Using Looted Clothes and Armor

[Amentep]

Its a minor thing - certainly not of major import - but I've always been vaguely bugged by the fact most games allow you to loot items from any sized opponent and immediately wear them.

 

Wizardry seemed to address this by having different clothing for small party members which created the problem of never finding the right size clothes making them extremely vulnerable.

 

I've often wondered if a system which forced you to "fit" looted armor and clothing would work within a video game (maybe it already has in a game I haven't played) and wondered what others would think of such a system. I'd include within this fitting system a way to customize the armor some (engrave it maybe) or change colors on clothing to fit what you're looking for aesthetically so you have the best of style and function.

 

Anyone else interested in such a thing, or is it just too much detail where it isn't needed?

[BronzeSphere]

I think it would be great. Could perhaps be a non-combat skill too, so one of your characters can adjust wearable equipment on the fly.

 

I also think that not all pieces of clothing/armor worn by an enemy should be lootable. For example, if you kill a bandit equipped with a thin leather armor with a fireball, his clothing shouldn't be in a good shape. It could either be repairable or totally unusuable.

[Rabain]

Too much micro management can really kill a game.

 

The reason so many games don't do it is because in most games you are not Lord High Whatever of Fashion Town. You are Billy NoName from Bumpkin Junction and can't afford decent gear so you use what you can get and replace it bit by bit as you find better items. Your party members are helping you fit it and equip it each morning after burning the breakfast on the campfire after you have filled in the latrine trench with a shovel but you don't see any of that because it is boring...now onwards to slay the dragon!

[Humanoid]

I worry about repeating myself too much given the relatively small pool of design areas I have any real interest in, but I've been voicing support for a design where armour and clothing isn't looted, or indeed extant as a 'thing' at all. A tentative proposal would be to have armour as a toggle: adventuring gear and town/civilian garb. You can pay a smith to upgrade how your armor performs (such as sewing studs into your leather armour), perhaps requiring the acquisition of certain rare items to enable some more exotic enhancements. But the main point is that armour would be something on the character screen only, each character having their own inherent and separately upgradable design, and not exist on the inventory screen in any way.

 

Obviously it's a bit out there, and I'll be the first to recant if it proves unfun or unworkable.

Edited September 25, 2012 by Humanoid

[nikolokolus]

I think care needs to be taken when adding features that are meant to be "realistic" ends up slowing the game down or making it un-fun for a large segment of the game's audience. In theory, I guess this could be a workable mechanic, but in practice I'm afraid it would just be more headache and aggravation than anything. The thing to remember is that it's meant to be a game that is focused on tactical party-based combat with deep storytelling; how does fiddling with looted clothes and armor enhance those goals? To me it starts to become more of a sim than an RPG at some point.

 

Who knows, maybe there could be racial types for armor and clothes and that would work OK?

[Rabain]

The main problem with a system like that Humanoid is that it would erase 90% of the item rewards from mobs, quests, crafting etc from the game or at least render it meaningless except for its sale value.

 

You could kill a King in his lovely golden armor, only to find out you can sell it for 10g and buy new tassels for your crappy mail armor.

 

I'd be all for a toggle for civilian/combat clothing but I'd still want control over all my armor slots, it is what makes for a lot of the sense of reward when you get an upgrade.

[Humanoid]

I'd be pretty worried about the game world if we're killing kings off the bat. But flippancy aside, the idea would be that there's probably some special aspect of it that you would recover and perhaps incorporate into your own armour. This can range from the obvious - use some scales from that dragon you killed to provide special plating to your armour - to the more abstract, like a evil wizard's protection was drawn from a magic gem embedded in his hat.

 

As for the king again - happy enough to handwave it for a combination of reasons, both specific to the scenario, and those that can be explained generally: the monarch's armour would be largely ceremonial, it would probably be severely damaged from your act of violence, it would have been fitted (perhaps for a somewhat rotund fellow), and trying to find someone to repair, let alone wear yourself, a piece of armour marking you as a kingslayer in public may not be a decision of the greatest wisdom.

Edited September 25, 2012 by Humanoid

[Jarmo]

Should one characters equipment be wearable by other characters without a trip to Smith & Tailor's?

Because that obviously can't happen if opponents armor can't be readily used either.

 

Again, avoid micromanagement where possible, chores and busywork - not fun.

 

But I could go for the traditional "small armor, only usable by gnomes and hobbits".

Although I'm not half sorry if those races don't make the cut.

[alphyna]

I think it's unneeded. In practice it just means you have to visit town before wearing any armor. It just complicates the process, while not adding anything.

Edited September 25, 2012 by alphyna

[qloher]

I remember in Arcanum there were small clothes and armor wearable by dwarves, big clothes and armor wearable by half-ogres and normal clothes and armor wearable by everyone else. Still no fitting option available.

[Gecimen]

Duh, please no more needless boring details for the sake of realism.

