Inventory Interface, Management, and Additional View Options

[fussel]

Just an observation since many players are saying they haven't played an MMO that used text for inventory items, Eve Online, which has probably the most items and places the most emphasis on inventory of any popular MMO, does in fact provide a text based inventory list. It also provides an icon based inventory and a detailed text view.

Just QFT.

Also, my first computer, a C64, would happily display 40x25 characters and use only 64k RAM for that, and could do other stuff besides displaying a list. 40x25 would be more than enough (that's 4x scrolling/page down for the whole inventory).

I have no idea why a simple text display should tax a CPU harder than displaying a grid of icons.

Even FFXIV 1.0 and FFXI had an item list. Where you could actually find stuff you're carrying. I almost went nuts yesterday evening looking through 2 retainers and my inventory searching for Alumen (which got sorted to page 7 of my inventory I never use, but my inventory filled up).

[Klishren]

Both of these explanations are retarded. You can assign items to the hot keys for a reason. There is no reason to use multiple items out of an open inventory in combat. In the off chance that you need to pick up a new item and use it in the same battle, imp levequests etc., there is already a mechanic to use the story item from the quest descriptor on the right. I would much prefer a menu that blocked out my screen that I would only be able to access during periods of safety.

Further, the idea that you cannot display text because of limitations on the CPU pull is beyond insane. That is like saying that all shadow rendering should be disabled because low end PCs cannot handle it. No. You simply give options. If people over task their systems because they use a setting that their computer is incapable of, I see no difference if it is a list menu or a high end graphics setting. Let players decide what works and where they are willing to sacrifice.

[Tommara]

Just an observation since many players are saying they haven't played an MMO that used text for inventory items, Eve Online, which has probably the most items and places the most emphasis on inventory of any popular MMO, does in fact provide a text based inventory list. It also provides an icon based inventory and a detailed text view.

As do Anarchy Online and Everquest2. These are all old games. It's hardly rocket science to provide an option to display inventory items in icon or list view. I'm guessing newer devs and players like it simpler? Or aren't aware of all the alternatives out there?

I'm really getting perturbed over the inventory issues (mostly lack of space, but also lack of abilities to organize other than moving things by hand. Yay! I'm playing a game that requires me to do things that are as much fun as cleaning my room!), especially since I'm leveling all crafters. I had to abandon fishing because of it. The problem is exacerbated because of many crafting recipes requiring lower level mats and lower level items. Cooking is a horror because it requires both numerous mats and frequent use of lower level recipes. It makes perfect sense that it should, but the inventory limitations make it really painful. Maintaining my kitchen in real life is more fun.

A search feature for recipes is really needed. I usually happily make crafted items for my friends, but now I make them give me a list with the exact names, levels, and sometimes which crafter makes them (which you can see via the market interface, which is very good). For example, shoes are made by 4 different crafters, and except for the metal wearers, there doesn't seem to be any logic with respect to what crafter makes an item for a class (and there are times when even metal wearers may find an upgrade in leather or cloth, which is nice). In most other games, I can usually figure out what the best items are for, say, a level 20 tank. Not so in FF, with things like a mage upgrade for a weaver made belt being made by a leatherworker. I'm fine with that (and actually like it), but really need a search feature for recipes because of it.

The market interface is a saving grace, and I wish I had something similar for my recipes. In fact, the market interface is amazingly good compared to other MMOs I've played, despite its apparent simplicity. It's simpleness is actually quite brilliant. Having something similar to the market interface, scaled down in scope, would be wonderful for my entire inventory, with an option to display everything in a list. I use the market search feature as a substitute for looking through my recipes (absolutely love the fact that an item that is being sold by no one still appears in the list - perfect for finding things I should make and put up for sale. It's a great feature I haven't seen before in another game. And I've been playing MMOs since the Everquest beta - 1999?).

