keys = access metaphor is bunk

[cyisfor]

It doesn't make sense that we'd have to be carrying a key to use a chest whose access has been granted by our name. I know you're trying to keep things realistic making people clutter up their inventory with a key before they can open a lock, but it doesn't make things any more realistic that any key can open any lock except when carried by the wrong person. Keys would make sense in any of the following situations:

• You needed a way to invoke some sort of unlock menu such as a password prompt
• You needed a way to re-invoke some sort of lock menu, despite "using up" the lock item (changing the password, adjusting access control etc)
• There was some special metadata saved to a key such that you could make a lock that checked that metadata for access control, and not check the key wielder's name
• A key adds a player to the access control list, being consumed as a result. This only makes any sense because people put up with the nonsense in Gauntlet and Zelda games long enough that they were culturally appropriated.

Normally right-click works fine for invoking menus. Checking the wielded item is a good way when you already have a right-click menu and need a special menu for locks.

I just wanted to say this because of how annoying it is when you can't even access the chest you just placed with a message like "You don't have an arbitrary object sitting somewhere in your inventory!" It just isn't... fun. At all. And it's about equally realistic as refusing to allow access to any shared lock if the player doesn't have a water bucket in their inventory.

[Sokomine]

There are reasons for the keys working the way they do. Of course the mod might do entirely without keys. My chesttools mod is one that could be useful if you "just" want a very convenient shared chest with extras.

"Realistic" might imply to have keys that are specific to one chest. The player's inventory would soon be filled with countless keys. And even worse: If a player looses a key or passes it on deliberately, someone who is not supposed to have access to a chest will suddenly gain access. I think these two factors would be worse for gameplay.

[HybridDog]

The player's inventory would soon be filled with countless keys.

You could add a keyring item where you can add keys to it using the crafting fields.

If a player looses a key or passes it on deliberately, someone who is not supposed to have access to a chest will suddenly gain access.

The player name could be saved to the key (and keyring), if the name of the player who uses the key does not match with the name saved in the item metadata, accessing the chest is disallowed and the message "You wish!" is shown.