I'm looking for some opinions on this matter: What do you feel about inventory count or weight limits in games? Is it worth the hassle of removing garbage items to make room for valuable loot, just to avoid breaking the realism? It it worth the freedom from hassle to allow the un-reality of carrying around 400-500 lbs of junk?

Personally, in the majority of games I've played that have infinite inventory, I only occasionally realize that my character is walking around with probably 300-400 lbs of junk, and then I'm thankful that the game allows it rather than being offended at the unreality. At the same time, there is a certain appeal to needing to prioritize your loot rather than just hauling a infinite bag-of-holding around.

The only games I can recall right now that I liked the weight limits was Project Zomboid and Neoscavenger. The first had infinite space, but fairly realistic weight limits. NeoScavenger was very inventory-centric, moreso than I found enjoyable, but there was a certain appeal to needing the be minimalistic and prioritizing items. It has limited innovatory space, bags, and a weight limit. Both added tension to gritty and realism-centric games.

In contrast, I found Skyrim and Fallout3s inventory systems to be largely unrealistic and the occasional occurrence of "your too heavy to walk" ended up being more annoying than anything. Carrying 3 rocket launchers was OK, but #4 was just too much.

I think it depends on the game. If it's a game like Zelda or Final Fantasy, then please give me infinite inventory. Please. If it's a game like Battlefield, Call of Duty, Halo, then yeah, I should have finite inventory. There's only so many guns, launchers, and grenades one person can hold at a time.

Carrying 3 rocket launchers was OK, but #4 was just too much.

If the guy can bench 400lbs, but can't bench 450lbs, you wouldn't call that unrealistic. Would you?

someone could bench 400 lbs but not walk for miles with it on their back. I understand the design side - it's a compromise between fun and realism.

My point was that they already breaks the wall of realism, so why not just drop the mechanic? I always avoided making low-strength characters because they couldn't carry anything which made the game fairly un-fun. I'd have to take a break in my quest to go offload junk at a nearby town constantly.

Weight limits are an arbitrary mechanic based on limited memory resources/limited GUI capabilities in certain kinds of games. If you have no memory or GUI issues, don't limit the character's storage capacity. Never do something because other games do it, only do what has a good reason.

Weight limits are an arbitrary mechanic based on limited memory resources/limited GUI capabilities in certain kinds of games. If you have no memory or GUI issues, don't limit the character's storage capacity. Never do something because other games do it, only do what has a good reason.

Done right, they're a prioritization mechanic. Angband has item and weight limits, and it forces you to decide whether to carry around an additional weapon (with bonuses against a different enemy type) or more health potions. Sunless sea, you want to carry valuable trade goods but you need to make sure you've got enough fuel and food as well.

If the game is about surviving in a hostile environment, inventory limits help with farming/balance issues. If different weapons work best in different situations, inventory limits make for interesting decisions. On the other hand, if you could always hike easily back to town to get more items, or weapons are progressive and unlikely to be swapped, or you just want a simpler, more streamlined game, unlimited inventories make a lot of sense.

I like the approach taken in games like Diablo (and to a lesser extent Minecraft)

Spatial limitations expressed with the UI. You might have 16x4 slots, and a sword might take up 1x3 slots but smaller stacks of items only taking up 1x1

I'm perfectly happy with the unrealism of carrying around 500lbs of junk, but I also like systems where the storage space is originally small but the player can craft expansions to it until it is generous.

I've always wanted a game where you simply cannot put e.g. a 2.5 meter long spear or a 1.8 meter long two-handed sword into "inventory". You could of course carry them, but they'd be visible to anyone, and presumably you would have to use your "hand slot" to do so. Basically, like this.

Then again, I'm not sure a lot of people would actually want to play such a game...

Limiting what you can carry via weight and optionally with an obscure "bulk" value seems more appropriate. Just like "hit points", I think that people will more readily accept that.

As I believe that others have already argued, I believe that it depends on the game: if limiting player carrying capacity makes the game better, then by all means do so; if it doesn't, then it might be preferable for players that their inventory not be limited.

For myself, I tend to prefer an unlimited inventory--I generally find the problem of what to keep an annoyance rather than an interesting choice.

I've always wanted a game where you simply cannot put e.g. a 2.5 meter long spear or a 1.8 meter long two-handed sword into "inventory". You could of course carry them, but they'd be visible to anyone, and presumably you would have to use your "hand slot" to do so.

I think that in such a scenario I'd at the least want belt- and back- slots: you could have a sword in your hand; a sword, mace or axe at your belt; and a spear, sword or shield on your back. The latter slot might incur a delay in equipping those items, as I have the impression that they're not terribly convenient, despite movie depictions.

In game design I love the concept. It forces players to make decisions, and those decisions can help balance the game.

As a player, I've often disliked the limits. I dislike them because it forces me to make decisions, and prevent me from becoming more powerful.



When they are limited I can choose to carry this large item to a merchant and get a bunch of money, but if I do so I need to discard a bunch of other loot instead. Either way, something is going to be left on the ground.

As a player I would love to be able to carry an assortment of weapons, ranged weapons, magical weapons, a weapon with +20 vs undead, another with +25 vs dragons, another with +15 vs the living, and another with +50 versus demons, but if my inventory is limited I need to make those decisions when standing in front of the storage chest back at camp. Some games even limit the size of the storage chests as well, so you cannot accumulate every piece of treasure since the beginning of the game.

In some games even carrying money can be burdensome. In NetHack money has a weight of 0.01. Carry a few thousand in gold isn't too bad, but trying to carry a hundred thousand gold pieces would be burdensome.

Speaking of NetHack, I love how their system works. They've got two limiting factors. First, as a text game you get 52 slots for inventory. Some of those objects can be containers like a bag or sack, and those can further hold their inventory. Second, every item has a weight and your character has an amount they can hold. Reach your weight capacity and your character becomes Burdened, they slow down and suffer extra damage, fall down stairs, and drown quickly. Carry more and you are Stressed, losing even more speed, cannot climb stairs or mount a steed, have a bigger damage penalty, but at least you exercise strength. Carry even more and you suffer worse penalties and begin abusing your stats and take damage with every step.

If you're dong a box-based graphical inventory, where some objects are 1x1 stacks, others are 1x2, 1x3, 2x4, or whatever, be kind and include some automatic sorting functions. Something that lets them drop in a big object that will reorganize to attempt to find the space.