A long time ago we had an update that gave us the currency tab change that took the beastmen currency away as items instead gave them their own place, I will call this v1.0. I think now is the time to go back over the inventory management system and give it a much needed overhaul, v2.0.
With the new expansion coming we are going to get flooded with a large number of new items, but I don't know if there has been any indication of more space or further inventory workarounds planned.
If we can't get our inventory/armoury chest/retainers expanded further why not go about it another way that seems more viable that will help alleviate the issue across multiple areas.
- Materia = 108 items, not even counting resistances.
- Dyes = 106 items
- Fishing Tackle = 62 items
These 3 for example can have their own special categories in the main menus given the fact that they have their own systems in place.
For example Fishing Tackle could go under Logs right below Fish Guide, call it "Tacklebox".
Materia and Dyes could go under Character, maybe below Blue Magic Spellbook since they wouldn't be a frequent thing to "look" at it. Something like Materia Collection and Dye Catalog.
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The next items to consider would be the Totems from the Extremes and I would additionally include the "Raid" upgrade materials. These two sets of items could be placed under Currency. Notice how there is space for 2 more categories in the Currency section? This could be "Trials" and "Raids".
The first step would be to change the graphic for the old HW totems to match the new SB totems since they are all literally the same thing except Thordans, then of course just give them an appropriate color palette. This should not be too hard for a professional artist.
For example:
This would save a pretty comparable amount of item space as the beastmen currency did.
Raids would be a little more complicated depending on how they do it, especially since it expanded into tokens and not just upgrade items.
I got lazy and used the other tiers images but you get the idea. Page 2 would go into Stormblood and Shadowbringers OR they could have Normal page 1 to include the Precision type items and then page 2 can include Savage token items or whatever.
You can see how out of control the items have gotten over the years when there's two separate tiers of raids with tokens on top of upgrade items and then another token system on top of that that aren't even displayed there.
Even with all these things removed that still leaves weapons/armor which hopefully the glamour dresser can be increased a bit more and then of course crafting and other things which take up plenty of space.
So to me it seems reasonable to condense the inventory management system even further.