I think sorrow meant something like tabs where each tab contains a category. The problem with that, however, is when we get too many tabs. In other words, you'd have to limit the number of tabs to major categories only and then allow the player to move the tabs around to set the order they appear in. For example, you could have one tab entirely dedicated to New Items (stuff that wasn't in your inventory the last time you checked). One tab for Consumables (potions, food, etc...). One tab for Equipment (weapons, armor, rings, trinkets, etc. with a grouping at the top of that tab to show legendary/extraordinary items followed by regular items). One tab for General (where everything not part of one of the other tabs goes). By keeping it to 4-5 tabs you don't overload sideways but you still enable much better sorting of what you have without the player having to manually sort stuff.
Click on a category node to unfold the associated item list, select the desired item, click the category again to fold it, click another category and so on.
Click on a category node to unfold the associated item list, select the desired item, click the category again to fold it, click another category and so on.
What about a tree menu with categories as main nodes and fitting items as subnodes, like in the quests tree?
Click on a category node to unfold the associated item list, select the desired item, click the category again to fold it, click another category and so on.
Tree Menu
Step 1: Open Inventory
Step 2: Open Tree
Step 3: Choose Item
Tab Menu
Step 1: Open Inventory
Step 2: Choose Item (if the item is on the tab you set as default), if not then Open Tab
Step 3: Choose Item
I'm still looking for a system that beats either of these by making it the same 2 step process it is currently. The only real problem with the current system is that you can't find stuff. What about just implementing a default sort order that groups things but still leaves everything on the main inventory screen? For example, instead of your inventory looking like this:
Bar Brawler's Boots
Claws
Minor vial of health
Ring of Lesser Shadow
Weak poison
Blackwater poisoned dagger
Insect wing
Small rock
Mundane ring
Polished gem
It would default to a sort order that looks like this:
That item that you just picked up
Other stuff you haven't seen in your inventory yet
Potions/Consumables
Legendary/Extraordinary/Rare items
Equipment
Quest related items
Miscellaneous junk
In other words, let's say you just picked up the Small Rock and Polished Gem... that would put the above listed inventory at this:
Small rock
Polished gem
Minor vial of health
Weak poison
Ring of Lesser Shadow
Blackwater poisoned dagger
Bar Brawler's Boots
Mundane ring
Claws
Insect wing
No tabs, no tree... just an automatically sorted inventory.
That can get confusing to fast. What I was thinking is you open your inventory and instead of having all your items mixed together (as it is now) there would be 4 drop menus
1.weapons
2.armor and jewelry
3. Consume-ables.
4.general (I.e gems fur ect)
And in every menu all the item are in alphabetical order.
what sort of item do you need?
- weapon change (-> QSD vs. RoL vs Criticaly items)
- consume something (potion, met,...)
- change armory
how the list have to sort:
->new items on top of the list (armor, weapon, consumables)
->gear you change on top of the list
->items you allready have doesent count to new items rest on normal position
if you made buttons, i would prefere:
All - Weapon - Armor - Consumable
legendary and rare items have to show all times a pop up, if they drop.
Lvl 45|XP 1'624'110|$ 630| 2013.08.17
HP 117|AC 200%|AD 51-66|AP 4|ECC 21%|CM 3.0|BC 57%|DR 4| & SR | on hit 0-3, on kill 3
RoLS 1|ElyR 1|RoL 1|ChaR 1|GoLF 1|ShaF 1|SRoV 1|VSH 1|WMC 1|GoW 1
CS 2|IF 3|Reg 2|MF 2|Dw 2
Weappon DotSp / RoL