, though you don't neccessairly have to do that directly. You can use trade-off techniques like spamming several of them even if you don't need to (to get guaranteed heal), or listening for the activation sound and be ready click another if it aint there.

Little things, that can mean the difference between ingame life and death.

What about for example Sapping life flasks?
They are life flasks, but take away some of the recovered health from your mana - there could be some situations where you wouldn't want them to be selected automatically...