I fully realize that the chance of such a request being granted is zero %, but maybe in future DLC's who knows what might become possible. So therefore I post the request nevertheless.
The “massive type” armour which I would like to see added to DA:O is the so-called late-era Gothic armour. Of all the beautiful armour produced in Europe over a 600-year period the gothic armour truly stands out for its outlandish and exceptional style, elegance and grace. The unique style of the gothic armour would, in my opinion, be a fine choice for a new “massive armour type” to be used exclusively by the Grey Warden Order in DA:O.
Although gothic full body armour might appear heavy and cumbersome, it actually normally weighed less than 20 kilograms (40 pounds) and the weight and armour plates were well distributed over the body to allow for excellent and fluent movement in combat. Modern day tests by re-enactors have confirmed this and even revealed that a knight in full body armour on foot could run fast enough to catch a foot archer on the run and that it even was even possible to swim in a full suit of body armour. In like manner, the two-handed battle sword (long sword) usually only weighed about 1,5 kilograms (3 pounds) or 2,3 kilograms (4,6 pounds) at most and was well balanced and therefore good to handle by an average strength person. In comparison, a modern day 21st century combat soldier carries well more than 20 kilograms (40 pounds) of equipment and the average modern day assault rifle weighs around 3 kilograms (6 pounds).
Only several complete examples of gothic armour still exist nowadays. The gothic armour which I request to include in DA:O is this late-era gothic armour of the Archduke Sigmund of Tirol (1427-96), which is arguably the finest remaining almost complete gothic armour , it was made by the famous armourer Lorenz Helmschmied around 1480 and is on display in the KHM in Vienna:
Note in this back image that the back part of the neck plate, called bevor, of Archduke Sigmund’s gothic armour has been lost to this day.
The armoured shoes, called sabatons, of Archduke Sigmund’s gothic armour. The long points were removed when not on horseback.
Note again the lost back part of the neck plate (bevor).
The image below gives a good side view of the typical and unique gothic armour helmet, called sallet, of Archduke Sigmund’s gothic armour. Note that the neckpiece armour, called bevor, displayed in this black and white image reveals a museum error, since it does not belong to Archduke Sigmund’s gothic armour but to Emperor Maximillian’s gothic armour. Also visible is the right shoulder gardbrace which was an extra armour plate attached to the shoulder pauldron. Unfortunately the left shoulder gardbrace of Archduke Sigmund’s gothic armour is missing to this day. The gardbraces of most medieval armour have regular size gardbraces fairly comparable to the one found on Archduke Sigmund’s gothic armour, which is quite contrary to the “massive type” armour featured in DA:O, which has absolutely huge gardbraces on the shoulders which almost dwarf the characters head in DA:O. These huge gardbraces typical of DA:O “massive type” armour are really not found in real life medieval combat armour, since they would be unpractical, too heavy and cumbersome. The main and leading centres for superior first class armour production in medieval Europe were the workshops of the master armourers in southern Germany and northern Italy and these armourers avoided making huge and heavy gardbraces for combat armour for obvious reasons.
Below an image with explanation of the names of the various parts that make up Archduke Sigmund’s gothic armour. Note that Archduke Sigmund’s gothic armour only has one original pauldron gardbrace on the right shoulder, the original left shoulder pauldron gardbrace is unfortunately lost as are the original besagews (floating disks) that optionally further covered the armpits.
Note that the peculiar long pointed sabatons (armoured shoes) of Archduke Sigmund’s gothic armour were only used when on horseback. When fighting on foot the long points could be removed and then the short sabaton points of Archduke Sigmund’s gothic armour would have looked something like this, which is what I request to be used instead of the long pointed horseback sabaton ones:
The armpits of Archduke Sigmund’s gothic armour were optionally further covered by circular armour plates, so-called besagews (floating discs), which protected this area against stabbing attacks. An impression of what Archduke Sigmund’s gothic armour would have looked like with besagews is visible in the black and white image below. The centre gothic armour in the image below at first glance looks like Archduke Sigmund’s gothic armour, but detailed study reveals that it actually is the Emperor Maximillian’s gothic armour. Master armourer Lorenz Helmschmied made this gothic armour for Emperor Maximillian, which accounts for the overall similar appearance with Archduke Sigmund’s gothic armour. Emperor Maximillian’s gothic armour (center armour) seems to be fully complete except for the two missing pauldron gardbraces on the shoulders:
This front image of Emperor Maximillian’s gothic armour clearly shows the design detail difference between Emperor Maximillian’s gothic armour and Archduke Sigmund’s gothic armour which has finer decorations. Note that Emperor's Maximillian's gothic armour is also missing the back plate of its neck armour (bevor).
Again this black and white back image of Emperor Maximillian’s gothic armour also clearly shows the design detail difference between Emperor Maximillian’s gothic armour and Archduke Sigmund’s gothic armour which has finer decorations. The image also gives an excellent view of rearward design of the typical gothic armour helmet, called sallet, which offered additional neck protection. Note that Emperor's Maximillian's gothic armour is also missing the back plate of its neck armour (bevor).
The Arms that I would like to see added to DA:O are a late-era variant of the two-handed battle sword (long sword), the so-called Flammberger (flame bladed sword). These two-handed battle swords (long swords) were wielded by specially trained and officially certified elite swordsman who received double the normal pay for their services. Although these two-handed battle swords (long swords) were quite large, they were nevertheless quite light for their length, most weighing between 1,5 to 2,3 kilograms and they were well balanced. In DA:O however they are quite slow to wield, which they were not in real life. Some interesting data on their use and weight as well as fighting techniques, movements and images can be found at:
http://www.myarmoury...e_arms_gls.html
The Flammberger could be introduced in DA:O as weapon used exclusively by the Grey Warden Order. Several examples of these two-handed Flammberger battle swords are on display in museums, the ones which I request to include in DA:O are the Flammbergers in the image below, preferably the uppermost Flammberger which has a more unique hilt:
The image underneath shows the hilt of Emperor Maximillian’s two-handed straight-bladed battle sword (long sword) which matches Archduke Sigmund’s and Emperor Maximillian’s gothic armour in style, colour and appearance. It would also make a fine DA:O Grey Warden Order exclusive when combined with Archduke Sigmund’s gothic armour.
Modifié par Widar Thule, 16 janvier 2010 - 05:54 .
Retour en haut
