Putting the 'role' back in role-playing games since 2002.
Donate to Codex
Good Old Games
  • Welcome to rpgcodex.net, a site dedicated to discussing computer based role-playing games in a free and open fashion. We're less strict than other forums, but please refer to the rules.

    "This message is awaiting moderator approval": All new users must pass through our moderation queue before they will be able to post normally. Until your account has "passed" your posts will only be visible to yourself (and moderators) until they are approved. Give us a week to get around to approving / deleting / ignoring your mundane opinion on crap before hassling us about it. Once you have passed the moderation period (think of it as a test), you will be able to post normally, just like all the other retards.

Inspirations for weaponry?

Azael

Magister
Joined
Dec 6, 2002
Messages
4,405
Location
Multikult Central South
Wasteland 2
Can't find a good image at the moment, but I find urumi to be interesting, but perhaps not all that effective, weapons. Certainly unique and different at least.
 

Nutcracker

Scholar
Joined
Oct 23, 2005
Messages
935
Am i the only one who thinks that most of those weapons on the first page actually look pretty shit/gay?
 

TheLostOne

Savant
Joined
Sep 5, 2007
Messages
770
Location
Limbo
Nutcracker said:
Am i the only one who thinks that most of those weapons on the first page actually look pretty shit/gay?

Well... kinda.

I mean they're period... and nice artistically... but a little too ceremonial/nonfunctional looking in my opinion.

Plus most of these are pretty thin and intricately detailed... will they render well in game?
 

Nutcracker

Scholar
Joined
Oct 23, 2005
Messages
935
Yeah, they mostly look like theyd be useless in combat. Especially that axe everyone is jizzing over.

The only ones i respect are the sabres.. they look badass. Id like to see pics of TNP wielding one.
 

roshan

Arcane
Joined
Apr 7, 2004
Messages
2,426
TheLostOne said:
Nutcracker said:
Am i the only one who thinks that most of those weapons on the first page actually look pretty shit/gay?

Well... kinda.

I mean they're period... and nice artistically... but a little too ceremonial/nonfunctional looking in my opinion.

Plus most of these are pretty thin and intricately detailed... will they render well in game?

TheLostOne said:
Nutcracker said:
Am i the only one who thinks that most of those weapons on the first page actually look pretty shit/gay?

Well... kinda.

I mean they're period... and nice artistically... but a little too ceremonial/nonfunctional looking in my opinion.

Plus most of these are pretty thin and intricately detailed... will they render well in game?

How are they nonfunctional? Almost all the pictures posted are actual military pieces. The sosun pata, kora, antelope axe, bhuj, shashpar, zaghnal, salawar and gauntlet sword are all actual war weapons. Functionally, an antelope axe is exactly the same as a regular axe. The Bhuj is basically a giant cleaver, sometimes designed to pierce armor. The pata is a gauntlet sword, mostly used on horseback, like an Indian lance. The zaghnal and katar were basically designed to break through armor. The kora was the primary weapon of war in Nepal, and spread through northern India due to it being badass. The Salawar was the main saber of Afghanistans Pushtun people, and also spread through India due to its utilitarian design.

Exceptions are the curva, the snake swords, and the tribal axes posted. Those werent real military weapons, as far as I know anyway. Just ceremonial pieces, or ancient versions of fantasy weaponry. I also doubt that anything with a serrated edge was actually useful in combat. Here are a couple of ceremonial temple swords from southern India - absolutely fucked up in terms of design.

48333mq2.jpg


standingja0.jpg


ewsouthbie5.jpg


These weapons just look so damn Planescape, with the spikes and all.

Ill post some regular Indian swords/sabers/axes later on.
 

roshan

Arcane
Joined
Apr 7, 2004
Messages
2,426
Were just open minded. A work of art is a work of art, regardless of its destructive power.
 

TheLostOne

Savant
Joined
Sep 5, 2007
Messages
770
Location
Limbo
roshan said:
How are they nonfunctional?

I said nonfunctional looking. I'm sure they're quite effective weapons for the most part. I just have issues with overly decorative weapons. Axes with horns at outward angles? Looks nice, but the horns just seem like something extra to snag on armor, shield or your opponent's weapon. Its different from a spike because they're out at odd angles.

Simple functional design is almost always more effective. It's the same reason anyone with sense wouldn't have long spikes all over their armor. In battle they can snag, get caught in armor or flesh and pull you off balance, etc.

That said, this is an rpg, and the period is pretty early. No reason not to get a bit fanciful in the arms department.
 

roshan

Arcane
Joined
Apr 7, 2004
Messages
2,426
With the axes though, the horns are at the opposite side of the contact edge, so snagging on armor is quite far fetched. I think that generally, weapon design in India was very utilitarian. For example, double axes, which are functionally useless as well as impractical, are almost never found.

