A Complaint

[Volki]

This is probably the first time anyone has ever complained about this particular thing.

There are roleplayers who strut around town in full platemail, 24/7. Most roleplayers do this, actually.

I'm here to tell you all that this is ridiculous. Plate armor should only ever be worn in combat, at a post, or at a dressy event.

It is not possible to run from Hydlaa to Gugrontid in full plate armor during the day without overheating or collapsing from exhaustion. It is not possible to outrun an unarmored man while you are wearing full plate armor. It is not possible to defeat a mob of men just because you are wearing full plate armor.

I know that everyone in Game of Thrones is wearing plate all over all the time. Yes, it looks cool. But those are costumes, and it is not historically accurate.

Also, fighting in armor is much different than fighting armored. I tried to find some realistic examples of swordfighting. Hopefully these help some of you.

Armored fighting, showing many basic techniques. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZnqOMbFDEAI

Unarmored fighting with longswords. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjT4JepA-Vc

Sword and shield fighting. Felt like I should throw this in here. No one seems to know how to use them, and I think that's why there are very few shield-users. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dkhpqAGdZPc

Anyway, you can see the difference between armored and unarmored fighting. For some variation, I'll also include an accurate scene from a movie. Unarmored fighting which resembles fencing: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YhwIrONyEzg

Armored individuals would be hard to take down one-on-one or on the battlefield. However, they could easily be killed if they were mobbed because they lacked mobility. There is no such thing as impervious armor. There are unprotected segments around the joints, the neck, and the face. So it is unwise to wander around the city in full-plate. You could be jumped any moment, unable to outrun your attacker, and stabbed quite easily when you had not even drawn your weapon.

The more logical approach toward protection is leather armor or light chainmail.

You can argue that my complaint is pointless since this is a game and games are unrealistic, but we have always striven to be somewhat realistic in roleplay. The inconsistencies bother me. I would like to see things like armor and weapons make a difference. I'd like to see people knowing what they are roleplaying. I'd like to see heroes in shining armor be shivved to death in an alley by unencumbered rogues. 

[bloodedIrishman]

Volki, you hit the problem right on the nose.

Kull wears leather and light chainmail for protection. The latter addition is new, and probably won't be used for much longer, since it reduces agility. I assembled his clothing and armor based on these factors you highlight. This requires some basic knowledge.

Anyone can do it, and must. Why? Because to do otherwise is to limit your and other roleplayers' fun, immersion and mutual respect.

To roleplay, as Volki notes, a character in full plate all day long is simply nonsense. It does not function, and don't forget my character will see you as a fool, as tired, and might shove a dagger through your throat while you clumsily meander through a dark alleyway. Unless, of course, your character is fast, energetic and impervious in this armor. In which case, well, we aren't going to roleplay.

Solid post.

[Adash]

I support ALL those who wear whatever they want, how ever much they want, wherever they want.


Role- Playing is fun BUT OCD, obsessed role-players are frowned upon. 



Also, I think If a player can prove they have 300+ in strength, agility and endurance, THEN it's accurate to be able to run around in plate-mail all day long (with some small trips to the local tavern for meat and drink of course).

[bilbous]

I have to disagree with this post.

I sincerely believe it has been brought up before, maybe more than once.

 

[Rigwyn]

I think I'm going to loot some more plate armor and wear it.

[bloodedIrishman]

I support ALL those who wear whatever they want, how ever much they want, wherever they want.

Oh, please.

Role- Playing is fun BUT OCD, obsessed role-players are frowned upon.

First, Sarras asserts that players ought to seek consistency and to some extent realism in order to balance armor-wearing in roleplay. This is a reasonable assertion, and a requirement of highly functional roleplay, especially in terms of combat. To argue otherwise is nonsense. To insinuate, as you do, that it is OCD to seek such a thing is, also, nonsense.

Also, I think If a player can prove they have 300+ in strength, agility and endurance, THEN it's accurate to be able to run around in plate-mail all day long (with some small trips to the local tavern for meat and drink of course).

A player does not need to prove they have 300+ stats to wear plate armor, since they merely need to have it, not prove it, to wear plate armor. It is, also, not accurate to roleplay such an act. There is no clear equivalent in roleplay to 300+ stats besides general terms, and even then, no one is without flaws.

[Lumi]

Actually Lumi use plate mail + LA Torso because it look nice.

I think most of the time it's just esthetic criterion. If you read DESC i am not sure that their char is actually wearing plate mail.

The day we have more choice on the outfit (when Tailoring is implemented ?), we will wear something else all day long i am sure :-)

Just my opinion.

[Pakarro]

I want to second the op. Wearing no armor to be a mage only, Pakerl always meets people in full plate armor, who run exactly as fast as she does. And the mounts of these people also do not tire....

[Tzarhunt]

Heavy armour isn't in fact that heavy: Actually a full suit of heavy armour would weight less than the usual gear a modern soldier carries into battle. Here is an interesting discussion on various misconceptions about medieval armour: http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1dqhgl/was_medieval_armor_generally_heavy_plate_steel/ .

Even so, wearing plate constantly seems like a hassle I think only the most paranoid would go through.

[cdmoreland]

I created Waesed as a hunter, so leather is the logical choice. I have had to train HA after the "balancing" of crafted armor. My computer is not that good and I die when I lag if my armor doesn't provide enough protection. I have witnessed Sarras take on ulbers without any armor. I wish I could play that well.

[gonger]

Hmm, Volki, how many items and how many tria are your characters normally carrying with them? Which total weight?

If we start like this, we should also point out that:

• It takes at least hours, if not days, to forge a sword or an armor.
• Cooking is not done in five minutes, either. And who does the dishes, btw?
• Proper skinning to get a usable hide is done with special tools only. Bodies take more than five  minutes to rot away.
• etc

This is a fantasy setting, so we should not be too strict with realism.

Regards, Gonger

[novacadian]

This is a fantasy setting, so we should not be too strict with realism.

That may be true yet the OP has a point. It does not bother me to the point of complaining yet such characters loose credibility in my eyes when playing. (Things like self proclaimed rangers wearing heavier armour.)

Fantasy or no, making the character credible has to be a big part of RP n'est pas?

[gonger]

Fantasy or no, making the character credible has to be a big part of RP n'est pas?

Absolutely!!! But I am less strict than the Original Poster, and rather look at the character's description than his current armor. Call me lazy, but I do not see much sense in removing my armor whenever I am not fighting. (And who is going to help my character doing this? There is a reason medieval knights had squires.)

Let us be credible in our RP, absolutely, but be not too strict about details.

[bloodedIrishman]

@Tzarhunt You are correct on the weight and the hassle. However, wearing full plate all day is a tremendous burden.

@Gonger I'm in agreement with you: people can wear whatever they like OOCly but ICly (the description) should be balanced, consistent and to some extent realistic. I do think, however, that armor supported by mechanics is simply a visual aid, but not a requirement. So what I mean is: fight, train and run around in whatever you like, but when it comes to roleplay, that's a different matter.

[Lumi]

We make Description text with details about our outfits EXACTLY because we don't have variety yet available by mechanic aka everyday life outfit, smithing apron, ceremony robe, mage robe for some races and so on.

Lumi wears HA for esthetic but if you read DESC you will see that she's not. I used to swtich to LA when going for cooking session but i just forget sometimes