102 réponses à ce sujet

[Maria Caliban]

Realism is unimportant any genre of fiction.

If your main character is soldier who has his leg blown off and spends the rest of story sick and in agony as it turns septic, it's not because it's 'realistic.' It's because you want the reader to feel the horror of battle and the emotional and physical trauma of a serious injury.

If the story ends with God coming down from the heavens, apologizing for war, and healing the fellow, that's not bad because it's 'unrealistic.' That's (possibly) bad because it cheapens the audience's emotional investment in the character's plight, and radically changes the mood of the story.

[renfrees]

Most men in real life are weak. Most women don't train.

 

I've worked in the fitness industry. The average woman can get strong enough to wield a heavy one-handed sword without gear, provided she's willing to gain some fat as well. The thing about natural strength training is that, besides not gaining that much compared to "enhanced" people, you tend to lose more muscle if you diet. Losing body fat, you lose strength. The average woman here is weaker than the average men however, there's no arguing that. Giant two-handed swords would be troublesome, but then again if you're looking for strict realism only the Qunari could use them.

 

That said, people seem to be stronger in Thedas than in this world in general, without considering their gender. Beside that, there's a few perfectly reasonable explanations for women being as strong as men in DA. Heavier estrogen/testosterone production (contrary to popular belief, estrogen boosts your strength too), more hgh, higher natural muscle density etc. We don't know how strong is the Average Joe in Thedas, but there seems to be a lot of capable fighters around.

Just to point out, but the average bastard sword weighted ~1.2kg with the length of 140cm. You quite overestimate the weight of medieval weapons.

[KaiserShep]

Frankly the main things that bug me in the Dragon Age world in regards to realism are the goofily oversized weapons, and oversized, physically impossible buildings and monuments in the art design. Why so many people felt so immersed in a game like Skyrim, for instance, was partly due to the fact that the game felt somewhat grounded in what was physically possible in the world, more like our own, so people could related more easily.

When it comes to other things like the society, it's not a problem, because it is fantasy after all. But when you have humanoid characters who for the most part have the same physical limitations as we do, except that they can effortlessly fling around 8 foot long great swords like they weigh nothing, then I can't help but face palm.

 

The irony is that Skyrim's inclusion of dragons totally throws all of that out the window too. An animal with the size of a dragon cannot achieve powered flight.

[renfrees]

Can't use the excuse for hollow bones either. I've seen their bones. Damn things are heavy.

They are fueled with the fire, isn't that obvious?

[naddaya]

Just to point out, but the average bastard sword weighted ~1.2kg with the length of 140cm. You quite overestimate the weight of medieval weapons.

 

True, but you still have to cut through armor. I admit I'm far from being a weapon expert, but as sharp as the blade might be there has to be some resistance.

[renfrees]

True, but you still have to cut through armor. I admit I'm far from being a weapon expert, but as sharp as the blade might be there has to be some resistance.

Those type of swords weren't used as piercing weapons.

[TKavatar]

I don't like the fact that warriors can have 'impossible' abilities like knocking off people with their voice (that's the dragonborn's job) or breaking down metal gates with their shield. Unless they have enchanted weapons or are magically augmented in some way, warriors shouldn't be able to do any of these things in Thedas.

[naddaya]

Those type of swords weren't used as piercing weapons.

 

Then what, you hit the enemy's armor until it crushes their insides? It still requires some strength if that's the case.

 

This one looks heavy enough

[Mes]

I don't like the fact that warriors can have 'impossible' abilities like knocking off people with their voice (that's the dragonborn's job) or breaking down metal gates with their shield. Unless they have enchanted weapons or are magically augmented in some way, warriors shouldn't be able to do any of these things in Thedas.

 

Hmm but at the same time, magically augmented weapons are "impossible" as well.

[Althix]

Just to point out, but the average bastard sword weighted ~1.2kg with the length of 140cm. You quite overestimate the weight of medieval weapons.

here is the thing. weapons are made with some sense behind. if you look at some swords in different periods of time you may notice difference in design. like some of them are made to fight armor, and some are made to cut through cloth and flesh.

also i don't remember let say Fenris or Sten to actually use two handed swords as they should have use it. Like holding a blade with one arm for better control or using special part of sword for the same reason.

