MSPaint image of a Bag filled to a semi bursting point. Created by me!
What is more important in an MMORPG?
Gear?
Skills?
Knowing the game mechanics?
The Meta?
No...
It is in fact... Bag Slots.
Inventory space is crucial in an MMORPG. It's ridiculous to think but is a problem I am constantly running into on any MMORPG from any era (2000s, 2010s, 2020s,). There are so many items in an MMORPG, and while much of the items can be avoided by simply refusing to pick them up but there are many items that are forced into the remaining bag slots with or without permission.
Quest items, Boosters, Quest Rewards, Crafting materials, lore notes, consumables, whatever else you think is or isn't important. It will fill up a bag slot and soon the player is left having to play inventory manager simulator.
So then it goes to 'Well there is a bank / stash to fill up' but the stash is just a placeholder because often (Not just me!) upon returning with more unnecessary crap there is the realization that the previously stored items were never gotten rid of and now there is no room in the stash or the character inventory.
'Buy more bags then!' is sprung up but all of these games have a vastly different inventory system beyond 'Buy 32 slot bag' because how are bags made or found to purchase? Are they player made? Are they from an NPC? Is it a premium item that has to be paid for with real currency? Is it a combination of systems or are alternative characters destined to be the mule and the solution to this inventory problem?
Too many questions and the answer, from what I've looked up, is hardly clear. In which case is it better to spend resources on an alternative and fill their meagre bag slots with the useless crap the main character keeps obtaining or would it be much easier and less load screen-y to just purchase bigger inventory space no matter the 'efficient' or 'correct' way to handle potential item hoarding?
No judgement for filled bags! LOTRO
After navigating the many tabs, I finally found how to increase inventory space.
The answer from community members are always differing but it seems like a matter of personal opinion is crucial in making the decision on how to best acquire inventory space.
I do not like messing with 'alts' as an item carrier. An MMORPG, to me, is supposed to be about MY characters journey and the role they play in the setting. I don't want to log out of my character and login to 'Stuffedbags' to make a mail/auction house run. It just kills the appeal of playing the game at that time.
I prefer just doing as much as possible on one character so I don't have to swap out, log in, see unnecessary loading screens, and can just keep in the gaming spirit.
Again, no judgement over potential hoarding! SWTOR
This menu to expand inventory size was easier to find in SWTOR
'But you can do so much more with an alt!' some might say and that is true, I could have 4 professions, more game currency, and not have to interact with others but then the game becomes more of a chore than a joy to participate with... IMO.
For me, bigger bags are a solid solution to this MMORPG dilemma but how to best acquire them is a different matter entirely with, as I've mentioned, differing views/opinions.
Which do you think is preferable when it comes to gaining more inventory space: bigger bags or creating more alts?
Thank you for reading. I tried my best to make this post coherent enough to made sense.
