Encumbrance: Gaming's Weight Problem - The Point

Great video as usual, but GameSpot really needs to either go back to the old player or get another one. The one they're using reduces video quality like crazy, I can't even appreciate Andy's full camera work when this player is making the image slow down randomly and make it look like it's on 360p. The old player (similar to Giant Bomb's) that they still use in some videos is miles ahead better.

(yes, I have adblock turned off and good internet speed)

Stopped playing Fallout 4 because of this. Too much crap everywhere. In the end I saw it all as useless junk . Just couldnt be bothered trying to decipher what I needed and what for.

Also, Danny, I don't know if I've been beat to it but I made a quick GIF of your Far Cry double spearing lol. Just watched that episode and thought it needed to be done.

http://www.gfycat(dot)com/PotableAdventurousCanary

The most interesting inventory systems are ones that make for interesting decisions and become mechanics in and of themselves. A weight limit is not enough to achieve this.

Some memorable examples:

- Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen. Encumbrance and even your character's height and weight affect how nimble you are in combat, and how much you can carry without getting tired.

- Metal Gear Solid 1, after escaping from the torture room, you find an explosive in your bag. You have to interact with the inventory item to throw it away. It made the inventory feel that much more tangible. Metal Gear Solid 2 also has a great example, where you must equip the gun and the suppressor at the same time to screw it on in an otherwise very 'gamey' inventory system and menu.

- ROGUELIKES! Danny, please play Cataclysm: Dark Days Ahead. It's open source freeware and had a successful kickstarter. Very 'simulationist' roguelike, but surprisingly accessible. It's a hyper-realistic inventory system, where you can put things into bags and have a separate inventory for your hands and stuff. It leads to hilarious moments where you are trying to balance tons of items (which have length and weight attributes) on your hands. Thus you have to put them into a backpack, etc, which can be carried on hand and used as a weapon... just so many great possibilities. The graphics are ASCII (haven't tried the tileset) but the situation is hilarious to think about.

As the MGS and Dragon's Dogma examples show, the inventory does not have to be 'realistic' for it to be cool. It can be passable if it's an endless list like The Witcher 3. But it's when they do something interesting with the inventory that it gets points.

Haha, the geezer who made the intro for The Point is definitely one for pleasing A E S T H E T I C S

That Danny's still coherent after a 750ml(?) bottle of rum, however cheap, baffles the mind.

Every time I start a Bethesda game I open the console and turn off the weight limits. It's the only cheat I ever use, and it makes the game actually enjoyable.

Witcher 3 took the WRONG approach to loot. I understand it's motivation to explore, and it's addictive, but when half of all the weapons and gear you find are under-leveled, it all becomes vendor junk.

I love the point! I wish it was more frequent!

Eat all the food in your inventory to lower your carrying weight.

Makes perfect sense.

The big question. Was it booze or apple juice? XD

"why we can't stop picking things up in the first place."

Skinner Box

I always console command Bethesda games to remove encumbrance because it's only a nuisance.

The Witcher was sound because it let you collect as many crafting components as you could, only encumbering you really with hides and equipment.

I always liked Resident evil 1-5's inventories, where each system felt like they fit the game well. (6 can suck one)

Havent watched this show in a looong time. Glad I checked it out again!

It was worth to watch it just to see rum absorbing Danny :) I jest of course, another interesting episode folks, keep up the good work!

Hyperspace Arsenal is my favorite soccer team.

Awesome video as all ways.

another funny and interesting episode Danny

Dues Ex is my favorite style of inventory, whatever hell you wanna call the system. Having how many squares an item fills up represent its weight is great.

A game I recently played: Resident Evil 0 HD had and interesting inventory system, you can carry only a few items, but you have two characters to distribute between (for example you can make one combat heavy, and the other carry puzzles items and what not, but sometimes they get separated so you have to be careful). Also, you can drop any item "almost" anywhere, and come back to it later, even the map tells you what you left where.

I liked it, but something made it a big pain in the ***! And that is the amount of backtracking you had to do, and with those long door-animations. Yeah it gives a feeling of suspense for the first few times, but then it gets really annoying!

Thankfully, since I played it on PC, I was able to find and install a mod that makes those animations much shorter, and make the backtracking way more bearable.

It shouldn't be difficult to put toggles in the options menu that turn off encumbrance.

If annually re-skinned sports games can include deep customization options, RPG's that take several years and tens of millions of dollars to develop can do it, too.