Jump to content

Inventory System


sagata

Would you prefer a Grid System?  

39 members have voted

  1. 1. Would you prefer a grid system?



Recommended Posts

I know that I'm probably going to get a lot of flack for this, but I'm going to suggest this anyway. I think it was mentioned that Lemmy said that he didn't want to use a grid system in the game. However, I think it would help and even improve the game's current inventory and the weight system. 

 

Basically, in an example I'm putting up, you'd end up combining the inventory and health menus together to make it a little more smooth. You'd grab things from containers via popup grid. 

 

I know that this is the thing that everyone else is doing, but the thing is that it works. You wouldn't have to worry about the current weight system, as long as it fits onto the grid. 

 

This would also (potentially) make the crafting system more intuitive, rather then the current boring drop down menus. 

post-296-0-92931300-1376649795_thumb.png

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yea I'd like to see a grid system too but more like this and like nasKo said a combination. As a mod. but what I'd like to see in vanilla is this. But it's not up to me unless I mod it so I'll just leave it to that.

 

I agree with both things. Either way, as a whole something should be done.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Problem with grid systems is that they have a pre-defined concept of "bulk" which becomes very, very difficult to make reasonable with a wide array of items.  1 bulk unit = 1 square.  But is a pack of cigs as bulky as two nails?  What if you stack 155 nails?  Are four magazines as bulky as one baseball bat? No, so ... stack them?  But now 2 books and 2 mags are just as bulky....

 

It works if you have a group of item which are all roughly the same kind of bulk, like guns, but not if you want to factor in everything from a postcard to a fire extinguisher.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Problem with grid systems is that they have a pre-defined concept of "bulk" which becomes very, very difficult to make reasonable with a wide array of items.  1 bulk unit = 1 square.  But is a pack of cigs as bulky as two nails?  What if you stack 155 nails?  Are four magazines as bulky as one baseball bat? No, so ... stack them?  But now 2 books and 2 mags are just as bulky....

 

It works if you have a group of item which are all roughly the same kind of bulk, like guns, but not if you want to factor in everything from a postcard to a fire extinguisher.

That's why it would be a combination of the two systems.

 

Stacks would be limited to a certain ammount until they take up another square. The additional weight system would even out weight-related problems like having an A4 block compared to a thin magazine.

 

It's not like such a system (combination of volume and weight) is new and hasn't been done before.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

Problem with grid systems is that they have a pre-defined concept of "bulk" which becomes very, very difficult to make reasonable with a wide array of items.  1 bulk unit = 1 square.  But is a pack of cigs as bulky as two nails?  What if you stack 155 nails?  Are four magazines as bulky as one baseball bat? No, so ... stack them?  But now 2 books and 2 mags are just as bulky....

 

It works if you have a group of item which are all roughly the same kind of bulk, like guns, but not if you want to factor in everything from a postcard to a fire extinguisher.

That's why it would be a combination of the two systems.

 

Stacks would be limited to a certain ammount until they take up another square. The additional weight system would even out weight-related problems like having an A4 block compared to a thin magazine.

 

It's not like such a system (combination of volume and weight) is new and hasn't been done before.

 

 

 

Yeah - but at what benefit compared to being able to properly handle really small items?  You won't be able to stack "similar" items, so those will always come at an extra cost of storage.  Like I said, all grid systems work work best with a small range of items, not a wide range of size, shape, weight and type.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

 

Problem with grid systems is that they have a pre-defined concept of "bulk" which becomes very, very difficult to make reasonable with a wide array of items.  1 bulk unit = 1 square.  But is a pack of cigs as bulky as two nails?  What if you stack 155 nails?  Are four magazines as bulky as one baseball bat? No, so ... stack them?  But now 2 books and 2 mags are just as bulky....

 

It works if you have a group of item which are all roughly the same kind of bulk, like guns, but not if you want to factor in everything from a postcard to a fire extinguisher.

That's why it would be a combination of the two systems.

 

Stacks would be limited to a certain ammount until they take up another square. The additional weight system would even out weight-related problems like having an A4 block compared to a thin magazine.

