ZealD's new Inventory System

[lordshiding@hotmail.nl 9]

I love it, you don't have my beans, but you do have my matches, hunting knife and hatchet!

[zeald 19]

I love it, you don't have my beans, but you do have my matches, hunting knife and hatchet!

Thanks mate! Got any spare mountaindew?

[zeald 19]

A small update, including a small sketch I've created to follow with the explanation.

(Why u no picture?)

As you can see here the player has all his 48 inventory slots taken by a 24 slot backpack, a 6 slot medic pouch, a 8+6 slot ammo belt and a 12 slot toolbelt. If the player was to find a 30 slot backpack and wanted to use, then he would have to remove one of the bags already in place, or switch one of the other bags in with a 6 slot smaller one.

The ammo belt has 8 slots for ammunition for the primary and secondary weapons, 4 for each. The player can drag empty magazine slots and drop them in the grey ones. This will remove one slot from where you dragged it and add one to where you put it. If you dragged one slot from the secondary to the primary in this case you would have 5 ammo slots for the primary and 3 for the secondary.

NOTE:

Backpack: Food, Drink, Weapons, Night Vision

Medic Pouch: Bandages, Painkillers, Bloodbags, Morphine, Antibiotics, and other medical stuff.

Ammo Belt: Granades, Smoke Granades, M203 Granades / Smoke, Magazines for other weapons

Toolbox: All current tools, vehicle parts, traps / wire / sandbags

Edited July 18, 2012 by ZealD

[Jenga22 22]

Omg mann, love the mock up i hope u make the dev team, will u also add a drag and drop system

[L0G!N (DayZ) 149]

Here read this thread if you are truely interested in a better inventory system: http://dayzmod.com/f...sions-teamwork/ ... and you might want to check some more of my suggestions as this is just one of several i made related to the inventory ... (see signature)

Second, and this is not meant as a personal attack, but maybe gamedesign schools are what is wrong with the industry and why we get all these cookie/cutter the same games put in front of us all the time, as you are stuffed with all sorts of 'optimal ease of use' sollutions and students stop to think about what it is they want to accomplish in a game, and what suits THAT best.

Now if this game was more a shooter based Zombie game (like stalker) i would agree (go check s.t.a.l.k.e.r. vids on youtube, you will see the inventory system in almost each of them), because action is faster paced you need fairly quick access to stuff, you need to switch around stuff, etc ... DayZ on the other hand isn't like this, it's an authenticly based survival game placed in a zombie apocolypse survival situation. SO, why does the inventory system suit this style of game, seeing you are a student you likely have a backpack laying around somewhere, put 12 items in that backpack of various sizes (surely there is some tinned food somewhere, grab some 'bandages' from a roommaiden, and just toss in some other stuff), close the backpack, put it on your back... Now, grab a watch or find a stopwatch app on some webs: Now! Pick one item and hit start on the stopwatch, gogogogogo, find that item in your backpack and click 'stop' when you find it ... How long did that take you? now repeat the experiement a couple of times, and no cheating put the backpack back on your back everytime! ... start to notice something?

SO that is why this inventory system is actually great for this game, a drag and drop easy access to all your stuff inventory system would realy not suit this game, almost everything in this game gives you a bit of frustration, puts you under presure... it's no happy camping hillbilly style RPG, which happens to have some zombies around! ...

And sorry if this all reads a bit passively agressive, but as a gamedesigner you have to take into account what it is your game does, and what you want it to do, you pick your items, inventory, etc. to match these things, so that each and every bit of it reinforces the experience you want to give the player ... perhaps that kind of stuff isn't covered in a gamedesign bachelor, but then take it from a bachelor industrial design (graduated on a universal GUI for production machines), this game does NOT need an easy access RPG inventory system, it needs less space & more annoying small bags, and the way the inventory works is just fine!

Edited July 18, 2012 by L0GIN

[Hallker 20]

Well, in my opinion your system of Inventory system is really nice. Current inventory in DayZ need rebuild BUT there should be no defined slots for items like medical or food etc etc.

I really like that you have to switch your stuff from backpack to toolbelt or "hands" to use them.

In your system i would change that some slots are defined only for medical supplies some slots for food and ammo and some slots for other stuff. But in general it's wonderfull idea...

