Managing stuff takes 80% of game time!

Royaji · February 2020

Giraffon wrote: »

AhPook_Is_Here wrote: »

I solved the problem by only picking up gold and weapons and armor i will use. Same with gathering, just take the stuff out of the node you want.

No. Don't do that. It's rude. Take it all from nodes. The node won't reset until it's emptied. It's super rude. Don't do it.

Yes. Do it. It's fine. You can leave stuff in nodes. The reset timer starts when the node is opened. It's absolutely fine. Do it.

Alinhbo_Tyaka · February 2020

ESO+ is your answer. Well that and buying storage chests. Oh and not saving everything you find. Of course organization helps too.

I rarely run out if room and almost always have excess capacity. The only time I run out of room in my main pack is if I've collected a lot of drops from delve/dungeon farming and most of those are no value white items I can readily destroy. I occasionally run out of room in the storage chests I use to hold plans/recipes or motifs I plan to sell in the guild store. When this happens I just shift the excess to one of my other storage chests or the banker. I also use unused houses to store my excess furniture and saving bank space for frequently used items. Since developing my scheme it takes very little time to manage my inventory as I always know which container to go to for the item I need to process. Now if I didn't have ESO+ it might be a different story. However even back before I did I found the free ESO+ events were enough to load up on crafting materials and keep my backpack available for other items. As a side note I don't use any addons.

Giraffon · February 2020

Royaji wrote: »

Giraffon wrote: »

AhPook_Is_Here wrote: »

I solved the problem by only picking up gold and weapons and armor i will use. Same with gathering, just take the stuff out of the node you want.

No. Don't do that. It's rude. Take it all from nodes. The node won't reset until it's emptied. It's super rude. Don't do it.

Yes. Do it. It's fine. You can leave stuff in nodes. The reset timer starts when the node is opened. It's absolutely fine. Do it.

>:-(

If a reset timer does exist, it's too long. Someone is going to find your leftover fish bait (which is actually worth something) before it resets.

Royaji · February 2020

Giraffon wrote: »

Royaji wrote: »

Giraffon wrote: »

AhPook_Is_Here wrote: »

I solved the problem by only picking up gold and weapons and armor i will use. Same with gathering, just take the stuff out of the node you want.

No. Don't do that. It's rude. Take it all from nodes. The node won't reset until it's emptied. It's super rude. Don't do it.

Yes. Do it. It's fine. You can leave stuff in nodes. The reset timer starts when the node is opened. It's absolutely fine. Do it.

>:-(

If a reset timer does exist, it's too long. Someone is going to find your leftover fish bait (which is actually worth something) before it resets.

The reset timer takes no consideration if anything was taken from the node or not after it was opened for the first time.

So this someone can either find some leftover fish bait (which is actually worth something) or absolutely nothing in its place.

ssewallb14_ESO · February 2020

Leiloni wrote: »

Iskiab wrote: »

It’s an artificially created problem they designed to encourage ESO plus. Even with ESO plus you’ll eventually have some issues.

30 year old MMOs had a better inventory system.

That's actually not true. We had this inventory and bank system when the game was first released and it was a P2P game. Crafting bag didn't even come out until I think over a year after ESO+ was introduced. The system was just always a burden to manage, and they finally got smart and came up with the crafting bag (which is something that WoW and GW2 have in other ways anyway so they probably got the ideas form those).

When the game was p2p ZoS actually kept a close eye on inventory strain and made several concerted efforts to keep space inline with items and player experience. The amount of bank and bag space was raised several times, the entire provisioning system was reworked to be more space efficient, mementos were made account wide, and systems were built with inventory space in mind.

Since whoever gave the OK to monetize inventory space, all storage increases have been tied to crown store purchases, and new systems have deliberate space constraints that can be partially or wholly overcome through crown store purchases or ESO+.

This is what you get with b2p/f2p. There is a real life money incentive to deliberately make the game frustrating so you can charge money to relieve that frustration.

usmguy1234 · February 2020

Sergg007 wrote: »

I am using all add-ons, it helps a little but does not solve the problem. I do not play the game, I shift things!
I don’t know what to do with it, sometimes I just want to delete everything, but then I will delete the game. What do you think, how to handle? :'((((

Sitting in load screens/ reloading the game is the other 20%.

Nevasca · February 2020

ssewallb14_ESO wrote: »

Leiloni wrote: »

Iskiab wrote: »

It’s an artificially created problem they designed to encourage ESO plus. Even with ESO plus you’ll eventually have some issues.

30 year old MMOs had a better inventory system.

