Armour and weapon designs - a plea.

[Gecimen]

I completely disagree with the OP. If we're adventuring in a fantasy world, let the armor and weapon designs reflect it.

 

If you want a historically accurate theme, you should play a historically accurate game.

 

Again it's not about being historically accurate but BELIEVABLE.

 

Ok then prepare to fight Komodo Dragons since they're the only believable species of dragons available.

 

In short, if you want a game that has magic & giant creatures in it, weapons are armour need to match. Your warrior needs to be literally superhuman (or superdwarf) to be able to fight a, say, dragon and you can expect him or her to wield a large sword. I'm not saying I want anything tastlessly exaggerated. I'm saying we should be open to fantastic or even outlandish designs IF it supports the fantasy setting.

 

In addition to that, none of that realistic armor and arms posted above are obtained through legendary quests or anything. They are simple forged stuff.

 

Say, in later parts of the game, you're going after an optional quest to obtain the shards of an ancient artifact from millenia-dead ghost kings. Would it be more believable if that super-legendary sword looked like this sword fresh out of the town blacksmith?

or, say, this sword from WoW?

[obyknven]

piercing swords

slashing swords video

facepalm.jpg

[Michał]

Sword of ghost king?

 

This one

[Uwon de Toster]

I completely disagree with the OP. If we're adventuring in a fantasy world, let the armor and weapon designs reflect it.

 

If you want a historically accurate theme, you should play a historically accurate game.

 

Again it's not about being historically accurate but BELIEVABLE.

 

Ok then prepare to fight Komodo Dragons since they're the only believable species of dragons available.

 

 

Strawman ;]

 

@"I'm saying we should be open to fantastic or even outlandish designs IF it supports the fantasy setting."

Been said in this topic couple of times. Agreed.

@In addition to that, none of that realistic armor and arms posted above are obtained through legendary quests or anything. They are simple forged stuff.

So was the legendary stuff you obtained through your quest, I mean nobody gave birth to them right?

@Say, in later parts of the game, you're going after an optional quest to obtain the shards of an ancient artifact from millenia-dead ghost kings. Would it be more believable if that super-legendary sword looked like this sword fresh out of the town blacksmith?

I'm okay with that ;] For example Arcanum and ToEE had really cool "realistic" feel to weapons it but those with very high magical properties look insanely weird. Thta's what I call "believable" - normal, moderately magical items must act in conjuction with physics higly magical ones don't give a f&^k about Newton's Laws.

Edited September 24, 2012 by Uwon de Toster

[Uwon de Toster]

piercing swords

slashing swords video

facepalm.jpg

 

Can't say if you're ignorant or trolling.

[obyknven]

Another swords without crossguard .

 

Shashka

 

Yatagan

 

Used without shield

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4_PWKOCz0U&hd=1

[IchigoRXC]

Reminds me of Indiana Jones, just pull out a pistol and shoot her.

[Michał]

Another swords without crossguard .

 

Shashka

 

Yatagan

 

Used without shield

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4_PWKOCz0U&hd=1

 

Roman gladius also fits this category (crossguard is rather modest )

[Aedelric]

No giant comical weapons, no Buster Swords or Soul Edge's.

 

It is a thing I hated with the change in art direction for Dragon Age II.

[Baudolino05]

Ok then prepare to fight Komodo Dragons since they're the only believable species of dragons available.

 

In short, if you want a game that has magic & giant creatures in it, weapons are armour need to match. Your warrior needs to be literally superhuman (or superdwarf) to be able to fight a, say, dragon and you can expect him or her to wield a large sword. I'm not saying I want anything tastlessly exaggerated. I'm saying we should be open to fantastic or even outlandish designs IF it supports the fantasy setting.

 

Very funny. But this one is even funnier: what were those two books where really non-superhuman heroes (flew exceptions apart) armed with relatively believable weapons fought against orcs, ogres, dragrons, giagant spiders and flamming demons? Help me, they are kinda famous. Oh, yes, I get it! The lord of the rings and The Hobbit!

I can't be sure, but I suspect their creator wouldn't agree with you. But maybe I'm wrong

 

In addition to that, none of that realistic armor and arms posted above are obtained through legendary quests or anything. They are simple forged stuff.

 

Say, in later parts of the game, you're going after an optional quest to obtain the shards of an ancient artifact from millenia-dead ghost kings. Would it be more believable if that super-legendary sword looked like this sword fresh out of the town blacksmith?

or, say, this sword from WoW?

.

 

Actually I would hate to find a senseless piece of metal like the sword in the second picture even in the market square. But probably it's just a matter of taste.

Edited September 24, 2012 by Baudolino05

[TrashMan]

In my opinion best fantasy armor design from these artists.

http://www.waynereynolds.com/

 

http://www.olivierledroit.com/

 

 

http://diterlizzi.com/home/

 

 

 

Horrible. The guy has a spike and leater ftish.

 

LEATHER BELTS ARE NOT ARMOR.

[TrashMan]

This is just a guess. Actually we don't known how they use thus armor. In any case, massive shoulder pads were severely hamper movement.

 

 

I saw a documantary on that armor. It was a ...failed experiment IIRC.

No records of it's wide-spred use exist.

