Kotyonok
Veteran
Alright, I posted this on our Ning for our team, but since the team hasn't migrated I figured it'd be a good idea to post here.
To start I want to do a little overview of different terms that will be used throughout the development just so we're on the same page. This is fairly vital info that you'll want to know. Shouldn't take too long :]
To start, we'll talk about classes of units:
Ashigaru - Common foot soldiers, later in the Sengoku period they could be promoted to samurai, but for the purposes of this mod Ashigaru will mean less proficient in weapon use (compared to samurai) and also restricted equipment.
Samurai - The warrior class. They are well trained in their given class or can use a katana well. In our terms this will count as a special unit of a clan (I'll go into that later).
Cavalry - Not an uncommon term, but there's some specific things that need to be discussed. Cavalry in japan were strictly samurai, so there's (aside from maybe a ronin faction) not going to be any ill equipped cavalry.
Ninja - I'm not going to go into what a ninja is, but generally ninja -did- wear different types of armor under their black uniform. This would be chainmale or metal plates. Deadly but a glass cannon.
Monk - Warrior monks are extraordinary deadly but light weight. Typically proficient in polarms.
Equipment:
Katana - Strictly speaking, in japan katana means any sword of any origin. We'll be using it to describe the typical blade of about 2 ft or more, slender, fast, sharp and curved.
Yari - Mochi Yari (3-6ft or 1-2m) or Omi no Yari (up to 20ft or 6+m). There are about ten different variations that will get their own post. Samurai did not use anything aside from mochi yari, whereas Ashigaru used a variety, mostly gravitating around longer yari.
Nodachi - Japanese great sword, about 4 feet in length with a hilt of around 1 foot. Very heavy and should encumber the user. Also relatively expensive and a cavalry killer.
Wakasashi - I don't think this will generally be included as it wasn't often used in combat, it's a large dagger, normally identical to the larger katana.
Naginata - A shaft with a long curved blade at the end, though similar to the glave, the blade actually extends out from the handle of the naginata rather than being attached to the side.
Kama - Similar to the European sickle but with some differences. It's a blade coming horizontally out of the end of a small wooden rod (google it). Regardless, good peasant weapon for some factions (the ones on the island of Okinawa) and a possible Ninja weapon.
To start I want to do a little overview of different terms that will be used throughout the development just so we're on the same page. This is fairly vital info that you'll want to know. Shouldn't take too long :]
To start, we'll talk about classes of units:
Ashigaru - Common foot soldiers, later in the Sengoku period they could be promoted to samurai, but for the purposes of this mod Ashigaru will mean less proficient in weapon use (compared to samurai) and also restricted equipment.
Samurai - The warrior class. They are well trained in their given class or can use a katana well. In our terms this will count as a special unit of a clan (I'll go into that later).
Cavalry - Not an uncommon term, but there's some specific things that need to be discussed. Cavalry in japan were strictly samurai, so there's (aside from maybe a ronin faction) not going to be any ill equipped cavalry.
Ninja - I'm not going to go into what a ninja is, but generally ninja -did- wear different types of armor under their black uniform. This would be chainmale or metal plates. Deadly but a glass cannon.
Monk - Warrior monks are extraordinary deadly but light weight. Typically proficient in polarms.
Equipment:
Katana - Strictly speaking, in japan katana means any sword of any origin. We'll be using it to describe the typical blade of about 2 ft or more, slender, fast, sharp and curved.
Yari - Mochi Yari (3-6ft or 1-2m) or Omi no Yari (up to 20ft or 6+m). There are about ten different variations that will get their own post. Samurai did not use anything aside from mochi yari, whereas Ashigaru used a variety, mostly gravitating around longer yari.
Nodachi - Japanese great sword, about 4 feet in length with a hilt of around 1 foot. Very heavy and should encumber the user. Also relatively expensive and a cavalry killer.
Wakasashi - I don't think this will generally be included as it wasn't often used in combat, it's a large dagger, normally identical to the larger katana.
Naginata - A shaft with a long curved blade at the end, though similar to the glave, the blade actually extends out from the handle of the naginata rather than being attached to the side.
Kama - Similar to the European sickle but with some differences. It's a blade coming horizontally out of the end of a small wooden rod (google it). Regardless, good peasant weapon for some factions (the ones on the island of Okinawa) and a possible Ninja weapon.