I've advocated physics before, at more detail. A realistic physics makes
the game more open-ended, because it lets the player develop the game in
ways the author hasn't thought of. A system of weight and volume is part
of that physics; overcoming those restrictions can be part of the plot.
I'm not talking about how many items you can carry; I'm talking about things
like getting Santa Claus down a narrow chimney, or getting a Volkswagen
Beetle out of your dorm room, etc. But if you treat the player character
the same way you treat any other object (and I *strongly* advocate doing
so), then the same restrictions must apply, re. size, capacity, and
strength.
Phil Goetz@cs.buffalo.edu