 

Mind you, people make stupid stuff all the time. That doens't mean it is accepted.

[TrashMan]

 

Most of weapons you posted was used with shield and fighting style didn't require blade binds hence lack of bigger crossguard. see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dkhpqAGdZPc

 

 

I love this videos. Methinks the devs should look at them. It can give them ideas.

Better yet, let htem hire those guys to do mo-cap and battle coreography for them.

[neo6874]

I agree with the general consensus here -- keep it "realistic" with the weapons/armour models ... but at the same time, leave some leeway with descriptions/names.

 

I liked the feel that NWN, The Witcher, etc had -- keeping the weaponry "simple" looking, but effective (and more than the 1-3 "swing sword" animations in the case of The Witcher). If the description of the sword is "it glows", then make it glow with pale light (e.g. Sting from Lord of the Rings), but not the super-particle WoW anime effect ...

[TrashMan]

Say, in later parts of the game, you're going after an optional quest to obtain the shards of an ancient artifact from millenia-dead ghost kings. Would it be more believable if that super-legendary sword looked like this sword fresh out of the town blacksmith?

 

I'd suppose it wasn't the ghost who made the sword, but it was the sword he used while he was still alive. Which would mean that sword would also follow the laws of functionality.

Unless it was a ceremonial sword.

 

Mind you, a weapon doesn't have to look exactly like a historicly accurate replica...but it should look functional.

[Uwon de Toster]

 

 

Brian Snoddy FTW. IMHO this is the perfect example of good fantasy armour.

 

EDIT:

THIS really makes him the best armour artist evah

Edited September 24, 2012 by Uwon de Toster

[obyknven]

Most of weapons you posted was used with shield and fighting style didn't require blade binds hence lack of bigger crossguard. see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dkhpqAGdZPc

 

 

I love this videos. Methinks the devs should look at them. It can give them ideas.

Better yet, let htem hire those guys to do mo-cap and battle coreography for them.

 

Better this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2ZzYuDTaTE

[obyknven]

this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_UNVmEJZ04

or even this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qeI8capzuqs

[obyknven]

more

http://youtu.be/uDdTB1GzHJw

[Baudolino05]

or even this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qeI8capzuqs

 

Terrible set up. It's just a fictional skirmish, not an historical reenactment. Formations broke 5 seconds after the first clash.

[The Sharmat]

@Furiku:

 

I think its safe to say the amount of T&A suggested in the vision document and present in the game itself was at least partially influenced by the need of catering to a publisher. Thats not the case here, right?

Also that design document was presented by Morte and was played for humor.

[Darkpriest]

Better question, why have the tradition weapons like sword/dagger/etc and the traditional armors like chain/plate in the usual style at all, and not use weaponry and armor inspired by other sources that we hardly ever get to play with? Sure have weapons and armor, but why the usual ones at this point? We have tons of ancient cultures with all sorts of weapons and armor that may not seem practical against plate or chain armor, but . . . what if there were no plate or chain armor yet in a setting's history? What if armor was much different than we're used to in fantasy RPGs, and weapons for that matter.

 

Functional is one thing but . . . what is functional? It's easy to say, "That armor wouldn't actually protect" when looking at some types of armor, but, they were worn and their people's saw success in combat. You go back far enough and some people went to battle in just plain nothing, and the later more conservative cultures went in to battle in a loincloth to prevent what I like to call the Mr. Floppy effect.

 

I'm just curious if the big guy covered head to toe in plate is really necessary in a fantasy RPG when one of the most famous male fantasy characters, Conan, in some of his most iconic imagery, isn't wearing any such thing. I just got done reading the Black Stranger and it really made me think for a few seconds about just what an RPG character would wear into combat if the setting didn't have the usual Long Sword, Plate, Bow, Chain sort of gear.

 

I'm all for exotic swords and armor. Japanese, Chinese, and Middle Eastern swords come to mind.

 

And a barbarian might as well rush into combat with a couple of animal hides stitched together, foregoing protection in favor of mobility.

 

But Conan is a little much. As much as I've loved the movies when I was a kid, I don't think it prudent to go into a swordfight in your underwear.

 

I could go with a class or kit that is specially trained to fight very effectively with no armor, but would still suffer heavy penalties.

 

Well then you certainly should check out some older cultures like German tribes, Gauls, even Celts... Some of them were running into battle naked...

 

I am not saying that majority was doing that, but some were. The idea of an almost naked barbarian is not that far fetched as you may think.

[Bobby Null]

 

 

Brian Snoddy FTW. IMHO this is the perfect example of good fantasy armour.

 

EDIT:

THIS really makes him the best armour artist evah

 

Owon de Toaster has earned 500xp for posting Dragonlance pics . Mmmm, love me some Dragonlance. Was a sad day when Sovereign Press lost the license to make more 3.5 Dragonlance books.

[horocaust]

If I had to plea, I'd plea to not include barbarians. Anything but that. Just hearing about conanesque stuff make me nauseous. Yes, one of the best protagonists in the history of ever TNO was also mostly naked, but he wasn't resembling anything of what a barbarian is. So, nakedness is okay as long as it's not about chainmail bikinis, but no to that whole brute stuff.

[Majek]

 

I'd like something like this too.