Would you like to see real armor in RPGs?

[Texas Red]

The ridiculous DA shoulder pads prompted me to create this thread. Frankly, I do not understand why designers keep putting in those bulky, unwieldy and oversized armors. True heavy plate is elegant and gives a fake appearance of being almost fragile. Every pieces is beautifully curved in order to deflect blows. I personally love the way it covers a knight as a second skin, instead of having protuberances which only catch attacks.

 

[Darth Roxor]

My thoughts exactly. Armour can look interesting and 'elegant' as you mentioned while at the same time being realistic, it's just the giant shoulder pads and other stuff like that are more popular unfortunately, because the users seem to feel like invincible superheroes when they have 5 tonnes of unnecessary steel on them, and for that I blame j-rpgs and other manga-ish shit, I think they brought the enormous armour and weaponry upon everything, because of their intense popularity.

 

[NiM82]

Part of the reason for big shoulder pads is to make animating easier. By dumping a big pad over the shoulders you can hide a lot of un-pretty mesh distortion around the joint. That being said, I'm all in favour of realism.. but it doesn't bug me too much (unless it's in the realm of jRPG stupidity).

 

[Dire Roach]

That plate armor looks generic and not l337 at all. I'd rather put all my points into dex than look like a walking dildo. Speaking of dildos, that image is totally phallic and oppresive.

 

[sportforredneck]

As long as there are restrictions still on those who can wear certain armors I'm fine with it. As many people would have a hard as time moving in some armors let alone fight, hence why people were normally trained from birth.

 

[ricolikesrice]

ubermenschenz dont wear large shoulderpads !

 

[Truth]

Don't really care as it's an aesthetic choice. If it goes with the game's art direction, so be it. If it's style over realism, fine with that too.

 

[Raapys]

Don't care too much either( as long as it's not World of Warcraft style ), but I do seem to remember recently playing a game with NPCs in armor just like the one posted.

 

[sabishii]

It's because everybody's like "OMG HISTORYH IS BOHRING!!!"

But, yes, realistic armors from various parts of time would be a nice change of pace from "traditional" fantasy.

Secondly I would like realistic combat animations rather than the "kewl" shit in half of the games (e.g. The Witcher) and the boring "stick-man" combat of the other half (e.g. Oblivion).

 

[Murk]

Yes, i can most definitely dig it.

 

[Unradscorpion]

No need to be realistic, just needs to seem realistic like the first edition D&D.
That shit wasn't even close to realistic, yet it sounds like it, adding to immersion and stylish looks.
As long as they at least try to look a bit realistic it will be good enough not to make me vomit.

 

[spacemoose]

mount and blade did a good job of realistic armor

 

[RK47]

u mean like

 

[spacemoose]

there's nothing like that in the vanilla game. you can't hold the designers responsible for what modders do

 

[Fat Dragon]

I always liked the look of realistic medieval armor far more than what you see in video games. I especially like the design for the Templar Knight suit.

 

[RK47]

Actually Assassin Creed did get most of the looks right, if you like gazing at those sort of armours you might want to check some gameplay vids. Pretty authentic, too bad they failed at the gameplay.

 

[fizzelopeguss]

Nah.

 

[sportforredneck]

Nah.

I'm surprised that wasn't out of the kingcomrade collection.

 

[sabishii]

Hell, for all the hype over the LOTR movies, they could imitate their more realistic style than the campy flicks and cartoons from the 80s.

Doesn't seem that far off from the picture Fat Dragon posted.

 

[Azarkon]

Didn't the whole gigantic shoulder pads fad start with Warhammer (which Blizzard then took to ridiculous extremes)?

Warhammer:

World of Warcraft:

 

[SkeleTony]

I prefer the fantastic, wholy unrealistic looking armor myself and have no desire to see the gay realistic medieval
stuff. I love history and have no problem with realism in <i>reality</i>. But my fantasy needs to be full of impossible crap like magic, lesbian warriors in chain mail bikinis, giant shoulder pauldrons, etc.

If I want to play a game where my character looks boring and gay then I will play some non-fantasy, historical RPG or something.

 

[Murk]

There's no need to have an all-or-nothing approach. Some games, based on their setting and art style, require cartoony fantasy armor (like warcraft, warhammer, or every single jrpg evah) but that doesn't mean real looking armor has no place in all games.

I would definitely like a dungeon crawler grounded in reality - i imagine it would have a heavy adventure-gaming influence but i think a realistic simulator-ish rpg of that nature would be a great deal of fun.

 

[ixg]

It all depends on the setting.
I think what's more annoying is the lack of variation or creativity between settings
Seriously, it's not even that hard to be a little bit more imaginative

 

[kingcomrade]

Why are you guys saying jrpg? Most of the protagonists I can think of offhand have worn cloth over or baring their skinny shoulders (to augment their femininity)

Also:

The reason for Warhammer's xboxhueg shoulders is obviously the fact that it's a miniatures game which distorts proportion in more ways than one

 

[Murk]

Protagonists might be in cloth (gotta look cool before you look fit) but there's always plenty of in game characters, secondary though they may be, that have giant shoulder pads or some other such "looks cool" armor

 

[kingcomrade]

Sure, there might be one or two, but you guys were speaking as if jrpgs are the prime contender.