Crafting mats should use NO inventory space.

EvilIguana

The most annoying part of this game so far in my experience is the hideous amount of time spent on inventory management. I spend as much time emptying my bags as I do out adventuring and filling them, and that strikes me as a poor design choice.

The major reason inventory space is an issue because of crafting materials. The simplest solution to the problem as I see it is to simply make all crafting materials use no inventory space. In other words, anything that shows up in the material tab in your inventory should not take up any space. Anything you can equip or use in the field would still require a slot.

This would mean that you no longer have to run back to town every 30 minutes and do the inventory routine: Hit the bank to free up space for crafting, hit each crafting station to break down any gear you need to deconstruct and use up all your provisioning mats, hit the merchant to sell off anything valuable, hit the bank again to drop off all the stuff you extracted, then hit the guild store to sell anything worth selling there, making sure you sell stuff in every trade guild you're in so they don't kick you for inactivity. Instead, you can spend an entire session doing what you want to do, be that gathering, adventuring, crafting, or whatever.

Nightscar

I agree, but They would still have to put a limit on it. cant just have unlimited crafting supplies.. not with the auto spawns atm..
Also I don't think pets, or the CE maps or quest items should take up bag space.
Crafting mats don't bother me to much, most are stack-able.
But pets, CE maps, and Quest items.. Should be in a whole different place.
I think lil quality of life things like this will eventually come down the pipe

OzzyNOR

I've posted this idea before, and I think it's pretty good. Each craft material gets their own slot for up to one full stack, maybe two for some of them. For example, you get 1 slot for 100 iron. For any additional materials above 100 you'll have to put it in your regular bank. Not excessive if you ask me, and better than just straight up increasing total bank space.

grahamz1b14_ESO

I disagree, for one reason that wasn't obvious to me until I had played for a while. The actual inconvenience of the number of ingredients, combined with the expense of expanding ones bank and carrying capacity means that it is also inconvenient to master more than a couple of crafting skills, which actually is great for the economy. In games where you could master every crafting skill, either on your main or through alts, really stifled the economy. Look at Fallen Earth -- it has one of the best crafting systems there is, and yet this is combined with one of the worst economies I've seen in a game for a very long time, at least since the early days of EQ, where gold sellers were rampant). You can still do it, but the expense and inconvenience of doing that means that most people who like to craft will tend to specialize.

I'm not sure if this was a calculated move on Zenimax's part, and actually I was frustrated with it at first, like many others were. But it just dawned on me one day after I had read the umpteenth post advising others not to try to try to do too many crafting skills, that the law of unintended consequences was likely at play here.

besb16_ESO

I agree that crafting materials should not use normal bag space. But there should be a max amount of space for the materials before you have to use normal bank or bag space. The max amount of space for the crafting materials should be set so that it would be plenty for normal gameplay, and still to little for gold spammers.

Rudal

While I don't have much trouble with my backpack (105 slots at this moment) I do agree that crafting materials should have their own tab at bank.
First Guild Wars solved it nicely - your bags are your own problem, deal with it, but Bank had separate tabs where you could keep all your crafting materials without a need of taking your "normal" bank slots.

AreoHotah

Nightscar wrote: »

I agree, but They would still have to put a limit on it. cant just have unlimited crafting supplies.. not with the auto spawns atm..
Also I don't think pets, or the CE maps or quest items should take up bag space.
Crafting mats don't bother me to much, most are stack-able.
But pets, CE maps, and Quest items.. Should be in a whole different place.
I think lil quality of life things like this will eventually come down the pipe

quest items dont take inventory space.

Salsadoom

They could solve a number of space complaints by simply making a third bank option (yes that sounds like a lot).

1) Guild bank as is

2) Shared bank, reduce this to about 20(initial) slots shareable among characters except these contents aren't used automatically in crafting. This way you can move items if you want like all those IE goodies you have, keep items you want to deconstruct, or mats to transfer

3) Normal bank, this is for the specific character


Also conveniently creates another gold sink.

Personally I am doing fine with as is, except I find I can't play multiple characters due to the shared bank.

