Max number of pack slots for carrying inventory increased from 22 to 23. We had 22+quiver slot; now there is one more slot for extra wand/rod or other useful staff.
Actually it’s really fun to give players more possibilities to use surrounding objects and items which they occasionally found in the dungeon. Currently you have to throw away most of situationally useful items because of lack of inventory space, which isn’t right. Most of this items are not balance breaking onces, but pretty occasionally situational (and if there would be too imba items – they always could be rebalanced by increasing their weight, for example).
Roguelikish approach to the online game is to give player as much different option to act as he could have in his head at the present time. As we have fast-paced real-time gameplay, we do not need to fear too much imbalance caused by having a lot of options for player – having a lot of options could mess you up even more when you have to act fast. In singleplayer roguelikes when you have endless time to think about next turn, it’s indeed could be a big balance problem and limited inventory is an important way to prevent imbalance.
So now we have the same amount of inventory slots as MAngband. Maybe we should increase inventory space even more, for example, in exchange to max. carrying weight? Please discuss.
p.s.
Ideally would be to limit number of inventory slots in which you could take stuff to the dungeon; so World of Recall scroll would work only when you got, for example, 20 inventory slots; at the same time greatly lift limitation on found loot which you could carry around while you are in the dungeon, eg up to 30 slots. So when you would find items inside – you would be able use them more often and also go back to town not so frequently.