Inventory: So many ways to organize it!
 

The inventory, one of the most important feature found in so many games.
Some may call it a bag, an inventory, an item menu or whatsoever.

It's that time again, and I need to design one. No matter what it must have (tabs, categories, and such) I am still confused by how I should organize it.
The way it is made will make the user accomplish various actions in order to use it properly.

The real question, then, is: How would you like to handle your items and easily access them?

There are just too many ways to organize an inventory, create tabs or categories or eventualy seperate everything into multiple keys.

What sounds best? And why?
Do you prefer aesthetic over use?

I prefer aesthetics, because a good looking inventory shows that generally its a good server. Yet, it should also be useful theres definitely a balance. My feeling is, you should separate the inventory in categories by use and within those categories by value. I am not sure what type of server you are developing an inventory for, but lets presume its an era-like server? You could have a category in your inventory for "hands" within that category you could have guns/shields/etc. whatever you may come across that has to do with hands. Now, then you sort them by values. Lets say you have a gun thats worth a lot depending on street or store value, so that would take up the first slot. This is good because people generally only care about the good items, so it will be right there and they wouldn't have to scroll to find it. Thats just my spin on things.

List with small icon showing what kind of item it is (sword, shield, staff, quest item, etc). Mouse over for more descriptive info, and various sounds for clicking in the inventory and such :P

There could be tabs, or a drop down menu asking which items you want to see (sorta tabs still...)

i prefer usability over everything

when it comes to design, i dont know.

Is there no such thing as both? :P

In the end it all comes down to the inventory serving its purpose in the most efficient way possible. Sorting methods, various sections, quick-and-easy access. Also, speed is an important factor, and I don't just mean speed of usability, but speed of the interface... I guess this doesn't apply to Graal much since fine details like that are something typically ignored. But in real games inventories will fade in and out, transitions and such... and if those actions happen too slow, all it does is break the flow. Nowadays, with PC games hotkeys are more important than inventories anyways.

Lastly, in spite of all above, you can have it look nice as well. I don't see why you'd have to sacrifice one over the other. As well, people should focus on the finer details. Don't just make an inventory blink into view. Don't just make the selection cursor appear suddenly over the newly selected weapon, make it move. Bring it all to life for a change!

+Rep

Design + Usability is always hard to combine but fun!
Although Usability alone is top priority

I prefer Inventories like the one from aLttP and Morrowind.

I liked the premise of diablos inventory.

I wonder who started this Diablo-esque Inventory type of trend...

Well here is what I've made so far, I'm still working on it and trying various stuff, working my design, etc..

I'm trying to combine both aesthetic and use, with a simple design and categories placement.
Attachment 51320

Not a bad little design. I'm wondering what some of the UI is for though, hints?

Nah, the top stuff are just me working out my design, nothing like the UI at all :p
I'm just showing the inventory on the bottom, as it is planned to be.

My ideal inventory is a 0.5 alpha flat panel, with a 32x32 icon grid for each item in it, and mouse over tool-tips that display the information about the item.

You lost me there. Keyboard > all.

YES! Inventories with keyboard functionality is how it should be.

I liked the Inventory of Rufus' on Bomy

That was mainly Konidias' inventory, and I feel it got old :(. Personally, I prefer something more like what Pokemon utilizes.

Also, keep quest/key items/disposables out of the main inventory. I don't need to browse through 1000 arrows/bullets/keys/notes to find an actual weapon, mmkay?

Attachment 51324 Attachment 51325

muuuuh :D

too transparent, hard to read text and focus on its graphics

I'll fix the alpha later on.

Hey Soala those are cool swords