Inventory Limit

[Diggo11]

For those who are not avid readers of the developers' blog, here's an exert I'm sure will be of interest to you.

Further upcoming changes/ideas we want to implement a kind of backpack limit i know most of you will hate it, but we want and need some more limitation. This has technical reasons because of the amount of items per player to store them in database and this has game design reasons we want more interaction between all players. I have to say that we are in an early state of ideas about that, but we know that many peoples are collectors. We plan to introduce some kind of collections so if you found any item it will be saved as found and you can sell this item. If you found every item of a kind for example all woolly hats you will receive an achievement for it and maybe some kind of bonus. I personally hope that this is a good solution for everyone but i need your feedback so we can discuss on this

In addition we plan to give every player something like a warehouse / store room additional to your normal inventory to store some more items maybe you will be able to extend this with money or premium but this are only ideas at moment so don’t blame me Just give me some feedback. We know that many players will complain about that change but we have to find a good solution for everyone.

So far we've had one alternative posed, which it has been really great to see some constructive feedback, but allow me to fully explain the situation.

The Problem
Inventories are becoming increasingly large amongst increasing numbers of players. This is causing both problems with regards to storage allocation and data transmission, as you may have already noticed by the delayed loading times of larger inventories. When randomised and customised items will be released later this year, continuing with no limits would cause a technical catastrophe.

So Far...
The initial implementation of inventories was a mess, so in recent updates the developers have been actively been making storage and performance enhancements. (Those of you who heard about the hours long update to DE1 - this was basically how long it took for the generic update script to process these changes to every player's inventory!) However it seems the other community managers and I have pushed this to death, as it's reached the point where the code is efficient and concise enough that little more can be done to improve its reliability without simply lifting, or rather protecting against any further, strain.

The Compromise
When inventory limits have previously been announced by the former development team it has been unnecessary, without the absolute technical need and any form of stated compromise. This time around the development team and I wish to ensure that the inventory limit is met with minimal disruption and appropriate compromise that is acceptable both to the players and the hardware.

Firstly, and one of the things I have been strongly pushing for, is the introduction of collections. Players can mark off collections with either medals or special rewards, and should receive some bonus for doing so. (If randomised items are released in unison, perhaps a randomised item of the same 'class' with slightly above average bonuses.) This way collectors can have their achievements recognised and hopefully duly rewarded in some way. If you have any suggestions with regards to collections, please feel free to start a "mega thread" in Ideas & Brainfarts.

Secondly, a storeroom (or extra inventory space) expandable with premium should be made available. It is possible this space could be shared amongst a town or alliance, but there must be some reliable methodology to minimise pushing. Please keep in mind that the point of inventory limits is to cap the number of items in the game, so allowing players to store heaps of items would defeat the purpose and therefore impossible. We are also happy to hear suggestions regarding how this would work via Ideas & Brainfarts.

The Number
Please don't ask, at this stage I have no idea. When I find out I'll be sure to let you all know.

 

[DeletedUser]

This change is necessary, anyone who knows what's written in The Roadmap is aware of it. Without this change, we can forget about adding new items to the game in near future as storing only one world character on the server would take a space like dozens of characters in previous versions.

I've already written a suggestion on the devblog that should satisfy everyone plus bring a new importance to towns and avoid any possible abuse. But I won't copy it here for my own personal reasons.
Also I've said yes to Noobmic's idea, although totally different from mine, it's still ok.

In this poll, I've voted for "further working on the issue".

 

[DeletedUser26406]

I voted for Yes, I appreciate the need for this change - do what you must.
I wouldn't mind such a change as you'll never find a messy inventory under my control.

 

[DeletedUser]

I voted for "Yes, I appreciate the need for this change - do what you must."

