Limiting inventory space/weight adds to the challenge of the game because you have to carefully consider what to bring with you
In a sirious tactical games like Jagged Alliance 2 or Rainbob Six/OP Flashpoint, maybe, not in rpgees imo. Especially the open world ones, where there's monetary economy. Only only in semi-pseudo rpgs like Deus Ex series what you said is relevant.
No, when playing these games/mods you just don't do that and therefore can't easily afford the nice sniper rifle.
YES i do that, because the main incentive in any RPG, unless it's Planescape:Torment, is getting better (with or without your the little help of your friends). Getting better means acquiring better gear. In linear game, where you have to choose from limited gear options, like DX series, you take what you think you'll be using, but in open world all the stuff lies THERE ALL THE FUCKING TIME so it's hard to resist hoarding all the shit stuff, selling it for shit moneys and, when accumulated enough, buying that brand new weapon to feel better about yourself and see how formerly formidable foes get squashed in the new circumstances. In original fallouts that was one of the high points for me. Dismantling formerly formidable gangsters with my newly acquired sniper rifle from afar.
Low inventory space is a great way to balance a game out, that nice legendary battle armor? better get big bro and dump some points into that Strength, Constitution, Power stat or settle POS leather.
But that's exactly what Gothic games did. You could, for example, acquire the best two-handed sword in the G2:NoTR at level 1 if you wanted to, but it would be useless until you're like level 25 at least. And i takes no charge for just lying in your inventory till then.
Low Inventory allows more character choice when twinking your toon adding more choice and consequences to the equation making different types of player builds much different in execution.
That only works for mission based games, where you have a ''briefing'' before every mission and choose what weapons you'll choose for each of your mercs. In a single player rpg, especially the one where you play lone character, it's irrelevant.
A low strength warrior who relies on good AC , high dodging compared to high strength character who not only packs the BFS but allows an assortment of gear and weaponry to compensate for his shit AC and paltry Accuracy. Got a firebomb to hit those hard to hit fast moving rogues on the flank and carries a spare crossbow to counter range abusing enemies or enemies to strong to kill using brute force alone.
Again will use NW as a benchmark here. You see, the low strength char is heavily nerfed in all aspects here, because even stealthy ninja types need expensive gear to be effective at higher levels in NW, which means they need a LOT of money. Obviously the later type will have no problem hoarding shit and sell it to all sorts of vendors, including traveling ones, while the ninja-cartographist dude will never have anything to sell, because all he can carry is the vital stuff for his survival. Which in turn means he needs to make tedious stuff dragging. The implants from the azn doctor makes craving for money even more serious.
Less inventory => less items to manage => less micromanagement
Vice versa. No, really, are you fucking dumbfuck. The less inventory space you have, the more micro-management is there to be done. Fire up JA2 ffs.
How much micro management of inventory did you make in Gothic games? None.
It's a no-brainer - a system with meaningful tradeoffs, but less tedium VS larping a vacuum cleaner and scooping up all the clutter and shit.
DraQ, you're intelligent person most of the time, but you have a talent to be total dumbshit at times.
Most open world games ARE encouraging to scoop up all the weird clutter that lies around and in case of Ebryo games it's even more pronounced. Yes, i know, you can play as solemn monk, who only relies on his faith and fists, but come on.. NW just invites you to hoard hoard hoard and hoard. Especially if you're repair guy like i am. All these crap metals weight more than a crate of miniguns. To use them effectively under inventory restrictions i'd have to constantly fast travel between current place and my ''safehouse'' that has all the equipment and containers (usually the first town - what's'it's'name). And i haven't even tried hardcore mode + skilling survivalist branch. Think there would be even more problems then.
I dunno. I like challenge that is directly posed via ACTION in any sort of game. Gothic games, for example, were very challenging for a first time player at least. Challenge that comes from ability to overcome trite routine is another thing. Challenge for accountants.