Fairydragon3

I think its awesome that they threw us a bone and made it where we can access our mats in the bank, while crafting. but no space, that's going too far. still need it keep it challenging

Fairydragon3

grahamz1b14_ESO wrote: »

I disagree, for one reason that wasn't obvious to me until I had played for a while. The actual inconvenience of the number of ingredients, combined with the expense of expanding ones bank and carrying capacity means that it is also inconvenient to master more than a couple of crafting skills, which actually is great for the economy. In games where you could master every crafting skill, either on your main or through alts, really stifled the economy. Look at Fallen Earth -- it has one of the best crafting systems there is, and yet this is combined with one of the worst economies I've seen in a game for a very long time, at least since the early days of EQ, where gold sellers were rampant). You can still do it, but the expense and inconvenience of doing that means that most people who like to craft will tend to specialize.

I'm not sure if this was a calculated move on Zenimax's part, and actually I was frustrated with it at first, like many others were. But it just dawned on me one day after I had read the umpteenth post advising others not to try to try to do too many crafting skills, that the law of unintended consequences was likely at play here.

I am one of these comprhensive crafters. After a month of reaseach, my stuff now all takes 2-3 days at least to reasearch. have a wood peice that will still take 2 weeks, and the last one will take a month. THIS IS SO AWESOME I love how long it takes and how hard it is level my skills up. I feel assured that the cafters will keep a strong role in this games economy

Sharee

grahamz1b14_ESO wrote: »

I'm not sure if this was a calculated move on Zenimax's part, and actually I was frustrated with it at first, like many others were. But it just dawned on me one day after I had read the umpteenth post advising others not to try to try to do too many crafting skills, that the law of unintended consequences was likely at play here.

It was, and they actually officially stated so in an interview before release: the limited inventory is one of the ways they use to limit how many crafts a character can do at once.

I like it much more than the usual hard MMO crafting limit of 2 or 3 crafts per character.

huntgod_ESO

Well after spending around 100k on bank space, I now have sufficient room for my 3 crafts, though the stack of items to be researched does mean I still have to pay attention to what I put in.

Basically costumes, and blue-gold improvements go on an alt with maps and reward items like the whistle and such.

So it's tight, but workable.

My big gripe is the stacking issue with guild banks, I oversee our guild bank and it's a huge pain. I know this was to stop an exploit but please fix this.

ed.radleyrwb17_ESO

/Agree with OP. It is not rocket science to organise our inventory in a way that saves the player a lot of time.

Many MMO games have features that save players time on inventory management, or perhaps ALL others I have played would be more accurate.

Just as an example: GW2 has a craft collection that goes up to a stack size of 250, then it does hit your inventory. Another I play has basically unlimited stack sizes and ALL craft components go into a craft item tab.

It simply saves you a lot of play time and the "bins" that get the craft gear are account wide..

grahamz1b14_ESO

ed.radleyrwb17_ESO wrote: »

/Agree with OP. It is not rocket science to organise our inventory in a way that saves the player a lot of time.

Zenimax left it to the modders to work out, and they have. One addon that I use is "Advanced Filters": http://www.esoui.com/downloads/info245-AdvancedFilters.html

It effectively does what you are asking for.

If you don't take advantage of addons, you are partly to blame for some of your own issues. The general idea is that instead of imposing one way of dealing with these kinds of issues, you can choose your addon and deal with it in whichever way you prefer.

Demli

Nope. Inventory management is important. It forces you to be smart about what you keep and what you discard. Free tip: Don't save old craft materials from lower levels.

P.S. Provisioning is the worst offender by far, and Zenimax didn't make it easy to distinguish main ingredients from quality improvement ingredients. Main ingredients are tier specific, but quality improvement ingredients work at all tiers and are what is used to make blue/purple food. This page is a great help: http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Provisioning_Ingredients

Arsvita

I have 6 crafters covering the six crafts.

I use a lot of bank space.

I keep all general materials used by the three weapons and armor crafters in the bank with the exception of a few runes, bar, clothing, and finished wood stocks that I use to craft by my other characters for destruction purposes.

I keep most all singular crafting items on the character for that craft. I am still working on exactly what items I wish to keep for crafting, but I know I can pare it down, like provisioning with the recipes I continue to get and the ones I use most.

When a character is off adventuring I am still able to put excess items in the bank to make sure I have plenty of personal bag space while out and about.

Sure I have to play the switch and swap inventory game, but this is feasible in ensuring that you are aware and careful of what you keep for your "needs", which I would actually term "wants".

This is a fair system, and workable, purposefully thought out in a manner that limits you to decide what you will feel is truly necessary and worth keeping.

I, personally, have no trouble with this mode. Even if I do have to shift and shuffle.

