Not sure if I'm going to get any traction on this one, but I'd like to revisit the coded restriction (now at least a couple of years old) whereby retainers are prevented from being dismissed while holding objects or wearing containers.
IIRC, this change was initiated in large part because a mage was using their NPC for storage of glowing objects that could not be junked. They took advantage of the fact that NPCs at the time didn't scream bloody murder at the sight of magey shit, and then the rest of us were made to suffer the consequences, as it was thereafter decided that retainers should not be used for storage, period.
And I agree, when it's phrased like that. Retainers should NOT be used for storage. But there have been a few additional changes since then, such as NPCs being more thematically magic-averse and weekly upkeep costs for NPCs. And now that I'm paying quite a lot of money to employ my retainers, I'd really like to be able to send them away with a few things in their inventory that they would normally be carrying around, such as a guard carrying a secondary or practice weapon or a valet carrying a folder of paperwork or an extra cloak or any number of themely items. Even if there were an item cap -- say, an NPC can be sent away with 10 non-glowy items or less and no containers -- I would welcome that change over the current wholesale restrictions.
Maybe we could find a balance between making the system more convenient and preventing its abuse?
