"Foolish Mortal... We do not need your puny iron armors... We are of the Ice and Snow... We are the Heart of Winter and all that sleeps and dies... Taste winter's breath, take your punishment--"
*casts fireball*
*melts*
I think he might have more things to worry about than just armor. Teehee.
Drow pictures, who knew that they were so… unclothed properly?
by Jasinal Because molded cloth is so protective! by cha4os Uh… I have nothing. by AdyXXK Yeah… this is just silly by outlaworange So… it's important to protect your shoulder, wrists and lower legs… nut the rest of you isn't important enough to cover with armor…. ooooookay. by scarecrowlover I am not even going to ask where she got the feathers, but… not protective in the slightest. I can only hope she's a mage… or something. by Readman Not even the bottom of her breasts are protected! I can only shake my head.
This thread has gotten me really sensitized to silly "bikini armor" on female fantasy characters meant to be taken seriously. (Wonder Woman is probably the prime archetype of the phenomenon.)
One of my favorite games is Sacred 2. It's a Diablo-style hack-n-slash with premade character class templates and animations. Two of the classes I'd like to play in it are called "High Elf Mage" and "Seraphim". The class templates are female, so you can't play them as a male toon.
And I just *can't* bring myself to play them, because *every* dang "cool" armor that drops or can be bought for them is another gosh-darned *bikini*!
The elf mage is supposed to be wearing functional heavy cloth and leather. She gets bikinis. The seraphim is supposed to be wearing *plate*. She gets bikinis. Grrr.
The only male toons left to me are shadow warrior and dragon mage. I've had a good bit of fun playing these two. The shadow warrior gets the most practical armor, although its size and weight is exaggerated. The dragon mage is supposed to be wearing heavy leather with plate pieces. His are cut to expose a lot of skin, similar to the females, but at least his vital organs are covered.
I guess the "impractical fantasy armor" trend isn't going anywhere, because too many (probably males) like it. But it's still kind of irritating to me, especially since this thread.
Here's the shadow warrior, the most realistic, and my favorite, *because* he's realistic, although those two-ton shoulder points are serving no purpose other than to psychologically exaggerate his shoulders:
The dragon mage. First photo is just as silly as the girls. Second is one of his more practical outfits. My only choice to be a magic-user in this game, using the second outfit.
The high elf mage. I really want to try to play this class, but I *can't* stand the darn bikini.
And finally, the worst offender, the seraphim, another class I'd love to play, but can't stand the half-naked outfits. She's supposed to be like a *paladin*, for god's sake! She's also the iconic character of the whole Sacred franchise.
seeing as your mentioning diablo like games ill admit i dont mind the female armour's here for bog standard clothes:
the amazon and an archer / javelin thrower so it makes sense that mobility should be top priority and when using javelin and shield all of her is protected by armour so thats fine.
the sorceress's outfit kinda makes sense they come from the dense forests of kurast so i imagine its like the rainforest and very humid there
the assassin Brest window aside seems to have very mobile armor that its lightly armored but doesn't impede accuracy of strikes nor mobility for flips and jumps and light enough not to make a sound for sneaking because...you know....assassin
i only talk about their "unarmored" selves because they wear armor normally when you put it on them, same with everyone else
@MrPenfold666, agreed that Diablo is not one of the worst offenders in impractical fantasy combat outfits and armors. The sorceress looks absolutely chaste compared to a lot of "sorceresses". (Who are actually strippers.)
dragon age shares both sides of the argument when it comes to female armors XD all the heavy plate is protective and curvy enough to remind you that you are playing a woman, but then you have the Dalish armor which is a bra and mini skirt essentially, of course they have to make Dalish armor good so you can keep it and hope to god the game doesn't suddenly become realistic and kills you XD, same with mage armors, "if it wasn't made by the circle is needs to have boob window" seems to be the common theme for mage robes
luckily because of rules my damage resist cloak affects the front of me aswell!
cant tell if bare legs or trousers, the ankle string hints at trousers so that's good!
