The ring inventory - who wants it to stay?

[MikeAC]

I want it to stay this time and not be a one time thing for Anniversary. For one I prefer having as many weapons as possible and collecting key items instead of Legend's pick-and-drop system. It's one simple, easy to navigate hub for all the items you've collected.

Secondly for the nostalgia. Having the ring inventory in a new game makes it feel a little bit closer to the classics, even though it's a pretty minor thing. It just feels like a trademark of the series just like Lara's twin pistols. Even that energy drink commerical Lara was in during the 90s had the ring inventory. When the design was changed in TR4 and AOD it looked really generic and boring.

[GodOfLight]

i think it will stay. anniversary was meant to be a step up from legend. it was a very tiny step imo, but still a step... and i dont think CD will regress back to the legend shortcomings ;)

let's hope at least.

[kooky]

I would love the ring inventory to return, Likely it will, I Legend's quite boring to. :(

[Cochrane]

I hope it will return. The thing we had in Anniversary was the ring menu in a window, embedded in a completely different menu structure all around it. Just a gimmick to please fans. In the classic games (except TR4 and TRC, but including Angel of Darkness), the ring was the one and only menu system throughout the game, and I'd like that back, because I liked the ring.

[MrBear]

i think it will stay. anniversary was meant to be a step up from legend. it was a very tiny step imo, but still a step... and i dont think CD will regress back to the legend shortcomings ;)

let's hope at least.

I hope so too, but there's always the possibility that the TR:A inventory was a one-time thing because it was celebrating the first TR...

but yes, let's hope it'll stay/return :)

[Ward Dragon]

I like the ring inventory. In any case, regardless of interface, I really want a true inventory in all future TR games. I like collecting things, including medpacks, ammo, and quest items. In Legend it felt so meaningless to pick anything up because I knew I couldn't keep it, and there was no point to look for anything if I had 3 medpacks and a gun. TRA was much better in that respect, but I still have mixed feelings about the ammo limit (on the one hand, it encouraged me to use the big guns before the end of the game, but on the other hand I still like collecting everything I find).

I hope it will return. The thing we had in Anniversary was the ring menu in a window, embedded in a completely different menu structure all around it. Just a gimmick to please fans. In the classic games (except TR4 and TRC, but including Angel of Darkness), the ring was the one and only menu system throughout the game, and I'd like that back, because I liked the ring.

I'm trying to think how a true ring menu would work. Legend and TRA have many more menu options than TR1-3. I suppose it could work if each item on the main menu has an icon in the ring, and then each icon simply leads to a list of options (which have their sub-lists as well). The Legend and TRA menu seems rather complicated, but perhaps there is a different way to organize it, regardless of whether the ring idea is applied. For example, why aren't contrast and brightness part of the graphics options? I think they should simply have a "Visual" category which includes graphical settings, brightness, contrast, and also gamma or saturation (the last two weren't on the options anywhere unless I missed it).

[RitaG18]

I really hope it'll return. I really like the ring menu. :)

[Rivendell]

I hope it stays. Much more Tomb Raidery :tmb:

[rowanlim]

yea bring it bak...its a very distinctive part of TR, totaly enjoyed swishing the inventory around... :D

[fondantcookie]

YUP !!!! Keep the ring menu :tmb:

[NightWish]

I want it!

[Woop Legend!]

Keep it!

I loved the whole structure of it!

[Alex Fly]

I hope it will stay ! :tmb:

[Cochrane]

I'm trying to think how a true ring menu would work. Legend and TRA have many more menu options than TR1-3. I suppose it could work if each item on the main menu has an icon in the ring, and then each icon simply leads to a list of options (which have their sub-lists as well). The Legend and TRA menu seems rather complicated, but perhaps there is a different way to organize it, regardless of whether the ring idea is applied. For example, why aren't contrast and brightness part of the graphics options? I think they should simply have a "Visual" category which includes graphical settings, brightness, contrast, and also gamma or saturation (the last two weren't on the options anywhere unless I missed it).

I think TR1-3 have pushed the ring as far as it goes easily, and advanced options need additional menus, just as those games had (for example for control settings).

Angel of Darkness would be an interesting other choice, where there are basically plain linear menus (like in Legend and Anniversary), but in a circle shape. The newest version of Apple's FrontRow, which started out with a system very similar to that used in Tomb Raider, has a ring with icons on the left side, which just reflects what the normal menu on the right side of the screen does. I'd be happy with any of these variations, as long as CD show that they care about the legacy, instead of just cobbling something together to make some whiners shut up.

