LE backpacks as inventory management

[drproximo]

I'm going to be trying a backpacks mod, but all the backpack mods I could find aren't quite as "immersive" as I'd like. I understand the realism of where you can wear them and whatnot, but that's mostly cosmetic. the actual effect of each bag apparently just increases your carry weight. in real life, backpacks and bookbags and such aren't just so we can carry more, it's so we can carry our stuff more efficiently. I don't go looking through my backpack for my wallet or gum, because they're in my pants pockets. likewise, buying a fanny pack doesn't mean I can easily carry around my laptop if I couldn't previously. here's my idea:

 

the "items" inventory screen would have a new top-level menu. by default it would just be "main" or "pockets" or whatever. knapsacks and satchels and similar containers wouldn't be just static storage container like barrels or a chests... you would still get the "search" prompt when you approach one, but in the screen where you're looking at what's in there, in addition to "exit" and "take all" would be a "pick up" option . now "knapsack" or whatever is a second item in your top-level menu, and this bag has its own carry limit, as opposed to just mathematically adding on to the total.

 

in addition, you could have special types of bags and such that are specialized, they only carry a specific type of item, and when you obtain an item of that type it automatically goes into that bag. for example, an Apothecary's Satchel would also be one you could pick up, it has its own carry limit or 15 or 20, and every time you pick up an alchemy item, it automatically goes into the Apothecary's Satchel. a new knapsack called "book pack" could be added, I think you can guess what that one would do.

[DoctorKaizeld]

you do realize how complicated that is? that's going to involve creating something like MCM. no modder is willing to put that much work in to a mod friend.

[IsharaMeradin]

I'm doing something similar.

 

Right now there are three aspects

 

1. Your standard bag of holding which can hold anything you desire

2. Crafting specific containers:

Smithing <-- includes tempering

Alchemy

Cooking

Enchanter

Smelter

Tanning

Custom #1 <-- with Hearthfires becomes Building Supplies

Custom #2

Custom #3

3. Key Ring

 

All of them are represented by "armor pieces" with the apothecary satchel graphic. Of those, only the bag of holding has the option to have a visible worn model (user choice of body slot in-game). The bag of holding does have a hotkey option to quickly transfer everything on its associated formlist from and to (makes it easy to store stuff to sell later).

 

The mod is scripted to pre-build formlists associated with each crafting container depending upon what mods are installed. Not everything, of course, is done that way. Items can be automatically added to the appropriate containers on pickup. Items can be automatically transferred for crafting and returned when finished. It all happens smoothly and without issue (so far). The user can manually access the contents at any time by "equipping" the "armor piece". Items manually added to the containers become part of the associated formlists and all that that entails. Thus there is indirect support for any mod added items. There is a hotkey ability that can be used to tie unknown crafting stations to any of the existing crafting containers. To that end the custom containers are available for use with mod added workstations if so desired.

 

The key ring is a more robust version of my already existing key ring mod. With the MCM I am able to eliminate the pop up message box that was used in the standalone mod. I am toying with the idea of having a "give up" hotkey when allow lockpicking has been turned on. Trying to pick a master lock without using Lockpick Pro to show the sweet spot after so many seconds can be frustrating.

 

Only the bag of holding "armor piece" is at a fixed 5 pounds. The other container "armor pieces" are by default "weighted" which means they have 0 weight to start but adjust their weight as items are put inside. There is an option to make them weightless if that is desired.

 

My thoughts since they lack a worn visual model and I've not found any that I enjoy using, users can wear whatever visual backpacks from other mods that they want and pretend that mine are the insides of those models.

 

I am in the process of testing and confirming that everything works while under a fairly decent mod load. When I'm happy with this, I will release. After that, I might decide to add on specific containers just for organization i.e. poisons, skill potions, stat potions, spell tomes, skill books, perhaps scrolls split by skill class.... maybe others.

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you do realize how complicated that is? that's going to involve creating something like MCM. no modder is willing to put that much work in to a mod friend.

 

I beg to differ. I am. Why? Decided that I cannot settle down in any one particular player home (modded or otherwise). Therefore, I need means to carry everything desired on character in a somewhat organized manner. I do drop off daedra rewards and other unique items at various player homes for display or storage but I don't use those homes as a "place to go home to".

[lofgren]

You just described my mod basically.

 

http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/33492

[JobVanDam]

you do realize how complicated that is? that's going to involve creating something like MCM. no modder is willing to put that much work in to a mod friend.

Damn junior! You just got tolded!!

[DoctorKaizeld]

cool some people are actually doin this. in all honesty most complicated mods don't get done anymore these days. im glad I was wrong though.

Edited May 25, 2014 by qwertyzeldar

[lofgren]

"Most" "complicated" mods don't get done most days. They're complicated. They take a long time.

 

And frankly aside from the additional UI buttons this mod isn't all that complicated. It was literally the first mod I created for Skyrim. And the version I linked to is actually the simplified version. The original version used the bandoliers and other pouches from that mod so that the player could actually equip every pouch and bag. Unfortunately a lot of people had trouble installing it so that dependency was removed.

[drproximo]

You just described my mod basically.

 

http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/33492

 

aha... for some reason I didn't come across this one in my various searches, looks good from the description. I do have a question, is it just the inventory management in the menus, or does it actually show the bags and pouches visually, on the character? is there an ability to craft and/or upgrade and/or find the different kinds of bags, or do you just start off with everything "equipped" already?

[lofgren]

Unfortunately in this version you start off with everything equipped already and there is no visual effect nor tempering/crafting/upgrading. If you look at the comments you'll see that originally each pouch was equippable/craftable/discoverable but for some reason that version did not work for a lot of people even though it worked fine for me. I spent weeks chasing the issue and never even came close, so I just simplified the mod to only use vanilla assets which appears to have fixed the problem. I've been considering rereleasing the old version (which I still use and still works fine for me) as an optional file but I don't really have time to deal with all of the issues that people will inevitably have.

 

edit: Also in some ways this is better because you can use the visuals of your choice and still have access to your bags. Go get Bandoliers and Pouches (linked above) and maybe Complete Crafting Overhaul (for better customizability). Then you can wear a vial holder or book bag yet still access all of your remote containers from a single simple interface.

Edited May 25, 2014 by lofgren