Who is Strongest? Superman or Steve?
Okay I can see already now how the title can be misleading. So before you start reading and get disappointed not to find any statistics between the strength of Superman and my friend’s uncle Steve – then full disclaimer this post will be about something completely different!
I hate sentences that start with “have you ever”, they are only ever good if it is said by a friend, who thought everyone had tried it, but actually no one had (i think you know what i refer to). However, this time, with full intention, have you ever been annoyed by the fact that your wallet and pockets are too small? or that your bag is too heavy? or that taking all the groceries in one trip, is simply physically impossible? Well I have not… Would it not be fun if the sentence ended like that for once?
Of course I HAVE, like 90% of the population. I cannot count how many times I wish I could carry more on my person than what my strength and equipment limits me to! This is even a problem for superman. Sure he is strong enough to lift earth a few items, but even he has limitations to how much he can hold in his hands.
Video Games are great at handling this topic! Here you often are provided with this magical thing called an inventory, which can hold a ton of the world’s wonders! Of course, many of these are today limited by something called “carry capacity” for the sake of “realism”… A point I never understood, as when I am fighting dragons and shooting ice crystals from my butthole, realism is the least I worry about.
There is however one game particularly that does not give a hoot about this topic. It is a game where you control a funny, stoic, and rugged little guy called Steve. Sure he is limited by items slots not being neverending, but if he can carry as many tons as he wants! Steve can actually hold a third of a billion kilograms, while still being able to walk, sprint, and even jump! So before you start complaining about the 40 kg squats you did yesterday, then give a shout out to Steve.
To those of you who do not know this guy, let me reveal that I am of course talking about Minecraft. This game boasts one of the simplest inventory systems in gaming history. Instead of complicated weight limits, you navigate a straightforward grid where you can stash your loot. The beauty lies in the stackable items, with many capping at 64—a generous plenty for any wandering adventurer.
As inventory space dwindles, savvy players typically turn to crafting a base, a sanctuary adorned with chests galore. These trusty storage units offer more capacity than any single inventory could dream of, granting players the liberty to organize their treasures to their heart’s content.
Where am i going with this?
With that rather lengthy intro, I would like to reveal todays topic! We will be deepdiving into inventory mechanisms and how much i wish they were real! We will be using mincraft as an example, because Steve is a f@cking legend and deserves some credit for his incredible gains!
Minecraft
Minecraft, the brainchild of Markus “Notch” Persson, emerged onto the gaming scene in 2009, crafted in the Java programming language. After undergoing numerous private testing phases, the game saw its public debut in May 2009. It reached its full release on November 18, 2011, with Notch eventually passing the torch to Jens “Jeb” Bergensten for further development.
Since its inception, Minecraft has skyrocketed to unprecedented heights, clinching the title of the best-selling video game of all time. With a staggering 300 million copies sold and a thriving community of nearly 140 million monthly active players as of 2023, Minecraft’s influence knows no bounds. Its success has led to ports across multiple platforms, ensuring its reach extends far and wide.
The Plot
In Minecraft, players dive into a vibrant, blocky universe teeming with endless possibilities. This procedurally generated, three-dimensional realm offers boundless terrain to explore and conquer. Armed with nothing but their wits and determination, players embark on a journey of discovery, unearthing raw materials, crafting tools, and erecting structures that defy imagination.
Survival is the name of the game, as players navigate the perilous landscape, fending off hostile mobs and battling the elements to secure their foothold in this untamed wilderness. But fear not, for various game modes cater to every adventurer’s whims.
And for the bravest souls, Hardcore mode ups the ante, cranking the difficulty to the max and punishing those who dare to falter with the ultimate consequence—the loss of their world and all they’ve built.
In Minecraft, the only limit is your imagination. So grab your pickaxe, sharpen your sword, and embark on an epic adventure where the journey is as boundless as the world itself.
How Is This Relevant?
