GB Feature: The Bard's Tale Interview
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GB: Will players typically find their equipment while adventuring, or will much of it be purchased from merchants or even crafted? As a side note, can you tell us a bit about how inventory management will work overall?
Eric: Equipment is gained both while adventuring and from shopkeepers, we tried to keep things fairly split between the two. Our inventory system is so streamlined that it's practically non-existent. We decided rather early that juggling items in the inventory and managing those 50 wolf pelts you picked up before you can go sell them to the shopkeeper just wasn't something we wanted to focus on. To that end any non usable items that you pick up are instantly converted into silver for you. Each of our weapon and armor upgrade paths is also linear so if you find a new sword it is either going to be better, the same, or worse than what you currently have. If it is the same or worse we cash it in for you and if it is better we automatically equip it for you. This of course brings into question how exactly we are able to provide the player with strategic choices as far as weapons are concerned. We do this by providing the Bard with many different and distinct upgrade paths. For example if you want to inflict lightning damage you'd use your two handed weapon, want to do fire damage then you have to pull out your bow.
