Inventory: Weight and Bulkiness

[Thuztor]

I really like the current inventory system, but the potential is not fully utilized.
In this thread, I want to tell you, what bothers me about the current system and what has occurred to me, to make it more realistic and interesting.
And yes, I know, that this is an Alpha-Game!

What bothers me a bit:
Everyone, who plays PZ, knows that each object has only one value.
This value has no special weight marking like kg, lb or something else, but this is not a big problem.
I was once told that this value is actually a combination of weight and bulkiness. And the minimum amount is only 0.1.
This causes no problems until now, but I will come back to it.

The second thing is, that backpacks / bags reduce the weight-value of the items inside it.
This should not be a function of bags, since it is not realistic. Bags should only increase the load capacity.
[Take three bricks in your hands. Now put them in a backpack and lift it high with both hands.You will notice that you feel no weight reduction.]
The only weight reduction should work for items that are worn directly on the body, so clothing. Nothing else.

Another thing is, that the value for the load is constantly 6-10 (more with trait strong).
What I want to say is, that you shouldn't be able to carry items, if you are naked.
Without clothes, you should be able to carry objects only in your hands.
Only clothes with pockets and bags increase your carrying capacity.

A small addition to criticism is the lack of strict division of the number of items.
Example: 1x nails, 1x plank, 1x bucket, 1x carrots, 1x peas, 1x shotgun shell.... I hope, you know what I want to say.
Each item should occur singly, even if it is super tiny. But it is not important to show just one item with the item-icon.

Improvement and Expansion Proposals:
First you need to take the value of each individual object and convert it into a realistic weight. Without calculating the bulkiness.
No matter what weight is taken, it is important that the value is at least in the three-digit decimal field.

The second new value of each object represents the bulkiness. So how much space an object occupies.
It should also be in the three-digit decimal field.

Both values can individually ensure that your character is overloaded.
But the bulkiness affects not quite as strong on overloading.
My suggestion:
- weight: effects on overload 100%
- bulkiness: effects on overload 75%

The third value is the capacity of the container/bags/backpacks and also for hands and clothes with pockets.

Thus, each "normal" item has two values and each container has three values.

Important for containers is only the bulkiness of the items, which are put into it.
A massive object has a greater bulkiness, as a narrow, small or flat object.
As an example, a pillow would have a quite large bulkiness, whereas, a hammer has a much lower bulkiness.
On the other hand, although short and thin, the hammer would have a higher weight.

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Let me just explain something before I continue.

Since last year, when I started with the Addiciton Mod, there was and is one small thing, which bother me.
Really not worth mentioning, but perhaps a good example for now.

If you find cigarettes, you will always find 20 cigarette packs with one cigarette inside.
Actually, the symbol with the item-name should express that you will find a pack of 20 cigarettes.
But if you want to loot all cigarettes, you realize that you're taking 20 packages (if you only paying attention to the icon).
I thought to myself: Does this mean, that I consume an entire pack of each smoked cigarette?

I've created some items like self-rolled cigarette, tobacco packs and so on, but my planned system doesn't work like I wanted.
At that time there were no pockets or bags, what made the implementation more difficult.

But let's say, you implement now a cigarette package as a portable container in the current version.
What would you do, that you can put cigarettes(0.2), nails (0.1), seeds(0.0) and other tiny stuff in it, but no empty waterbottles (0.1)?
Unfortunately, there is no realistic way in the current system.

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In order to make this contribution not extremely long, I will now explain my proposed system with the cigarette pack.

(estimated values in metric system)

The cigarette pack:
Weight: 30-40 grams
Bulkiness("volume"): 60
Capacity: [max.Bulkiness - 1%] 59,4

(the max. Bulkiness is the value, if the container is completely full. A soft bag has a lower bulkiness, because it can be folded, when it is empty.)

One cigarette:
Weight: 1-2 grams
Bulkiness: 2,85

One nail:
Weight: 2-4 grams
Bulkiness: 0,8

One carrot seed:
Weight: ~0,05 grams
Bulkiness: 0,08

One empty water bottle:
Weight: ~80 grams
Bulkiness: 180
Capacity: 178,2

Now you find a cigarette pack with 20 cigarettes inside.
20 * 2,85 = 57
So the pack has still 2,4 capacity. Not enough for one more cigarette or an empty water bottle, but enough for three nails or 30 seeds.

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One more thing: Container needs two boolean values. 'water container yes/no' / 'solid items yes/no'

Little suggestion beside:
Plastic and paper bags wear out very quickly, if you have they constantly full.
They should wear out with time. Faster when it is full.


This is my suggestion for the inventory system.
I think it is not too complex and brings some more variety and realism into the inventory system.

I hope, I don't forget anything.

 

Edit: The longer we wait, the less likely we can change the old system.

[RoboMat]

I love this

[Suomiboi]

A similar thing was suggested by Salvag3 here:

So I was going to start a Thread about this im glad I poked around and found this one. A easy solution to this to make it both more real and not have to play the silly Inv game like you do in games like Diablo. Just have 2 values 1 for weight one for Space, it would work like building a Mech in pen and paper Battletech how it worked was like this. A Battle Mech has 32 Critical Slots, Equipment takes up critical space slots based on its size ( a small laser takes 1 slot, a Large Auto Cannon could take as much as 10 slots ) The equipment also has weight. the Mechs came in all sizes ranging from 20 tons up to 100 tons. This prevented you from building a 100 ton mech with 70 small Lasers, and Prevented a 20 ton mech from carrying a 15 ton Gauss Rifle.

 

If you used a system based on idea then Bags would be able to hold a believable amount of stuff inside with out the player having to micro his inv. 

 

I dont know much about programing but it also seems like this would be was easier to program as well, no graphics to draw or anything just a second set of values to add to existing items and bags.

 

It didn't catch up, but I think it's a great idea! I think it should be accompanied as you mentioned the fact that if you don't have any containers and are carrying "lots" of stuff your hands should be occupied. Pants would add pockets and there onwards you'd get more stuff on you with more containers as you said. I don't fully agree though that backpacks shouldn't decrease weight as you are able to carry more load on your back than in your hands, but the weight reduction should be small. The point would be to have lots of containers if you want to carry lots of stuff. And over encumbrance would occur If carrying (multiple) containers filled to the max with heavy stuff.

 

I think this would require a system that would be done the same way as weight but with different numbers to pull off. e.g. a space, size or bulkiness as you said (space could be used both ways with the items requiring space and the containers having it, or just have different names for the "same thing" in containers and items).

 

+1

[kinyoshi]

This floats my boat.

[Viceroy]

Love it, would  also make survival so much easier just knowing how many Kg i'm carrying instead of the arbitrary bulk now. Definitely got my interest.

[Thuztor]

Thank you for your praise!

[Rathlord]

I actually like the current system. It's more a problem with the term "weight reduction" which should just be reworded to "capacity increase". Whilst bags don't give weight reduction, they allow us to carry more by distributing the load to stronger muscles and out of the way parts of the body.

I think there's really something to be said for simplicity and player friendliness here. A new player can pick up the current inventory in a second, but one with a bunch of numbers out to three decimals that changes with the number of pockets? It just seems way overboard on the realism front to me.