That's actually not true. We had this inventory and bank system when the game was first released and it was a P2P game. Crafting bag didn't even come out until I think over a year after ESO+ was introduced. The system was just always a burden to manage, and they finally got smart and came up with the crafting bag (which is something that WoW and GW2 have in other ways anyway so they probably got the ideas form those).

When the game was p2p ZoS actually kept a close eye on inventory strain and made several concerted efforts to keep space inline with items and player experience. The amount of bank and bag space was raised several times, the entire provisioning system was reworked to be more space efficient, mementos were made account wide, and systems were built with inventory space in mind.

Since whoever gave the OK to monetize inventory space, all storage increases have been tied to crown store purchases, and new systems have deliberate space constraints that can be partially or wholly overcome through crown store purchases or ESO+.

This is what you get with b2p/f2p. There is a real life money incentive to deliberately make the game frustrating so you can charge money to relieve that frustration.

You. P2P is much more healthy for the customer, although not as lucrative for the company. I'd gladly pay subscription to play, but I refuse to go into ESO+ as it is now.

Jenzi · February 2020

How many hours a day do you play ESO? I’ve spent £40 on a game I’ve played for 9 hours. ESO+ is more than worth it.

Destyran · February 2020

No it doesn’t

SeaGtGruff · February 2020

I had the same problem until I got ESO+, especially on the NA server.

On the EU server it wasn't as bad because I forced myself to keep no more than 1 stack of anything; as soon as a stack began to overflow into a second stack, I would sell the overflow. I could have shuffled the overflow to mule characters, as I did on the NA server, but I chose not to. Any other items-- gear, glyphs, etc.-- got deconstructed or used for researching traits by my main if I didn't want to actively use it.

On the NA server I had 4 mule characters in addition to my main-- although 1 was more of a secondary character than a mule-- and I spent an incredible amount of time shuffling things around between my main and my mules. I have all 8 storage chests, and most of them were completely filled, but I tried to keep some free slots in at least 1 of the smaller chests to help with the process of shuffling stuff between characters. It was so bad that I never had time to play the game; even just getting my mail from the crafting assistants was a pain, because I didn't have enough free slots on my main to accept the attachments, so I'd have to cycle through my characters multiple times to accept some attachments and shuffle some of them off, then accept some more attachments and shuffle them off, etc. And then after doing my daily crafting writs on my main I would go through it all again trying to deal with the rewards from the writs. Aside from not having time to do quests, delves, or dungeons, I was afraid to join a dungeon group with guild mates because I didn't have room to pick up any good loot.

All of that went away as soon as I got ESO+, although now that I'm able to hang onto dropped gear it's completely filled up all of my storage chests, with the large overall staying (for now) in my main's inventory. I have a lot of free inventory slots on my alts, so I could shuffle some stuff off to them, but I don't want to get back into the habit of using them as mules. Instead, they can now do daily crafting writs along with my main, which is helping me earn a good bit of gold-- which I just spent half of on the house in Stros M'Kai. Now I really need to take stock of all the dropped set gear I've started keeping, so I can keep what I really want and either deconstruct, research, or sell what I don't want. And my alts can start questing again in addition to the daily crafting writs.

If you can't afford or don't want to get ESO+, I recommend biting the bullet and sticking with a strict 1-stack-per-item policy for stackable items, deconstruct or sell anything you aren't using or don't need to save for later, and stop relying on mules except maybe for stuff you want to keep but don't have room for on your main, in your bank, or in your storage chests. The more you rely on mules, the more time you'll spend on shuffling stuff around. It's okay to use mules, but if the shuffling takes up all your time then try to minimize how much shuffling you need to do.

Asardes · February 2020

I played the game without ESO+ for almost 2 years, so I learned to sell, deconstruct or list on guild traders the items I don't need.

AlnilamE · February 2020

JamilaRaj wrote: »

Sergg007 wrote: »

I am using all add-ons, it helps a little but does not solve the problem. I do not play the game, I shift things!
I don’t know what to do with it, sometimes I just want to delete everything, but then I will delete the game. What do you think, how to handle? :'((((

Delete the game.
See, you could throw away garbage, as many have suggested, instead of shifting it around to keep it, but that is "let them eat brioche" advice, because throwing garbage away is just as time consuming and you would only replace one chore with another.

Leiloni wrote: »

Iskiab wrote: »

It’s an artificially created problem they designed to encourage ESO plus. Even with ESO plus you’ll eventually have some issues.

30 year old MMOs had a better inventory system.

That's actually not true. We had this inventory and bank system when the game was first released and it was a P2P game. Crafting bag didn't even come out until I think over a year after ESO+ was introduced. The system was just always a burden to manage, and they finally got smart and came up with the crafting bag (which is something that WoW and GW2 have in other ways anyway so they probably got the ideas form those).

