Why Smooth Weapon Swapping Wins Fights
As an avid Sons of the Forest player with over 200 hours since early access launch, I‘ve scraped by dangerous situations in the skin of my teeth more times than I can count. But after painfully learning the intricate combat systems and enemies over repeated strife at the island‘s hands, one tactic has become an indispensable lifesaver – hotkeying weapons.
Here‘s why having instant access to your arsenal can mean the difference between life and death when facing the ruthless inhabitants of the island, both human and otherwise.
Mutant Encounters Require Decisive Swapping
The mutated creatures that dominate the island present varying levels of speed, armor and aggression – often charging headfirst at the slightest whiff of player presence. Their most dangerous trait? Covering gaps rapidly to ravage their prey.
I cannot stress enough how violently quick even lumbering mutants like the Armsy can close distances when alerted or provoked. And for hyper-aggressive variants like the skull wearing Virginia or bladed tentacle Worm, a few seconds of fumbling with gear menus instead of countering appropriately ensures a gruesome, involuntary limb removal surgery.
Having weapons hotkeyed provides the decisive reaction time needed to counter distinctive threats. A couple examples:
- Swiftly swapping to a spear to impale a leaping Virginia mid-air rather than being pinned under her devastating slam.
- Ensuring you have molotovs ready to toss as hordes of skinny mutants rush out of the darkness towards your lone campfire.
- Burst firing the SMG at circling young Worms clipping your climbing anchor rather than shaking hands futilely grasping for the weapon.
| Mutant | Attack Rating | Health Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Virginia | Very High | High |
| Worm | High | Very High |
| Armsy | High | Mid |
| Skinny | Low | Low |
As displayed in the table above, the major enemy archetypes require vastly different counters depending on speed, damage potential and resilience. Having access to specialized ammo types and weapons to face them via hotkeys prevents costly health loss by equipping appropriate defenses in seconds.
Outmaneuver Groups of Cannibals
While the mutated creatures rely on sheer aggression and power, the tribal cannibals demonstrate more tactical teamwork and flanking to overwhelm their quarry. Facing them requires measured equipment swaps to control engagement ranges.
For example, stumbling into camps holding halberd wielding elites and shield bearers mandates having your chainsaw or katana ready to carve through their frontline before the ranking spear throwers pincushion you from the perimeter.
Meanwhile, isolated scouts roaming the woods are easily dispatched with bow headshots after silently closing the gap, minimizing attention drawn from their nearby patrols. This is where having both ranged and close quarters death dealers hotkeyed shines.
Based on my experience infiltrating camps across the world map, observing patrol routes and luring individuals into improvised killing floors, the cannibals work in synergy to counter a perceived threat. Having gear prepped to exploit their squad roles is vital.
| Fighter Class | Role | Gear Counter |
|---|---|---|
| Shield Bearer | Frontal Protection | Chainsaw/Katana Break Guard |
| Halberd Elite | Anti-Close Quarters | Bow Pulls In Ranged |
| Spear Thrower | Keep Distance/Disable | Zigzag Dodge Till Close |
| Unarmed Scout | Flanking/Numbers | Any Weapon Kills |
Why Open Inventory Swapping Kills
Before the addition of hotkeying back in update v1.05, the game forced players to navigate backpack menus manually to swap gear. First-timers will find thisreasonable enough in calm situations.
Unfortunately, when that bliss shatters and mutants blast out of bushes like macabre jack-in-the-boxes or cannibals emerge from treelines to attempt making you the guest of honor at their bone laden dinner tables – fumbling through tabs categorizing meds, food, weapons often brings not a sigh of relief, but the YOU ARE DEAD red splattered screen.
And once you combine gear menu navigation lags on certain hardware configurations…well, hope you enjoyed getting acquainted with those spawn cave ceilings.
With hotkeying implemented, weapons and tools now offer that split-second equip speed to counter the unexpected horrors lying in wait across the haunted island. It reinforces the brutal reactionary gameplay beautifully.
Enhance Exploration and Construction Too
While hotswapping arms serves mainly as a combat mechanic, it also unlocks quality of life bonuses within the crafting and exploration loops that define progression in Sons of the Forest.
For example, having your climbing axe or rope hotkeyed lets you rapidly scale cliffs to reach valuable material caches in towering rock formations. Or instantly whip out the repair tool when frantically fixing breached walls as hordes lay siege to your base rather than once again tasting the sweet release of death.
