Support NeoGAF

[shawnbuddy]

I do. It makes no sense that you can carry everything, it feels more real if you have to make a hard choice once in a while. There was a game, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves for the NES, where I actually found managing the inventory more fun than the rest of the game. That was the first game I ever encountered with a paper doll-type equipment screen.

 

[CONCH0BAR]

I love the Elder Scrolls games, but often find myself wishing I had more inventory. Sure, I can do that via mods, but I'm a purist and it'll bother me despite being more convenient. It's even more annoying in Fallout 4, where the game actively encourages you to take everything for crafting.

I enjoy inventory systems where items are fewer and more meaningful, like Deus Ex or RE4. I also like how BotW gives you infinite storage for crafting items and food.

 

[kamandi]

I do. Feels more real.

 

[gelf]

I can like small scale inventory management. Classic Resident Evil has a small inventory and thus not too many items to be sorting through. It's just enough to make you think about your routes through the mansion or wherever.

Now something like Fallout 3 with its huge inventory and huge amount of crap to pick up I can't stand. It just takes too long to work out what to take with me and what actually is useless.

 

[LinkSlayer64]

One more thing, as long as it isn't Ultima 6 or Ultima 7
Keys in Bags in bags in boxes in bags in bags that only Iolo is holding onto.

 

[Dead Man Typing]

RE4 is obviously the king, but RE7 did a good job I thought. The quick equip functions were a nice addition.

 

[Chojin]

I prefer limited inventories. Forces you to use things and not just hoard them. Without it i'll end up with an inventory full of crap I'll never use until the "right time" which never comes.

 

[ghibli99]

^ For me, it ends up being more about throwing things away vs. using them.

I prefer inventory limits over being encumbered.

So much this. But I could do without both, unless there's a good reason for it. There is no good reason for it in HZD.

 

[Primethius]

Yea, I love a good inventory system. Implemented well, it can really add to the adventure feel of a game.

 

[InsaneFandom]

Eh on the one hand it's annoying when you want to pick up some loot but can't and you have to stop & take the time to decide what's worth dropping/trashing.
On the other hand, having an inventory full of hundreds and hundreds of things is annoying to navigate & you never use 90% of it anyway

Overall I I wouldn't say I enjoy it but I don't really mind it, I think it has a place.

 

[Yohane]

Makes sense for some kind of games

 

[Lakuza]

It depends on the game for me.

I enjoyed it in Deus Ex with the slotting system and most times in games that implement it well, it makes you think carefully with what you take. Do i take that sniper and pistol but sacrifice the rocket launcher etc. I do like it when games have a way to unlock bigger storage too, I remember a lot of mmorpg's that had bag limits so expanding them was always fun (until it became a simple pay to get more slots scheme)

With the elder scrolls and fallout games, I never felt the strategy in the inventory management, i was still able to carry what felt like 20 weapons and armor. It was more of a reminder to stop picking up everything and the kitchen sink XD

Then there are times when it can get a little distracting in games like nier (where the item drop will follow you constantly and then fly off somewhere telling you can't carry any more) and horizon (opening a loot box that contains rocks but I can't carry anymore so that chest stays in my inventory. Although, they've fixed this issue in a recent update).

 

[Massive Duck. C.M.]

Don't mind it if the game isn't constantly loading you up with shit. Not a fan of seemingly arbitrary numerical limits i.e. ok to carry 99 of this item, but only 15 of another

 

[I Wanna Be The Guy]

I love it in RE4.

Everyone organises their stuff so neatly in RE4. I don't organise shit. It's a mess. But at least I fill every space unlike you goddammit!

 

[BiggNife]

I don't enjoy it but I appreciate the function it serves in maintaining tension and making you more conscious about what you pick up instead of just mindlessly grabbing everything.

 

[Nabbis]

No, i always cheat it out if possible and establish my own rules based on the crafting/collection system to make me more comfortable.