Why Minecraft you ask? Many other games are free from the overload limitations and have great inventory mechanisms, so why make the lego look like a boxy survival game? Easy, Steve is awesome! He is the perfect example of what I want to be when I grow up; A stoic, jack of all trade, adventurer, who is able to lift 3000 blue whales at the same time.
I started playing minecraft back in 2011 I think. I enjoyed the building mechanism, the zombies occurring at night, the gathering mechanism and in entirely the whole game! Especially the lan setup with friends! None of this would have been fun to me, if I could only carry 4 items at a time or had to return with every tenth resource I collected. To me it did not matter that the game had a simple design or non-existent story (in the beginning), this was the first sandbox I truly enjoyed.
It is completely relatable to me why Microsoft bought the game. However, sadly we cannot all be like Steve, but we can learn from him! To always lift with our legs and not back down, just because everything seems a bit heavy! To plan ahead and pick your tools accordingly to the task ahead and to always leave room in your bag, just in case you strike diamond!
Gameplay
Minecraft is a 3D sandbox game renowned for its boundless freedom, devoid of predefined goals. Instead, players navigate an achievement system, termed “advancements” in Java Edition and “trophies” on consoles, while enjoying the flexibility of first-person or third-person perspectives. The game’s universe is built from diverse 3D blocks representing materials like dirt, stone, and water, enabling players to mine and construct virtually anything.
Central to Minecraft’s allure is its redstone system, allowing players to craft intricate mechanical devices and electrical circuits. The default character, Steve, often explores picturesque landscapes like forests and mountains, set against stunning sunsets. The game’s world, procedurally generated and virtually infinite, unfolds dynamically as players explore biomes, traverse plains, and venture into caves.
Despite the vastness of Minecraft’s world, technical constraints limit traversal beyond 30 million blocks from the center. The terrain, divided into manageable “chunks,” dynamically generates as players explore. With diverse biomes, varied terrain, and a realistic day-night cycle, Minecraft offers an immersive experience for players to explore, build, and innovate in a limitless virtual realm.
Debate Of The Day
Incredible how vivid the gameplay you get from a game about blocks! Of course some of my descriptions might lead to some division among the readers, since to others Minecraft is just a basic sandbox game, which cannot hold a torch to fx Rust or Ark: Survival. However, I think we all can agree,despite our differences, that Steve is pretty strong.
He can punch trees to firewood with his bare hands, and without any tools he can compress this firewood to a workbench! He is the epitome of a Masculine role model. Now, Imagine that you just had an inch of his powers. The ability to store tons of items on your person, without even being slowed down. The strength that would allow you to carry every item in your home, without any help from friends and family – no more difficult moving days.
I would love it, not just in every survival game I play, but surely also in real life. I hate going to the gym (period), with a full gym bag. You need your gym clothes in there, your towel, shoes, clean clothes and supplements. When you then get to the gym, all sweaty from carrying your shit, it is all mixed together, with protein powder all over it, because your shaker got bumped around on the ride. Steve does not have that problem I assure you!
Steve would be able to carry your equipment, his own and still have room for his own exercise bike, in case the gym is occupied. Plus the man would be able to shop on the way home, without considering whether the food is gonna be smooshed in his bag or if he can carry those two extra bags.
With that said, in this discussion I am gonna try something new – I am gonna be the positive voice for once and you guys can be the argumentative one for once. I will now go through my reasons for why inventory mechanisms are great and you can comment why not – it will be fun i Promise!
OCD Fulfillment
The Inventory mechanism delivers something extraordinary in the sense of order. In Steve’s pockets, you have 4 armor slots, 27 storage slots, 9 hotbar slots, and an off-hand slot. Which to me brings forward a great satisfaction, especially when it is correctly sorted! you have clothing items in one place, as in real life, and then without limitation you can have 27 bulk items on you, which is not included in the ones you want to quickly be able to pull forward!
