Drahkken
Recruit
Well, I looked through 8 pages of threads after searching for the word "history" and saw that nobody had completely addressed it, but had only hit on certain aspects here and there when it came up. So, here's what I've learned from my own studies of the Medeival Era.
Since most of what I learned was through self-study, some things may not be entirely accurate. If anyone sees something like this, please don't flame, but instead just post a correction.
And so, without further adieu:
=================================================
Section 1: Combat
I've seen a few people complain about calvalry having an unfair advantage over infantry in the game. The truth is, they are correct, and this reflection in the game is historically accurate. Mounted soldiers were able to deal massive amounts of damage much faster than their non-mounted counterparts, and that fact was exploited at every possible chance.
And as in the game, mounted combat was not reserved to just knights, but horses (or other rideable animals) were "issued" to as many soldiers as there were horses available, and that there were soldiers properly trained to ride. After all, the more calvalry one side had, the greater their chances of victory.
The one exception would be archers. Mounted archers were rare, mostly because very few could accurately handle a bow on a still horse, let alone a moving one. There were some cultures, however, that did manage to master this difficult skill (the Mongols, being one of them).
The only aspect of the game, besides it's fictional settings, that is completely inaccurate right now is the castle siege. Of course, this is a new feature, which I'm sure will be expanded on in future releases.
===============================================
Section 2: Weapons
Everybody has their favorite weapon(s). I do as well. The only other inaccuracy in the game, though, is the weapons. Not their respective damage, or styling or anything like that, but the weapons primarily given to certain types of troops, especially calvalry.
During the Medieval Era, as plate armor became more common, shields became less and less used, so warriors could use both hands for more powerful attacks with their weapons. Also, as a result of plate armor, cutting weapons (swords, some axes) were becoming less effective. Because of this, heavy hammers became widely used.
Hammers were able to deal damage to an enemy combatant, regardless of whether it was able to penetrate the armor they were wearing. They could crush skulls, shatter ribs, and cause massive internal bleeding. They also drastically weakened armor, so even if the enemy did not become injured or killed by the initial blow, subsequent blows would certainly break through the metal, therefore dealing utter havoc on the body. This, compounded with the added force of a charging steed, would literally send troops flying through the air. As an added bonus, most hammers had a spike on the side opposite the head to puncture through armor, using the relative extra heft of the weapon to aid momentum.
Swords, on the other hand, were primarily defensive weapons, and the evolution of plate armors only made that more of a fact. Swords simply could not deal enough damage fast enough in combat when the enemy was wearing armor of any type, let alone plate. It's design was intended to allow for adequate blocking with the opportunity to allow a counter attack in close combat.
Larger swords, especially those such as the flamberge used by the German Landsnechts, were front-line weapons, used to break the pike heads and down the horses of a charging force. Their enormous length and ability to be handled either as a sword or as a pike, in combination with double cross guards for hand protection, made them a dual-use weapon, but even those uses were primarily defensive in nature. They were simply too heavy to use as an attacking weapon, even by the strongest of men.
Axes, though, were a weapon of both defensive and offensive capabilities, though some were too small and light to be effective in combat. Heavier axes were able to deal a cutting blow in a large area, and do it with a decent amount of speed. As a result, they were the second choice for mounted soldiers, and many infantry as well. Even smaller, one-handed axes were able to break through armor if in the proper hands.
Pikes, spears, halberds and other polearms were never offensive in any respect. They were given to front-line troops, who were then given the suicide task of protecting against the initial charge of an enemy. Of those that survived the first, and sometimes secondary, wave would immediately drop their polearms in favor of an axe or hammer - or sword if nothing else was available - for the hand-to-hand, close quarters combat that ensued.
Although primitive in nature, and one of the oldest weapons known, clubs were still reguarly used, but evolved into deadlier weapons with addition of spikes and other components. Decendant weapons of the club were maces, flails and even axes and hammers to some respect. Although they could not deal the damage axes and hammers could, they were still able to disable a soldier enough to where they were no longer a viable threat.
Ranged weapons were usually defensive as well, although the long and short bow served well on some types of offensive missions. Crossbows and arbalests (rather large crossbows, actually) were position atop castle walls and towers, and sent a rain of short but heavy bolts into the opposing force, punching through armor. Bows, both long and short, were used behind the walls as well as on top, and sent long, arching volleys into the center and rear of the opposing formation, attempting to thin out and divide them before they were able to breach the fortification.
