Sure, there is an issue with inadequate storage overall, but at what limit would storage BE adequate? If for example they were to grant us unlimited resource stacks, 1000 crate sizes, re-crating, etc. this would no doubt go a long way towards reducing our item counts, but these items would still count as 1 item each and eventually players will fill their house and asking for even more storage. There has to be a limit somewhere. The issue that does it for me is having to spread out my items among storage houses, and having to house hop to find something. I really would like the ability to have access to my items under one roof. I've been working on a similar idea that Gizmo posted.

Adding lots to our existing structure at the management terminal would reduce Architect sales to a degree since you could just buy one 2-lot house, and fill it up with 8 lots worth of storage instead of buying 8 lots worth of houses. Also, increasing the item limit in a house by adding lots doesn't address the issue of those items lagging your house (hence the limits).

Garva had this to say awhile back:As far as crates holding 100 or 25, I did not mention anything about that, because I don't know the why. Other than possibly... longevity of crafting, if you can store 1000 items in one crate, why even bother being a crafter after you have a stock? It keeps the profession in the game and active. Might as well make npc vendors that make and sell everything. Lastly, house item limits are not solely based on database, its also the fact that each time you enter a house it has to load all those items, each of the visual representations for those items. Imagine walking into your 800 item house. Not everyone has a Radeon 9800.

My tweak to Gizmo's idea would be a vendor-like Storage Unit. A Master Merchant could have up to 4000 items on a vendor and I believe this doesn't lag a house because the vendor doesn't actually render these items in the house and the items on the vendor are tied to the vendor and not the house in which it resides. This Storage Unit would act like a vendor in that regard. The Storage Unit would require the use of structure deeds which in turn would limit you by available lots and the Storage Unit's capacity would be dictated by the deed used. The Storage Unit itself and the items within would not count towards your house limit, like a vendor.

Here's how it would work: Right click a structure deed and select "Create Storage Unit" from the radial menu. The deed would change to an item that can be dropped in a house where you are the Owner. Once dropped, it uses the appropriate lots and you would have to pay the appropriate maintenance for that structure just as if you had planted it in the world. Only the Owner can pick up the Storage Unit to re-deed it for the regular re-deed cost and reclaim the used lots. When placed in your house you can only rotate it or re-deed it. Re-deeding the Storage Unit would destroy the contents within, and a system message would remind you if there are items in it. The Storage Unit's capacity would be determined by the deed used, e.g. 200 items for a Small Generic. You can drop as many Storage Units as you have available lots, and paying the maintenance for each unit.

Only administrators of the Storage Unit can view and access the contents, and pay maintenance on the Storage Unit. You could, for instance, convert a 1 lot small Naboo deed to a 100 item Storage Unit and assign certain customers, friends, guildmates, acquaintances, etc. as administrators so they can only access items within it without having to give access to your whole house. Maybe good for pickups/drop offs for whatever arrangements you make.

Since I'm drawing from vendor-like functionality, the UI may require to be vendor-like as well. Meaning the contents would be displayed like a vendor and you couldn't drag n' drop items in/out like a regular container. You may need to use buttons like "Retrieve Item" and "Store Item" instead of "Sell Item" for example.

My "tweak", involves living within our limits as it is now on the whole, but just adds the convenience. I still have to buy the deeds, use my lots, and pay maintenance. I can decorate my house up to the house limit, store things in Storage Units, and have it under one roof. Of course you could still plant storage houses in the world but I think some players would opt for the under one roof idea.

Just my 2 creds, for what it's worth...

QFE:

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Glzmo wrote:

Yes, I can see the crafter's needs, but this post isn't about increasing total storage amount, it is about solving the problem of not being able to fully decorate a house and/or ship as well as remove many unneeded 'storage structures' from the gaming world while keeping the current limits intact, considering the developers' claims that the current maximum is the most a character can have due to database limitations.

It might be wise to create a seperate thread on how to get rid of current 'database limitations' to be able to accomodate increased item storage per character.

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Message Edited by FelniFosk on 03-03-2005 03:13 PM

Message Edited by OmegaZeuS on 03-05-2005 10:51 PM

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OmegaZeuS wrote:
What about allowing a house storage units that are instanced to the player only (like bank safety deposits) where you can store items there that way load time would be reduced for players entering.