 

[doctorcdcs]

Normally I'm more or less indifferent to it, but I will say that there is one game where I felt a bizarre sense of accomplishment when I managed to find the smallest things in the game world to expand my very limited inventory:

Neo Scavenger.

I've never been felt so happy finding a shopping bag while searching an abandoned apartment building to carry a few extra items in a game before.

 

[SeanTSC]

As long as it is RE4 Tetris.

RE4 is a great example of Good inventory management and I enjoy the fuck out of it in that game. Getting those bigger brief cases is just like, PURE DOPAMINE.

But games with like XX/XX numbered lists and tons of items it can often be just obnoxious. Like, just give me a higher integer, dammit. It's usually barely meaningful and mostly an annoyance in those cases.

 

[brawly]

My favorite is no limit but the world is mainly filled with important items (ala Dark Souls).

My least favorite is limited and the world filled with trash that you have to sort through (Witcher 3, Horizon).

 

[Halabane]

Don't like it when I am grinding for crafting materials and having to go back to unload. But it does add an element to RPG adventuring when you know you enter a dungeon and all you got is what you decided to bring with you.

 

[Zakalwe]

RE4/7 both had inventory management that felt like an actual mechanic.

Both are fun.

 

[DJ_Lae]

If there isn't a ton of stuff in the game and the limit makes sense (RE4, for example, which oddly enough I'm replaying at this exact moment), I'm okay with it.

If there's stuff everywhere and you're encouraged to grab most of it, it results in needless busywork. The Witcher 3 got a lot better when they dropped the weight amounts for crafting items, and Andromeda benefited from the patched inventory upgrade too.

 

[Finale Fireworker]

I would play a game that was literally RE4's inventory management for 40 hours.

 

[Spring-Loaded]

I love it in RE4.

Even though there's no case the character is actually carrying around, this system made sense in a tactile way—it never felt unfair or arbitrary when I couldn't pick something up because I could see it wouldn't fit, even if this case existed in some other dimension

I would play a game that was literally RE4's inventory management for 40 hours.

You play as a weapons caddy for some action hero and have to sort and toss out their weapons in real time ... that could be good

 

[Into the Light]

I hate item degradation too!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[jotun?]

The most satisfying cheat/hack I've ever used in a game was infinite inventory space in Dragon Age: Origins.

 

[meerak]

Definitely depends on the game, but, yes, I've always enjoyed inventory management.

Slots are generally better for me, as the time investment required to manage inventory is less than weight-based systems, where you need to really analyze more aspects of an item to deduce its worth to you.

 

[UpDownLeftRight]

Depends on the game. Some form of survival game etc I'm fine with it, it makes sense. In an RPG though? I've got literally thousands of items to collect. ES is a prime example of course.

 

[Jetman]

It is a bit annoying in HZD. I guess I see it as a somewhat necessary function of the variety of how you can take on a given fight with so many different types of ammo or tools.
Now, Zelda:BotW (not really sure if this qualifies as item management specifically) which I'm also playing I see as a big fucking annoyance and it just bogs the game down - primarily and only because of weapon breakage. Weapon breakage didn't Need to exist to make that game work. If I find a better bow/sword/spear, etc. let me just keep using that until I find something better, that way I don't have to keep an eye on how many spare's I have in my stock. I'd rather just find a stronger weapon and replace my weaker one with it, and keep playing the actual game, not worry about how many I might need at any given moment.

 

[CrackPebbles]

It's fun in RE4 and 5. 5 even lets you reload ammo from the inventory screen to save time and not go through the reload animation which is kinda cool.

 

[Bedlam]

As long as it is RE4 Tetris.

Yup, I love Tetris inventories. The lack of it is one of the many things that killed Diablo3 for me.

 

[Applecot]

I think it's a pretty common thing to have still and prevents a real pack rat mentality

 

[Umbooki]

Inventory management was awesome in RE4 and it was an effective method of reloading in RE5. Outside of that, I can't really think of any positive instances.

 

[Skellig Gra]

If done well. Fuck that Fallout nonsense.

 

[jelly]

I prefer inventory limits over being encumbered.