why golden axe why?!?!?! you were such a good game series....granted this is better than what it was
i really wanted to use this image but i couldn't use the original because of what was at the bottom but, lady i know you want to show what you have...and what you have is good....but your not going to be showing it for long
the following image is unrealistic i believe women weren't allowed to be samurai (if someone knows about japan more than i do please correct me if im wrong) but damn its still awesome looking
Sadly, even female dwarves are not immune to the "I am female, thus I must expose my skin" outfits.
by Belvane by LushLynx Okay, I am calling it. LEAST PRACTICAL ARMOR EVER. by thethrash87 "Nah, I'm small. A belt and corset covers more than you think." by clc1997 "I don't actually fight- I'm just here to be decorative!" by GuzBoroda "Of Course I have a good reason for a metal bikini top and studded leather pants."
This one I actually like, although that bust is out there… (Literally!) by Jebriodo "Arrows point towards the threat!"
@MrPenfold666 Women were allowed to be Samurai. They have found female SamuraI armor, and there is also the legend of Tomoe Gozen- some people dispute that she actually existed, but others strongly defend her existence- she is mentioned in at least two historical books.
@Mrpenfold666 I don't know where u found that 'lady samurai' picture, but it doesn't look particularly Japanese or samurai. Samurai armour tends to feature very prominent shoulder protection. That woman looks like something out of Dynasty Warriors, which is based on China (but made by a Japanese company).
Incidentally. Is it just me or is the Far East typically more open-minded about women fighting in wars? I mean women in armies were never the norm, but where it occurs, it is presented in a positive way. Like the Onna-bugeisha in Japan, and the Yang Clan Generals and Mulan in China. The Chinese stories are highly dramatised at the expense of historical accuracy, but the point is that the women warriors are celebrated as heroes. In the West, the only obvious example I know is Boudica and Joan of Arc, who both had rather sad endings...
@Mrpenfold666 Lady samurai were absolutely real and defended the castle (but I don't think they went off to war). The naginata was often their weapon of choice, as pole arms tend to compensate for differences in upper body strength.
Recent archaeological evidence confirms a wider female involvement in battle than is implied by written accounts alone. This conclusion is based on the recent excavation of three battlefield head-mounds. In one case, the Battle of Senbon Matsubaru between Takeda Katsuyori and Hojo Ujinao in 1580, DNA tests on 105 bodies revealed that 35 of them were female. Two excavations elsewhere produced similar results. None was a siege situation, so the tentative conclusion must be that women fought in armies even though their involvement was seldom recorded. Of those we know, the defence of Suemori castle in 1584 by the commander’s wife is as glorious an episode of samurai bravery as can be found anywhere. [/Edit]
@MrPenfold666, agreed that Diablo is not one of the worst offenders in impractical fantasy combat outfits and armors. The sorceress looks absolutely chaste compared to a lot of "sorceresses". (Who are actually strippers.)
Diablo is probably one of the least offenders, and breaks the trend that higher-level armor provides even less coverage. Towards the end of the game, the Amazon is a wonderful, golden mish-mash of Roman, Greek, and Northwestern European medieval armor; the Sorceress is coated throat-to-toe in an awesome, sculpted shell of bone or chitin; the Paladin is a full plate-wearing badass pretty much from level 30 onwards; the Assassin turns into a solid fusion of samurai and ninja motifs; even the Barbarian becomes a fully-covered metal juggernaut and a full helm.
Diablo is probably one of the least offenders, and breaks the trend that higher-level armor provides even less coverage. Towards the end of the game, the Amazon is a wonderful, golden mish-mash of Roman, Greek, and Northwestern European medieval armor; the Sorceress is coated throat-to-toe in an awesome, sculpted shell of bone or chitin; the Paladin is a full plate-wearing badass pretty much from level 30 onwards; the Assassin turns into a solid fusion of samurai and ninja motifs; even the Barbarian becomes a fully-covered metal juggernaut and a full helm.