 

Instead we have oversized piece of metal that have almost no practical application but to smash things. Or take a look at the long swords, characters are trying to cut armor... with a sword. The only more or less realistic stance with a sword i saw in DA2, when Hawke with sword and shield actually was trying to use the tip of the weapon to pierce through the armor.

 

Please understand this in order to use "bastard sword on medieval era" as argument, you must make sure that game actually have such a sword in the first place. And even if DAO is close enough to such types of the swords, however in most cases blades of these swords, have a very strange form with unknown purpose behind it.

And the winner in terms of design of ridiculous weapons is of course DA2.

 

And, of course, dual wielding.

 

and one more thing, spear is superior to sword.

[Mes]

Wow. I really love these discussions because I always end up learning something. This time it's about medieval weapons! You people are awesome. 

[sH0tgUn jUliA]

Of course in all RPGs you're hauling around 1/4 ton of crap and fighting battles.

[Kantr]

I agree about weapon sizes, a sword that is the size of your body would not be a good weapon.

 

OP what is your definition of realism though?

[Mes]

 

OP what is your definition of realism though?

 

Ermmm is there more than one definition?  

[Master Warder Z_]

You're clearly not getting what I saying. It's fantasy yeah and there do exist major feats of physics defying magic. But on a day to day basis of an average joe in that world, their physical limitations match our own.

 

And you clearly aren't realizing that Human limitation and our concept of physics go out the window when you have a port hole to hell open due to a sigil stone, or can create you're own reality from one, also the whole flying castle bit again.

 

Oh and deities walking Nirn?

 

._. And folks whine about demons, Least they don't have Mehrunes Dagon crossing the veil.

[duckley]

Great question OP. I really go back and forth. Being a pretty shallow, egocentric person, I like realism when it suits me and my preferences, and total unrealistic fantasy when I so choose... crazy eh?

[Kantr]

And you clearly aren't realizing that Human limitation and our concept of physics go out the window when you have a port hole to hell open due to a sigil stone, or can create you're own reality from one, also the whole flying castle bit again.
 
Oh and deities walking Nirn?
 
._. And folks whine about demons, Least they don't have Mehrunes Dagon crossing the veil.

Yeah, but Mehrunes doesn't go about possessing people though
 
Well, I suppose what scale of realism would you like. Such as a world with magic, but no floating castles and other similarities
 
 
I'm not very good at putting this into words. Maybe its the time?   (1am here)
 

[Mes]

Well, I suppose what scale of realism would you like. Such as a world with magic, but no floating castles and other similarities

 

 

I'm not very good at putting this into words. Maybe its the time?   (1am here)

 

 

Oh I see, so more what my preferred level of realism would be? I agreed with one of the other posters on page one regarding the merits of physical realism (sizes of buildings, mountains, etc), but to be honest I don't need any kind of realism at all. I can't really think of anything that would break my immersion in Dragon Age... except for out of the blue sexist remarks that don't particularly fit in with the universe that's been created.

 

(Ahh yes 1am, best time of night )

[Ryzaki]

TES has had a floating Castle/Fortress in it.

 

._.

 

LOL

 

Let's not mention talking damn dragons. That traveled through time.

[Ryzaki]

Can't use the excuse for hollow bones either. I've seen their bones. Damn things are heavy.

 

Always have to freaking walk back to whiterun because "OVERENCUMBERED" >:|

 

 

The Fade is the place to be if you don't want any realism at all. It functions according to Willpower. The so called "real world" shouldn't have so much randomness, breaking of physics, and things operating according to whim.

 

I like my games unrealistic.

 

Realism often goes hand in hand with tedious crap that I end up not wanting to do.

[TKavatar]

Hmm but at the same time, magically augmented weapons are "impossible" as well.

Not if you use runes. That is perfectly acceptable in DA lore.

But warriors are just normal people without any magic, they shouldn't be able to do stuff like breaking metal gates and splitting the ground with their swords on their own. That's what I have a problem with.

[Mes]

I understand hating tedium, but you don't have to be tedious to approximate the real world.

 

I just think it's silly to call for less realism, when there's a whole realm devoted to having no rules already (The Fade). They have to be differentiated somewhat. And the games have already done a decent enough job at that imo.

 

I don't think anyone's calling for anything - people are just stating preferences.

 

I really don't mind physical realism. I think it can be a good thing. My frustrations stem from people claiming realism in the social sense.