It is great idea to put limit on inventory but it would be also great to get warehouse / store room in your town for extra items like chlotes,belts, item set, hammers, ship bells,wood, tool box, spade, pickaxe, fishing rod, etc.. and i would like to see that traveling time get some bonus if you have less items in character inventory.

example: if i need travel to fort 2 hours away i will put in my warehouse,store room item sets and few other items weapons chlotes, belts etc.. and time will reduce from 2 hours to 1 hour 30 min.

and also would be great that only products from jobs dont calculate in limit of inventory like tomato, tobacco, trout, salmon, turkey, warm meal, glass of water, tequila, whiskey etc.. (mostly food products)

 

[DeletedUser]

What will happen when you have full inventory and find an item during a job? Will that item move to the storage room? And what will happen if sorage room is full and inventory is full and you find an item during a job? Will that item just vanish? Those are the questions I´m conserned of.

 

[DeletedUser9470]

Im very scared for collectors, being one myself, I want to keep every item i have worked hard for available to me at any time. the warehouse idea from noobmic is good, but fees to retrieve items isnt a good thing.
maybe it is possible to make new buildings in towns. ive recently thought of everyone having their own house in a town... and maybe a wardrobe to store stuff?
...

 

[DeletedUser]

yeah, DON´T have a fee for retrieveing OWN items, but the borrowing idea that I´ve seen/read somewhere is good too, that one could have a fee, and a day limit when it returns to the original owner and a time where you can´t borrow the same item again to prevent pushing..

 

[DeletedUser]

Well if you want to limit an inventory (although if i may say your time would be used better to limit stacking bonuses of gg) it would be nice to give us idea what amount of items we could keep, although i am all for unlimited storage in town because i don't feel like leaving items i worked hard to get...

 

[DeletedUser]

Firstly, and one of the things I have been strongly pushing for, is the introduction of collections. Players can mark off collections with either medals or special rewards, and should receive some bonus for doing so. (If randomised items are released in unison, perhaps a randomised item of the same 'class' with slightly above average bonuses.) This way collectors can have their achievements recognised and hopefully duly rewarded in some way.

that sounds good

 

[DeletedUser]

No,no and again no!
i don't want it because i have a collection from thinks that i take from different jobs
and it isn't realistic because in real life you can get a storage and put them in...

 

[DeletedUser]

No,no and again no!
i don't want it because i have a collection from thinks that i take from different jobs
and it isn't realistic because in real life you can get a storage and put them in...

And carrying around 1000s of pounds of crap on your back IS realistic? Including 2 horses, god knows how many swords, and a freaking CHRISTMAS SLED? That's realistic?

 

[DeletedUser8627]

There are really two sides to this, judging by the poll at the moment half would like change whilst the others don't want it.

I'm all happy for change, as long as my game play does not get messed up.

I have a few concerns both from a moderating side and from the player's side. The big thing that you need to keep in mind is that inventory limits will most likely not restrict you in a way that creates playing The West harder. All new features and changes previously made have been to your benefit. Of course, with the exception of a couple of minor complaints.

I'm a collector and I would hate to see all my items removed. But at the end it would be a lot easier for me to have the items I actually use.

 

[Noobmic]

I voted No, I will never support an inventory limit.

But the best option seems to be Not quite, further compromise measures are necessary. , as I started this topic http://forum.the-west.net/showthread.php?t=45564 best solution will be limited backpack and a warehouse where you can keep all your items and all of us who collect have a reason to continue playing.

LE: Soon crafting will be in the game, that will make for us the need to have more items, components and so on, not just what we had until now.

LE2: In my case I did all quests in the game (except new tutorial because of the bug and the GG because I made wrong decision with Key 2), I will be rank 1 in hall of fame at lvl 120 (current rank 1 with over 20k xp ahead of rank 2) in server, I have the biggest inventory in my world, now the only thing that remains is to complete all items that I'm missing, then when crafting will come to play there ...

 

[DeletedUser]

Not quite, further compromise measures are necessary.

I wouldn't mind so much if it happened any more because I'm no longer actively collecting, but I can feel for the people who still are. I don't see how keeping track of what you have owned for the purposes of medals for collecting is any easier on the servers than keeping track of actual items. A number in a database is a number in a database. If it's a matter of inventory being opened more than medals/statistics, there are solutions that would make our inventories more user friendly.