===============================================
Section 3: Armor
As is obvious, plate armor provided more protection than chainmail, which provided more protection than leather, and on and on. However, was many fail to see is that plate mail was not heavier than chain mail, but was in fact LIGHTER. This was because less metal was used.
Chainmail would use up to twice as much metal than plate due the the intricacy of the looping chain rings, their size, and the density of the actual weave. And since the rings were smaller and thinner than the sheets used for plate armor, they were generally made with a less "pure" grade of iron so they could retain the strength needed to absorb blows in combat. This made for an extremely heavy armor, sometimes triple the weight of plate square inch for square inch.
However, plate had a major disadvtange that chainmail did not: encumberance. Because of it's lack of flexibility, those wearing plate did not have the agility than of those wearing chain or lighter armors. As a result, most plate armor was reserved for mounted troops, while foot soldiers would use chain.
Plate armor was not reserved just for the knights or nobility, although they were usually the only ones who could afford it. Kingdoms, fiefdoms and others that could afford to, would provide pieces of plate armor for specific troops in preparation for battle. Only knights, however, would be the ones wearing full suits of armor (and even this was not common, as the more they wore, the less they could move).
Lastly, there is one bit of historical fact that has been ommitted by every medieval/fantasy game I've ever seen that uses armor of any sort: one type of armor was rarely worn alone. Layers of garments and armors were used when possible.
An example (body area only):
First, of course, was the shirt. Can't get anymore basic than this.
On top of that would be a gambeson, a thick, padded garment meant to protect the wearer not only from blows but also from his own armor. Usually made of two sheets of wool linen, and then filled with unspun wool, sawdust or other similar material, it offered the first layer of defense. However, it was primarily for comfort, as the next layers of armor were heavy and would chafe a man to bleeding.
Next came the brigadine. This was a leather shell, lined with smaller metal plates rivoted into to leather and then lined with cloth, usually wool. This added extra padding against blows, but was mainly intended to keep the metal rings of chainmail from being driven into wounds.
Third was the chainmail. For most, this was the primary level of armor. It protected well, but was weak against strong thrusting weapons.
For those that could afford it, or to which it had been supplied, was plate. Never was it worn without at least a gambeson or brigadine, and preferably also with chainmail.
The tunic was the final piece, even for those who did not wear plate. While it offered no actual protection in combat, it did help to avoid being slaughtered by your own allies on the field, as it was unique to each side, displaying the colors and/or insignia of the king or barron.
===============================================
Other things to note:
With the release of .731, Armagan put a flintlock pistol and some bullets into the Zendar chest. Some have complained that this is historically inaccurate, while others mention it is to help modders. While the latter statement is most likely very correct (I can't say for sure, as I'm not a modder), but the former is definitely false. Of course, flintlocks did not exist until the early 18th century, weapons using gunpowder arrived as early as the late 15th century.
While firearms and gunpowder were not widely used until the late 17th and 18th centuries, gunpowder did exist in Europe much earlier. Expeditions to the East had brought with them gunpowder. It wasn't until they learned to make it themselves that it was used more widely.
Once gunpowder was able to be made, small handheld cannons, such as those witnessed being used by the armies of eastern cultures, were being made. Then came the larger cannons.
But, before either of those, was probably the first bomb ever used in European conflicts: a fused and gunpowder filled barrel, hurtled towards a defending castle, intended to break apart its walls in one firey burst. This, of course, was the evolution of the ignited, tar-filled barrels that were used to cast large sheets of fire onto wall defenders, thus leaving them unmanned.
===============================================
Conclusion
Please, don't take this post as a complaint of any sort. I love this game. And I know I can modify the weapon stats and such to my pleasure (and I've done so, despite my limited knowledge of scripting languages and the like). That's not the point of this at all. I simply wanted to provide an historical viewpoint to the game and how some of the gameplay mechanics work in parallel to the way things were many centuries ago.
I am also by no means an expert on the Medieval, but merely a student (which is one of the reasons I love this game so much). And, as such, I am open to corrections, so long as they are done in a considerate fashion. If something I've mentioned is incorrect, then please, post the correction. Just be civil about it.
