Locking/Unlocking With Keyrings

Started by Hoodwink, June 11, 2003, 08:42:46 AM

This is really a pain because as it is now, using a keyring to lock or unlock something requires a good 10 - 15 seconds of delay.  Must it really take this long to filter through a keyring, especially if it's a keyring with only a few keys attached?  Initially it may not sound like that much time, but when you're shuffling through a hallway with many doors, passages, gates, and so on, and each one requires locking and unlocking, it can be quite time consuming.  If you consider that roughly ten minutes equates to an hour in game, then those 10 - 15 seconds to unlock a door must be an unreasonable amount of time just to unlock something!  And anyways, I could unlock my own door in the real world, using my keyring, in about 2 seconds flat.

Will anyone hear my plea?  :roll:

Quote from: "Hoodwink"Must it really take this long to filter through a keyring, especially if it's a keyring with only a few keys attached?  

Yeah, it's a pain alright.  Last time I had a character with several keys I only kept the rarely-used keys on the keyring, the keys I used all the time I just left loose in my belt.  As an added bonus, when you are using a single key you don't need to es it to use it.

 open belt
 get keyring belt
 hold keyring
 unlock door (wait)
 remove keyring
 put keyring belt
 close belt

Takes much longer than:

 open belt
 get redkey belt
 unlock door
 put redkey belt
 close belt

Keyrings are nifty, but just because the nifty thing exists doesn't mean you must use it.  If you don't have many keys it may make more sense to leave them loose in a closed container.

I know this doesn't address your complaint, the seemingly endless wait while using keyrings, but it is another way to go.

AC
Treat the other man's faith gently; it is all he has to believe with."     Henry S. Haskins

I actually don't mind the delay.. but then I also have a lot of keys, 10+ and I sometimes forget which key goes to which door, and having the keyring makes it much easier than having to dig through all my keys, so from that point of view it makes perfect sense to me, becuase that delay is me searching through the keys to find the right one.
-Moe the Schmoe
:twisted:  :evil:
I wish it hurt to be dumb.

Also, remember that keys in Zalanthas are different from RL keys.  They're more similar to keys from 100-200+ years ago.  They're big, bulky.  The locks are crude, clumsy, they're not oiled, they don't turn easily, so it takes longer to turn the lock than it would RL.
Ashyom

Then there should be an all around delay on locking/unlocking doors.


Creeper
21sters Unite!

I've noticed that the more keys you have on a keyring, the longer it takes to find the correct one.  This makes sense.  If you had duplicates on your ring, you might want to find a safe place to stow them so you don't waste your time with attempts.
Vendyra

Hehe I have like 8 keys on my RL keyring. When I try finding the right one in the dark it still takes me about 5-8 seconds. If I'm drunk, add like 10 onto that time.  8)  So I can dig the keyring delay ICly. Seems normal to me.

For all of you in favor of the delay, you have very valid points, but I still don't like it  :P

What's more, it makes absolutely no sense to use a keyring -- if you're trying to avoid the delay due to locking/unlocking so many doors at once -- than it would to simply keeping the keys in your inventory.  In other words, I have no insentive to use a keyring, really.  With only three keys in a keyring it still takes me 10 - 15 seconds worth of delay, which must translate to a few minutes in game.  I don't care how big, bulky, and clumsy keys are in Zalanthas over real life, it wouldn't take me that long to filter through and use the right key.  So I guess what I mean is, realistic or not, if having a key in your inventory takes zero delay, and having to use a keyring takes a quarter of a minute, I really don't see the purpose of keyrings unless it's for occasional use -- otherwise, having to wind your way down so many hallways, unlocking and locking behind you as you go is an unreasonably (and very unenjoyable) time consuming task.

From an OOC standpoint its entirely true that there's no point to keyrings if the delay is long. But think about it from an IC Standpoint. I don't even want to think about sorting through the 10 keys which are now in my pockets instead of on a ring WHILE i'm drunk or it's dark  :shock:  :shock:  :shock:  Oye. Makes me need a drink just thinkin' about it.  8)