Scenes showing Characters buckling on Armor?

Gameplay
#1

This is something I would really love to see. I know it wouldn’t be easy from a design standpoint but it does so much for the atmosphere of a game world to see characters putting on armor or adjusting equipment. Especially as many types of armor required another person to help strap them in.

I was playing skyrim recently and while it’s convenient to access the inventory and just switch at will to any piece of armor, I think it’s really rewarding when you have to think about what armor to wear, and to be able to see the character adjust bags or clothing or straps on themselves would be great

What do you think?

8 Likes
#2

That’s a good point, actually. Plate armour in particular should take quite a bit of time to strap on. I understand that for reasons of practicality they don’t want to show a long ‘arming scene’ every time the player puts on or takes off armour, but you shouldn’t be able to swap it out at a moment’s notice either. Perhaps you would need to have a squire or companion present in order to wear certain types?

#3

Well, this is a realistic medieval rpg, or so they say. The selling point is immersion. It is okay if they just make the animations for them and not even actively include them in the game. Modders like myself can bring those to surface for more hardcore players who like extreme realism, I for one wouldn’t mind having to put on and take off that armour even if it took 5 minutes IRL. On the other hand, more casual players will prefer skyrim sorta equipment management so it is best that they give an option to turn it on or off, should they decide to do something beautiful as this.

1 Like
#4

Or you could just sleep with your armor on :smile:

1 Like
#5

Wow. I really agree with your propose

#6

My Sergeant emphasized not sleeping with your kit on, if you have the luxury. Not sure why this is relevant.

No. It is a neat idea and something like it is expected, but after having watched said sequence for the 20th,30th,100th time, suicidal thoughts involving gorgets and faulds will arise.

Still something other than instant swap perhaps. Maybe a sort animation involving - similar to idle animations - showing the player character adjusting this and that or putting something on. This cancels with movement or some such.

Anyway a armored doublet or gamberson is fairly simple, not much more difficult than putting on a shirt. Cant tell if you have access to elaborate plate, which was not common at the time. A jack of plates or hauberk is more likely. Of course the issue of all the other bits remains.

2 Likes
#7

The realistic side of it is amazing. But it would be better if you could skip the animation if you wanted. Changing armor is not simple, but it could be damaged in the middle of the battle and provide less protection(e.g. You’re fighting with your helm on and, in some point, you take a blow on the head and it falls, leaving your head unprotected; a shield breaks, etc…).

I would not skip them, cause I love those parts in games…but it would have to be really realistic, like, when you have a full plate armor, you need one more person (a squire or somebody else) to help put it on.

#8

Having an animation would be awesome. They could alway just make it skippable. I’d rather have it with the option to skip it than simply not have it.

#9

I like it, but I think that this process shouldn’t take all day.

For instance, if you play as a knight, I might want an animation at the end of buying the item when you go to your inventory screen and place it in your equipment slot and back out into the game.

This animation would fade into view from black. Your character would look down at himself and adjust his surcoat, tighten his strap that holds his shoulder guard in place, shift on his new boots, etc. Just something that would only take a few seconds, 5 at most, and would show that your character notices the difference because he’s wearing new equipment.

#10

At what point do you think this endeavor would become more of a simulation than a game, and would not be fun to play at all?

1 Like
#11

I’ve thought about this as well. I think it’s a bit too much to ask for animations for every armor piece in the game. But I also think that the instant armor, like in Skyrim is wrong. I feel like I’m abusing the system, when I can change armor completely mid-fight, because I want to switch to gear better for melee combat.

I think this could be overcome by simply restricting the armor change in combat. Or just don’t pause the world, when you go to inventory.

1 Like
#12

I can, in a pinch, armour up into my Almain Rivet harness in a few minutes, however usually taking it easy its more like 10-15 minutes.

I can live without this in a computer RPG. But only being able to switch out armour in an arming tent / armour shop etc and not in the field? Yeah I could get behind that.

#13

Guess it is a matter of how much of a sim they want it to be. Maybe clothes you can just put on and off, but some more bulky gear you would need one or more people to help you into. I would also advise against sleeping with heavy armor on as it may prevent you from standing up again unaided. Then would their be a timer on how long you can walk arround in your full plate armor before collapsing from exhaustion, and could you run your hourse to death if you fail to let it rest. There is alot of great ideas from a sim point of view that would add to realism, but may take away from the enjoyment. Though thats a matter of what you want out of this game.

#14

Great idea.
It could be the same idle-like animation for 10 seconds, for all I care, but just the fact that you can’t change armor with instant effect would be a huge improvement on the immersion.

#15

I think this is a wonderful idea! Especially if not only the player would have such a animation, but also people in the world. This could be extended to all cloths (e.g. people taking of some of there cloths before going to bed…) and all people.
We all are aware of the extreme effort this would require from the devs, but it would be worth it!

1 Like
#16

I disagree. I don’t think it would be worth it to make equip/unequip animations for every piece of armor and clothing. I’m guessing it would take the same animation work as adding a new weapon class. I support getting rid of the instant equipment change, but animations would be an insane amount of work for such an insignificant feature.

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