Armor in Dominions: Realistic Modeling with the Stats We Have

[Raiel]

I'm interested to see what general opinion is on the armor found on regular recruitable units.

Are different types realistically represented with the stats currently in use in the game? (Protection, Encumbrance, Defense Malus/Bonus, Resource Cost... am I forgetting anything?) Are the different types accurate relative to each other?

Here's Sombre's last thread and the mod he was working on (his 11th?) when he was permanently banned:

http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/showthread.php?t=45415

He specifically requested that we not discuss realism in that thread, so even though he has been summarily booted from the community, I respect his vision and dedication enough to take that discussion somewhere else... thoughts?

[Rookierookie]

I think it's important to reduce the weight of the barding on centaurs.

[Maerlande]

On sombre review, I suggest we completely ignore the original modder's desires and do something completely new.

Here is my proposal.

Armour can be built of the following five materials:

1) Woven fabric
2) Well cleaned bones from chicken drumsticks.
3) Cast polyurethane
4) Chicken wire with spray concrete.
5) Pasticine

Briefly here are some of the characteristics of the armour
1) Low protection (5-8), low encumbrance (zero), and causes disease due to failure to bathe.
2) Moderate protection, very light (bird bones are hollwo), but also causes disease until autoclaved.
3) Heavy (density is moderate but thickness is high), extremely durable, very high protection. If you doubt me, try sticking your pointy parts into a truck bed liner and remove them.
4) Light and quite high protection. However, mobility is zero since it's impossible to make joints after you've been cast into concrete. Particularly effective for troops used to block castle gates.
5) Heavy but very flexible. Protection is moderate. It has very high blunt resistance.

[vfb]

Why are you always paying some much attention the the materials? They are irrelevant!

We have been over this several times. What matters is the work done, or energy input, into the crossbow bolt that is being fired through the plasticine or fabric or troll skin or whatever. It does not matter if the crossbow bolt is actually a chicken bone.

[Squirrelloid]

Ah, but quality matters too... Those are +Chicken Bone Bolts+ you're firing!

[Maerlande]

You ... I can't say VFB. I might get banned.

This is different! It's a static system at steady state. Energy was long ago input and is all gone now in chemical reactions. The materials are key.

[Soyweiser]

Ah, but quality matters too... Those are +Chicken Bone Bolts+ you're firing!

My golem has no vital organs for your bolts to pierce. You should have used blunt or slashing weapons. Or just dump him in the lava.

[Quitti]

Or use a cage to trap and pacify it.

[Soyweiser]

Or use a cage to trap and pacify it.

How do you prevent it from escaping when you move the trap?

[Quitti]

Not an issue. Just dig a way around.

[13lackGu4rd]

Not an issue. Just dig a way around.

cuff him up :D both arms and legs if needed ;)

[Wrana]

He specifically requested that we not discuss realism in that thread, so even though he has been summarily booted from the community, I respect his vision and dedication enough to take that discussion somewhere else... thoughts?
If you don't want to discuss realism - don't use it in the header.
If you do - well, generally D&D made a number of horrible inaccuracies into a tradition. So they crawl into many of otherwise good games. It's probably possible to come up with numbers more historically accurately representing various armors included in the game. Probably. It would still require starting from the scratch. Without historical reference this would be just number crunching requiring good grasp of statistics. If you have such an education - you are welcome. :p
By the way, Sombre didn't include one more armor penalty, though maybe more usually seen with forged armors: reduction of APs. Still, common units have APs lowered according to their armor.

[Gregstrom]

By the way, Sombre didn't include one more armor penalty, though maybe more usually seen with forged armors: reduction of APs. Still, common units have APs lowered according to their armor.

IIRC, the AP reduction is calculated from the Enc stat. I don't believe you can alter it by any other means.

[rdonj]

By the way, Sombre didn't include one more armor penalty, though maybe more usually seen with forged armors: reduction of APs. Still, common units have APs lowered according to their armor.

IIRC, the AP reduction is calculated from the Enc stat. I don't believe you can alter it by any other means.

This is quite true, as far as armor modding goes.

[Gregstrom]

...which would certainly explain why Sombre didn't include it.