Increasing backpack slots for small and tiny items

[Amnestik]

So regular bags are limited to 7 slots and the dufflebag is limited to 9. The space available isn't affected by the size of the items occupying it, so 7 cigarettes and 7 fire extinguishers both fill a bag.

This logical inconsistency is easily fixed by using the *variable max_combined_w_class instead, a variable already set at 21 for bags and 27 for duffles instead of setting a fixed number of slots for bags.

This would allow bags to hold 21 tiny items (w_class 1 items such as cigarettes, lighters and pieces of paper), 10 small items (w_class 2 items such as tools or boxes) or 7 normal items (w_class 3 items such as tasers, circular saws and fire extinguishers). Note bags already hold a maximum of 7 normal items, so this change wouldn't allow you to put any extra normal-sized items (like guns) in your bag.

Bags are unable to hold any object with a w_class higher than 3, so using max_combined_w_class instead of limiting the number of slots to 7 wouldn't allow people to carry around 5 w_class 4 fire axes or toolboxes.

This change is really simple to make, and is easily testable by var-editing a satchel in game. It makes jobs like detective, which have more items than you can carry available for use, slightly easier. It doesn't fix the detective issue fully, but it helps a little.

Edit: Hopefully this reads a little better and makes a bit more sense. I was really tired when I wrote this.

[Cheimon]

Honestly I'd rather just force people to use boxes. Nobody actually carries around 7 cigarettes: they use the container they came in. Maybe it would make sense to have cardboard more available for people, but I don't like the idea of having my bag with 21 slots on the screen: it would really clutter up what I was able to see.

Sure it's slightly more cumbersome, but in its own way that's realistic. You have to rummage around in normal bags to find what you want if there's a lot of stuff in them.

[kevinz000]

If you're doing this can you check the code for BoHs for that whatever max weight combined thing?
They should still hold 7 riot shield/backpack sized items

[Boredone]

Checking the Code Kevin, Bags of Holding can hold 7 Weight Class 5 Items.
Backpacks and Shields are Weight Class 4.
So you could actually have 8 of them in a BoH with this change.

[Scones]

Could we get a webm demonstrating this?

[PKPenguin321]

Seems like kind of a pointless change, since effectively all it does it make it so you can store more items in your backpack as long as those items are tiny, and tiny items already fit into your box which is already in your backpack.
In other words, it over complicates inventory management for little to no reason, and is a needless buff to backpacks.

[Saegrimr]

Gotta agree with PKPenguin here, most of the small items you have a ton of already have some form of secondary container specifically for that item.

Cigarettes? That's what the pack is for.
Lots of papers? Get a clipboard or a folder. (SURPRISINGLY ROBUST IN CULT)
Bullets? Box o bullets, speedloaders. The only thing missing is something for shotgun shells because the bandolier is garbage.
Light bulbs? Specific box just for that.
Evidence bags? Handcuffs? Flashbangs? Zipties? Boxes already for all of that.

However OP is correct about detective. You don't need to carry around a large amount of a single small thing, its mostly a lot of different single small things. Single pair of handcuffs, scanner, box for evidence bags (ha ha nobody uses these), gun, speedloader, whatever misc sec gear you procure, plus whatever flavor items like the zippo that makes you a complete shitler if you get rid of it.

[Amnestik]

Someone's already made a PR for this, oddly: https://github.com/tgstation/-tg-station/pull/10975

[MisterPerson]

Tiny items like that should stack. That would solve the "10 cigarettes in a backpack eats the whole screen" problem.

[Incomptinence]

Pretty sure cigs can hold reagents so that wouldn't work.

[TheNightingale]

You can stack cigarettes in a trashbag without any problems. (You can also stack beakers, which is an inventory management nightmare.)