Here are some regular Indo-Persian axes, called tabars.

persianaxe1bur0.jpg


tabarrh8.jpg


A fancier version:

indianaxex2mg4.jpg


I really like the one on the left, due to the spike at the opposite end:

arb4rm4.jpg


Another beautiful Indian piece:

axe2sssslm8.jpg


A great one from Sindh:

sindhitabar2qr4.jpg


For those who like the utilitarian look:

indopersianaxe2sb5.jpg
 

roshan

Arcane
Joined
Apr 7, 2004
Messages
2,426
I was wondering - any plans for including medieval weaponry, such as this cool Venetian poleaxe?

53598_251654.jpg
 

Vault Dweller

Commissar, Red Star Studio
Developer
Joined
Jan 7, 2003
Messages
28,024
No, but it's a cool axe indeed. Goes to my "weapons porn" collection.
 

Radech

Augur
Joined
Sep 1, 2007
Messages
505
was looking around the net for some kewl gaellic/goth/norse weapondry, but all i could find was shoddy replicas and rusty remains - i did get an idea for an "epic" sword though

btw. a bit confused about the timeline - if your story is pre 800's then just dismiss this as random ramblings(you may choose to do so anyway :P)

well i stumbled on a myth that said some dude named ulfberht was the first guy to make swords made completely of steel, and many swords have been found inscribed ulfberht(zomg he invented branding :P)


Swords_Ulfberht_Sword_M5064_6817.jpg


and instead of boring latin letters on the sword, it would be way cooler to have it in runes so I found a rune alphabet and did a very unprofessional translation :P

ulfberht.jpg


so basically you have a big bad viking steel sword inscribed with runes and everything and even somewhat historically correct - comeon that way better than greatmaul of goblin smashing +3

anyway about all the eastern bling bling weapons, they look a little too cerimonial too me, I'd prefer weapons you could clearly see was meant for smashing peoples heads in :P - and those indian mounted hand swords, just looks like a broken wrist waiting to happen
 

Section8

Cipher
Joined
Oct 23, 2002
Messages
4,321
Location
Wardenclyffe
Duh, everyone knows that the best way to make weapons cool is to take a normal sword and add spiky red bits and skulls to it. And you dare to call yourself an RPG developer while entertaining the thought of including this wack-ass shit.

I seem to be in quite the sarcastic mood right now. Hooray for me.
 

roshan

Arcane
Joined
Apr 7, 2004
Messages
2,426
well i stumbled on a myth that said some dude named ulfberht was the first guy to make swords made completely of steel, and many swords have been found inscribed ulfberht(zomg he invented branding )

Thats likely just a myth. High carbon damascus steel (not just regular steel) was invented in Southern India a few hundred years before Christ. It took the world a couple of millenia to invent stronger steel.

Despite the name misnomer "damascus" the best damascus steel was always produced in Persia, Central Asia and India. The steel produced in Turkey, Arab countries and Islamic Spain was of much lower quality, as the carbon percentage was lower. True damascus steel looks really beautiful - check out the pattern below:

402581sa5.jpg


On the left is pattern welded steel, the right shows a true damascus blade.
 

roshan

Arcane
Joined
Apr 7, 2004
Messages
2,426
Cassidy said:
All those unique axes, maces and blades, but what about ranged weapons?

Composite bows were used all over Persia/India. In India, there were also steel bows. Some pictures:

indiansteelbow1ib0.jpg


nosteelkaman1od4.jpg


steelbow3hy9.jpg


Another weapon used in India is the Chakram, essentially a hurled steel disc:

chakram2gv4.jpg


chakram1ht1.png
 

roshan

Arcane
Joined
Apr 7, 2004
Messages
2,426
Prior to the development of sabres in medieval times, most blades used were straight. It should be noted that during the times of the crusades etc, the blades in the Middle East were also straight. It wasnt until invasions of Turks and Mongols from central Asia that sabres became popular in these regions. The Khanda is a typical Hindu basket hilted broadsword. It is also a holy symbol of the Sikh religion:

khanyhyuda2rt5.jpg


ewsteelkhanda3rw1.jpg


A recurving version:

recurvedkhanda1lv0.jpg


khanda4sf8.jpg


khanda6ni1.jpg


finekhandacs4.jpg


ewheavykhanda1ea1.jpg


The spikes at the bottom were basically extra handles for wielding the blades two handed. Some of the weapons had those steel bars you can see behind some of the blades, I guess that was for adding weight to the weapon.
 

Marsal

Arcane
Joined
Oct 2, 2006
Messages
1,304
Is it me or are the hilts very short compared to the length of the blade? It looks like 10:1 (or more) ratio in some of them. I would need about 15 cm to comfortably hold a weapon and I guess the blade can't be longer than 100 cm. Looks like Indian people have very small hands. Enlighten me, please ;)
 

As an Amazon Associate, rpgcodex.net earns from qualifying purchases.
Back
Top Bottom