If you want a separate system for holding materials, what are you willing to give up in return?
Will you be willing to limit your bank space, unable to expansion even, to say twenty or even 30 slots?

There is limited space by purposeful design. You are able to, even if it may seem costly, expand your bank and personal bank space. To create another space to hold even more items is not what was planned. There would have to be a price to balance this desire by "craftsmen" and not just "hoarders" who benefit, from those that do not craft or hold craft materials that would suffer by omission, to off set what is already, in my truthful opinion, a feasible system.


[edit] added clothing into my stored stocks as I missed it.

Inkedbettie

The issue is this game makes you a hoarder, and no one wants to get rid of anything. I no longer store tons of mats, I keep a stack of basics to make things and stones, everything else if I have leveled past it, I sell it.

Salsadoom

Arsvita wrote: »

I have 6 crafters covering the six crafts.

I use a lot of bank space.

I keep all general materials used by the three weapons and armor crafters in the bank with the exception of a few runes, bar, clothing, and finished wood stocks that I use to craft by my other characters for destruction purposes.

I keep most all singular crafting items on the character for that craft. I am still working on exactly what items I wish to keep for crafting, but I know I can pare it down, like provisioning with the recipes I continue to get and the ones I use most.

When a character is off adventuring I am still able to put excess items in the bank to make sure I have plenty of personal bag space while out and about.

Sure I have to play the switch and swap inventory game, but this is feasible in ensuring that you are aware and careful of what you keep for your "needs", which I would actually term "wants".

This is a fair system, and workable, purposefully thought out in a manner that limits you to decide what you will feel is truly necessary and worth keeping.

I, personally, have no trouble with this mode. Even if I do have to shift and shuffle.

If you want a separate system for holding materials, what are you willing to give up in return?
Will you be willing to limit your bank space, unable to expansion even, to say twenty or even 30 slots?

There is limited space by purposeful design. You are able to, even if it may seem costly, expand your bank and personal bank space. To create another space to hold even more items is not what was planned. There would have to be a price to balance this desire by "craftsmen" and not just "hoarders" who benefit, from those that do not craft or hold craft materials that would suffer by omission, to off set what is already, in my truthful opinion, a feasible system.


[edit] added clothing into my stored stocks as I missed it.

That is fine, but what if you don't want to mix your items with your other characters? I agree with your method it's fine, or with 1 character, but if you don't want to mix things up.....

For the record, I have no problems having to manage inventory.

ArRashid

Well, inventory and bank were clearly designed to hold materials for ONE profession. If you put more in there, you have them full all the time, I currently have 3 and have absolutely full bank all the damn time.

And those are just Clothing, Woodworking and Blacksmithing, which uses 16 shared resources.
Alchemy, Provisioning and Enchanting all need WHOLE bank alone... hell, I'm not even sure whole bank can keep all Provisioning materials alone..

xmistidawnb14_ESO

I also agree that NO inventory should be used for craft pieces. right now i have tons and tons of mats but because i have to juggle space I cant craft .. I have no room and i am trying my best to add slots its impossible.. takes me hour or so to use alts just to hold items pull items off the alts put them in a bank then use them then put them back in the alts again because BANK slots are too expensive and WAY TOO FEW. All because of Craft mats taking up so much space

Setarcos

I'd be happy if they gave us separate storage for just Provisioning and Enchantment, and only in the bank.

Nexis1979

Here is my opinion and I know it might be mean. But stop crying!!! The Elder Scrolls Series has always been about making it as close to reality as possible. This includes weight and space for items you can carry at a time. If they make the game to easy then it is a fail. So toughen up a bit. Not everything should be handed to you.

Maverick827

Nexis1979 wrote: »

Here is my opinion and I know it might be mean. But stop crying!!! The Elder Scrolls Series has always been about making it as close to reality as possible. This includes weight and space for items you can carry at a time. If they make the game to easy then it is a fail. So toughen up a bit. Not everything should be handed to you.

What? Elder Scrolls is the highest fantasy series on the market. You're constantly traveling through time and fighting gods.

In Skyrim one chest could hold an infinite number of items. Your argument holds no water.

smokes

i was fine with the limited bank space until i rolled an alt and wanted to do different professions.

3 bank mules later, i'm still having space issues.

my bank is made up entirely of crafting materials and a couple of CE treasure maps - all the pets and novelty items are on mules as i need the space for mats.

although tbh i should probably sell some stuff, but nobody wants to buy crafting mats when they are in such abundance out in the world.

i kinda wish my characters had a personal bank in addition to the shared bank so i can save low level crafting mats for when i level them.