Yes.

I hate all inventory management though. RE4 is just about passable but I still hate it but then bigger/unlimited sucks in games with loads of stuff to collect. I just like simple tools and equipment.

 

[ghostjoke]

When the game is based around scavenging and using what is on hand it's a welcome restraint (Deus Ex/STALKER), but when a game has another system that promotes pillaging everything in sight, it's time to go mod searching (Fallout 4).

As others have said, Resi 4 Tetris case is king. It's very easy to see what's causing load issues without traipsing through your entire inventory for the small hippo you accidentally picked up.

 

[brawly]

It is a bit annoying in HZD. I guess I see it as a somewhat necessary function of the variety of how you can take on a given fight with so many different types of ammo or tools.
Now, Zelda:BotW (not really sure if this qualifies as item management specifically) which I'm also playing I see as a big fucking annoyance and it just bogs the game down - primarily and only because of weapon breakage. Weapon breakage didn't Need to exist to make that game work. If I find a better bow/sword/spear, etc. let me just keep using that until I find something better, that way I don't have to keep an eye on how many spare's I have in my stock. I'd rather just find a stronger weapon and replace my weaker one with it, and keep playing the actual game, not worry about how many I might need at any given moment.

I haven't played the game (yet) but I kinda like the idea on paper, as it makes you play with a lot of weapons. Something that I don't ever do in games like Souls.

But I'm sure that once I play it I'll hate it too.

 

[TheYanger]

I like the gameplay it forces you to adapt in most games (not every game needs it, of course). So...yes? There's a reason it exists (beyond just technical limitations) in most games that it does, and you need to understand that every tiny mechanic in a game isn't meant for you to enjoy it in a bubble, it's meant to increase your enjoyment of the game as a whole. Inventory management forces you to actually consider what you're taking and using in most games and limits your options. That's the same basic idea as not letting you pick every power in a skill tree, for example.

Let's look at one of the most obvious examples: diablo games. If you had unlimited inventory in those games, it would become UNMANAGEABLE as a player, limited inventory saves you from yourself in that case. You cannot keep a version of every item, so you're not constantly picking everything up, evaluating everything's relative power, spending forever trying to figure out what to use for which set, etc. Keeping a small inventory actually keeps you in the game MORE because you learn to not owrry about every random item, and certainly you don't bother to 'keep' even the ones you pick up, you just sell that shit or disenchant it. I don't have a stash with like 'the best' skorn I can find, because I just won't use a skorn anyway. Extrapolate that out to one of every single item in the game and that's a lot less clutter for a player to deal with, and the way you solve it is just not picking shit up you don't need, which is in the end a superior experience.

 

[Vigilant Walrus]

I like it more than having never ending powerful pockets.

Inventory weight keeps you grounded in the world. Ohh- the elements actually have weight. There is actually consequences and strategy. Maybe I need to think about what I really need to bring with me.

It's not for the sake of realism, but for the sake of owning up to the atmosphere and and style the game wants to evoke.
I don't think inventory weight, item repairs, durability loss, and so on, fits every game, but some games becomes better because of it.


Sometimes you need "annoying" mechanics, for the player to overcome, and to seek to leviate that annoyance by finding and being motivated to find solutions. It is worthwhile to have games where you can improve- Things like being able to carry more, sprint longer- Progress and improvements is one of the defining elements of any games progression, be it character or player based, or both.

 

[KO Traveling Hobo]

I love it on a conceptual level, but in practice it just never works for me. I would rather have a Batman-style quantum utility belt where I can pull out whatever tool I need for a given situation.

A game with a class system and an inventory management/limit system where one class's gimmick is that it has infinite inventory space could be neat, though.

EDIT: I think the original X-COM is the only time I've really enjoyed inventory management, since you had a whole squad to work with. Dragon's Dogma did a pretty good job, too, although it wasn't much of a choice - just load up on as many curatives as you could.

 

[Corine]

Yeah replaying Torchlight 2 right now with a friend and I love it.