[HangedMan]

I think it's unneeded. In practice it just means you have to visit town before wearing any armor. It just complicates the process, while not adding anything.

 

Actually, it does add something!

 

...A headache.

[Rabain]

I think it's unneeded. In practice it just means you have to visit town before wearing any armor. It just complicates the process, while not adding anything.

 

Actually, it does add something!

 

...A headache.

 

Then you need to lobby for an equippable icepack for your headslot!

[Tagaziel]

This is easily reflected by game mechanics. Looted armor is damaged (reflecting physical damage as well as lack of proper fitting) and wearing it incurs penalties or doesn't protect enough. This is fixed by a trip to the blacksmith/field repair (fitting and patching the suit).

[HangedMan]

I think it's unneeded. In practice it just means you have to visit town before wearing any armor. It just complicates the process, while not adding anything.

 

Actually, it does add something!

 

...A headache.

 

Then you need to lobby for an equippable icepack for your headslot!

Hahaha! You little rascal. I like you!

[leshy]

Some kind of system would actually be nice.

 

I don't mean some ultra realistic system in which when your feet are size 42 and you wear shoes size 41, you get -1 to DEX

 

But it IS stupid if a gnome girl can exchange armor with a human paladin.

[ogrezilla]

Voted no. It sounds neat on paper, but really adds nothing but tedium to the game. There are a lot of these "realism" ideas being thrown around. I really hope this feels like I'm playing a game and not an adventure simulator.

Edited September 25, 2012 by ogrezilla

[Kissamies]

I would be all for this feature, but I understand why most people wouldn't like it. Doesn't necessary add micromanagement or detail, though. That all depends on how it's done. For example, if the game wouldn't allow you to loot armour or clothing at all because you wouldn't be able to wear it anyways, that would actually be simpler than carrying the 6 leather armours to merchant to be sold 2gp each. That would go against the Infinity Engine style, so no more about that.

 

How about compromise: Most armour encountered in the game is munitions grade and can be worn as long as the wearer is of same race. However, there would also be higher quality tailored armour usually worn by noblemen and such who can afford it. That would require adjustments. The tailored armor would either have better general stats or just better protection against crits because the gaps between pieces are smaller.

[Scryer]

Such a system was used in Venetica but there you controled only one character and armours were rare, I only used about 4 armours in the game and one of them I think was necessary to finish the game.

 

So - 1 character, very limited number of choices, largely the opposite of Eternity, in short no. If it must be done, do it Arcanum style.

[general_azure]

I like this poll for actually having options besides yes and no... count me as undecided until I know more about the game.

[Malcador]

Its a minor thing - certainly not of major import - but I've always been vaguely bugged by the fact most games allow you to loot items from any sized opponent and immediately wear them.

 

Wizardry seemed to address this by having different clothing for small party members which created the problem of never finding the right size clothes making them extremely vulnerable.

 

I've often wondered if a system which forced you to "fit" looted armor and clothing would work within a video game (maybe it already has in a game I haven't played) and wondered what others would think of such a system. I'd include within this fitting system a way to customize the armor some (engrave it maybe) or change colors on clothing to fit what you're looking for aesthetically so you have the best of style and function.

 

Anyone else interested in such a thing, or is it just too much detail where it isn't needed?

 

I suppose you could just have classes, so that giant ogre type fellow's jerkin wouldn't fit your human PC (just an example), but seems like this is going too far towards a simulation than needed.

[Amentep]

Too much micro management can really kill a game.

 

The reason so many games don't do it is because in most games you are not Lord High Whatever of Fashion Town. You are Billy NoName from Bumpkin Junction and can't afford decent gear so you use what you can get and replace it bit by bit as you find better items. Your party members are helping you fit it and equip it each morning after burning the breakfast on the campfire after you have filled in the latrine trench with a shovel but you don't see any of that because it is boring...now onwards to slay the dragon!

 

Actually I agree that too much micromanagement can kill a game (I'm not a big fan of inventory tetris or food mechanics), which is why I say its a minor thing.

On the other hand if blacksmithing is a skill it could be a way to add value to that skill without its value being in improving degrading armor (which I don't mind that much but some people think is to much micromanagement).

[Badmojo]

This definetly crosses into annoyance and not fun aspect. So no, if you get loot, you should be able to use it.

[rjshae]

Maybe in a hard-core mode; but I wouldn't want it for the normal game. For me it's too much micromanagement to be enjoyable.

[Bhazor]

I like the idea that you could wear any armour/clothes but if you wore the wrong size you suffered a penalty. So a halfling would be stumbling over in long trousers suffering penalties to sneaking/dodging and a huge warrior would be restricted by tight fitting clothes suffering a dexterity penalty as he can't move his arms as easily.

 

But. In practice I get the feeling it would end up as just busy work or carrying dozens of sets of armour that doesn't fit anyone hoping you'll meet someone they fit.