Cata has a different style inventory than most Rogue-likes I’ve played. While I like the more free-form “throw on what you can/want to and deal with the consequences” we have now, something definitely can be said for the simplicity of the 1-item-per-bodypart style of inventory system seen elsewhere. Newer players will always have an easier time with “is this shirt better than my current shirt … yes? … ok then I’ll replace it” vs a complex layering system.
I’m not privy to what is imagined for the inventory overhaul (I just pray it doesn’t get too frustrating, juggling items around). Will we have to, say, press ‘I’ for inventory, then ‘X’ to choose some aspirin, then ‘S’ to “store” it, then ‘j’ for jeans pocket? That made my hair stand on end. lol
Neoscavenger’s does that and it works decent but it has a point-and-click, image based inventory system so it is easier to drag and drop a pill bottle from one pocket to another in a second or two, and without needing to think much.
Anyway, I guess there are a few options available to think about here, if the system as a whole needs some clarifying and/or juggling.
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The simple solution could just be adding another hardpoint to the “body” to affix things to. Toss in a new category that covers the majority of slotless items currently out there - belts, tactical dump pouches, fanny packs, etc. Just a catch-all area for “extra volume items” to go. Either hard cap it so you can’t wear 2 of EVERYthing, or make it have an encumbrance value or effect somehow. That won’t stop me from putting on 1 of every type of pocket’y vest though …
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An exponential system could work.
How about creating a set value of encumbrance every character can wear in each slot before the penalty sets in (as opposed to the “1 encumbrance = penalty” setup in there now). Balance things based on “normal clothing levels” as opposed to balanced around naked, as it feels now.
All the clothing would probably need to be encumbrance-balanced again though 
… but, for instance, your torso can hold encumbrance 5, before you start getting penalized. Common shirts would be a 1 … trenchcoats or hoodies a 2 … backpack might be a 3. That way, someone can wear a light jacket & shirt, and still wear a backpack without getting too bogged down.
- Just un-squashing the encumbrance system could help, too. With all the integers available, its funny we only see 0-5 basically.
It can be hard to understand why Enc:0 items add to encumbrance to some. Why does 6 “zero” items sometimes give me a 2enc? … or … if I switch which 6 zero items, do I sometimes NOT have a 2enc, but a 3? BOOM, newbie’s head explodes.
On that note … just removing “zero” and replacing it with “1/2” or whatever might make more sense to some people. A simple note of “encumbrance values are rounded down” and bang, people might understand why they can wear a nicely fitted T-shirt without penalty but don’t see the issue now where 0+0=1.
I dunno’ … just babbling (I tend to do that). The current system seems counter intuitive at times (unless you learn how to game it) and the crazy layering as shown prior makes a mess of things. I feel like my characters all end up a walking mass of leather straps and pockets after a while, which I couldn’t imagine in RL being as free-moving as someone in cargo pants and a jacket … but the math can look that way in game.
