I just thought of something that I think would give backpacks a lot more usage, and to make inventory management more complicated fun! I got the idea from a common problem with games in general, that your character seems to walk around with black holes in his pockets and bags!
As many of you might already know, a lot of the military-grade backpacks out there use a system of webbing to make them more useful while in the field. These systems range from simple, singular additions, such as hooks and flexible paracords, to complete systems of straps, pouches and belts, tailor-made to suit the wearers needs, whatever they may be.
There´s already different kinds of these tactical systems available to the player in the form of drop leg pouches to holsters and webbings, but none that affects the backpacks, as far as I know.
The kind of benefits you would get from these backpack “mods” would be different depending on what you add. Here´s a few examples from the top of my head:
Rifle straps: The rifle straps works kinda like a holster, where you store your pistol when not in use, to free up space in your inventory (Backpack, pants, jackets, etc). You add these straps to your military backpack, and can be altered to fit different kind of rifles. The weapon will be out of your way, but will however encumber your torso, since the added weight to the side of your backpack lowers your ability to move freely (The weight ofc adding to you current carry weight).
Carbine hooks: Low in weight and durable, these hooks can be used to hold anything with a strap or similar on it it: Certain canteens, pots, helmets, glow sticks, etc. Your encumber will be affected by the size and weight of the item attached.
Canteen and water pouches: Specifically made pouches to hold various sized bottles and canteens. Saves up space in your backpack.
Straps for packed tents, roll mats and sleeping bags: Gives you a way to store your sleeping bag/tent while on the move. Since rolled up sleeping bags and tents would take up a lot of space in your backpack, it’s just more practical to strap them on top of underneath of your backpack. Same goes as with everything else you strap to your backpack, adding to your encumber.
Misc pouches: Various pouches for various kinds of equipment: Radios, grenades, magazines, maps and folders, tools. There’s a reason people don’t walk around with shovels in their backpacks for example, unless they happen to be foldable. It’s just more practical to carry them strapped to the side of your backpack!
I’m sure that you guys can come up with a lot more additions that could be made to a backpack, the skies the limit. These mods are however somewhat dependent on preexisting loops and straps on the backpack, so they would be limited to military grade backpacks only.
I like to gear my char to the teeth in gear, and adding these additions to the backpacks would make storage management even more complicated fun! I think the game would benefit from this, giving it even more depth!
Just as weapon mods, there would be a limit to the amount of straps/hooks/etc that you could attach to your backpack. Perhaps a limit of 2 rifle straps, one on each side of the backpack? You could also have backpacks with straps that goes over your stomach and chest, making it less cumbersome to wear, just like IRL.
Why not also have camelbak, adding a way to store water in the backpack itself.
The possibilities with these systems are limited by your imagination.
I kinda feel like storage items need a workover to make them behave more like containers, and then this modification will really shine.
As it is, a backpack just adds storage space to the character, rather than possessing that space itself. If gear’s storage capacity worked like proper containers, modifications made could then improve that base item’s storage capacity as well as types of items that will fit in/on there (namely, rifles could go on a backpack with a strap mod, but won’t fit inside due to volume).
The upside would be storage that is intuitive due to behaving like real life things ought to. Downside would be having to rummage through all these different compartments for the thing you want in your inventory screen. (I rummage anyway due to a shit-ton of medical items that take no space/weight up bloating my inventory list. I’d be super happy to be presented a page of containers which act like collapsible drop-down menues as a workaround.)
…tl;dr I think your idea is great and would be greater if I could fucking code storage to assist.
This is the reason why I started thinking about mods in the first place. As you point out, this addition would make even more sense if the backpack works like a container, and if that change was made, there’s a lot of cool things you can do with it (Not just rummage through your pockets after a lighter!)
Get outta dodge bag: A backpack filled with stuff that could be useful if you got to leave your base NOW.
Smaller medic bag on the side of your bigger bag: All your medic crap packed neatly in a rip-off pouch.
Shotgun/grenade bandolier: Saves up A LOT of space in your inventory by carry your grenades on your chest! (Perhaps a chance they would go of if you’re shot in torso?)
Chest rigs: For all your ammo needs. Easy access, sweet!
And for those people who wants to walk around with everything they own on their back, introduce hiking backpacks with even more storage capabilities. Not so easy to fight in perhaps, but perfect for all those nomads out there!
Etc, etc, etc ,etc!
I don’t know how to code at all, so I don’t know what’s possible and what’s not.