Imagine standing in a supermarket, having to pay, you magically call upon your wallet, pay, and then when asked whether you want a bag, you smirk and vacuum all the items on to your person. You won’t have to worry about packing your canned goods under your produce, because it will all be sorted independently in your inventory.
Then when you get home and have to unpack your items, you do not have to put it all on the desk and sort through what goes to the fridge versus what goes to the drawers. You simply flip through the inventory, like flipping the pages of a magazine and transports it to the right spots in the home, without having to touch all of it multiple times!
Finally if you do not have space in the kitchen, until you for example have eaten the leftovers from the day before, then no problem, you simply keep that item on your person, because what do you care, you still have 26 slots left. This is primetime flexibility and order!
Time is of no concern
My absolute favorite thing about the Minecraft inventory is that the idea of time constraint is none-existent! You can store anything in there, without it being affected by the cruel grasp of time! Whether a hot steak, that never goes cold, or an ice cream, which never melts, both are within your reach.
Imagine the possibilities! You would never have to worry about transporting food items again! ah stop.. I am thinking too small here! Okay, so in minecraft you can literally transport fire! Because time stops, it will either burn you or burn out! wow! Still too small maybe, because, how often do you need to transport fire… Okay how about, plants! You could go on holiday, put your plants in your inventory and never worry about whether they will survive without water while you are gone! You can literally preserve life!
Technically, this would become even cooler, if you could transport living beings as well! About to bleed out? no worries, go to sleep in my inventory until we get you to a hospital. I don’t think we should go down that road, for some reason, that is where it becomes “unrealistic” for me.
All in all, what I really want is not that impressive! I just want to be able to store my coffee on my person and at all times, be able to get a hot cup of joe. Is that really too much to ask? I don’t think so, but I might be a bit selfish and limited on this.
Can you hold this? Sure thing baby!
Of course finally, we have the part with the carrying load. It will never be necessary with two trips from the car with groceries, it will never be embarrassing to hold your girlfriend’s purse again, and you will never have to worry about delivery fees from a store again! You will become the ultimate DIY kind of person!
Imagine all the money you could save! no more moving companies, no more car rentals for transportation, no more orders of trash pickup – you could handle all of this, as long as it is within the reach of your 27 item slots. I mean Steve can carry several beds for crying out loud – I cannot say when that would be necessary, but the option sure would be nice!
Emergency Cleaning would also be much easier! Imagine, a guest shows up unannounced; the dirty dishes are still in the sink, the table is a mess, and your clothes are unfolded. “Swush ” and all of it is in your inventory for later and your guest will believe you are a person of order, instead of a sloppy mess.
I am sure you have many other more valuable purposes for this – but honestly, I am more into solving the everyday annoyances with this. I would love only having a carry on with me to holiday, because i basically have my whole wardrobe in my inventory!
Ain’t no grieve with Steve
So the short conclusion – would life be better with inventory management? Yes. This is however, without raising any negatives. I mean, sure you can transport a lot of good stuff, but it would also be dangerous if people could start carrying an armory on themselves – but hey this is your job to explore, not mine.
Luckily/unluckily, the only guy who has this power for now is Steve, and he is mostly using it to carry around tons of brick and dirt. A simple man, for a simple life, but a good life. I am so jealous. The other day I had to move our dining table and nearly pulled my back trying.
Is this my most preferred skill to achieve? well no, but it is definitely in the top three! Anyway, i talked enough about “Storage” so with that said, lets jump to the comments and discuss away!
Why would you not want it?
With that said, I cant wait to hear your thoughts on this – and now it is Up to you! Throw it in the comments, which downsides do you see from inventory management?
All right, I guess that is all I got in me for today – Thank you for reading this far and feel free to provide any feedback you may have – We would like for you to keep leveling up with us! Feel free to contribute your own content, such as fan art, game reviews, or personal gaming stories, to be featured as Pixelated Wisdom.
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