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The High Inquisitor: How Can Bags Carry All Our Crap?
pixiestixy on Friday, October 9, 2009 - 42 Comments Tags: Lore, bag slots, bags, bigger on the inside, bottomless bag, carry, endless pockets, game mechanics, heavy, high inquisitor, inventory, lore, reagents, slot, space, weight The High Inquisitor is a new regular column at Project Lore that seeks answers to the greatest mysteries of Azeroth. Each week, the inquisitor will attack a previously unanswered question and attempt to explain the unknown. But she won’t rest until all plausible explanations are explored. The best, most probable comment(s) will be highlighted with the next edition’s inquisition.
First off, a look back to last week's question on why dwarves are portrayed as drunk Scots.
Azurienatei had this answer that may explain: "In both Irish and Scottish lore there is a type of fae, something between a leprechaun and what we think of as a dwarf, that wears red clothes, is heavily bearded, and often likes to trick humans in taverns and inns by drinking unattended ale. Given the demographics and of course the penchant for drinking these creatures were eventually molded in with dwarves."
Most of you seemed to agree that WoW hasn't strayed much from the stereotypical view of a dwarf, which has evolved over time. Thanks for the input!
Now onward to this week's inquisition! Last week was somewhat of a philosophical view on a topic that could be at least somewhat explained with real life folklore. So this week, let's take a look at something that, at least when thought of through a realistic magnifying glass, would be pretty much impossible; Just how do us WoW toons carry all that crap around in our bags while criss-crossing the world and fighting our enemies?
Here's a look at what I have in this 22-slot Dragon Hide bag:
- 49 Drakkari Offerings
- 15 Vrykul Bones
- 12 pieces of Salted Yeti Cheese (yummy)
- 8 Core of Elements
- 8 Dark Iron Scraps
- Sayge's Fortune #29
- A Horde LANCE (I refuse to believe that this would fit into a conventional bag!)
- Green Brewfest Stein
- 933 (!!) Frostbite Bullets
- 2 Dalaran Fireworks
- 9 Sewer Carp
- A lone piece of Frostweave Cloth
- Tabard of the Explorer
- Frost-Rimed Cloth Gloves (Need to sell!)
- 20 Heavy Frostweave Bandages
- 14 Slabs of Salted Venison
- Tabard of the Ebon Blade
- 6 Relics of Ulduar
- 891 Terrorshaft Arrows
- 4 Knothide Armor Kits
- Grom's Tribute
- Brewfest Dress
When put into a game mechanics perspective, it's certainly a matter of making it easier for a character to get around as they level or go about their business without having to stop at a bank or vendor every 10 minutes. But let's think beyond mechanics and decide whether the question could be answered with lore/in-game explanations.
Consider the Bottomless Bag and Pack of Endless Pockets. Sure, they each have a limited number of slots, but not necessarily a specified amount of space. Could it be that, like a magician's hat (or Time Lord technology for all you Dr. Who fans) the bags are bigger on the inside? And if that's the case, then perhaps it's true for all equippable bags. But there's still the matter of the sheer weight of all our gear. Even if it fits in a bag, it's still incredibly heavy! Or is it? If the size of an item is compressed, then you could conjecture that the weight could be, too. Perhaps this also helps explain why a giant lance fits in the same slot as a tiny vial of poison.
Or perhaps the answer lies not in the bags, but in the super strength of adventurers. Our toons are all so strong and fearsome that we manage to carry everything on us and it doesn't effect our fighting whatsoever.
So here's where you all come in! Do you accept either of my possible answers? Have a better proposition? Let me know, and I'll feature the best comment(s) next week.