This is the reason why I started thinking about mods in the first place. As you point out, this addition would make even more sense if the backpack works like a container, and if that change was made, there’s a lot of cool things you can do with it (Not just rummage through your pockets after a lighter!)
Get outta dodge bag: A backpack filled with stuff that could be useful if you got to leave your base NOW.
Smaller medic bag on the side of your bigger bag: All your medic crap packed neatly in a rip-off pouch.
Shotgun/grenade bandolier: Saves up A LOT of space in your inventory by carry your grenades on your chest! (Perhaps a chance they would go of if you’re shot in torso?)
Chest rigs: For all your ammo needs. Easy access, sweet!
And for those people who wants to walk around with everything they own on their back, introduce hiking backpacks with even more storage capabilities. Not so easy to fight in perhaps, but perfect for all those nomads out there!
Etc, etc, etc ,etc!
I don’t know how to code at all, so I don’t know what’s possible and what’s not.[/quote]
I think it would instead need the equipment data to be a bit more modularized, so you can do things like indicate that armor is also a container (for camel baks) or have multiple on-use properties. I imagine that’d be a pretty massive amount of work, though.
Oooh, that’s a really good point. Probably a large part of why the system is still as-is. (Besides other things being way more interesting or priority).
I just realized an overhaul of containers and then awesome modular backpack additions would mean I could finally drop my hiking gear and keep my medkit on me when combat suddenly happens. With the game as-is, I have to drop the duffelbag, and then individually drop every heavy thing in my inventory that should have been in the duffelbag anyway. While I appreciate that equipment-changing and item-interacting takes time even in combat, it is very unrealistic for me to manually unpack every item I own when a cougar is eating my face.
Your suggestions make me a happy Edmund, we really need more coders. I may need to learn a thing or two someday once I’m not dealing with earning a degree.
[quote=“Pthalocy, post:10, topic:7953”]Oooh, that’s a really good point. Probably a large part of why the system is still as-is. (Besides other things being way more interesting or priority).
I just realized an overhaul of containers and then awesome modular backpack additions would mean I could finally drop my hiking gear and keep my medkit on me when combat suddenly happens. With the game as-is, I have to drop the duffelbag, and then individually drop every heavy thing in my inventory that should have been in the duffelbag anyway. While I appreciate that equipment-changing and item-interacting takes time even in combat, it is very unrealistic for me to manually unpack every item I own when a cougar is eating my face.
Your suggestions make me a happy Edmund, we really need more coders. I may need to learn a thing or two someday once I’m not dealing with earning a degree.[/quote]
You can already drop the vol of your backpack in the same action as you drop it. So the cirrent system is more tedious when it comes to droping you stuff but its more powerfull as it lets you drop the whole volume worth of itmes you want and not what would be in it… also less realistic.
I know a json rework into a more tag-like system has been discussed, but it’ll require a major rework of the json parser, not to mention all the json updates. As I’m not a good enough coder to tackle the former, I volunteered to help with the latter. I could certainly use help with it too, but the code needs to come first, and it’ll have to be timed well considering it may break every single item in the game. I don’t know where it is on the priority list. I’m guessing some of the main coders might want some rest after the push for 0.B.
Totally worth it though. I’m really looking forward to it.
[quote=“Ricke, post:1, topic:7953”]- Misc pouches: Various pouches for various kinds of equipment: Radios, grenades, magazines, maps and folders, tools. There’s a reason people don’t walk around with shovels in their backpacks for example, unless they happen to be foldable. It’s just more practical to carry them strapped to the side of your backpack![/quote]In regards to this, I’ve actually seen dedicated e-tool (folding shovel) cases at Army surplus stores that clip to the side of an ALICE belt, or All-purpose Lightweight Individual Carrying Equipment, which is a piece of gear I happen to own IRL. I’m a real sucker for modular equipment, and the thing about that belt is, I can always take off and add pouches depending on what I’m using it for. Bike ride? Take off the butt-pack, slap on the extra canteen and stuff a mag pouch with snacks. Camping? Put the pack back on, use the pistol mag pouch to carry my flashlight. Airsoft game? Stuff that sucker to the brim with combat gear. Zombie apocalypse? … okay I’m gonna need more than a belt, but you get the point. MoLLE (Modular Lightweight Load-carrying Equipment) is a very popular method today, what with having more real estate to put various other pouches on backpacks and tactical vests, rather than just on a belt.
I’d try to learn C++ if high school and its assorted problems weren’t plaguing me right now, but modularity of that sort is something I believe this game would seriously benefit from.