why sort the pack?

[PowerDiver]

I think it is a mistake to move items around in the pack. The standard complaint is that when you identify an item, it isn't there any more when you go to use it, but there are more problems than that. It would be reasonable if there was a tradeoff and you got something useful in return, but ...

I see hardly any value at all in sorting the pack. Why should the pack be sorted?

This is separate from how you should display lists. I am all in favor of sorted lists, keeping potions or scrolls etc together in the inventory list, although even there I question whether the current sorting rules are the best.

E.g. with items in arbitrary slots you might be asked

Quaff which potion?

(g) healing
(r) enlightenment
(m) speed

although perhaps the potions would be better sorted alphabetically rather than by sval as I believe is done currently.


A tangentially related issue is why to have the phantom extra slot in the pack? That seems to exist only so that when you unwield an item with a full pack you drop the last item in the resorted pack rather than the item you unwielded, which IMO is the wrong behavior anyway.