Since most of what I learned was through self-study, some things may not be entirely accurate. If anyone sees something like this, please don't flame, but instead just post a correction.
And so, without further adieu:
=================================================
Section 1: Combat
I've seen a few people complain about calvalry having an unfair advantage over infantry in the game. The truth is, they are correct, and this reflection in the game is historically accurate. Mounted soldiers were able to deal massive amounts of damage much faster than their non-mounted counterparts, and that fact was exploited at every possible chance.
And as in the game, mounted combat was not reserved to just knights, but horses (or other rideable animals) were "issued" to as many soldiers as there were horses available, and that there were soldiers properly trained to ride. After all, the more calvalry one side had, the greater their chances of victory.
The one exception would be archers. Mounted archers were rare, mostly because very few could accurately handle a bow on a still horse, let alone a moving one. There were some cultures, however, that did manage to master this difficult skill (the Mongols, being one of them).
The only aspect of the game, besides it's fictional settings, that is completely inaccurate right now is the castle siege. Of course, this is a new feature, which I'm sure will be expanded on in future releases.
===============================================
Section 2: Weapons
Everybody has their favorite weapon(s). I do as well. The only other inaccuracy in the game, though, is the weapons. Not their respective damage, or styling or anything like that, but the weapons primarily given to certain types of troops, especially calvalry.
During the Medieval Era, as plate armor became more common, shields became less and less used, so warriors could use both hands for more powerful attacks with their weapons. Also, as a result of plate armor, cutting weapons (swords, some axes) were becoming less effective. Because of this, heavy hammers became widely used.
Hammers were able to deal damage to an enemy combatant, regardless of whether it was able to penetrate the armor they were wearing. They could crush skulls, shatter ribs, and cause massive internal bleeding. They also drastically weakened armor, so even if the enemy did not become injured or killed by the initial blow, subsequent blows would certainly break through the metal, therefore dealing utter havoc on the body. This, compounded with the added force of a charging steed, would literally send troops flying through the air. As an added bonus, most hammers had a spike on the side opposite the head to puncture through armor, using the relative extra heft of the weapon to aid momentum.
Swords, on the other hand, were primarily defensive weapons, and the evolution of plate armors only made that more of a fact. Swords simply could not deal enough damage fast enough in combat when the enemy was wearing armor of any type, let alone plate. It's design was intended to allow for adequate blocking with the opportunity to allow a counter attack in close combat.
Larger swords, especially those such as the flamberge used by the German Landsnechts, were front-line weapons, used to break the pike heads and down the horses of a charging force. Their enormous length and ability to be handled either as a sword or as a pike, in combination with double cross guards for hand protection, made them a dual-use weapon, but even those uses were primarily defensive in nature. They were simply too heavy to use as an attacking weapon, even by the strongest of men.
Axes, though, were a weapon of both defensive and offensive capabilities, though some were too small and light to be effective in combat. Heavier axes were able to deal a cutting blow in a large area, and do it with a decent amount of speed. As a result, they were the second choice for mounted soldiers, and many infantry as well. Even smaller, one-handed axes were able to break through armor if in the proper hands.
Pikes, spears, halberds and other polearms were never offensive in any respect. They were given to front-line troops, who were then given the suicide task of protecting against the initial charge of an enemy. Of those that survived the first, and sometimes secondary, wave would immediately drop their polearms in favor of an axe or hammer - or sword if nothing else was available - for the hand-to-hand, close quarters combat that ensued.
Although primitive in nature, and one of the oldest weapons known, clubs were still reguarly used, but evolved into deadlier weapons with addition of spikes and other components. Decendant weapons of the club were maces, flails and even axes and hammers to some respect. Although they could not deal the damage axes and hammers could, they were still able to disable a soldier enough to where they were no longer a viable threat.
Ranged weapons were usually defensive as well, although the long and short bow served well on some types of offensive missions. Crossbows and arbalests (rather large crossbows, actually) were position atop castle walls and towers, and sent a rain of short but heavy bolts into the opposing force, punching through armor. Bows, both long and short, were used behind the walls as well as on top, and sent long, arching volleys into the center and rear of the opposing formation, attempting to thin out and divide them before they were able to breach the fortification.