 

[GuitarAtomik]

I think as time goes by and my gaming time gets more limited, I've become increasingly annoyed by it. To the point that it either makes me less likely to play a game and, in extreme cases, totally pass it up.

 

[Jetman]

I haven't played the game (yet) but I kinda like the idea on paper, as it makes you play with a lot of weapons. Something that I don't ever do in games like Souls.

But I'm sure that once I play it I'll hate it too.

I think I'd prefer if it was behind some kind of 'Survival/Hardmode' difficulty curve so I could just take it or leave it (I'd definitely leave it). And devs could get a little more creative with item creation whether in appearance, functionality, or power to get you to swap more often.

 

[CloudWolf]

If it's implemented correctly, sure. I like having to make choices about what to take and what to leave behind. It gives real weight to what you decide to keep around.

 

[gdt]

I like it when it's like a puzzle on its own. Like resident evil.

I'm indifferent when it's just a number I can't go over.

I LOVE equip weight limits. With different tiered/weight weapons and armor and such. Really forces you to balance out effects and weights.

Edit: generally like weapon durability when it's actually meaningful, like in Dark Souls 2, where I needed to carry multiple weapons because the stronger ones tended to break during a boss fight.

Loved it in Zelda BOTW as well.

 

[Stoze]

It all depends on the game and the execution. I'd say in big open-world games I'm generally indifferent to it or it slightly annoys me.

I really liked it in System Shock 2 (grid-based and similar to Deus Ex's):
-In general, it lends itself to the overall design of having to make choices with consequences and playing how you want.
-Helps with role-playing; more skill points in strength grants more space, and points are handed out sparingly so you can't be a jack of all trades. You're stronger so you can hold more, makes sense.
-Items come in a wide range of shapes and sizes that are well balanced, so playing "item Tetris" is satisfying.
-The game doesn't pause while you're in your inventory, so not only does it keep things tense but fosters immersion in the game as you look for somewhere safe to do it, preferable with your back against the wall.
-All items are modeled out and can be dropped. They will permanently stay there (for the most part), and putting a limit on holding those items, in turn, makes the environment more believable. For example, there was a chem room near an elevator that I used to drop all my shit in. I'd created a safe room/storage room for myself.

Shame on me as I haven't played RE4 or even Zombi U yet which seems to hit a lot of the same notes.

 

[Common Knowledge]

If it's a survival horror game or anything else in which keeping close inventory of your stuff adds to the atmosphere or allows for a more tightly personalized playthrough, then it's good.

Anything else, like the vast majority of open-world games, it can fuck right off.

 

[KO Traveling Hobo]

I like it when it's like a puzzle on its own. Like resident evil.

I'm indifferent when it's just a number I can't go over.

I LOVE equip weight limits. With different tiered/weight weapons and armor and such. Really forces you to balance out effects and weights.

Edit: generally like weapon durability when it's actually meaningful, like in Dark Souls 2, where I needed to carry multiple weapons because the stronger ones tended to break during a boss fight.

Loved it in Zelda BOTW as well.

This is a good one. Out of all the Souls games, DS2 handled both durability and weight the best. It was really satisfying to have my investment in weight capacity rewarded with this huge fuck-off arms master character.

 

[marzlapin]

I'm admittedly a packrat but no, I've never thought inventory management added anything positive to any game I've played. It's not particularly challenging to manage your inventory, it just adds tedium.

 

[DaciaJC]

I generally really enjoy inventory management, especially when the game gives the player a lot of freedom over said management (e.g. being able to order items or categorize them, not just equip or discard). Having finite inventory space or a weight limit forces me to more carefully choose what I'm going to bring along on my explorations. I like that feeling of preparing, adds more depth to experience.

What I don't enjoy is being showered with tons of useless crap which is just going to be immediately discarded or sold anyway. Inventory limit or no, that crap clogs up my repository and makes it more difficult to pick out the items that are actually useful or interesting.

Also, weapon durability is a great mechanic, haters be damned.