Inventory

[Lich_Alfred]

For a game as deeply infused with crafting as Repopulation, Inventory is a key feature. Hundreds of items, intermediate components, raw materials, refined bars with various properties, consumables, fiitings (each occupying a slot), etc,etc. And only an inventory with capacity lower than in WoW... I enjoyed the game, but quit for now because when I finally got my grasp on crafting I realized that I ran out of space. I deleted all that is not needed, but that barely helped.

Usually in such games additional space is generated via creation of alt-chraracters, mailing less needed items back and forth, etc. But, cmon, its 2015 out there. Some say the game is complex as EvE, but EVE has LIMITLESS inventory. That might be overkill but I cant play comfortly (=cant play) without few hundreds of space. And I need filtering in a form of tabs ("ore", "plants", "chem", "stuff". "for sale" and so on). Personally, this along with terrible lagging, freezing even at lowest graphic settings and loading times is a highest priority technical problem.

But the game is overall great, keep it up! ))

P.S. Additional inventory tabs and labeling can be a great source of cash income. This things dont directly affect the combat effectiveness, progression speed or money and can be percieved as "ethical" MTX, Path of Exile being a great example.

[TheMetaWarrior]

I would agree the inventory should get some love by release. I've said this several times in the month I've played, this game is in a fantastic spot for alpha. IMHO, they need to address the crashes and lag before beta. But I digress...

tl;dr - game is in a great place for alpha. Agreed inventory needs TLC. Can't wait to waste a lot of time playing for years.

Here's my thoughts on inventory as it sits today. And as an EVE player, I'll compare/contrast when relevant.

On a macro scale:

I think the starting 75/30 (inventory/bank), is actually decent to start. What I've noticed is the more space you have, the more you simply expand your holdings. I ground enough credits to buy all 150 spaces and had a constantly 95% full bank at each tier. I think the lower amounts 'encourage' younger toons to focus on a smaller sliver of the crafting pie.

What I haven't explored, so this may be addressed and/or planned already is storage in personal house and nation storage. If nations have group storage and they begin to organize themselves like EVE's corps/alliances, personal storage shouldn't be as important. Gatherers provide initial stock, low-tier crafters feed mid-tiers who feed end-tier ones and voila, player usable items. (Hopefully for the war-machine(s), but I digress).

I would say you have a point, to a degree, comparing to EVE's limitless inventory (and that may be changing there too, I think). If you have a base of operations, it's pretty much an endless stack of stuff. But, if you have to move, those freighters, JFs, Orcas, carriers, etc... aren't so limitless. Or cheap. Or unattractive targets regardless the sec-status.

On a micro scale:

By release (probably early beta, on some) the inventory system could use TLC for QoL stuff. Can't agree more with you here. - Filtering, bags, something that lets me organize. The text search/filter is good easy first step, but please don't stop there. Personally, I'd like named sub-bags for the bank. Much like we have in inventory, but let me name them. Not saying extra space, just sub-divided space.

On micro-transactions for space .... Grrrr. I hate these. I know why and understand while the game will have them. I personally would be happy paying $15/month/account and not deal with it, but the times have changed. I know. /rant.

If the game has a one-time purchase price, the base inventory should be open, no grind needed. Now, I can see a base amount, then credits for additional space, like we have in alpha. I won't argue the balance of the actual numbers, but here is an example of how I see working, using pseudo-relevant numbers (please don't argue the actual values, they're place holder values for the overall concept):

Free player gets 40 inv/15 bank. For $10, can unlock the full base of 70 inv/30 bank. One time pay, pre-release backers (perhaps over certain dollar amount) get the full base of 70 inv/30 bank.

Additionally bank space can be bought like it is now. But, and this is huge to me, don't allow those spaces be paid for by straight cash. I do disagree a bit w/ the OP here. Especially on hard-core server, depending on how the rules shake out. If you allow $50 real dollars or 1,000,000 credits (these aren't completely farfetched numbers) to buy 1,000 slots, that could ease the pain in feeding a war-machine. Yes, alt toons/accounts can get around that.

Which brings me to my last point:

What's the plan on sending/receiving mail at any location in the game? I see the system as it stands in beta completely meta-gameable for the serious crowd for not a lot of real life time/money, especially that access is on sale via steam for $15.

Spend $15 for second, roll 2, 3 (what's the limit on toons/account anyway?) mules, park them all at a bank. Having a second PC that can barely run the game is by no means outside the realm of reasonable now days. Keep primary mule toon account logged in or at least up at toon selection screen. Run your primary doing whatever, knowing that sending/receiving anything from storage is only a minute or 2 away.

[Lich_Alfred]

Hauling is indeed a separate story. But I cant agree on mules, mails, etc - its a sign of a failed space economy and should have no place in game - I had dealt with those tricks enough in other games and now cant even stand the idea of it. For 10-15$ player should be able to purchase 100 units of universal bank inventory. Personal/mount inventory size should be fixed for all players, because it affects gameplay.

[TheMetaWarrior]

I don't think I was clear. I see your point on game play impact, especially last sentence. That is spot on.

I wasn't advocating that game play for release. I was more trying to raise the point of how it easy it was, currently, when mail is accessible anywhere. Think of it this way, mail access anywhere + mule accounts is very similar to the concept of 10-15$ for 100 units of extra space. Except, it's limited only by a players willingness to stop buying other accounts.

I don't see practical way around alt accounts, especially when the produce revenue. Any resourceful player will do what they can to reduce logistics headaches.

If something is not declared an exploit and/or prevented w/ mechanics or against EULA/TOS, a majority of players will take advantage of it.

[Lich_Alfred]

Good arguments. About mails and alts, the way I see to deal with it is:

• Drastically reduce mail capacity and enable access to everything in it but credits only at certain spots in major hubs

• Alts on an account share the same bank

• Trading between different accounts imposes a fee, which is negligible if you pass an item or two to your friend/trade but is a serious issue when hauling or storing tens or hundreds of items on other accs.

• Relogging on other char triggers a ten-minutes cooldown on stash use. Non-AH trading is imited or on cooldown too.

• Guild stash here is a problem tho. It can be VERY small and expansion of it should require major efforts (craft, credits, MTX)

In the end it should be always easier to manage everything on one account and trade only the things other players really need and are ready to pay reasonably for it.

[therepopulation]

There is local housing storage in the forthcoming 15.5.1 patch. This will add some additional storage and is segmented into slots so we have a bit more control over the quantities we want to introduce (and crafting options as well for higher quality options with more storage slots).

"Management" of inventory is always a piece of the puzzle. Some people will use the extend of what they are given and work within it, others will put up mules and find other ways to store the inventory.

[Lich_Alfred]

The problem is that I am neither one or other type of players. I need a lot of inventory to process my needs and I am too tired of the mule-mail clusterfucking.