 

It's not like such a system (combination of volume and weight) is new and hasn't been done before.

 

 

 

Yeah - but at what benefit compared to being able to properly handle really small items?  You won't be able to stack "similar" items, so those will always come at an extra cost of storage.  Like I said, all grid systems work work best with a small range of items, not a wide range of size, shape, weight and type.

 

What. Large items shouldn't be stacked in a grid system. Give you more thought on what to take in general. I'd have to completely disagree with you on the fact that it does work with a multitude of different games of the survival genre.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yeah, didn't make mention of stacking large items.  In fact, I think the biggest benefit to a grid system is that it probably treats "large" items more realistically.  Just not sure it does significantly more than the current system at the cost of handling a wide variety of smaller items.

 

I'll put it another way - unless a whole new layer of container/item is created where things could be stacked by category instead of specific item type, smaller items will lose out.  And even that requires a matching UI to handle.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I understand that the grid system is a good easy thing to do, but to be honest I like the inventory system as it is now. I believe there are others in the community that feel the same way... And I rather like how the health screen is apart from the inventory system, it keeps me form having to pull up my inventory just to see if i'm scratched or bitten.

 

However... As a mod, I think it would be rather enjoyable to many people (not myself though, sorry guys. :P) But of course if you wanted you could, in a sense, have something similar to a combo of the grid and weight system. You could set items to have mass, and a bag (and your person) can carry only a certain amount of mass. I hope this makes sense to more people than just me...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I also like the way it is now, not that there isn't room for additional features, but the thing as it stands now is good. 

 

I'd prefer shifting objects around to happen a bit faster.

An option to dump all objects in a bag into a container.

More categories (Containers/firearms/spoilable food) so sorting on category becomes a usefull thing to do.

Perhaps two basic inventory containers for a person without bags, carried and worn/wielded. So you can easily drop everything that is'nt worn or wielded.

Naming bags.

 

I would not prefer a grid, when I am looting a kitchen I don't want to be playing tetris.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'd prefer a grid system that adjusts the number and size of unoccupied squares by the general shape and weight (or combination of weight and awkwardness) of occupied squares.

Then Inventory Tetris could die a pleasant death.

I really do find enjoyment in inventory Tetris in games like the original X-COMs and Diablo, though. The only exception to this is when I have to play a game through a controller.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

lets face it the way inventory works now is broken. Try walking around with 16 planks of wood on your person(thats 48 of 50 in this game) and still shoot a gun with any accuracy . then walk around with 5 apples, 2 bananas, steak, peas, peanut butter, and coffee and try to swing a baseball bat.  try stuffing a full hiking, Tote, and a school bag in a plastic bag.  Its not a bad system but it needs a looking at.

 

As far as the inventory system i would like to see is a grid with weight. Limit The amount of bags allowed. Like 1 backpack or hiking bag. leg, Shoulder and waist holsters. Ammo belts. stuff like that but limit them  say a ammo belt is 1 tall by 8 wide each slot holds 1 shotgun shell or 2 bullets(.308) or 1 clip storing ammo in the belt allows for faster reloading.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

lets face it the way inventory works now is broken. Try walking around with 16 planks of wood on your person(thats 48 of 50 in this game) and still shoot a gun with any accuracy . then walk around with 5 apples, 2 bananas, steak, peas, peanut butter, and coffee and try to swing a baseball bat.  try stuffing a full hiking, Tote, and a school bag in a plastic bag.  Its not a bad system but it needs a looking at.

 

As far as the inventory system i would like to see is a grid with weight. Limit The amount of bags allowed. Like 1 backpack or hiking bag. leg, Shoulder and waist holsters. Ammo belts. stuff like that but limit them  say a ammo belt is 1 tall by 8 wide each slot holds 1 shotgun shell or 2 bullets(.308) or 1 clip storing ammo in the belt allows for faster reloading.

 

That's not a problem with the inventory system, that's a problem with stats. Of which are of course unbalanced due to it being alpha still.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I like the current, bag based system, it seems more realistic than a grid. Particularly when you have moments like "shit I need to reload NOW, but my ammo is in the plastic bag inside the schoolbag inside the duffle" therefore you unpack everything and struggle with the instant embuggerance this creates because you have your head in a bag. Which would happen IRL, moments like this I love. My only concern is that the UI itself still needs work (hence alpha).