[ryan__mc__@hotmail.co.uk 131]

Current system is fine tbh ...but would be nice to have a drag and drop feature added. When you click open back ..a new window pops up showing all your backpack slots and you can drag and drop loot between inventory and backpack!

Also your making things more of an anoyance and grind! having to find bags/pouches for all the different kinds of inventory space ? NO TY!

Edited July 18, 2012 by Massicor

[gant12000 4]

i showed this inventory to someone, your mockup i mean. they haven't played the game, nor arma, and could not figure out what it was or what went where. it is a good start, though. i think you should try another mockup, with just a simple sketch on paper. show that to someone that hasnt played this game and see if they can figure it out, repeat until you think it is ready to be more fleshed out and do a digital version. alot of the problems i see with this will vanish if you try that. if you want, i could take a swing and try some variation of what i think you want.

[zeald 19]

Here read this thread if you are truely interested in a better inventory system: http://dayzmod.com/f...sions-teamwork/ ... and you might want to check some more of my suggestions as this is just one of several i made related to the inventory ... (see signature)

Second, and this is not meant as a personal attack, but maybe gamedesign schools are what is wrong with the industry and why we get all these cookie/cutter the same games put in front of us all the time, as you are stuffed with all sorts of 'optimal ease of use' sollutions and students stop to think about what it is they want to accomplish in a game, and what suits THAT best.

Now if this game was more a shooter based Zombie game (like stalker) i would agree (go check s.t.a.l.k.e.r. vids on youtube, you will see the inventory system in almost each of them), because action is faster paced you need fairly quick access to stuff, you need to switch around stuff, etc ... DayZ on the other hand isn't like this, it's an authenticly based survival game placed in a zombie apocolypse survival situation. SO, why does the inventory system suit this style of game, seeing you are a student you likely have a backpack laying around somewhere, put 12 items in that backpack of various sizes (surely there is some tinned food somewhere, grab some 'bandages' from a roommaiden, and just toss in some other stuff), close the backpack, put it on your back... Now, grab a watch or find a stopwatch app on some webs: Now! Pick one item and hit start on the stopwatch, gogogogogo, find that item in your backpack and click 'stop' when you find it ... How long did that take you? now repeat the experiement a couple of times, and no cheating put the backpack back on your back everytime! ... start to notice something?

SO that is why this inventory system is actually great for this game, a drag and drop easy access to all your stuff inventory system would realy not suit this game, almost everything in this game gives you a bit of frustration, puts you under presure... it's no happy camping hillbilly style RPG, which happens to have some zombies around! ...

And sorry if this all reads a bit passively agressive, but as a gamedesigner you have to take into account what it is your game does, and what you want it to do, you pick your items, inventory, etc. to match these things, so that each and every bit of it reinforces the experience you want to give the player ... perhaps that kind of stuff isn't covered in a gamedesign bachelor, but then take it from a bachelor industrial design (graduated on a universal GUI for production machines), this game does NOT need an easy access RPG inventory system, it needs less space & more annoying small bags, and the way the inventory works is just fine!

I've read your post before, and I do believe we have come up with two different solutions for the same purpose. Both our ideas adds a new debth to the game where players can now take one dedicated roles in a team, like say an engineer or a medic. The only real difference I see is that my solution has a more focus on ease of use as you call it, and your seems to be more complex. While I agree with you that DayZ is not a hilbilly camping RPG I still think that the simplicity behind my design will work well in the game's current state. Frustration is good to a certain extent, but if you force frustration upon a player in situations where they really don't need it they will have a bad time. My purpose with this design is to make a understandable system that everyone can figure out really fast, but where some thinking needs to be put in order to make it suited for yourself. For me as a designer I love keeping things simple and to the point. The gear and inventory system is the first thing a player meets in DayZ, if you overcomplicate it many players will just stop right there. Keeping a system simple but highly functional for both new and experienced players is what I think I've done here.

I can see the maximum slot number of 48 might be reduced, to make the decision even harder. I can't see how drag and drop functionality would not work in DayZ, it's as close to real life as it gets - you drag and you drop.