Yeah this is true for Diablo 3 too. Most of my (male) friends picked female Wizards and Demon Hunters cos they're kinda hot, and then complained (kinda-jokingly) that their girls became increasingly covered as they level up. Same goes for the Enchantress, the female follower you can recruit.
@Schneidend The look on her face, combined with that outfit, makes me think she should be saying, "For a good time, check out the Lusty Barmaid House of Assignation- just three streets over on Rock way. Will you see me there? If you're lucky, cupcake! (wink)"
@Schneidend The look on her face, combined with that outfit, makes me think she should be saying, "For a good time, check out the Lusty Barmaid House of Assignation- just three streets over on Rock way. Will you see me there? If you're lucky, cupcake! (wink)"
Admittedly, my Human Noble Warrior was a repeat customer of The Pearl's dwarf prostitute. >.> <.<
@Schneidend LOL. It's okay. Something for every taste. I'd pay to watch Rasaad put on "displays of martial prowess", getting all hot and sweaty in the process, and then be, um, hirable for other activites later.
@LadyRhian That you would besmirch a tirelessly devoted instrument of peace by suggesting he whore himself out is most distressing, dear lady. I take leave of this den of iniquity. Good day, madam!
@LadyRhian and @Schneidend Well, maybe she's not an adventurer; some troll for nobles in the hopes of birthing an heir, right? She's dressed well to possibly attract attention, it seems.
i didn't now female samurai existing was common knowledge, my bad if i have offended anyone, and while the picture i showed may not be an actual samurai you can easily tell is samurai influenced.
um...i'm going to ignore diablo 3 because i refuse to admit it exists because i know the story, and i know how diablo comes back and its the worst reason ever.
Female Ninja (Kunoichi) tended to be sent on more seduction jobs than straight assassination jobs, though they were skilled with Fumiki-bari (Darts which were spat/shot from the mouth) and poisons. That is, seduction to get the secrets out of a lord or noble through pillow talk. But they were also taught Ninjitsu, like clapping their hands over both opponents ears to break their eardrums and the like. A rather vicious move, and usually employed as a last resort. While not deadly, it would deafen and disorient the victim. Deafness being permanent, of course.
really? because i was doing a ninja roleplay on another website and as such i did some research on ninja's and old ninjitsu arts such as Uzura-gakure (doton-no-jutsu) which is the act of camouflage (thats the jist of it) and i never heard of that being a specific thing for all female ninjas, maybe just one of the larger ninja clan?
of course i could just be that i didn't do enough research, i'm a male so i play mostly male characters so ill admit i didn't go hyper in depth into kunoichi but i did some so i knew what some of the female characters were talking about
Magic "martial arts" tricks (grumble) while it may be possible to break someones eardrum a simple choke can put someone to sleep in 5 seconds and to death in minutes all completely undetectable should you already be mid coitus.
Comments
*casts fireball*
*melts*
I think he might have more things to worry about than just armor. Teehee.
*looks at a man holding a candle*
....."FLEE, RUN, ABANDON BATTLE!!!"
There are a ton I can't post. Because breasts.
One of my favorite games is Sacred 2. It's a Diablo-style hack-n-slash with premade character class templates and animations. Two of the classes I'd like to play in it are called "High Elf Mage" and "Seraphim". The class templates are female, so you can't play them as a male toon.
And I just *can't* bring myself to play them, because *every* dang "cool" armor that drops or can be bought for them is another gosh-darned *bikini*!
The elf mage is supposed to be wearing functional heavy cloth and leather. She gets bikinis. The seraphim is supposed to be wearing *plate*. She gets bikinis. Grrr.
The only male toons left to me are shadow warrior and dragon mage. I've had a good bit of fun playing these two. The shadow warrior gets the most practical armor, although its size and weight is exaggerated. The dragon mage is supposed to be wearing heavy leather with plate pieces. His are cut to expose a lot of skin, similar to the females, but at least his vital organs are covered.
I guess the "impractical fantasy armor" trend isn't going anywhere, because too many (probably males) like it. But it's still kind of irritating to me, especially since this thread.
