ToME WikiIdea sprouts from this http://wiki.t-o-m-e.net/IdeaArchive_2fItems_2fNew_20artifact_3a_20modified_20bag_20of_20holding.
(someone stronger on wiki-fu please fix link...)
ReenenLaurie: I am not 100% sure how the time and speed system works. But the idea is containers. To get something out of a container takes time. Also certain containers can only hold certain size / types / amounts of items (think quiver). (You could also add how easily things get destroyed in certain containers...)
I can see a typical adventurer having his healing potions ready, as today's SWAT teams have their flashbangs and their bandoliers.
Thus you have your "quick-access" items. Healings, maybe one optional weapon swap (but I don't think so), and then your items stored far away (loot). In the previous post I refered to your "large bag" (you know the one you sling-over-your-shoulder-and-automatically-drop-when-fighting-and-automatically-retrieve-afterwards,(and -the-game-cannot-be-bothered-with-this-level-of-admin) so-effectively-you-have-it-with-you-all-the-time-*gasp* - bag).
So lets say you're in toe-to-toe battle with the troll... This does not give you time to dig into this bag and get the sword of *slay* troll... If you want to take out this sword it would take the amount of time to move - lets say 10 squares - to actually take the sword out. Then your standard move action to weild it... the other weapon will then either be dropped (no time penalty), or moved back into the bag (another 5 squares movement or so). (Only get prompted for action if you are in "combat" mode (I dunno if DG has designed such a mode yet, but I guess it can be defined if any aggressive monster AI is activated - he wants to have battle music anyway, so having this flag is probably useful anyway).
Your AC should also drop drastically during these actions because you can't exactly dodge when you are trying to open your bag.
So each type container has pros and cons. Bandolier / Belt items
- - Small size items only (scrolls, potions, etc) - Only 1 per container.
- No items heavier than +- 1 kg. (anyone want to convert thhe game to metric?
or just convert my figures to lbs) - Fragile items may break + has no AC drop + no time penalty.
Backpack items
- - Serious AC drop (30%) - 10 squares worth of time. - Mid sized items only (daggers, food, etc.) - Fragile items may break + Total weight of about 20 kg. 90 lbs (how're ppl's conversion abilities?) + Can carry several items (allow stacking etc.)
Bag items
- - Even more serious AC drop (50%) - 15 squares worth of time - Fragile items may break + Total weight of 100kg + Can carry bigger stuff (armors) one or two at most. + Can be put on your mount (riding is implemented now isn't it?)
Chest items (can only be used with mount)
- + Less AC drop + Fragile items doesn't break as easily - More time 20 squares or so
Carrying stuff (character with his hands) (ie. corpses or a chest)
- You effectively "wield" the corpse. So: - Melee AC drop (depending on corpse weight) - Speed drop (extra speed over and above the "weight" speed loss, because of cumbersome shape of corpses) - Cannot wield weapons
You can let your mount carry these types of things as well though, but your mount has it's weight limitations as well. You could also get carts which could go behind your mount... but that's less of "mount" then.
Then you obviously would be able to get artifacts or ego container items as well which could include (these are all just thoughts):
- Increased access speeds - Pval * 10% quicker
- Decreased overall weight - Pval * 10% ligher
- Maximum weight allowed
- Fragile item resists breaking
So everything you loot goes into a container...
- Hands
- Belt / Bandolier
- Pants
- Backpack
- Bag
- Chest
This system has pro's (inventory management by weight and mounts, and not by item type count), but also has a bit of admin disadvantages.
Also, the player needs to understand the implications of the container he chooses. (may be done via automizer-like defaults?)
Shoob: I would suggest implementing some of this, and I would make it so the character would start with a small backpack, which could carry a fixed weight and bulk, and there could be a medium backpack and a large backpack, each of which could carry more stuff. Ideas for some egos for backpacks/bags/chests: cursed (chance to scatter items), old (chance to drop an item), of holding (can carry more), of shielding (protects the items).
PatekShoggot adds: I believe (scratch that, know) sCthangband had an 'extra' inventory area - small items only, potions, scrolls, wands, food, IIRC. I also recall reading somewhere that TOME was intended to have a rather limited object storing facility? IE, that the limitations of keepable/carryable items (versus, for example, sCthangband) is by design.
DragonAtma: I've gotten kind of addicted to FuryBand (I always pronounce it "FurryBand" for some reason)'s Alchemic Arcanorum. For thsoe who haven't played it, basically it's an item that can absorb and spit out magical essences pon command. I don't suppose it can be added to ToME, can it?