Problem with "consume item" on interact: Can break quest.

ahkronnemesis · May 2013

So, this doesn't seem like a bug, just a bad/problematic way of how things are programmed.

On "interaction" one has the option to have a needed item and a dropped item. I use both quite often (i.e.: use key to open chest that will drop the next quest item).
What I've found, and can be game-breaking, is that if for some reason the player cancels the "pick up" of the dropped item, the needed item is consumed anyway.

On my example, an item was spawned after a killing objective. The player would get that item and use it to get the next item. When using it, instead of picking it up, the player turns away by mistake and cancels it thus breaking the quest, leaving only one option: log out to start over again.

I'd love to see a change to the system, where if there's a "drop item", the item consumption would only trigger if such item would actually get picked up.

Meanwhile, if someone knows a work around for this, it's be appreciated.

notaurious · May 2013

This is also true for situations where an event drops an item, inventory isn't available, so you don't get the item, and the quest breaks.

To get around your issue, I recommend using the dialogue function over the interaction. The item will not drop until the chain is complete and you can make similar requirements that an item be in possession. However, this route will not remove item from inventory (which needs to be an option). You will have to save that for another interaction.

todocaldo · May 2013

Only way I can think of would be to add a second interactable object nearby which would drop the required item (you might be able to make it appear only when this objective is in progress). In the failure text of the 1st interactable you could point players in the direction of the 2nd interactable so they would have an opportunity to get the item they needed.

Not too elegant but all I can think of at the moment.

ahkronnemesis · May 2013

notaurious wrote: »

This is also true for situations where an event drops an item, inventory isn't available, so you don't get the item, and the quest breaks.

To get around your issue, I recommend using the dialogue function over the interaction. The item will not drop until the chain is complete and you can make similar requirements that an item be in possession. However, this route will not remove item from inventory (which needs to be an option). You will have to save that for another interaction.

It's a "messy" workaround but yeah, that'd work for the objective parts.

Pity that normal dialogs (non-objectives) can't drop items. I use those a lot for optional/hidden exploration objective.

todocaldo wrote: »

Only way I can think of would be to add a second interactable object nearby which would drop the required item (you might be able to make it appear only when this objective is in progress). In the failure text of the 1st interactable you could point players in the direction of the 2nd interactable so they would have an opportunity to get the item they needed.

Not too elegant but all I can think of at the moment.

That one, although not elegant, is no doubt a good idea for both objective and non-objectives

waeolwen · May 2013

You could have the interaction not consume the item. It will eventually disappear when the player completes the quest.

eb2013 · May 2013

I don't know if this will work but I would try use a dialogue instead of regular interact, and have another line of dialogue become available after the dialogue that triggers the exchanged has been reached so if the person loses the item they can use the other dialogue to get the item they need.

I like to use dialogue for a lot of actions anyway because you can give more information to the player and it has more of a pen and paper feel.

Problem with "consume item" on interact: Can break quest.

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