Actually, that is also not true. Precisely the moment they released crafting bag they turned what was, if we are to give them benefit of the doubt and write it off as oversight, not foresight, a problem, into an artificial problem, because they chose to monetize rather than fix it.
And the problem is increasingly more severe as they add more and more clutter in each update.

How do you suggest they fix it? Give us 1000 bank slots? 500 per character? We'd still fill them up, I'm telling you, and it would become even more time consuming to deal with all of it. That's what my Pokemon storage looks like, so I'm talking from experience.

I think running a mean and lean operation is the least time-consuming option. That's what I'm striving for.

Mix · February 2020

I know pre-ESO+ and craft bag I spent about an hour a day shuffling items to mules, but the game (without ESO+) still offers a lot of inventory space.

The first thing I did (way back in 2014!) was max out my bank and bag slots and Carry for a horse (this system changed). That is where all my gold went, because bigger inventory = less frustration and more profit in the long run.

Now we also have Storage Boxes for our Houses (you get one free at level 18 i think). Storage Boxes are great for items you are saving but probably won't need right away - put any items you want faster access to in your bank (as other players may be able to summon a banker npc if you need something during a dungeon).

I am a hoarder, BUT I limited myself to one stack of things and only kept things I was the level to use before the craft bag. For example, no reason to keep mats below the level of your character if you craft your own gear. Or Alch water/oil below your level etc.

If you don't want to sub, definitely check out their ESO+ free trial when they offer it, you will get the craft bag briefly and all your mats will go in there. Once the trial ends you won't be able to deposit anymore but can withdraw from it as needed.

ShawnLaRock · February 2020

1 Main character “empty” for Questing
2 Shoulders, Style & Raw Materials
3 Staves1
4 Hands, Furnishing
5 Potions, Poisons, Trophies, Repair
6 Rings1
7 Feet
8 Head
9 Chest
10 1h Weapons
11 2h Weapons
12 Neck, Provisioning
13 Waist, white new character gear
14 Staves2, Enchanting
15 Bows, Alchemy, Trait
16 Rings2, Blacksmithing / Clothing / Woodworking
17 Shields, 2h Weapons2, Siege
18 (saving slot until Greymoor)

Hoard much? You bet.

S.

Edit: main character “empty” means between 80-90 slots used due to Geodes, Key Frags, bound Runebox pieces, potions, daily writ items, etc. etc. etc.

thadjarvis · February 2020

Wish they’d just price bank space with server cost, take a 50% margin, and make it available infinitely. Shareholders profit + customers get happy = good business. Why limit it at all?

Dusk_Coven · February 2020

At some point you will have way too much stuff and don't "need" all of it. Then you can play less, keep less, and manage less -- if you are OCD about stuff like doing writs every day, for example.

kalimar44 · February 2020

Giraffon wrote: »

AhPook_Is_Here wrote: »

I solved the problem by only picking up gold and weapons and armor i will use. Same with gathering, just take the stuff out of the node you want.

No. Don't do that. It's rude. Take it all from nodes. The node won't reset until it's emptied. It's super rude. Don't do it.

Completely agree on this, plus I hate when someone doesn't finish fishing a hole!!

Tigerseye · February 2020

Anotherone773 wrote: »

Tigerseye wrote: »

My advice would be to ignore most of the above advice (because you probably do it, anyway).

Buy ESO+ if you can - but, then, if you're still having problems (and you will), keep on petitioning ZOS for more space.

It's ridiculous that you can sub, buy Crowns and still get told, by some people, that you should be jumping through hoops and making endless mules, just to store your relatively modest amount of stuff.

Or that you're a "hoarder".

As someone who "hoards" in video games ( I hoard items to sell in 3 trade guilds), i can 100% absolutely assure you that if you:
* Have ESO plus
* Have Fully upgraded Bank and inventory
* Have all the storage containers
* Need a dedicated guild bank or a mule
* Use a house for furniture storage( if applicable)
and STILL have inventory management problems, then you have a hoarding problem. You dont NEED 18 sets of gear for every character in case " that one gets good later" or whatever weird reasoning for holding on to gear for months or years and never using.

I do think they should allow us to up our inventory limits with crowns but they want to make sure their is a reason to get ESO plus and anyone who has ESO plus will tell you that the craft bag is primary reason to get it, even though the craft bag, DLCS, etc are actually the perks of buying the 1650 crowns on a monthly sub.

I don't have anywhere near "18 sets of gear" (in total, let alone per char!), or a "hoarding problem".