I can understand that many would prefer a grid system, which I think is fine, maybe even allow an option to switch? As long as 1 system doesn't give the player any distinct advantage in real terms. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yeah, didn't make mention of stacking large items.  In fact, I think the biggest benefit to a grid system is that it probably treats "large" items more realistically.  Just not sure it does significantly more than the current system at the cost of handling a wide variety of smaller items.

 

I'll put it another way - unless a whole new layer of container/item is created where things could be stacked by category instead of specific item type, smaller items will lose out.  And even that requires a matching UI to handle.

Ah ok, I misunderstood what you wrote. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The problem with this kind of inventory is the grid-size.

Even if you can stack items, a field of the grating needs to be as large as the smallest object in the game.

It's maybe a seed. Now you have 7 different seeds. Each seed needs it's own grid-field, although you could put a seed on the other.

But that would require an additional menu. Drop-down or similar.

 

And now you have a watermelone with estimated 800 grid-fields. :eek:

Oh my gods, please don't think about a grid system. ;)

It's more for games with similarly large objects like weapons, armor, artifacts, potions and the like.

 

And it is not at all realistic.

Realistic would be if you could move the three-dimensional objects in your backpack and put them in another.

 

So maybe as a Mod, but it would be surely hard to balance the system.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 7 months later...

My biggest gripe with the current system is that the weight of the current bags is probably about right, but the volume is realistically way off. Volume is the problem if you want realism.

 

I do a lot of hiking and camping and I have a number of different hiking bags depending on the duration of my treks. While my large bags can easily hold 22kg (48.5lbs), they can not fit a sledgehammer, a number of nailed baseball bats, a shotgun, golfclubs, 8ft. planks, logs, etc. all at the same time (really they can't do most of them at all). Actually, my large hiking bags can easily hold up to 31kg (70lbs). But its the volume that makes it unrealistic. A dufflebag can more easily fit a number of baseball bats (I have a very nice dufflebag for my baseball gear). The game does a nice job of realistically depicting the fact that your body just cant support as much weight in a dufflebag as you can in a hiking bag. A hiking bag is specifically designed to destribute its weight properly in the most efficient manner on your back, a duffle bag is not. But you just can't fit the same volume of items in a hiking bag. Large hiking bags can hold up to around 55 liters of gear, but that 55 liters is compacted. No way you can break down a 8ft plank (and use it for structural support) or a sledgehammer. I'm assuming the planks are 8ft because you can build an 8ft wall with just 3 of them. A large heavy duty duffelbag can hold up to around 185 liters.

 

My other gripe is your char's inventory that isn't in your bag. I read a post (not this one) where a member mentioned that it just simply is not realistic to be able to hold a sledgehammer, a hammer, a nailed baseball bat, food, a waterbottle, bandages, nails, pills, a plank, etc (assuming you're using the strong perk) all on your char without a bag. Where do you put all that stuff? Pockets won't cut it. Even a mighty fannypack will fall well short. Just think about grabbing all of that stuff and walking out your front door right now. Now imagine trying to RUN down your street with all that stuff in your arms. Now imagine running away from zombies and 'effectively' using your items to fight off some zombies without dropping a single item! It just isn't plausible that you could do that. It just isn't. The only way that I can wrap my head around this is if you made shoulderstraps out of sheet ropes for your larger items. Otherwise, I'm sorry, it just can't be done.

 

Good news is that this is a videogame that has zombies in it. Some realism can be thrown out the window. I mean there are zombies afterall. But, I think a lot of the fun for players is to make things that are as realistic as possible so they can live out their zombie apocolypse dreams as close to realism as possible. For instance, I always tell my wife that I'm 'training' and not 'playing'.

 

So to summarize; to be realistic, volume needs to be taken into consideration. A grid system that combines weight is the best way that I can think of to do that. There will be problems and concerns with a grid system. But again this is a video game so you can be a bit liberal when it comes to realism and get away with it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...