In a related way, yes, the current menus are significantly more difficult than they need to be. Why is there a different sub-menu for "Controls" and "Gamepad" (in the PC version)? That cannot plausibly claim to make sense. Similarily, save options (checkpoints, autosave, manual saves that are still just checkpoint saves, profiles) are more difficult than useful.

I think with Anniversary, CD pushed their menu/UI system over the top. They did not necessarily exceed it's technological capabilities, but with the many save options, showing explanations for combat modes after you selected one, trying to throw in some kind of ring menu, having modal dialogs when you pick something up, but only the first time - all those are very bad UI choices, and CD will have to build something new for the next game anyway (unless they don't care, which I would not necessarily put past them). So if they do, I sure hope they add in the ring in a sensible way.

[RAID]

Ring Inventory is a must in a TR game. :tmb:

I never use the short cut buttons. I switch weapons and Medipacks through the ring menu.

[trXD]

I really dont care

[Tthe Spirit]

Yes.. I want it to stay as well...

[dinahcat]

personally, i have no preference. I only used it when I needed to use an item like the stupid bucket or gear in the manor or the Keys in St. F's F. I didn't use it for medipacks or guns because the D-pad on the PS2 handled that for you.

I agree it is "more tomb raidery", classic, that is, but not needed.

I hate being on the fence...

[toby_13]

I'm totally up for the ring menu:)

[Encore]

It's not that I take it too seriously, but I would prefer the ring inventory, if anything because it's like a trademark of the series.. :)

[Laras Backpack]

Ring inventory (with multiple levels for medipacks and guns, and then keys and items)= :tmb:

Couple this with the infinite backpack and I'm in tomb raiding heaven.

[domina]

I'm apathetic towards it; I don't really see it as a defining feature of a TR game. Having a large inventory and selecting items from it, sure, but the actual design of that menu doesn't matter to me as long as it's functional.

[ihatecold17]

I want them to bring it back, but make it the only way to change weapons and stuff. I never used it for health packs or switching weapons. Maybe I like it that way though.

[Blackmoor]

Lara collects things and she puts them in her backpack. I like to look at them and the ring inventory is one of the best ways of doing it. I find pressing the d-pad alone for items a bit of a waste of gameplay potential, but it's that whole short, sharp "thrill" mentality isn't it? Don't stop or pause for anything. Don't have to do anything when you can just run past, etc. I hope they've reconsidered that alone.

[illuminati30]

It should stay, it is a nice clear set up, you can see where everything is, and the quickest way to get to it. TR4's inventory was not good, and Legend didn't even have one.

Personally, i think in the future, it may have a layout similar to Resident Evil, but we will be pointing at the screen to pick out and choose the item we want.

[Aurimas]

Yes, I want it.

[BlackGrey]

I want it to stay and remove the shortcuts on the gamepad so that we have to pause from the action or better still I'd like a spinning inventory.

A spinning inventory would go a bit like this, the enviroment would fade to black and white as you press the start button on the PS2 game pad, Lara still in colour, would freeze in motion and you would be able to rotate a fixed camera around her body to each item selectable. Once the game resumes Lara then reaches for that item :jmp:

Or

The explosion system from TR1 or TR2 where the contents of Lara's back pack explodes into a circle of items and you can rotate the camera around the circle to pick the item you need at that moment in time.

[Mad Tony]

The explosion system from TR1 or TR2 where the contents of Lara's back pack explodes into a circle of items and you can rotate the camera around the circle to pick the item you need at that moment in time.That was used in TR III as well :)

Yeah, I'd love it to say. It's one of the many defining features of Tomb Raider to me.

[Betal]

I prefer the TR4/ TR5 ¨system¨.

So I want it to be like TR4/ TR5 or maybe AOD.:)

I never really liked the ring inventory.

[Sara Croft]

I loved the ring system! X]

[Zebra]

To be honest I don't really care about it.
I want an inventory but it doesn't have to be the ring-inventory.

[AODdigger]

Me wants it to stay :p:p:p It's classical ;) And I want there to be more than 3 medis and 6 (wassit) grenades stuck on Lara :pi:

[Kerrigan]

I hope the ring inventory stays.I missed it so much after TR3...
I'd also like a menu ring...It's the first thing I used to see when I opened the game and it's one of the things that come into my mind when I think of Tomb Raider.