===============================================
Section 3: Armor
As is obvious, plate armor provided more protection than chainmail, which provided more protection than leather, and on and on. However, was many fail to see is that plate mail was not heavier than chain mail, but was in fact LIGHTER. This was because less metal was used.
Chainmail would use up to twice as much metal than plate due the the intricacy of the looping chain rings, their size, and the density of the actual weave. And since the rings were smaller and thinner than the sheets used for plate armor, they were generally made with a less "pure" grade of iron so they could retain the strength needed to absorb blows in combat. This made for an extremely heavy armor, sometimes triple the weight of plate square inch for square inch.
However, plate had a major disadvtange that chainmail did not: encumberance. Because of it's lack of flexibility, those wearing plate did not have the agility than of those wearing chain or lighter armors. As a result, most plate armor was reserved for mounted troops, while foot soldiers would use chain.
Plate armor was not reserved just for the knights or nobility, although they were usually the only ones who could afford it. Kingdoms, fiefdoms and others that could afford to, would provide pieces of plate armor for specific troops in preparation for battle. Only knights, however, would be the ones wearing full suits of armor (and even this was not common, as the more they wore, the less they could move).
Lastly, there is one bit of historical fact that has been ommitted by every medieval/fantasy game I've ever seen that uses armor of any sort: one type of armor was rarely worn alone. Layers of garments and armors were used when possible.
An example (body area only):
First, of course, was the shirt. Can't get anymore basic than this.
On top of that would be a gambeson, a thick, padded garment meant to protect the wearer not only from blows but also from his own armor. Usually made of two sheets of wool linen, and then filled with unspun wool, sawdust or other similar material, it offered the first layer of defense. However, it was primarily for comfort, as the next layers of armor were heavy and would chafe a man to bleeding.
Next came the brigadine. This was a leather shell, lined with smaller metal plates rivoted into to leather and then lined with cloth, usually wool. This added extra padding against blows, but was mainly intended to keep the metal rings of chainmail from being driven into wounds.
Third was the chainmail. For most, this was the primary level of armor. It protected well, but was weak against strong thrusting weapons.
For those that could afford it, or to which it had been supplied, was plate. Never was it worn without at least a gambeson or brigadine, and preferably also with chainmail.
The tunic was the final piece, even for those who did not wear plate. While it offered no actual protection in combat, it did help to avoid being slaughtered by your own allies on the field, as it was unique to each side, displaying the colors and/or insignia of the king or barron.
===============================================
Other things to note:
With the release of .731, Armagan put a flintlock pistol and some bullets into the Zendar chest. Some have complained that this is historically inaccurate, while others mention it is to help modders. While the latter statement is most likely very correct (I can't say for sure, as I'm not a modder), but the former is definitely false. Of course, flintlocks did not exist until the early 18th century, weapons using gunpowder arrived as early as the late 15th century.
While firearms and gunpowder were not widely used until the late 17th and 18th centuries, gunpowder did exist in Europe much earlier. Expeditions to the East had brought with them gunpowder. It wasn't until they learned to make it themselves that it was used more widely.
Once gunpowder was able to be made, small handheld cannons, such as those witnessed being used by the armies of eastern cultures, were being made. Then came the larger cannons.
But, before either of those, was probably the first bomb ever used in European conflicts: a fused and gunpowder filled barrel, hurtled towards a defending castle, intended to break apart its walls in one firey burst. This, of course, was the evolution of the ignited, tar-filled barrels that were used to cast large sheets of fire onto wall defenders, thus leaving them unmanned.
===============================================
Conclusion
Please, don't take this post as a complaint of any sort. I love this game. And I know I can modify the weapon stats and such to my pleasure (and I've done so, despite my limited knowledge of scripting languages and the like). That's not the point of this at all. I simply wanted to provide an historical viewpoint to the game and how some of the gameplay mechanics work in parallel to the way things were many centuries ago.
I am also by no means an expert on the Medieval, but merely a student (which is one of the reasons I love this game so much). And, as such, I am open to corrections, so long as they are done in a considerate fashion. If something I've mentioned is incorrect, then please, post the correction. Just be civil about it.
