A17 Feedback -- Inventory System - Backpacks, Belts, Cargo Pants, Tactical Vests, etc

[GaiusFalkus]

The inventory system needs some serious attention. The encumbrance mechanic is more tied to stamina, and a different discussion altogether, so I will skip that here. But simply put, the inventory is woefully inadequate compared to the sheer amount of items in this game. Big bag mods are a huge relief for players, because there's simply no other way to remedy it. But why not make it part of the game itself?

 

Start off with a default inventory size, maybe the size from A16. This symbolizes what you can wrap up and sling across your back or carry in your off-hand. From there, you can increase your inventory along your journey, in various ways. I'm thinking something more akin to World of Warcraft, with the bag slots. First you're trying to just get something, ANYTHING in those bag slots. Then, you work on finding/crafting bigger bags to fill them. Something like that, except utilizing the items the player wears.

 

We should be able to craft backpacks of different materials and sizes. Cloth, leather, leather/metal (like a hiking pack), military fiber, etc. The stronger the material, the more slots it should add because it holds more. (On a side note, how about some REALLY rare items in the game? Like a super backpack to rule them all? haha)

 

The belt is another way to increase slots. Like the backpack, be able to craft better belts of better materials. Maybe a cloth belt holds 5 items, a leather one holds 7, and on and on. A military one can hold the most. In reality, there exist those military style belts that can hold various standardized pouches. Anyway, there's plenty to explore here as well.

 

Lastly, different kinds of clothes can have slots as well. Shirts with pockets, slots added to your gauntlets or your boots. Find or craft some cargo pants, and you got more slots to add in. Flight suits and military camouflage uniforms have lots of pockets. Nearly each article of clothing has potential.

 

If you find a tactical vest with all those pouches, then that should add the most of all and could be a trade-off against chest armor. Should I use steel armor for battle (like a 7 day horde)? Or swap for the vest for the capacity (like for a loot run)?

 

What about saddlebags for the minibikes/motorcycles? Or hitch up a trailer to the 4x4 for bulk transit?

 

The sky's the limit with what can be done here. But I think it would be a very welcome addition, because at least the player knows this is not all there is. This will be a new task for the player, to find ways to increase the inventory. The game is a journey, and this adds a new dimension to it. Please be creative with it. Don't use the Skill Menu to accomplish it. Clicking buttons and spending points is a lazy mechanic. Put more depth in the game world. In fact, I would prefer that the Skill Menu be removed altogether, because it's too tempting to load it up with game features. No more point-and-click, please. Thank you.