Editorial RPG Codex Report: The Vision Behind Might & Magic X Legacy

[Lancehead]

Here's a better example on using the screen real estate. RPGs can put the whole party management into this effortlessly.

 

[Infinitron]

Ok then, have this:

I used risen inventory because it would at least help the case of icons a bit.

This player hasn't done a very good job sorting his items, but since he's the one that put them there, I assume he knows where everything is.

Lists don't give you a choice.

 

[Rahdulan]

Decline of Risen's character and inventory screen especially killed me. Death to tabs.

Into this?

 

[Excidium]

Ok then, have this:

I used risen inventory because it would at least help the case of icons a bit.

This player hasn't done a very good job sorting his items, but since he's the one that put them there, I assume he knows where everything is.

Lists don't give you a choice.

More like the developer doesn't give you a choice.

 

[Grunker]

And yeah, you can create some kind of unprecedented system that lets you create sublists, as Lancehead suggested, but I'd rather discuss list-based inventories as they exist in real life.

In that case let's just stop here. Like I said many times before, of course lists suck when you are going to draw examples from old [as in: actually made] games

Sounds like the Sawyer-excuse. "ALL RPG SYSTEMS SUCK COMPARED TO THIS FICTIONAL CONCEPT I HAVE IN MY HEAD". Switch 'RPG SYSTEMS' with 'inventory systems' for maximum profit.

You listing bad grid inventories doesn't make your point stronger, since there are plenty of good ones as well. But no good list inventories. It's either Fallout-style icon-lists with scrolling and bad sorting or modern console-bullshit like The Witcher 2's inventory. Funny, that.

 

[imweasel]

More like the developer doesn't give you a choice.

Actually, only a grid based inventory gives you freedom of choice, a list based inventory does not. You can group and sort your items how you like and are not stuck to a few predefinded settings that the developer must dictate, because of the technical shortcomings of a list based inventory.

A shitty list based inventory can not possibly include pre-defined tabs for every possible variable, which includes the endless amounts of possible personal preferences. If you like to be stuck with a few predefined settings that the developer has dictated - fine. I, and aparently many others, prefer to have the freedom of choice which only a grid based inventory can provide. And it is extremely well laid out too, you can see numerous items at once.

Lists are for faggots and communists.

How do you manage your bags when travelling? You write a list and scroll through it before opening the bag?

 

[Infinitron]

The best thing I can say about list inventories is that in games with entire categories of "trash items" (crafting ingredients, stuff like that), a list inventory does a good job of "filing them away" without the player needing to manually place each one.

The original Witcher 1 had a problem with this, which they fixed in the EE with its separate alchemy ingredient inventory space.

 

[theSavant]

I loved the simple horizontal list inventory of lands of lore 1.

 

[Grunker]

You liked Lands of Lore inventory? Are you a masochist?

 

[slackerwizrd]

I loved the simple horizontal list inventory of lands of lore 1.

Horizontal list is worse than any inventory system ever discussed in this thread or any other thread.

 

[Jasede]

damnit, now it's too late to post "when I think great inventories I think Fallout and Lands of Lore"

 

[Jasede]

I don't know how often we discussed this already but it's very Codex to discuss it /again/.
And the best inventory goes to Arcanum: massive grid, sortable, weight limit, considers item size. The only other contenders that come to mind right now are Diablo, RoA and BG.

Oh. Neverwinter Nights has an excellent inventory. There's multiple tabs so you can make categories, it has size, weight and a grid. The only drawback is the lack of a sort button.

 

[Arkeus]

I don't know how often we discussed this already but it's very Codex to discuss it /again/.
And the best inventory goes to Arcanum: massive grid, sortable, weight limit, considers item size. The only other contenders that come to mind right now are Diablo, RoA and BG.

Arcanum is also cluncky as fuck due to bad UI, but sure, it is a pretty nice one. I personally also like the later MM games' inventories, but iirc they lacked a sort function too.

 

[Darth Roxor]

Lists are for faggots and communists.

Lists are for true RPG afficinados, grids are for Diablo loving degenerates.

(Excidium brofists this)

 

[poetic codex]

Fascinating article. I really think someone should do a study and try to figure out why this sudden explosion of turn based goodness came about. Should I really thank Grimrock, which isn't even turn based?

I can't believe there is so much truth to the old stereotype of the bosses (who are nothing but accountants interested in the bottom line) saying "HELL NO!!" to passionate developers when they pitch their ideas of a turn based game. It almost seems like there was some kind of malicious prejudice against them, then all of a sudden, things turned around like a renaissance of sorts.

 

[Athelas]

Grid-based inventory systems are better than lists for a very simple reason: your mind can process images much faster than words. So while you can instantly see what you have in a grid-based inventory with just a quick glance, doing that with a list takes much longer and equipping/using items is much more cumbersome.

 

[Clockwork Knight]

And the best inventory goes to Arcanum: massive grid, sortable, weight limit, considers item size.

I tried playing a technologist (AKA dumpster diver autistic hobo) once, it felt like playing Tetris by the time I reached Tarant, with all the shit I collected.