Here's the shadow warrior, the most realistic, and my favorite, *because* he's realistic, although those two-ton shoulder points are serving no purpose other than to psychologically exaggerate his shoulders:
The dragon mage. First photo is just as silly as the girls. Second is one of his more practical outfits. My only choice to be a magic-user in this game, using the second outfit.
The high elf mage. I really want to try to play this class, but I *can't* stand the darn bikini.
And finally, the worst offender, the seraphim, another class I'd love to play, but can't stand the half-naked outfits. She's supposed to be like a *paladin*, for god's sake! She's also the iconic character of the whole Sacred franchise.
the amazon and an archer / javelin thrower so it makes sense that mobility should be top priority and when using javelin and shield all of her is protected by armour so thats fine.
the sorceress's outfit kinda makes sense they come from the dense forests of kurast so i imagine its like the rainforest and very humid there
the assassin Brest window aside seems to have very mobile armor that its lightly armored but doesn't impede accuracy of strikes nor mobility for flips and jumps and light enough not to make a sound for sneaking because...you know....assassin
i only talk about their "unarmored" selves because they wear armor normally when you put it on them, same with everyone else
luckily because of rules my damage resist cloak affects the front of me aswell!
cant tell if bare legs or trousers, the ankle string hints at trousers so that's good!
the following image is unrealistic i believe women weren't allowed to be samurai (if someone knows about japan more than i do please correct me if im wrong) but damn its still awesome looking
This one I actually like, although that bust is out there… (Literally!)
http://www.bonhams.com/press_release/11545/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Onna-bugeisha
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2221017/Samurai-suit-worn-fearsome-5ft-tall-Japanese-warrior-woman-set-fetch-40-000-auction.html
I don't know where u found that 'lady samurai' picture, but it doesn't look particularly Japanese or samurai. Samurai armour tends to feature very prominent shoulder protection. That woman looks like something out of Dynasty Warriors, which is based on China (but made by a Japanese company).
Incidentally. Is it just me or is the Far East typically more open-minded about women fighting in wars? I mean women in armies were never the norm, but where it occurs, it is presented in a positive way. Like the Onna-bugeisha in Japan, and the Yang Clan Generals and Mulan in China. The Chinese stories are highly dramatised at the expense of historical accuracy, but the point is that the women warriors are celebrated as heroes. In the West, the only obvious example I know is Boudica and Joan of Arc, who both had rather sad endings...
http://www.tenshinichiryu.com/articles/womenSamurai.html has some good information.
[Edit from finding more information] Also http://www.military-history.org/articles/samurai-wars/female-samurai-warriors.htm has good info, particularly:
Recent archaeological evidence confirms a wider female involvement in battle than is implied by written accounts alone. This conclusion is based on the recent excavation of three battlefield head-mounds. In one case, the Battle of Senbon Matsubaru between Takeda Katsuyori and Hojo Ujinao in 1580, DNA tests on 105 bodies revealed that 35 of them were female. Two excavations elsewhere produced similar results. None was a siege situation, so the tentative conclusion must be that women fought in armies even though their involvement was seldom recorded. Of those we know, the defence of Suemori castle in 1584 by the commander’s wife is as glorious an episode of samurai bravery as can be found anywhere.
[/Edit]
The Dust Town one really frustrates me. WHY would you ruin Dragon Age's awesome leather armor by shortening it to useless lengths?
That you would besmirch a tirelessly devoted instrument of peace by suggesting he whore himself out is most distressing, dear lady. I take leave of this den of iniquity. Good day, madam!
Oh....
Oh my...
I'll be in my bunk.
um...i'm going to ignore diablo 3 because i refuse to admit it exists because i know the story, and i know how diablo comes back and its the worst reason ever.
and seeing as someone mentioned ninjas:
here is a bad ninja
here is a good ninja
of course i could just be that i didn't do enough research, i'm a male so i play mostly male characters so ill admit i didn't go hyper in depth into kunoichi but i did some so i knew what some of the female characters were talking about