BA4: Game Design Document #27

Video Game Inventories

Inventories, a way for you to find your equipment, use items, check stats and store objects of importance. We need one for Distorted Delirium. I have been doing some rough layout designs but I am yet to find a design I like or that reflects the game accurately. Plus a few aspects of the game have changed since then so I need to update them. 

To begin with, I want to show you this video. Why? Because it's funny :3

So,  moving on...To help me design our inventory system, I felt researching designs from other games would help. Lets start with…

Amnesia (of course) 

http://img837.imageshack.us/img837/2373/amnesia2010100910442378.png  

We are taking influences from Amnesia’s inventory system in that we are also using text based descriptions of health with a context-sensitive illustration the player can highlight to acquire their health status. 

Amnesias inventory is very simple, it highlights the key areas of focus in the game such as your oil level, amount of tinderbox’s, health and sanity. It also has a grid to store items picked up in game as well as an option to enter the journal. 

 

Silent Hill  (Various Games) 

  Image References:

http://media.moddb.com/images/groups/1/3/2682/pcsx2-r1888_2011-03-21_22-18-18-46.jpg

http://www.mobygames.com/images/shots/l/523830-silent-hill-homecoming-playstation-3-screenshot-weapons-inventory.jpg

 

I much prefer the inventory at the top. The player has 3 main elements to worry about, their health (status) which is represented by a visual image of the character (which gets progressively redder as the player sustains damage to indicate that they need a health item). There is equipment which is displayed in the middle at the top showing which item the player has equipped. On the far right is the command, this shows what the player can do with each item they find, such as use it, equip it and examine it. The player just needs to scroll through the items to find the one they need which is what you can see in the middle. 

Fallout 3

http://fallout3.files.wordpress.com/2008/07/pipboyskills1.jpg

 

Fallout 3 has a complex inventory system, one that can appear overwhelming to players at the start, however, you soon find out you need it to be this detailed and that the separated menu systems are incredibly useful. 

Players can skip through context specific menus on their “pip-boy” to find different sections of inventory. There is a section for the players health, change to another section and there is a section for the items and their  information on another screen, etc. 

Metal Gear Solid 1 (SNAAAAAAAKE!)

  http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20110815010910/metalgear/images/7/7d/Ocelot%27s_surprise.png

 

Metal Gear Solid 1 uses an on screen inventory, I guess this could be classed under HUD but it’s still an inventory none the less! You press L2 and up pops your non weaponry related items such as door card keys, health, night vision goggles etc. You can equip/use them from there. If you hit R2 it brings up your weaponry such as grenades and guns where you can alternate between different fire arms. 

Tomb Raider

  http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/jj95/horvie/4Kingdom.jpg

 

Tomb Raider’s inventory is accessed through the pause screen. You are faced with a circular selection of items which you can scroll through. Each item then pops up as a larger image so the player can see what they are selecting. Going up and down brings different area of inventory. For example, pressing pause brings up the circular choice where the player can save game or reload, going down a their brings up their health items and guns; all things which are used in game. 

 

Resident Evil (Various Games) 

 Image References: 

http://lparchive.org/Resident-Evil-1/Update%2014/32-Image40.jpg 

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-B5GhCgHy3nU/TwWo37ZUDoI/AAAAAAAAAVg/MQtA7mT2ve0/s1600/Resident+evil+inventory.jpg

 

All Resident Evil inventories share common ground, they allow the player to store items in a set amount of spaces. Different items take up different amounts of space and so the player must think carefully when arranging their inventory. 

The newer games tend to have split inventories, where the player can access different information. In the older games (resident evil 1 for example) the player would have 1 screen for everything. Health was displayed with a life line which would change in colour  depending on how badly injured the player was. There would also be a one word description stating how the player was.