Hello explorers! In ITR1, the equipment was an unchangeable part of your character, which was very disappointing for our players. In ITR2, we completely redesigned the equipment and weight systems. Now the character has slots on their body where various equipment can be "worn". This equipment affects overall encumbrance and forms the player's "build". [h3]Helmet Slot[/h3] A familiar slot from ITR1. You can wear a helmet or a mask that increases protection against combat or anomaly damage. But don’t expect them at the start of EA (early access), they’ll appear later down the line. [h3]Tactical Vest Slot[/h3] The vest has two primary functions: item arrangement in pockets and damage resistance (combat and anomalies). Different variants will lean towards one or the other. Players will buy pre-made tactical vests. You won’t be able to rearrange pockets on the vests themselves! We have no plans for such a system. But don't worry, there’ll be plenty of options to choose from. Tactical vests can be improved through the upgrade system, similar to weapons. At the start of EA, there’ll be three vest variants of a similar type. They won’t increase the character's resistance but will have different combinations of pockets, their placement, and parameters. [h3]Backpack Slot[/h3] The general mechanics of the backpack will remain the same as in ITR1 - you can take the backpack off your shoulder and hang it in the air. If you step away, it’ll swoop over to your back. Inside the backpack, there’s an area where items can be arranged as you see fit. Outside the backpack, there are slots where specific items can be hung, like on the vest. Items won’t physically obstruct each other, and there won’t be any grid-based placement! Many players praised ITR1 for its inventory system, and we don't want drastic changes in that regard. Backpacks will also be pre-made. They’ll differ in appearance, the number and combination of pockets, as well as parameters. And just like with the vests, they can also be improved through the upgrade system. At the start of EA, there’ll be four backpack variants of two types. They’ll have different combinations of pockets, their placement, and parameters. [h3]Left and Right Hand Slots[/h3] Everything a player holds in their hands has its "weight" and adds to overall encumbrance. Therefore, what weapons the player uses becomes very important for their "build", as well as which attachments and magazines they use. [h3]Small item slot on the off-hand forearm[/h3] A slot for small items. It is always available to the player and doesn’t depend on the vest or backpack. [h3]Equipment, encumbrance system, and "builds"[/h3] We want players to thoughtfully approach what equipment they take with them into the Radius. And we want them to change and review it depending on their goals. At the same time, we strive to make a flexible system so that our explorers can play the way they want. A "build" is a combination of the helmet, tactical vest, backpack, and weapons in the player's hands. To make the choice meaningful, restrictions are necessary. In our system, this is the overall encumbrance of the character. Each item has "weight". Encumbrance has 4 stages - no overload, light overload, medium overload, heavy overload. Upon reaching each stage, movement speed decreases, and hunger increases. The overall encumbrance is displayed on the character's bracelet and in detail in the new character info display. The vest and backpack themselves have “weight” but also have an internal capacity, allowing to ease encumbrance. For example, a backpack weighs 200 but can hold 1000, and a vest weighs 200 but can hold 500. They’ll have their own separate indicators showing how full they are. If you exceed the internal capacity, items can still be placed, but all extra “weight” will be added to your encumbrance. It will no longer be possible to cram items into the drop pouch without consequences. There’ll be a reason to use short and light magazines. It’s important to note that the "weight" of all items is measured in special units called "load points". This is a temporary name, but the point is it’s not real weight! This is done so that items can be balanced. In the new system, this parameter combines weight and form factor simultaneously. An item can be lightweight but inconvenient or heavy but ergonomic. This is especially important for weapons. Bullets, attachments, magazines - in reality, they can weigh little, have small dimensions, but when you carry a weapon with a suppressor and a large scope for a long time, it significantly affects ease of use. This is impossible to convey in VR, since we don’t feel the actual weight, and form factor often doesn’t have much influence due to simplifications in the mechanics of items. Yes, we can simulate "weight" by slowing down the movement of the weapon, but we don’t want to use this mechanic. Therefore, to make various items have a stronger impact on player encumbrance, their numerical "weight" value must be greater than in real life. Hence it’s no longer weight, but "load points". At the same time, the "heaviness" of weapons can always be compensated for through other elements of equipment - tactical vests, helmets, backpacks. Through the artifact system and upgrades to the weapons themselves. Thus, by choosing their equipment, the player decides how dangerous, mobile, and protected they want to be. The encumbrance system will be in EA from the start. We like the idea of builds and the flexibility this system provides. But we’re worried it may be complicated. "Load points" instead of the usual weight, separate indicators of "weight" and internal capacity for the vest and backpack, an indicator of player encumbrance. There’s a lot of new stuff coming in ITR2, and we can’t wait to hear your thoughts on all of it. See you in the Radius! 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