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TripleD
2017-06-18, 12:03 AM
Have you ever seen an RPG Encumberance system which took volume into account?

More importantly, have you ever seen in done well?

Most encumberance systems I've seen are simple algebra: you can either carry the sum total of all your stuff or you can't, with perhaps a few penalties along the way.

In real life though, the limiting factor is more often volume than weight. Like, you might be able to lift and walk with the weight of fifty t-shirts, but there's no way you could fit them all in a backpack.

Most people already ignore encumberance because of its tedious book keeping; I'd imagine tracking volume is even more so. Still, I'm curious if any RPG has tried to tackle it in a novel way.

Koo Rehtorb
2017-06-18, 12:12 AM
Torchbearer tracks inventory by slots. So, by default, you get a head slot, two worn hand slots, two carried hand slots, a foot slot, three torso slots (1 or 2 of which are taken up by a satchel or backpack, respectively), a pouch slot, a water skin slot (which has to be used for liquids), a shoes slot, and 3 or 6 pack slots based on if you have a satchel or backpack. You can also optionally carry small or large sacks in your hands which are 2 or 6 slots.

How many slots things take up are really weighted more towards their bulk than their weight.

TripleD
2017-06-18, 08:03 PM
Torchbearer tracks inventory by slots. So, by default, you get a head slot, two worn hand slots, two carried hand slots, a foot slot, three torso slots (1 or 2 of which are taken up by a satchel or backpack, respectively), a pouch slot, a water skin slot (which has to be used for liquids), a shoes slot, and 3 or 6 pack slots based on if you have a satchel or backpack. You can also optionally carry small or large sacks in your hands which are 2 or 6 slots.

How many slots things take up are really weighted more towards their bulk than their weight.

Neat. Is it "one item = one slot", or are there exceptions for large or small objects (a tower shield or ammunition, for respective examples)?

Necroticplague
2017-06-18, 08:35 PM
Have you ever seen an RPG Encumberance system which took volume into account?

More importantly, have you ever seen in done well?
Yes, I have seen one. A roguelike called Cataclysm: Dark Days Ahead.


Most encumberance systems I've seen are simple algebra: you can either carry the sum total of all your stuff or you can't, with perhaps a few penalties along the way.

In real life though, the limiting factor is more often volume than weight. Like, you might be able to lift and walk with the weight of fifty t-shirts, but there's no way you could fit them all in a backpack.

Most people already ignore encumbrance because of its tedious book keeping; I'd imagine tracking volume is even more so. Still, I'm curious if any RPG has tried to tackle it in a novel way.

Eh, the Volume system is basically just a second weight: based on the things you are wearing, you have a 'volume' stat, just like how you have a 'weight' state based on your stregnth. All items have both weight and volume, and you can't pick up anything that makes you go over either. Things you're wearing, however, count against your weight, but not your volume. Of course, it takes some slight liberties for gameplay sake, since volume is equally as fungible as weight.

Knaight
2017-06-18, 09:14 PM
Eh, the Volume system is basically just a second weight: based on the things you are wearing, you have a 'volume' stat, just like how you have a 'weight' state based on your stregnth. All items have both weight and volume, and you can't pick up anything that makes you go over either. Things you're wearing, however, count against your weight, but not your volume. Of course, it takes some slight liberties for gameplay sake, since volume is equally as fungible as weight.

There's also room for things like backpacks to have negative volume while worn, thus representing their capacity to carry stuff.

Jay R
2017-06-18, 09:39 PM
Have you ever seen an RPG Encumberance system ... done well?

No, I haven't.

And I wouldn't play a game in which it was. 98% bookkeeping, 2% roleplaying.

Koo Rehtorb
2017-06-18, 09:40 PM
Neat. Is it "one item = one slot", or are there exceptions for large or small objects (a tower shield or ammunition, for respective examples)?

No, items have set numbers of slots. A spellbook is two slots, torches are 4 in one slot, fresh rations are 2 in one slot, etc.

Items are also restricted on what sorts of slots you can put them in. A shield is hand/carried 1 or torso/worn 1, you can't put it in a backpack at all.

Necroticplague
2017-06-18, 10:15 PM
There's also room for things like backpacks to have negative volume while worn, thus representing their capacity to carry stuff.

Well, like I said, under that system, volume was based on what you're wearing. So wearing a backpack increased your max Volume by some units, just like increasing your strength increased your maximum weight. So would wearing something with pockets or carrying handbags, and all similar.
So when picking out clothing, you'd have to compare not only it's bulkiness impacting motion (which the game had a different mechanic called 'encumbrance'), weight, and protectiveness, but also it's capacity for holding stuff.

Telok
2017-06-18, 10:42 PM
First edition AD&D DMG p.225; coins are a shorthand measure for encumbrance, not straight weight.

People using the coin/weight ratio as weight alone and listing 18 pound weapons is a WotC thing.