Equipping these specialized instruments seamlessly without breaking flow goes a long way in reinforcing the tense environment immersion. Ultimately, combat is just one part of surviving the nightmare.
Alright, so hotkeying weapons provides immense tactical and reactive advantages against the threats inhabiting the island. But how do you actually assign items to number keys for quick swapping?
The process is straightforward whether using keyboard, controller or even mouse side buttons:
Keyboard Hotkeying
- Open inventory/backpack
- Hover mouse over desired item
- Press number key between 1-8 to bind gear to it
For example, to bind the flare gun to the 4 key:
- Backpack > Hover on Flare Gun > Press 4
- Now tap 4 during play to instantly equip it!
Rebinding Hotkeys
You can also rebind key numbers by:
- Opening Settings (ESC Key)
- Choosing Controls and scrolling to Hotkeys section
- Highlighting keys and selecting new button
So for those running non-standard keyboards, distribute hotkeys comfortably.
Controller Hotkeying
- Inventory > Highlight Item
- Press D-Pad Direction to bind
D-Pad buttons take the place of 1-8 keys. Convenient for those playing from the couch!
Mouse Hotkeying
For mice sporting extra side buttons, you may be able to assign hotkeys to them. Allows keeping one hand focused on keyboard movement. Give it a try!
And that covers the quick process of binding your precious weapons, tools and items to number keys on all input devices. Now time to recommend gear worth hotkeying!
While ultimately you‘ll customize bindings to match personal playstyle, these weapons, traps and tools see frequent use for countering threats or manipulating the environment:
Potent Close Quarters Weapons
||Katana|Slicing through cannibals and armor.|
|-:|-|-|
||Crafted Bone Weapons|Reliable melee when low on gear.|
||Chainsaw|Shredding mutants daring close approaches.|
Ranged Options
||Bows|Silent shots dropping investigating cannibals.|
|-:|-|-|
||Crossbow|Retrievable bolts piercing mutant hides.|
||Pistol |Stopping runners once weakened by arrows.|
Traversal Tools
||Climbing Axe & Rope |Scaling environmental shortcuts.|
|-:|-|-|
||Zipline|Rapid aerial routes across the land.|
Explosives & Traps
||Molotovs|Burning tight groups by surprise.|
|-:|-|-|
||Spike/Bomb Traps|Instant triggers shredding pursuers.|
And while combat focused, never neglect minor aids like Wristwatch for navigation and Waterskins to maintain strength while exploring.
Once you‘ve honed hotkey weapon fundamentals and braved the island‘s central threats, further advanced gear unlocks by discovering story clues or constructing at workbenches:
||Modern Crossbow|Armor penetrating and silent sniper.|
|-:|-|-|
||SMG|Stopping horde frontal assaults.|
||Flamethrower|Burning mutants into ashes.|
||C4|Devastating traps protecting bases.|
These weapons serve as essential endgame upgrades. But never neglect reinforcing basics like keeping bone weapons on backup hotkeys when supplies run low!
While number keys may work on conventional keyboards, those running unique devices may find the defaults uncomfortable. Thankfully, Sons of the Forest allows total rebinding of hotkeys:
- Open Settings (ESC)
- Choose Controls > Hotkeys
- Select keys and assign new buttons
Distribute bindings based on easier reach for your keyboard layout or hand size. Just be sure to keep mental note of where everything sits as you practice with new custom keys in gameplay!
For those on controllers, try swapping D-Pad hotkeys to back triggers/bumpers if needing to contemporaneously control cameras while activating weapons.
Set up intuitive, accessible bindings that let you focus on the action at hand rather than compromising flow with awkward presses. This may require experimentation to nail down optimal single-handed key reach while leaving the other on WASD movement.
After dozens of hours utilizing hotkeys across multiple save files since early access launch, here are some final tips to wield them effectively:
- Rebind hotkeys after death since they reset each life
- Tap keys multiple times to equip multiples of throwables/traps
- Keep enough ammo and charges for hotkeyed weapons
- Add/remove bindings as new gear unlocks or old equipment fades
- Practice frequently to build necessary muscle memory!
Ultimately, seamlessly swapping arms via hotkeys allows focusing on exploring mysteries and spotting ambushes rather than fumbling for tools.
Equipping appropriate reactions in the blink of an eye will save your neck when the island unleashes its relentless horrors. Stay armed out there exile! The night is long, with terrors aplenty roaming the woods.