As for game design schools leading to more cookie/cutter games out there I guess that comes down to the qualities of the teachers. All my teachers have urged us into thinking out of the box, creating experiences that will leave people thinking "why didn't I think of that?". And no, I'm not a student, I'm finished with my bachelors degree in game design :)

[zeald 19]

i showed this inventory to someone, your mockup i mean. they haven't played the game, nor arma, and could not figure out what it was or what went where. it is a good start, though. i think you should try another mockup, with just a simple sketch on paper. show that to someone that hasnt played this game and see if they can figure it out, repeat until you think it is ready to be more fleshed out and do a digital version. alot of the problems i see with this will vanish if you try that. if you want, i could take a swing and try some variation of what i think you want.

Thank you for the feedback. Was there anything in specific they didn't understand? Did you ask: Where does the painkillers go? Where does the food go? Where does the hatchet go? Where does the granade go?

Again, thanks for the feedback :) Will iterate on the design

[Jenga22 22]

Again i agree with Zeal everyone just agree with him, cause its a good idea :D

Have more beans :)

[Boitameuh 14]

Suggesting specialization rather than forcing it with a rigid class system. Very clever.

[zeald 19]

Suggesting specialization rather than forcing it with a rigid class system. Very clever.

Thanks for the feedback :) When I first thought of this system it was because when playing DayZ I wanted to feel unique in one way or the other. I wanted my character to be important in a team composition. I wanted my teammates to think "We can't raid Stary Sobor untill our looter / raider is on". A rigid class system would not do in a permadeath game like this. As stated before on the forums "Don't get attached to your gear". It's basically the same as saying don't get attached to your character, and thats exactly what you do with a rigid class system.

[Boitameuh 14]

I understand your approach since I have a similar one : I almost never use a primary weapon other than the hatchet, making me the silent zombie killer of the group. When I encounter people I ask them to hold their fire and let me do the dirty job. In the end the constraint I put upon myself benefits me, and motivates complementary roles and teamplay.

[Jenga22 22]

I know what you mean aswell, im my group im the medic so people dont have to worry when they are shooting i can just bandage them and they can carry on as normal so i think it would be good :D

[Uuni 74]

Inventory tetris is all we need. No separate sections for different loot. One grid for backpack and one for your inventory, weapons fill slots according to their size if placed inside the backpack, toolbelt is separate from the inventory

[Jenga22 22]

I just wish we could give Zeals Idea a Chance instead of giving different ideas. Aslong as he codes it and then sells/gives it to the dev team they can implement it, its no work for them :D

[Worrun (DayZ) 108]

I only read half way down but it seems like a real good idea, but just 1 thing.

Do NOT have serperate storage spaces for different things. I could have 10 food slots, 10 medical slots. I could have 11 cans of beans and 1 bandage and I cannot carry that last tin of beans in the medical bag? Why? Some sort of force is stopping me?

Nah, just have 42 slots of just a single "inventory" aka a bag or series of bags that you can put ANYTHING in, just like real life. If I get a backpack IRL i can throw anything inside :D

[LifeHackz (DayZ) 17]

Love it.

[zeald 19]

I only read half way down but it seems like a real good idea, but just 1 thing.

Do NOT have serperate storage spaces for different things. I could have 10 food slots, 10 medical slots. I could have 11 cans of beans and 1 bandage and I cannot carry that last tin of beans in the medical bag? Why? Some sort of force is stopping me?

Nah, just have 42 slots of just a single "inventory" aka a bag or series of bags that you can put ANYTHING in, just like real life. If I get a backpack IRL i can throw anything inside :D

While my idea limits the overall freedom as opposed to a custom inventory like you propose, it adds a class-based system to peoples characters. That was my intent with the design. Sure I could have made a design that has no limits to where people put their things, but that would not really help me down the path im taking. Thanks for the reply though! :)

Edited July 19, 2012 by ZealD

[lordshiding@hotmail.nl 9]

Idea: add to the ammo belt, Holsters. Maybe a way to dual wield pistols? (accuracy would suck, but maybe usefull on croud control)

[Burn! 7]

I am a 23 year old game designer, at least thats what my bachelors degree tell me.

Made my day. I'm sorry for you, buddy. I'm sorry.

[Jenga22 22]

Made my day. I'm sorry for you, buddy. I'm sorry.

Wait what, Confused? Why you Sorry?

[zeald 19]

Made my day. I'm sorry for you, buddy. I'm sorry.

Don't really get why you feel sorry for me, but ok. I do what I love doing :)