I tend to hate durability systems for the same reasons as everybody. I think it comes down to the fact that when you get a new piece of equipment to put on, it feels like something that's supposed to be yours to keep, and it's a downer when something like that gets permanently damaged (or damaged in a way that's troublesome to fix, like wasting a scarce enchant scroll).
I wonder if it could be made fun, though. Like, what if you took it really far? What if weapons and armor degraded so fast that you were really replacing them all the time? I think they'd start to feel a bit like ammo. Eventually you'd overcome that feeling of "this is supposed to be permanent," and adapt to doing something more like living off the land, using what you find. Other styles of games, such as platformers and shooters, do stuff like this all the time, and it's lots of fun. I think there's a lot of room for roguelikes to explore in that direction, so I'm all for this kind of departure, but only if it fits with your game.
Agreed. I just started playing DoomRL now, and I'm incredibly annoyed by inventory management. I just blew mods to make a Tactical Shotgun, and the next level I find an Assault Shotgun. I have no reason to carry both, but it was a wonderful RNG laughs at you moment. The irony grows even more when I find a Jackhammer on the next level- which is basically the God Shotgun afaik. My equipment has gotten so good that I'm overwhelmed with decisions on what to ditch. My intuition shows 2 large med-kits on this current level when I'm already carrying 6...
Durability is wonderful when it is intuitively incorporated into gameplay. I prefer having to choose between two piles of shit.