I might not get around to selling everything (motifs etc.), straight away, as I find listing boring as hell and only have access to two guild traders, at the moment.

I just do furnishing a lot and don't want all my furnishings, permanently, out-of-bounds in one of my 4 (yes, 4) storage houses.

For one thing, if you have 10+ of something, storing it in a house is (obviously) very wasteful of slots, compared to storing it somewhere you can stack it.

For another, you can't decorate the houses you are using as storage.

For yet another, when you loot paintings, for example, it is impractical to have to go and dump them in a house, all the time, as opposed to putting them in the bank.

Which you can do anywhere, if you have a banker NPC.

Look, this isn't rocket surgery, you should be able to work all this out for yourselves and I know I have said it all before - I'm even boring myself, at this point.

Tigerseye · February 2020

...oh and re. the much mentioned mules:

I don't play games to log in and out all day.

I pay for an ESO+ sub, I have fully upgraded everything, I should not need mules...

Tigerseye · February 2020

AlnilamE wrote: »

JamilaRaj wrote: »

Sergg007 wrote: »

I am using all add-ons, it helps a little but does not solve the problem. I do not play the game, I shift things!
I don’t know what to do with it, sometimes I just want to delete everything, but then I will delete the game. What do you think, how to handle? :'((((

Delete the game.
See, you could throw away garbage, as many have suggested, instead of shifting it around to keep it, but that is "let them eat brioche" advice, because throwing garbage away is just as time consuming and you would only replace one chore with another.

Leiloni wrote: »

Iskiab wrote: »

It’s an artificially created problem they designed to encourage ESO plus. Even with ESO plus you’ll eventually have some issues.

30 year old MMOs had a better inventory system.

That's actually not true. We had this inventory and bank system when the game was first released and it was a P2P game. Crafting bag didn't even come out until I think over a year after ESO+ was introduced. The system was just always a burden to manage, and they finally got smart and came up with the crafting bag (which is something that WoW and GW2 have in other ways anyway so they probably got the ideas form those).

Actually, that is also not true. Precisely the moment they released crafting bag they turned what was, if we are to give them benefit of the doubt and write it off as oversight, not foresight, a problem, into an artificial problem, because they chose to monetize rather than fix it.
And the problem is increasingly more severe as they add more and more clutter in each update.

How do you suggest they fix it? Give us 1000 bank slots? 500 per character? We'd still fill them up, I'm telling you, and it would become even more time consuming to deal with all of it. That's what my Pokemon storage looks like, so I'm talking from experience.

I think running a mean and lean operation is the least time-consuming option. That's what I'm striving for.

You're welcome to strive and carry on striving for anything you like.

Not everyone has the same desires.

If you don't want more storage, you are free to carry on with your lean and mean thing, even if it is made available.

The same cannot be said the other way around.

Tigerseye · February 2020

Royaji wrote: »

Giraffon wrote: »

Royaji wrote: »

Giraffon wrote: »

AhPook_Is_Here wrote: »

I solved the problem by only picking up gold and weapons and armor i will use. Same with gathering, just take the stuff out of the node you want.

No. Don't do that. It's rude. Take it all from nodes. The node won't reset until it's emptied. It's super rude. Don't do it.

Yes. Do it. It's fine. You can leave stuff in nodes. The reset timer starts when the node is opened. It's absolutely fine. Do it.

>:-(

If a reset timer does exist, it's too long. Someone is going to find your leftover fish bait (which is actually worth something) before it resets.

The reset timer takes no consideration if anything was taken from the node or not after it was opened for the first time.

So this someone can either find some leftover fish bait (which is actually worth something) or absolutely nothing in its place.

I think you're missing the point.

If someone partially loots a node, someone else won't know that has happened, when they stop, dismount and gather it.

That means they have almost certainly had their time wasted, for a far lesser reward than they would have chosen to bother with.

In other words, had they known it was half (or three quarters) looted, they probably wouldn't have stopped.

It's not like the node disappears immediately after someone gathers it, even if they leave something.

Tigerseye · February 2020

...and if people don't like having their time wasted, by people leaving one item in a node, they should be for better storage for everyone, so that is far less likely to happen.

Tigerseye · February 2020

Dusk_Coven wrote: »

At some point you will have way too much stuff and don't "need" all of it. Then you can play less, keep less, and manage less -- if you are OCD about stuff like doing writs every day, for example.

So what?

Why do you care what other people keep, or don't keep, or for how long?

You're not their mother.

People are different.

Some people like keeping on top of things, every single day.

Other people get driven mad by that and prefer to let things go a bit and then have a big clear out.

