I registered here just to support this topic (sorry for further mistakes, I'm not an English native speaker). I will shorten multiselect as MS in my text.
I'have played more than 180 hours on Steam Deck. Not a single time did I need to go back to the radial menu from the inventory. Even if I need to, there is no problem in going back to game and clicking R2 again - it is a rare occasion and I'm ok to make a few additional clicks.
But as other people stated here, Inventory Management is a HUGE part of the game, and a very time consuming process. I can spend half an hour organizing stuff in my character's backpack. I can list the following use case scenarious (from my subjective experience):
1) "Vacuum-cleaning" the area
I press A to quickly highlight objects I can interact with and then I go from crate to crate, looking inside each of them. I want to spend as less time in each crate / barrel / sack as possible: just quickly loot the area and move on.
Usually when I open a crate there are things that I want to put in my inventory right away (potions, magic necklaces etc) and stuff I want to send directly to the camp (I either don't need them now or they will encumber me) - weapons, armour etc. I used to spend mere seconds to multiselect things from the second category and go to the next crate.
Now I have to wait about 3 seconds in EACH crate (and there might be 10 of them) just to enter the multiselect menu and THEN send 3-4 objects to the camp. Honeslty, now it it easier not to use MS at all and just use "send to camp" on each object individually.
2) Organizing character's inventory
My character carries a few backpacks and pouches with her to store stuff in the inventory by categories. A backpack for scrolls, a pouch for arrows etc. I reorganize her stuff from time to time not to be overwhelmed with the amount of stuff she has. It is not a fun part, but I have to do it, otherwise it is diffcult to navigate in the inventory ("sort by type" function doesn't help much).
Now I cannot use MS mode for that purpose at all - I cannot move several things in a backpack opened from the inventory.
3) Going through the camp chest
Usually I multiselect things here to sell to traders. Previously I used to take a few things, than go back and forth thinking whether I want to sell more stuff. Now I think twice if I'm morally ready to deal with the new MS mode
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To sum it up:
- MS is a very important and popular feature while accessing the radial menu from the inventory is not
- MS main purpose is to save time. But now it feels like more time-consuming option than even selecting object individually
- Somehow it is morally SO HARD to sit through these 3 seconds of pressing X to enter the MS mode. I want to scream everytime, I don't now why. It is like I want to get it done I return to actually fun stuff but I'm forced to sit through this loading thing. UGH, sorry
- New MS mode replaced some features that were used together with it (eg moving things to backpacks in inventory)
Generally I share the feeling that I am much less eager to play now. I used to play 5 hours a day now I can sit only through 1 because whether I like it or not I just have to interact with this new MS mode. It is a small detail but it made some gameplay processes unbearable. Please, return the previous R2 behaviour, I'm begging you!
