Inventory Systems (Shooters)

[MyNameDidntFit]

Just to clarify, I don't mean RPG inventories where you keep your bread, wine and skuma -- I mean weaponry inventories.

Similar to my health systems thread, I thought I'd see if I can't get some discussion going based around the various weapon inventory systems we have in the shooter genre. Here's a quick run-down of the systems that are on the top of my head:

TARDIS Inventory
The best example I have here is Half-Life; you're like a hungry man hoarding cookies. You can grab every damn weapon on the planet and store it in your TARDIS-esque inventory; a rocket launcher, three assault rifles, an SMG, two handguns, some grenades, a couple of unique weapons, a beating stick and ammunition to boot -- you can hold them all and dig them out when you feel it appropriate.

'Realistic' Inventory
Call of Duty is likely the most common of this sort of inventory. You get a sidearm, a primary weapon and a couple grenades on your belt. Switching the aforementioned weapons for something a dead guy dropped if you want to. No suspect methods of weapon storage here, it's a matter of realism, people.

... OK so I've had a mind blank and that's all I've got for the moment.

Personally, I like both... having a weapons cache big enough for Bush to invade you hidden on your person opens up countless avenues of epic fun, stuffing about and even allows for more open tactics (being that they don't depend on what you have/don't have). But, then, the feeling of having your primary and watching the ammunition counter drain away in an intense firefight and know that, sooner or later, you're going to have to pull out that handgun or make a mad dash through a hail of bullets to get yourself another gun is... fantastic.

Discuss!

[Jason]

It's not quite a shooter per se (although I guess number 5 was pretty close), but there is a third option - the 'Resident Evil' style physical space method. You've got a finite number of blocks, and you can only fit so much junk in there. Do you go for lots of smaller, less powerful weapons, or do you go for a couple of 'big berthas', and just hope that you do enough damage with those that your only remaining task is to wade through the organs?
It also leads to the eternal ammo/healing dilemma. Do you carry that extra ammo to get you out of a sticky situation, or do you carry the extra healing to make sure you don't keel over the first time something gets too close?

[nilihanth]

I like the COD inventory system better. Primary weapon and a secondary option along with smaller equipment items. I also like the visual effect that method has as well. In COD:MW2 you can see people's equipment on their person. I like it. If someone is running the One Man Army perk you see them with that giant bag on their back. If they have Final or Last stand selected they always have a sidearm on them. You can even see the claymore.

Only exception to this rule is if it's a game that is unmistakably going for the "old school" method of FPS gaming. Quake, to name one. I would even have liked it if a game like Jedi Knight: Outcast used the COD system. If you're going with the Jedi role you'd most likely only have your saber and bit of equipment along with what force powers you use. If you're not a Jedi you'd have 1-3 weapons, max, and some equipment. I only say this from experience. Whenever I found myself playing Outcast and actually using weapons (which was rare. I normally only played saber-only matches) I realy only used 1 or 2 weapons ever anyway so being able to carry only 2 wouldn't have been a detriment to my playstyle.

[Jason]

In all honesty, most 'arena' shooters could probably get away with having only five weapons - usually the ones mapped to 6 through 9 plus the starter weapon. Hardly any of the others get used unless it's the only weapon you can find. :p