ToME WikiRavenRed: Just a minor idea. Currently there are quite a few different keys that are used to activate certain ToME abilities. The 'm' key activates one set, the 'O' key another - 'a' activates activatable item whilst 'a', 'z' and 'Z' activate rods, wands and staves respectively, whilst 'p' activates and deactivates the state of prayer(roguelike keyset). Do people think that it would be better if these options were collapsed into a couple of commands? Or not?
My personal opinion is that two sets of powers are appropriate:
'A' 'Activatable items (which includes 'a' key activations, rods, wands and staves)
'm' 'Powers (which includes spells, praying, innate abilities and skills (e.g. ammo creation))
However, some may just see this as unecessary simplification. Personally, I'd prefer if the options were accessible through one or two menus, rather than through half-a-dozen.
Any thoughts?
2c worth and counting...
NeilStevens: One thing to beware of: we only get 10 inscriptions for macroing items: 0-9. Right now we get to re-use 0-9 for wands, staves, rods, and wearable equipment + junk artifacts. That's 40 possible macroed items, while your proposal reduces us to 10 possible macroed items.
RavenRed: It'd encourage people to use names rather than numbers in macros then, woudln't it? 
OK, jokes aside, that's a bloody good point. Could the macro inscriptions perhaps be altered to accept alpha as well as numeric(perhaps with a '#' prefix or some-such) or perhaps extend it to two numerics (01 -99)? That would extend the range of macros...
NerdanelVampire: For someone who has learned all the use letters (and being a touch typist also helps), it is quicker to find the right item in a short list than a long one. Additionally, it simplifies things a lot if you for example can be sure your rod of trap detection is always the first item to come in the possibility range given by the z command, regardless of if you have picked up any junkarts.
FearofFours: Personally, I like it the way it is. Rods, wands, artifacts are all used differently, so it makes sense to have a different letter for them. And besides, it's not like we need to free up letters for other commands.
MayLith: I like it the way it is, too, though I see what you mean. However, macro issues aside, if it WAS all collapsed down into one tree, you'd run into the same sort of problem people complain of regarding Thaumaturgy spells.
RavenRed: Rods, wands and staves are often very similar in effect. A wand of Tidal Wave (for example) does not require a direction. The bit that sort of annoys me (which prompted the by-now-well-shot-down suggestion) is artifact/item activation, with separate lists for worn and carried items. Nerandel, btw, I am a semi-competent touchtypist, but as was discussed on the Pernangband ML, muscle memory is highly unreliable, and mine is lazy, to boot! ![:\](/wiki/tome/img/ohwell.png ":\"){kind=small}
NeilStevens: Yes, that's the unspoken reason that I care about the macros: Never should ToME give the player any reason to consider trying to use muscle memory at any time.
MayLith: Oh, heavens, even expert touch-typers still have their moments... especially if they are dyslexic.
NerdanelVampire: Well, my touch typist point was really that I can get u, z, or a easily from the keyboard and when I get a list of items I can quickly find the right key for the item I want. What takes time is visually scanning the list for the right item/key, and that takes more time the more items there are in the list. In this situation muscle memory goes to translating letters to places in the keyboard. I would like it if muscle memory was made more viable though, for example by giving permanent letter indices for m powers.
ErisDiscordia: > giving permanent letter indices for m powers. Aye aye! This would help with macroing them, too. Most powers are just child's play, but for example a Thunderlord with its recall power (which can't be affected by inscriptions, as a scroll can), has to be veeery careful with power-related macros. And in general, when you use a power a lot, shifts to letters can be annoying, especially if you used it enough to macro it and now you have to go back and change the macro... until the next equipment juggling, that is...
BsVeteran: I'm with you entirely, ErisDiscordia. Going further, two suggestions:
- I would *love* an option that lets inventory and equipment items retain their original letters (instead of the halfway solution of inscribing). But when displayed as a list, they should be grouped together (as is done now) to make finding (say) potions or armour easy. The letters won't be sequential, of course. Dropping items frees up letters, picking up uses the earliest available letter. There is no reordering of items, and if an item is combined with another, the only effect is that a letter is freed up.
- I'd love an additional option to display relevant inventory AND equipment options in one list, except when the 'i'nventory and 'e'quipment commands are used. (So I get to see all my activatable artifacts for example). To avoid confusion, equipment letters could be caps.