Your thoughts on the new armor system?

[PinballWizard]

I remember hearing that Skyrim will use the Fallout-style system for armor. If you're unfamiliar with what this means, basically you'll find "sets" of armor. For example, you would find one package called 'Elven armor', which would include the boots, greaves, cuirass, and gauntlets, and would be one item. What that means is that you can ONLY wear elven armor, and can't equip other parts of different armor sets within it.

My thoughts?

What an immersion killer! I played through both Fallout 3 and New Vegas, and it was the one thing that really stuck out and I didn't like one bit. Sure, if I kill an NCR trooper, I can pick up his armor, which might be one of around 6-7 NCR sets, but I liked it so much better in oblivion where you might just find leather boots or a chainmail cuirass. It felt more realistic to only find the gauntlets or cuirass when you killed a bandit. Does it really make sense to get to the end of a dungeon and find a full set of daedric armor every time (or nearly every time at least). You could argue that everyone ends up with full glass or daedric in the end (TBH though I don't usually with my characters because I enchant something like orcish greaves or an elven cuirass and keep those in the higher levels)

Which of course, brings up enchantments. Isn't great to have gloves that make you a better shot with marksman? Or a helmet that allows you to detect life? Small roleplaying element, sure. But with these 'sets', will we have to choose one effect for our entire set of armor?

Also, remember morrowind? Having some real nice looking clothes with a left & right glove, then armor overtop of it, which more than likely wasn't a full set / didn't match. There was the left & right gauntlets AND left & right pauldrons. Neat looking helmets, tower shields, I think bonemold armor had at least 3 or 4 different sets, some of them not even complete. I don't know about you, but I really enjoyed that element. Gave SO much room for customization, much more than oblivion. And now skyrim is going to shrink that down even farther. I'm not liking it so much TBH.

[Thunderstruck elf]

That isn't completely true. They said that greaves and cuirass are combined, and that's it. So it won't be totally immersion killer. Plus, enchanting is now a skill, so maybe there will be a perk for multiple enchantments on a single piece of armor.

[hybridial]

Actually it's been stated the system is the same as Oblivion only the cuirass and greave parts will be melded as a set but you can still wear different boots, gloves and helmets.

And apparently they'll have more different armour types than ever before thanks to not having to render as many individual model parts.

[PinballWizard]

Wow, this is news to me! Very good news actually, haha

I'm glad that they didn't combine everything. Although still, that's only 4 different slots open to customization, but not too bad compared to oblivion's 5. I just miss morrowind's system haha. Because I loooved morrowind...

Isn't it funny that this whole board's mood is "remember in morrowind where you could... etc" - I think mostly everyone wants another morrowind. But PC games and console games are two entirely different breeds. Which is why we won't have another morrowind from bethesda

[hybridial]

I don't want another Morrowind. It's combat was crap, it's levelling system was broken, tedious and contrary to good flowing progression, and it was ugly as sin.

But granted, it did have quite a lot of detail, and a lot of substance in it's world. These things I want, but I want them inside a game that actually plays well. So far, Skyrim sounds like a really good offering. It actually brings some all new ideas to the series and doesn't seem half assed in implementing them. I guess the experience from Oblivion and Fallout 3 has helped.

[dkjestrup]

I don't want another Morrowind. It's combat was crap, it's levelling system was broken, tedious and contrary to good flowing progression, and it was ugly as sin.

How dare you!

At least Morrowind had a good story, interesting factions, a unique world, variety, very little level scaling. And it's graphics were fine for the time.

Oblivion is utter trash by comparison. It's generic, the combat still sucks, the world is very repetitive, and there is no sense of progression thanks to broken scaling.

At least Skyrim looks interesting, seems to have variety, and thematically Bethesda seem to realize their mistake with Morrowind.

Having more choices is not a bad thing. Sure, you might not want to run around in anything but full sets. But others might actually *gasp* enjoy or like being able to layer armors. Especially if there are more uniques like in Morrowind.

[Argonanza]

Yeeeeeeah, this topic is about armor, not Morrowind.

[dkjestrup]

Yeah sorry.

I do think that Bethesda should have kept them separate. And have either right/left gauntlets separate, or have pauldrons as well.

For the cuirass/greaves, I know Bethesda claims that you can barely see the greaves with most of the armor types in Skyrim, and it's easier to render if it's one piece. But what if say, separately (say, no cuirass and only greaves) you see the greaves/cuirass, but together it treats them as a separate item. Maybe?

[POMC S117]

They had a reason for joining them. Less rendering time = More detail, quicker loading times, more space.

[OblivionDuruza]

I'm not too fazed, just so long as we can enchant that piece with a higher amount than previously. If it means they can place more actors on the screen at any given time, that too is a plus.

[POMC S117]

Yes. That means battles won't be 8 guards vs 8 Daedra!

[The-Shadow-One]

YES! full scale Warrr!

[Argonanza]

No mixing Cuirass and Greaves, but better performance and MANY MORE TYPES OF ARMOR. That is an awesome trade.

[POMC S117]

Agreed, Nanza!

Hopefully it means we can put on surcoats!

[Argonanza]

I'm gonna craft a.. a.. A HORKER HIDE ARMOR!! If there is such a thing, but there should be. :3

[POMC S117]

There might be. I wonder what the crafting system will be like? Maybe it'll be used to craft furniture!

[MARS]

Oh dear. Nanza used the :3 smiley. That means he's very excited. You may want to stay out of his way.

I do agree with him though. It's a good trade.

[Mac of Four Winds]

I can't wait for the new armor types. And everything will look good. The amount of detail seen in the demos and screen shots looks amazing. I would like unique armor though. They had unique weapons in Oblivion, some more ultra rare armor would be nice.

[Incurable Pessimist]

To be honest, I definetly prefer having armor divided into as many pieces as possible, but what I care about most in my armor is the art style to it, that is, how each armor looks unique, and how interesting they look as a whole. Oblivion was good with this in a few regards (Daedric and steel) but I liked Morrowind's armor designs better (Samurai style Orcish armor etc.). From the little we've seen, though, It looks to me like Skyrim has some interesting armor designs to offer. (I may be wrong, but I think I heard somewhere that the armour mister Dovahkiin nord warrior Skyrim posterchild is wearing is Skyrim's iron armor.

[Shady Sam]

I really think its a great idea. A lot of people like yourself might disagree but I feel it makes more sense that way. Also an immersion killer? Really its just combining the legs and armor its really nothing.

[GoatLiver]

It just sucks for people like myself who usually go the who game bare-chested to show off our manliness and general toughness, as I now won't be able to have at least a set of greaves on and still go bare-chest. I also assume that this one piece armor will be as strong as the two combined were?

I think it is still very much my preference to have them as two separate pieces, and I will likely get a mod for this as soon as one is made.