Make Hatchet more readily available as weapon

[MajPayne21 10]

I have a quality-of-life suggestion regarding weapon swapping issues, specifically the hatchet.

I love the hatchet, as it's a 1-hit zombie kill and it's silent, so it's great for axing that one zombie that aggro'd on me without firing a non-silenced weapon, but it's very difficult to swap TO the hatchet if I already have a primary weapon.

The functionality already exists, via the "F" key, to swap between multiple "weapons," such as flares, frag and smoke grenades, and chemlights. I would really enjoy the ability to use the hatchet in a similar manner. If you have a hatchet on your toolbelt, I think it should be available in the cycling list by pressing F. That way there's no "add/remove from toolbelt" swapping that results in you dropping (and sometimes losing) your primary weapon and having to open your gear menu and wait a few seconds while a zombie eats you. I don't think it detracts from "realism" in the confines of the game, because if you had a hatchet attached to your pack or toolbelt, you could easily reach down and grab it without having to completely remove your pack.

As a related aside, it would be WONDERFUL for us to be able to access a flashlight or military flashlight by similarly pressing "F" while our secondary weapon is out.

I would even support the "L" key for flashlight working ALL the time just like "B" for binoculars works. You can put away your weapons and pull out your binocs without the gear menu by pushing B, so why not put away your weapons and pull out your light by pushing L? Obviously, for weapons with an attached light, L would just toggle the existing light.

Apologies if this has been posted before.

Edited July 19, 2012 by MajPayne21

[sticky 7]

Agreed, if I can sling a rifle to equip my pistol, why can't I sling a rifle to equip my hatchet?

Also we should be able to hold a flashlight in one hand and pistol in the other, it should decrease accuracy but provide an option for night combat without a G17 or Remington (or NVGs).

[MikeTupper 68]

yeah totally, i used to drop my primary, equip the hatchet, kill zombie, re-equip primary, but now I just dont bother anymore, i shoot then i shoot all the others zeds that come. There should be an easy way to equip the hatchet

[Xrinaphobia 10]

Quick swapping into a hatchet?

Good idea, might make it too easy to take out zombies, shoot that player with your loud gun, quickly swap to Hatchet, sprint into building and cut them all down as they come in silently.

[Dub Impact 2]

Another thing not ahving to reload the hatchet.

[Dr. Fever 7]

I don't have a problem with having to pull out the hatchet(axe) the way we do now. Its not in a quick draw holster or anything after all! What I would like to see would be to maybe do the same thing as "add to toolbelt" is with the hatchet but for the primary weapon too, just maybe change text to "sling weapon". Also if this were implemented there could be some weapons with and some without slings. This would add another layer of variety into weapon choises.

[Max Railgrave 78]

My real issue with the Hatchet is that I have to drop my primary weapon in order to switch to it. It seems silly to me that I can't just sling my gun over my back while I pull my axe out of my pack. How is the axe stored in my pack then as a 'toolbelt item'?

It's a double standard. You can carry the axe and the primary (big) gun simultaneously as long as the axe is a 'tool', but the moment the axe is pulled out of Hammerspace, suddenly it's impossible to use it without DROPPING the big gun.

That makes absolutely no sense.

My suggested solution - removing the axe from tool belt makes the axe into a single slot weapon, like Grenades. But you can only carry one unique axe at a time.

[lukeyu2005 19]

I remember a old flashpoint (arma before arma) that had rifle butt melee

[ZomboWTF 527]

good idea, i'd see melee rifle attacks being able, too

why use a hatchet if you have an ak 74 just as sturdy?

[AluCaRdBe 32]

good idea, i'd see melee rifle attacks being able, too

why use a hatchet if you have an ak 74 just as sturdy?

I think an axe hurts more than a butt stock ( god i hope i spelled butt right).

[Womb Raider 92]

Agreed, if I can sling a rifle to equip my pistol, why can't I sling a rifle to equip my hatchet?

Also we should be able to hold a flashlight in one hand and pistol in the other, it should decrease accuracy but provide an option for night combat without a G17 or Remington (or NVGs).

No, that is a terrible idea.

If playing at night is too hard for you either find a day server or adapt and use flares and chemlights or play on a server that has moonlight.

Also the reason why it is so hard to switch the hatchet, is the hatchet is the ultimate zombie killing tool, so why should you easily be able to get it out and kill zombies.

[ZomboWTF 527]

I think an axe hurts more than a butt stock ( god i hope i spelled butt right).

yes, but when a zombie is right in front of you and you have no hatchet nor ammo... would you run away or hit the thing with your gun a few tmes?

[ZomboWTF 527]

No, that is a terrible idea.

If playing at night is too hard for you either find a day server or adapt and use flares and chemlights or play on a server that has moonlight.

Also the reason why it is so hard to switch the hatchet, is the hatchet is the ultimate zombie killing tool, so why should you easily be able to get it out and kill zombies.

actually, its pretty dangerous, since you need to get close to the zombie, the ultimate zombie killing tool is a SD M4

the hatchet being a melee weapon, you are always in danger of a zombie hitting you, since the zombies also run at you while dieing (even when indoors), and often manage to hit you while falling to the ground, maybe even knocking you out when under 9k blood

without the stuff to regain blood (hatchet,knife,matches) using an axe is VERY dangerous

[Frozen (DayZ) 144]

No, that is a terrible idea.

If playing at night is too hard for you either find a day server or adapt and use flares and chemlights or play on a server that has moonlight.

Also the reason why it is so hard to switch the hatchet, is the hatchet is the ultimate zombie killing tool, so why should you easily be able to get it out and kill zombies.

you dont get right? its not about balance, its all about realism. most people are not so retarded as survivors in this game. they can hold a pistol and a flashlight, able to to switch to a hatchet, without dropping their stuff etc.

[CHOSENMARINE 43]

good ideas sir. Maybe the hatchet should be a secondary? But pressing "F" to pull out the flash light and put it away is something that should be done.