Replaceable backpacks might be in store
by Eliah Hecht 
Aug 19th 2008 at 6:00PM
There are two things that every WoW character has: a hearthstone, and a backpack. Well, some bank alts might have destroyed their hearthstone, actually, but absolutely everybody has that 16-slot backpack occupying their first bag slot. 16 slots made some sense back when that was also the biggest size bag that wasn't crazy expensive, back in classic WoW (Traveler's Backpack/Mooncloth Bg). But now that 16-slot bags are dirt-cheap, 18-slotters are reasonable, and 20- and even 22-slotters are obtainable, and especially moving forward into Wrath with the basic tailored bag being 20 slots, the backpack's 16 is starting to look a bit puny by comparison.
This leads one to ask: when are we going to be able to upgrade the darned thing? I'd love to be able to grab a few extra slots by trading it in for an 18- or 20-slot bag. And it really doesn't make sense for our backpack to be the smallest holding container on our body. I mean, I like that everybody starts out with a free decent-sized bag, but it really should just act like any other bag slot after that. Someone asked the same question in the WoW forums recently, and Zarhym responded in a non-committal fashion, saying they were thinking about it but didn't have anything to report just yet. Personally, I don't see the downside of transforming the backpack slot into a regular bag slot, but there may be something going on behind the scenes that I'm not aware of. It is also worth noting that we will be freeing up a few bag slots already in Wrath with our non-combat pets, mounts, and tokens leaving the inventory, not to mention bigger bags being available. Still, it seems like one can never get enough space.
Filed under: Items, Wrath of the Lich King
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
darian Aug 19th 2008 6:06PM
Just looking at those backpack shots is painful. I can't imagine having backpacks so disorganized. X.X
Eliah Hecht Aug 19th 2008 6:29PM
I use an AddOn (TBag) to show all my stuff in one big, categorized window, so I don't typically even see my individual bags as such. I just opened them to get this screenshot.
Aurdon Aug 19th 2008 6:34PM
Yeah I use Tbag too and that was the first thing I thought of when I saw the photo..
"wow..I'll bet Eliah uses a bag mod"
Anyway, one thing I can see being an issue (minor at that) would be Numbnuts Noobie Ned dragging the bag off his bar and destroying it. Then again I'm not sure you can do that if there is items in it...
darian Aug 19th 2008 7:00PM
Waiting to update that addon after a patch must be a horrendous experience.
My mind wanders to the various comics critiquing the insanity of all the stuff we carry.
Lianne Aug 20th 2008 9:40AM
I'm the same way! I have 4 normal bags, and my "box of souls". In the 4 normal bags I categorize everything. :P One bag has trade supplies, one has quest items, one has consumables, one has stuff for the auction house, and one has vendor trash (along with my mounts and hearthstone). :P I get all freaked out if I don't organize it daily. o.0
Shefki Aug 20th 2008 3:20PM
I put out an update promptly whenever patches come around so it's not really as big of an issue as you'd think. Also it's not something that gets broken much by Blizzard's patches.
Eric Aug 19th 2008 6:06PM
I bet it has something to do with the gold counter at the bottom of your bag being built in to the back pack...
ZekeGrimsblade Aug 19th 2008 10:47PM
I thought the same thing, honestly.
ScorchHellfire Aug 19th 2008 11:19PM
yeah... the problem is that no other bags are designed to track your money... the backpack is... what they really need to do is just make the backpack like your key ring and have it like automatically get bigger like maybe the 16 slot one til 60 then 4 more slots every 10 levels after that... so like 20 at 70... 24 at 80... etc...
Xoxotl Aug 20th 2008 3:06AM
Okay... maybe I'm a little confused, but on all of my toons, I swapped out my backback for bigger bags the moment they were created (my main is a tailor). I usually keep the default 16-slot bag as a bank bag, but all of my bag slots on my toons are Imbued Netherweave Bags.
Did they change this? Is the standard bag now locked into slot 5?
wyrd Aug 20th 2008 5:51PM
Ill have whatever your smoking. The backpack has NEVER been removeable.
Doug Aug 19th 2008 6:17PM
easy solution: make bags scale with level. 1-60: 16 slot backpack. 60-70: 18 slot. 70-80: 20 slot.
g.marques Aug 20th 2008 2:09AM
Exactly. Have a scaling system for the backpack. Its clearly implementable as the keyring is also scaled.
Thander Aug 19th 2008 6:50PM
I like this idea but change it so the player has to pay some gold to upgrade it each time.
1-60: free 16 slot bag
60-70: pay 50g 18 slot bag
70-80: pay 100g 20 slot bag
Possibly allow upgrading it to 22 or 24 slot at level 80 for a really high price. With gold coming even more easily in Wrath and no mount training needed, there needs to stuff to spend gold on.
SirPasta117 Aug 19th 2008 8:04PM
Lol maybe they can make Bags a skill lol
Jay Aug 19th 2008 8:54PM
Yeah I ain't paying 25g per extra bag slot. Sorry, not happening. Just make it scale with level.
Lemon Aug 19th 2008 9:57PM
Is your main level 70 yet? Cause I get 25g every time I walk through a doorway. Seriously there's like a little goblin and he's like "Do you want 25g?" and I'm like "Fine, whatever."
I like the idea of upgrading the backpack by any means possible (even shilling out an "astonishing" 50g), but it should be upgradeable to the size of the biggest bag in wotlk. No more of this bullshit, If the largest bag in wotlk is going to be 24 slots or whatever...make the backpack 24 slots, simple.
They seem pretty reluctant to implement this feature for some reason. I wish they'd just tell us why! maybe the backpack is the keystone of the entire wow universe and disturbing it in any fashion would cause the tapestry of time and space to unravel.
Lemon Aug 19th 2008 9:59PM
Is your main level 70 yet? Cause I get 25g every time I walk through a doorway. Seriously there's like a little goblin and he's like "Do you want 25g?" and I'm like "Fine, whatever."
I like the idea of upgrading the backpack by any means possible (even shilling out an "astonishing" 50g), but it should be upgradeable to the size of the biggest bag in wotlk. No more of this bullshit, If the largest bag in wotlk is going to be 24 slots or whatever...make the backpack 24 slots, simple.
They seem pretty reluctant to implement this feature for some reason. I wish they'd just tell us why! maybe the backpack is the keystone of the entire wow universe and disturbing it in any fashion would cause the tapestry of time and space to unravel.
Zarzuur Aug 19th 2008 6:17PM
They should have a quest to upgrade it into a "Northrend backpack".
The Artist formally known as Jesus Aug 20th 2008 3:44AM
That sounds like a collection quest.
Mission objective: Collect 20 Unstained Polar Bear hides