I hated the Christmas quest and now the Heavensturn quest because of all the "junk" (head and chest pieces won't go in the armoire, "junk" in quotes because receiving them is no fun because of lack of space, but if inventory space wasn't such an issue, maybe they would have been more fun), so I'll be deleting my "rewards" for doing them. Solely because I have no room for them. I might have enjoyed the quests otherwise. It's silly to be receiving so much appearance gear with no appearance tab (which very old games like both AO and EQ2 have had for a long time) AND lack enough inventory space to store them. I just turned in a leve quest and received 3 Damaged Cudgels that won't stack, and apparently are the only way to obtain ingredients to craft a better item. Ugh, no delight in the rewards, quite the contrary, the rewards annoy me. I don't have any space for them.

The tabs appear to be a compromise to having a bagless inventory system without having one big humongous rectangle on screen, but they've managed to create the worst of both worlds, since you can't open two or more tabs at the same time nor are the tabs useful for segregating items of similar types, like you can with bags, which also allow you to grab a specific set of items when needed. I would prefer either bags or a seamless inventory screen that had scroll bars (considering that scroll bars are common, and are even used frequently in FF14's interface, I don't get these arguments about screen space at all). In other words, I would prefer anything but these tabs that are useless for anything other than satisfying a craving for boxes that use the same space on the screen. A craving I don't have.

I would also prefer having only one retainer with the same (or better yet, more than the) capacity we have now with the two (i.e, just one bank). It's a hassle to have to go through the dialogue with both retainers to retrieve items for crafting. Or better yet, I would prefer being able to craft using items held by the retainers, without having to retrieve them at all (having to talk to them, then locate what I need). Having a Harvest Box like in EQ2, that allows you to use items stored in them when crafting, whether in a guild hall or personal housing, is about the only thing that would motivate me to participate in FF14 housing, given the pretty much out-of-touch pricing. And I'm a hardcore builder type that is chomping at the bit to play Landmark. And will be paying SOE real money to allow me to do so in their alpha. But I have zero interest in using play money in FF14 to build houses as it is implemented now. It lacks any purpose, other than status, which doesn't interest me, and is extremely limited. Why should I be interested, given building alternatives such as EQ2, OSGrid, Minecraft, and now Landmark/EQNext?

[Amaretto08]

The image is already stored locally. What ends up in game is a panel holding a reference to the image. So yeah, a string ends up using more memory in this case.

[ArzakUltros]

I think the auto sort in this game is absolutely terrible. I can never find what type of item I need to turn in for my levequests so I just started putting specific items in its own tab. Fishing in general has a lot of fish that look exactly the same so I squint at the screen to make sure I "hand over" the right fish. It's rather annoying.

[Altonfenri]

i mean i really don't mind the pictures or the grid much... but its the sorting and tabs that make it so frustrating just moving things.. I mean an hour just to organize a full inv? crazy talk/

[Sevis]

The only problem I have with the inventory is the sorting. This applies to both the armoury chest and standard inventory. Implementing a sort by quality or level function would help to cut down on the chaos of what it currently is.

[OnyxStrife]

I'm so confused.. I don't know if i'm missing something because I'm insanely tired or what, but I kinda wanna know what you guys are talking about with the inventory icons.

You can easily see what the item is by hoving your mouse over it. I don't think I've ever played an MMO where the inventory was just text. They're always similar to the current system. Hover over the icon and the text pops up telling you what it is.

[Daedrik]

Maybe if they added a more discernible color scheme to the icons it be a lot less time consuming to look at, with time everything will come quicker anyway.

[h0tNstilettos]

What could really solve this problem without adding text is to add various inventory sorting options, like alphabetical, item type (with sub-types like stuff for a certain class, etc), newest, oldest, etc.

This would make finding what is needed extremely easy.

On top of this, any time you need to hand something over for a levequest or similar thing have it work the same way as side quests and story quests where the only items shown in your inventory when you go to complete quest are the ones needed to turn in for quests. For some odd reason levequests don't do this so you have to search entire inventory for the item they want. I think it's levequests I'm thinking of, or whatever type of quest where it makes you search your whole inventory to turn in.