I don't mean lockers and stuff, I mean actual instanced "cabinets" integrated into the house. the bigger the house, the more cabinets. it's the same principal as with the player bank system, isn't it? Or would that, too, take too much of the server to allow?

(Sorry if someone said this already but those are some looong posts and I'm feeling rather tired...)

Message Edited by OmegaZeuS on 03-05-2005 10:51 PM

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DarthOlomew wrote:

I do not know for sure if this issue has been raised, but here goes:

 

Personally, I think that TOO MANY items can be placed as it is. But this is from someone with no alternative but to connect to the internet via dial-up and who cannot afford to upgrade his computer.

 

My system chokes hard every time I enter a decorated house. All those items clustered in one place drops my framerate down to 1 fps, and because I am using dialup, it takes forever to load everything in, and then my memory is too low to process it all correctly, so it goes into virtual memory, which bogs EVERYTHING down. Sometimes the system crashes with errors about exceeding virtual memory.

 

IF what is proposed here goes into effect, I might as well just forget playing the game.

 

I do not upgrade or replace my system for the sake of one game, and if I have to make a choice between $500 for a new (but still substandard) computer and saving an additional $15 per month by canceling, I will cancel.

 

Your ideas are good, but they are put forward with the assumption that everyone has systems that can easily run SWG with all the settings jacked to maximum. A lot of people may be that much into blowing money, but some of us have bills to pay and Girlfriends to take out, and have a limited budget to do it all with.

 

I have found some lightly decorated houses to look a LOT better than some of the heavily decorated ones. And I don't get bogged down as badly.

 

I look at it this way... with all the people leaving SWG, a lot of database resources are going to be freed up, and the devs can up the amount of stored items that can be placed within containers.

 

In all fairness, if nobody had to worry about the technical limitations of their systems, then your idea would be great. But I think that the system now can accomodate the average player if he/she simply uses a bit of conservativism when decorating their house/ship.

 

Just my .002 credits worth...

 

In Christ,

G. B. Jackson

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no no.... I do not think it would be wise..

Cause the fact is, crafters have a storage nightmare and like me, I am a commando / scout, but working as interior designer within the game, and a good large kitchen takes at least 100 items, if you want it to look good.

Message Edited by annasimone on 04-05-2005 03:38 AM

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annasimone wrote:

I absolutly agree we need more space BUT

 

no no.... I do not think it would be wise..

 

In stead, let items in armoures, bookcases and chests not count into the item count limit on the house

 

Cause the fact is, crafters have a storage nightmare and like me, I am a commando / scout, but working as interior designer within the game, and a good large kitchen takes at least 100 items, if you want it to look good.

Message Edited by annasimone on 04-05-2005 03:38 AM

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First off:

I would love to see chests and containers not count toward an item limit as well.

EDIT: However they should still retain the item limits they currently have

Second:

It is also my hope that someday it will be possible to load only the room you are in and any room (or hallway) that is connected by a door, effectively breaking up the house (or starship) into smaller, loadable sections.

You would be downloading a lot more but in smaller chunks, as well as Unloading rooms that are 2 chunks away.

If this were to happen, the devs could effectively set an Item limit per room, adding to the benefit of forcing people to spread their loot out and not allowing people to cram 400 (or even 1000) items in to 1 single space.

Of course this would be a major overhaul to all the houses in game and may be hard to implement for houses that currently have items over a new room limit. Maybe a good way to implement this would be: at the time the overhaul was patched in, any room that had items over the determined limit would all get packed into a single temporary container, until the owner could unpack them into other rooms.

Third:

I would love to see an upgrade to houses that allowed us to decorate the exterior area in the lot. Of course this would have to be a much lower item limit than an interior room, as other people would also be decorating their exterior right next to yours upping how much you have to load as you travel past houses.

Last (and not about houses):

I would love it if mayors or architect's or anyone could alter the landscape of a city. The ability to paint down road, place streetlights, gates, trees, Etc... This of course would mean a major overhaul to the city system, and abilities of which class gets to alter these areas. All in all, I think it would make player cities really shine.

Again, the Item limit could be set on a on exteriors as well, by dividing the areas into decorative cells.

EDIT: It would have to be Trades with the new NGE. Or maybe even the towns Mayor, or appointed decorator)

Message Edited by Azzlegog on 11-10-200503:10 PM

Message Edited by Azzlegog on 11-10-2005 03:13 PM