Options: On the newbie side, we could keep the normal pray option in, and have the specific pray be a separate keybind. On the "too nice" part, fair, though the game is already quite hard; to balance, perhaps specific prayers have longer cooldowns, greater piety cost, or other penalties?
It might be interesting if a PC had more control over prayer effects; i.e. if I had the option to pray for food, or healing, or an earthquake etc. It might be handled as an optional text entry field when praying, which could be parsed a bit like a wish. Of course, praying to Mellis for an earthquake shouldn't work, and may even waste your wish and/or cost piety... but it could also help avoid situations where you desperately need a certain prayer effect (Sophos' teleport effect because you are surrounded) and get a different one (in previous example, get a new leg made of parchment).
The auto pick up is nice, although it makes it a little more tedious to handle piles of junk (can't just throw the bits I don't want to keep aside and leave the rest in a pile)
That's actually an excellent idea/implementation: chatting with someone uses your action, it should also use theirs and prevent them from moving away - unless they are actively trying to kill (or run away from) you. There might be exceptions (banana growers, tourists & tour guides, patrolling guards, etc).
Wandered into Merka's shop, started poking around, and noticed an active landmine on the floor. So, stepping carefully around it, I made my purchases and left.
A bit later, I heard an explosion and an item appeared next to me.
I went back to Merka's shop... it was empty except for Merka and his guards.
I can only assume a critter stepped on the mine, and the explosion broke a wand of teleport and teleported his entire stock around the level.
Good fella that I am, I've decided to go gather up his items and return them. I'm sure he'll pay me handsomely.
EDIT: Nevermind, I got killed in a very stupid way: Chucking axes at a golem, managed to hit the (formerly friendly) angel behind it which I didn't see. Angel proceeded to murder the fuck out of me.