KerinKor

Maverick827 wrote: »

In Skyrim one chest could hold an infinite number of items. Your argument holds no water.

But did that chest hold water?

Iluvrien

Inkedbettie wrote: »

The issue is this game makes you a hoarder, and no one wants to get rid of anything. I no longer store tons of mats, I keep a stack of basics to make things and stones, everything else if I have leveled past it, I sell it.

Actually, I think it is more a case that the game allows you to be a hoarder, or that it does not actively stop you from being a hoarder. Other games, such as LotRO or SWTOR, do limit you by making you pick specific crafts or professions for which you then collect materials.

ESO allows you the freedom to work on everything at once, and so some people try to do so. The inventory system was given its current limitations specifically to require people to focus their attentions and plan their usage.

I currently have my main character working on Enchanting, Clothing and Woodworking. I then have one alt who is working on Alchemy, Blacksmithing and Provisioning. It requires some forward planning but I have only the first two upgrades for the pack of each character and the first two bank upgrades and I tend not to run out of space. Occasionally things get full if I have been doing a materials collection run and then a guildmate calls on me to help with a Dungeon or other such thing, but in normal usage? No problems.

At first it was a pain in the posterior section but as I bought each space upgrade it got easier and because of that initial difficulty I now value each upgrade much more than I would have done so had the materials taken up no space.

Sorry, OP, I am afraid I have to disagree with you on this one.

Catches_the_Sun

grahamz1b14_ESO wrote: »

I disagree, for one reason that wasn't obvious to me until I had played for a while. The actual inconvenience of the number of ingredients, combined with the expense of expanding ones bank and carrying capacity means that it is also inconvenient to master more than a couple of crafting skills, which actually is great for the economy. In games where you could master every crafting skill, either on your main or through alts, really stifled the economy. Look at Fallen Earth -- it has one of the best crafting systems there is, and yet this is combined with one of the worst economies I've seen in a game for a very long time, at least since the early days of EQ, where gold sellers were rampant). You can still do it, but the expense and inconvenience of doing that means that most people who like to craft will tend to specialize.

I'm not sure if this was a calculated move on Zenimax's part, and actually I was frustrated with it at first, like many others were. But it just dawned on me one day after I had read the umpteenth post advising others not to try to try to do too many crafting skills, that the law of unintended consequences was likely at play here.

You beat me to it. Well written post, and you are 100% correct. It amazes me that Provisioners, for example, are screaming for dedicated space. The result of such a change would be everybody leveling up their own Provisioner alts, resulting in no trade for food & drink. The limitations need to stay as they are.

Viblo

Inventory is a soft limit on crafting skills. ESO did not want to come out and code limit people to 2 or 3 crafts so they limited inventory space so it would be difficult to level up multiple craft skills at once. If you are having an issue with inventory space because of crafting that is on purpose and how the game is meant to be.

SadisticSavior

EvilIguana wrote: »

Crafting mats should use NO inventory space.

LOL! no.

That was completely deliberate on their part. They do not want people mastering every craft...they want people to specialize. If you can do everything yourself, it means nothing is worth anything...why they hell should I buy stuff from you if I can make it myself?

I think they have actually said this in Q&A before. The limited inventory slots are limited specifically because they want to force people to specialize. This is an Elder Scrolls game, not an episode of Hoarders.

SadisticSavior

smokes wrote: »

although tbh i should probably sell some stuff, but nobody wants to buy crafting mats when they are in such abundance out in the world.

Totally wrong. I see requests for it in chat all the time. They will want to buy them in bulk is all...A stack of 100 or 500 ingots most certainly will sell. Even a stack of ore that big will sell, and for more than vendors will pay you.

The starter zones are where I see the requests most often. See it in Glenumbra all the time.

Shimizu

Agree something needs to be done about inventory.
Would be happy to have a 200 slot crafting bag that is separate from main inventory or even an upgradeable crafting bag that costs skill points in one of the crafting lines to upgrade (allowing multicrafters to further upgrade it perhaps)

Also agree about dungeon trophies & cosmetic items - these should be separate. I've got trophies from every public dungeon & random pets taking up space that I've now dumped onto an alt to hold cause I didn't really want to destroy them which seems a bit pointless.