Object Fillers Love'em/Hate'em

I was just wondering how people felt about object fillers in games. What I mean by that is. I've played a number of games where you had to pick up certain items and objects that you never use in the game. After the game was finished you have all these items still sitting in your inventory that have absolutely no use. They're basically just there to stretch out activity in the game. Do they get on your nerves or could you care less. Just curious

How do they stretch the game? A lot of games plant red herrings to throw you off track and others have alternatives to accomplishing the same task. In other words, I may use an item you didn't because there were alternate ways of accomplishing the same thing. They normally don't bother me one way or the other.

Ana

If the objects are alternatives to solve something, that's okay. Otherwise I don't like them, because I always try everything with every hotspot when stuck, and useless items magnify that in a frustrating way.

I agree with you Becky, if objects have a utility ok, but if not wait take? waste of time.

Hi Starlite Moon, I don't like finishing a game with things in the inventory that haven't had a use unless it's in context with the game e.g can't quite remember whether it was the Law & Order or CSI games where you can pick up all sorts of useless rubbish to test!

When they add some humor to the game I don't mind them at all.

I don't mind having extra items in my inventory, but games that "clean up" when an object have no further use always leave a good impression in my mind. A certain old game (I can't remember which but I had to play it on SCUMM) put red herrings in the area so if you HAVE them in your inventory you CAN'T continue unless you drop it off. So the red herrings had a purpose but not a positive one. I thought that was rather cool. (Or cruel, depending on your perspective)

I love it when game have tons of extra stuff to "look" at though. (Vegetarian steak! I bet I could market that.)

I believe Harvest or the Arrangement had a Red Herring drop box.

Ana

I love collecting items in games, its always nice to have something that could be needed instead of needing something but dont have it. Also it makes you think more if you have filler objects as to what item you actually need instead of having only vital items.

After reading this, I suspect that filler objects separate the true gamers from the "go easy on me" gamers. Guess which category I fall into?

I do admit tho adventure games i dont mind but rpgs like oblivion where you can collect quite alot of useless junk can be bothersome. I mean you go in houses and raid the fruit the candlesticks the cutlery lol. All useless and sale value is nothing really.

So in short, for adventure games with a limited amount of slots say about 20 or so i dont mind. With rps i dont like it when i could carry alot of useless stuff that i will never use and my inventory is like 200 odd knifes and forks lol.

I was about to mention that! It was The Arrangement. That drop box made me chuckle. I put it to good use, too.

I don't mind red herrings, as long as the inventory system is user-friendly and isn't clogged up to high heaven with all the junk that we never get to use. With the type of inventories that have a restricted view window and scroll across the screen, searching for any item can be a torment in itself.

I don't mind the objects you pick up along the way as long as the inventory does not get so full that you need to search back and forth so much you foget what you have already tried on or with that object to make it work. Then the red herrings really confuse you. But it is really exciting when you do figure it out. I don't think none of us want it to be to easy, then again we don't want it to be hair pulling. We need it to be balanced thats what keeps us hooked. I agree too much is diffently tormenting.