Is inventory/weight limit good?

[Compeador 101]

Currently, I'm working on a pony RPG(game engine is RMVA btw), the core system of this game is basically hybrid of D&D(Dungeon and Dragons) 5th Edition(+mlpdnd45e) and Infinity Engine, which is based on 3.5e rules.

 

So, although this is not the most important feature for me need to be done, but I'm still wondering if I should keep the inventory/weight limit from D&D(or Infinity Engine), more importantly, I really have no idea what's the pros of the inventory/weight limit in a video game(except the annoying commercial stuff); instead, the default inventory system in RPG Maker games are nothing but a unlimited saddlebag of holding, the only defect I could come up is the performance issue when drawing all items in the inventory might cause some LAG(but still can be ignored most of time).

 

anyway, I just wanna ask ponies here should I keep this 'feature' in my game 

Edited March 3, 2017 by Compeador

[GrimGrimoire 4,970]

IMO weight limits suck in many games. Sure they are unrealistic, but so is the game itself in most cases. Several RPGs (and other games) have added weight limiters or inventory amounts with mixed results... and in many of them all they really have done is limit the enjoyment of the game itself. I think they are fine as long as they are set up in such a way so as they don't force you to have to make inventory management the most time consuming part of the game itself.

[Rikifive 23,517]

I love exploring - collecting items and stuff like this, so generally I think I prefer unlimited space.

 

However, if it will be done nicely, then limited inventory doesn't have to be bad. If there would be a relatively high amount of slots, then I wouldn't mind managing my inventory by disposing less important items and keeping the better ones. Personally I enjoy that kind of stuff (I'm a fan of sandbox~survival games). Though I dislike having realistically low amount of them as it unnecessarily makes the game more difficult and exploring less rewarding, unless it's well thought and implemented within reason.

 

Heh, to be honest I'm the one, who likes to collect everything what's possible (even garbage) to have a collection (read: mess) in my inventory. :3

A possible solution would be adding something like chests ~ let's say, that whenever you'd be in Ponyville, you could store items, that you'll not need. If the chest would lag, then that wouldn't be an issue, as you'd be opening it rarely.

 

If you're worried about the performance, then as far as I know, Ace seems to handle it not that bad, unless you'd really have tons of random items. I was playing games, where I had around 70 different items (just items - not counting weapons/armors) and I can't recall having any issues. Maaaybe it was taking a second to load, I don't even remember as I didn't pay much attention to it. To be honest Ace can lag more during the gameplay and now that would be an issue. 

Edited March 3, 2017 by Rikifive

[Humphrey 49]

Weight limit can balance the game difficulty in some way and in some situations it might be neccessary to keep it. Still it sucks some times for players. I think we can add some other methods to solve the problem brought along with the unlimited pocket, such as introducing a banking system, storage system and logistic systems.

[Compeador 101]

A possible solution would be adding something like chests ~ let's say, that whenever you'd be in Ponyville, you could store items, that you'll not need. If the chest would lag, then that wouldn't be an issue, as you'd be opening it rarely.

Weight limit can balance the game difficulty in some way and in some situations it might be neccessary to keep it. Still it sucks some times for players. I think we can add some other methods to solve the problem brought along with the unlimited pocket, such as introducing a banking system, storage system and logistic systems.

 

Yeah the inventory/weight limit could balance the difficulty, such as limited healing potions player can carry so player will likely use them more wisely, but perhaps i'll just go limit a certain amount of an item player can keep in the saddlebag, it'll has similar effects. 

 

Store/banking system will still be added whether the weight/inventory limit will be added or not, some player maybe want keep their saddlebag clean or not keep too much bits with them due to possible death penalty, get robbed or other reason(?)

 

About the logistic system, hmm... i'm not very sure how it works in D&D based RPG   , maybe it involved the npc/regions trading? if so, it will surely increase the CPU/Block Chain's stress/length (yeah, you didn't read it wrong, Block Chain, but just a parody in my game), despite the mining reward for player is also raised (of course the premise is the player's node need to be the first one done the POW) but mining difficulty will probably be increased more quickly. (the point is I'm a n00b i don't know what exactly the logistic system is in single-player RPG)

[Humphrey 49]

Yeah the inventory/weight limit could balance the difficulty, such as limited healing potions player can carry so player will likely use them more wisely, but perhaps i'll just go limit a certain amount of an item player can keep in the saddlebag, it'll has similar effects. 

 

Store/banking system will still be added whether the weight/inventory limit will be added or not, some player maybe want keep their saddlebag clean or not keep too much bits with them due to possible death penalty, get robbed or other reason(?)

 

About the logistic system, hmm... i'm not very sure how it works in D&D based RPG   , maybe it involved the npc/regions trading? if so, it will surely increase the CPU/Block Chain's stress/length (yeah, you didn't read it wrong, Block Chain, but just a parody in my game), despite the mining reward for player is also raised (of course the premise is the player's node need to be the first one done the POW) but mining difficulty will probably be increased more quickly. (the point is I'm a n00b i don't know what exactly the logistic system is in single-player RPG)

About the logistic system I think you may add some checkpoints (some shops or people in settlements) on the map where players can pay them for transporting items to another checkpoint. Just use a function to calculate estimated arriving time and buffer it in an ascii file. When the player travels to a check point and trigger a dialogue with the NPC, the program can reads the buffered file and check if there is any item arrives at the check point at the moment. It won't increase much stress.

[Compeador 101]

About the logistic system I think you may add some checkpoints (some shops or people in settlements) on the map where players can pay them for transporting items to another checkpoint. Just use a function to calculate estimated arriving time and buffer it in an ascii file. When the player travels to a check point and trigger a dialogue with the NPC, the program can reads the buffered file and check if there is any item arrives at the check point at the moment. It won't increase much stress.

 

kinda like Monster Hunter 3 you can send your item back to inventory during mission, but here just to other checkpoint, right? 

 

Well, we don't really have to dump them into another file this way, the CPU stress is mainly from the process of block chain mining, as long as any kind of item/bits trade is done, both the mine difficulty and chain length is increased, therefore the program need to take (a little) longer time to query the transaction history which may caused lag

 

 

 

if you wanna ask me why i added this stuff to lower the performance (possibly) and even still could be hacked anyway(perhaps very hard if just hack from outside). most important and also the least is making this game wandering in the gray area of my country's law to prevent from C&D, or just put the download link under my school's website, so...you know that 

 

 

Edited March 5, 2017 by Compeador