There's no reason for our full inventory to load whenever we open a shop, a trader, a market. It wouldn't even be necessary when opening our inventory. Instead of giving us 2 gear sets, or more with premium, give us more and we will rarely have to open our full inventory.

 

[DeletedUser9470]

Not quite, further compromise measures are necessary.

I wouldn't mind so much if it happened any more because I'm no longer actively collecting, but I can feel for the people who still are. I don't see how keeping track of what you have owned for the purposes of medals for collecting is any easier on the servers than keeping track of actual items. A number in a database is a number in a database. If it's a matter of inventory being opened more than medals/statistics, there are solutions that would make our inventories more user friendly.

There's no reason for our full inventory to load whenever we open a shop, a trader, a market. It wouldn't even be necessary when opening our inventory. Instead of giving us 2 gear sets, or more with premium, give us more and we will rarely have to open our full inventory.

ditto, is where the warehouse idea, or some kind of separate store would solve the loading issues.

 

[DeletedUser14006]

This change is necessary.

For the first time me and the great J man agree

If this change is necessary from a technical pov then so be it.

 

[Diggo11]

I wouldn't mind so much if it happened any more because I'm no longer actively collecting, but I can feel for the people who still are. I don't see how keeping track of what you have owned for the purposes of medals for collecting is any easier on the servers than keeping track of actual items. A number in a database is a number in a database. If it's a matter of inventory being opened more than medals/statistics, there are solutions that would make our inventories more user friendly.

Joxer has hit the mark on this one The idea is that collections would be stored as "all woolly hats" or "all black shoes" rather than as individual items. This way all non-randomised items could easily be stored using x amount of simple booleans - you've collected said items or you haven't. In contrast, the introduction of randomised items will (presumably) require each individual item to be stored as a complex array containing ids, stats, pic urls, etc. Reducing data transfer (and hence boosting server performance) is a desirable side effect, but it's just that - a side effect.

(@ All)
Of course, it is for this same reason why we can't create magic warehouses to store unlimited items for you. Believe it or not we actually don't want to introduce a limit just to piss everyone off; the fact is we need this change for technical reasons - if we had the physical capacity to store limitless data we would use it! We just feel some sort of restricted communal space or an inventory expansion (within reasonable limits) would be part of an ideal compromise to ensure that players's previous efforts were not in vain and there is minimised overall disruption to the game

 

[DeletedUser12669]

well ok if you want to reduce the inventory limit fine but inno said there is too much money in the game,ummmm not a problem i for one started hording items to sell for re specing so i suggest you scrap bank charges and put money back into the game

 

[DeletedUser]

I would like to ask one question: Is the limit based on the total number of items (both of same name and different names) or is it based on the number of different items (all items with the same name counted as one)?

I know that there are many people, including me, who have been collecting items in the West. So far I have managed to get all available headgear, necklace, top, shoes, an almost completed collection of dueling weapons and fort guns, a lot of belt and pants so you can say in both cases, I have too many items.

So has there been any suggestion to deal with such a case? I like the achievement feature and with it, I have no problem parting with my collection but I'd like to know an effective approach in which they will be dealt with. Something like leaving my inventory to still contain what it is containing now but let it remain "full" until I sell off items until the total is below the limit is not an efficient approach. I have paid too much in-game cash to buy all items (2-3 times higher than selling price) so forcing me having to sell them off at half price now is not good enough. I'd suggest marking all existing items as "old item" or something like that and let them have selling price = buying price.

 

[DeletedUser22493]

How is this game different from all other browser games? I mean, this isn't the only game where players can store massive amounts of items.

What is that's causing the over-load on the server? Opening the backpack, or just storing the data of each players invetory?

Im getting the impression that the real problem is that TheWest servers are crappy, and that InnoGames doesn't want to invest more money in upgrading them.

Other then that, im not at all agianst the update plans at all. Will give the game more realisem.