One isn't better than the other, it's just different ways of thinking.

peacenote · February 2020

Somewhere around here I took the time to write up how I manage my inventory.... I will link if I find it.

One additional comment I have, though, is that I think experiences can differ depending on what role you play, and from that perspective while I think one can finagle ESO such that the number of pure slots is high, not all storage is created equal.

If you are a tank or a healer OR jump between multiple roles regularly on your character, it is just TOO frustrating to have gear in rotation somewhere that needs to be fetched.

So on my main, a healer with 3 - 4 set options, multiple monster sets, and PvP gear, I do feel like any time I do a single thing I spend more time shifting stuff than playing. Because in order to not keep my teammates waiting all active gear is carried for quick swap with Dressing Room.

But on my DPS alts, who have BIS (or close) gear for one build I want to try, I will have 80 slots free on average. I can run multiple dungeons in a row or farm for a long time before having to clear inventory.

Those 80 slots can't help my healer main.

Which means on a single account sometimes I feel like a hoarder and sometimes space is plentiful. But if I have multiple characters with 80+ slots... I'm NOT hoarding.

Another example. I can ease a little pain for characters that do writs by storing the food and alchemy pots in my bank, and a mod pulls them from the mobile banker when I need. All the mules in the world won't help if I am doing writs on that same healer main. I need bank space for this.

This is partially why we get such polarized comments on space. It depends on what you are doing.

Taloros · February 2020

Royaji wrote: »

Yes. Do it. It's fine. You can leave stuff in nodes. The reset timer starts when the node is opened. It's absolutely fine. Do it.

I seriously doubt that. Have you actually tested that or is it word of mouth?

There are places where chests respawn immediately after another one disappears. But they only disappear when looted fully. There're never two chests at once. Maybe I'm missing something or it's different for different maps.

But... until some proof or at least elaboration is given on that claim, I call BS.

thadjarvis · February 2020

^^^plus if you do support roles a lot it’s likely you have 2-4 classes and 6-10 sets for each role! On top of that tanks will (eventually) have multiple sets of jewelry for trait options of multiple sets. Both roles need monsters in multiple weights. I find it quite difficult to fit all of that and another dozen of sets for mag/stam PvE/PvP in bank....

Anotherone773 · February 2020

ShawnLaRock wrote: »

1 Main character “empty” for Questing
2 Shoulders, Style & Raw Materials
3 Staves1
4 Hands, Furnishing
5 Potions, Poisons, Trophies, Repair
6 Rings1
7 Feet
8 Head
9 Chest
10 1h Weapons
11 2h Weapons
12 Neck, Provisioning
13 Waist, white new character gear
14 Staves2, Enchanting
15 Bows, Alchemy, Trait
16 Rings2, Blacksmithing / Clothing / Woodworking
17 Shields, 2h Weapons2, Siege
18 (saving slot until Greymoor)

Hoard much? You bet.

S.

Edit: main character “empty” means between 80-90 slots used due to Geodes, Key Frags, bound Runebox pieces, potions, daily writ items, etc. etc. etc.

I actually feel sorry for you. That sounds very stressful and annoying to basically have 17 useless slots and a character that only has 80 slots free when empty.

Hip_Uncle_Z · February 2020

MMO's encourage hoarding of items "just incase". I legit have 100 purples in my inventory/bank, because I have no idea if X build will pan out before Y patch.

With all the server lag though... I'm thinking it may be better just to ditch everything and play like a minimalist monk.

Beardimus · February 2020

Sergg007 wrote: »

I am using all add-ons, it helps a little but does not solve the problem. I do not play the game, I shift things!
I don’t know what to do with it, sometimes I just want to delete everything, but then I will delete the game. What do you think, how to handle? :'((((

Admin is high in this game till you get setup.
Upgrade bank, bag asap, ESO+ if you craft, containers for your house. Setup your spare toon slots as mules and create a guild of 10 to get a guild bank.

Be ruthless. Only keep hard drops, dungeon jewelry etc get into trading so you have a few million in the bank then you know you can buy stuff you need rather than hoard.

Craft too and create stuff in batches. Only used trader for rare stuff or deal hunting.

Get efficient and its way more fun

isoJs · February 2020

Why would you want a chest to respawn after you take the valuable set item out of it?

If it respawns then someone else gets a chance at another item of that set, leading to more items of that set in circulation.

And that will lead to devaluing your item from that set.

Its dog eat dog in the field of chest opening PVP, every chest I leave with a rubbish item in it frustrates my "enemies"

[/quote]

[Snip]

[Edited to remove bashing]