Which culture is most in need of armor/clothing model variety?

[Kentucky 『 ＨＥＩＧＵＩ 』 James]

I wonder why they couldn't get any references though

They just didn't bother after some point. There is still loads of concept art, and even after that blog in 2017 they were making concept art of stuff as specific as the kind of dogs in different parts of the map, but due to how poor communication in their office is, much of it didn't get used.

 

[Ser Jon]

They just didn't bother after some point. There is still loads of concept art, and even after that blog in 2017 they were making concept art of stuff as specific as the kind of dogs in different parts of the map, but due to how poor communication in their office is, much of it didn't get used.

Well, what a shame. I remember one specific concept art that I thought would be amazing finalized in game. As far as I'm aware, it never came to be. There was even concept art of warships, which could have only meant naval warfare, but it was abandoned I suppose with dozens of other things. It's interesting—and disappointing—to go through their old dev blogs on Steam and see just what never happened.

I wonder if there's a chance the unused stuff could be re-visited. At this point, if it isn't coming free, I'd accept it as DLC...though that of course would be an entirely different problem.

 

[TheWigglyTapeworm]

Compare that to Warband where the outfits are all designed more or less cohesively.
Nords = chainmail
Vaegirs = Fur
Khergits = lamellar
Sarranids = Beige linen

Despite there being much fewer actual colours on an average outfit in warband, and the total lack of factional colours overall, I don't have to find their colour patch to know what faction they are in.

I haven't played Warband in years so I don't remember if lords recruit from different culture.. But having distinct designs wouldn't help in Bannerlord when in the mid game everyone's army is mixed with different cultured troops and lords.

That's why I'm not that fussed with the lack of color right now because that's how I differentiate between Kingdoms in battles and honestly I can't think of ways to differentiate my allies and enemies if troops do get more colorful armor apart from sigils on shields. Some people would say banners, but not every troop would be holding a banner...
I have to admit that some troops are hard to distinguish because the armor's cloth color isn't that obvious but it's not too much of a struggle unless it's a night battle.

 

[vonbalt]

On the lack of Vlandian shoulder armors subject, those crusader shoulder shields would be a perfect fit for their theme, make a version with/without a maille coif and would already improve quite alot the lack of vlandian shoulder armors.

example:

 

[HalfMetalJacket]

They were initially insistent on using proper historical references, but at some point they just got sloppy. The 3D artists in the Art blog back in 2017 or thereabouts said that they didn't get given any references at all, and just winged it based on TV shows and video games they had played or watched, while I know for a fact that prior to that they had been using references. The reason I think they just got sloppy is because all the flavour text for factions still says what they're supposed to be based on. This is also why the quality and design of different outfits varies so much.



In warband I never had to play with circles above heads, while in Bannerlord I have to do it all the time, despite the colour uniformity. The problem is that the outfits are poorly designed. There is usually a patch of colour on the chest if you're lucky, but the rest is all brown. I can't quickly distinguish between an Empire outfit and a Khuzait one. Look at any screenshot and the overwhelming majority of a soldier's silhouette is brown. There is no distinct helmet shape I can look out for. The lighting doesn't help either.

Compare that to Warband where the outfits are all designed more or less cohesively.
Nords = chainmail
Vaegirs = Fur
Khergits = lamellar
Sarranids = Beige linen

Despite there being much fewer actual colours on an average outfit in warband, and the total lack of factional colours overall, I don't have to find their colour patch to know what faction they are in.

I don't think you brought up the best examples to demonstrate your point.

If you got a screenshot of Rhodoks (surcoats) fighting with some Swadians (brigandine) instead or something, I think your point would have been demonstrated better.

 

[five bucks]

Mockups for Vlandian armor pieces.

 

[Piconi]

They were initially insistent on using proper historical references, but at some point they just got sloppy.

It was enough to see just the helmets that were being proposed back in the day to know that armors are a residual of it too, even though beautifuly drawn, doesen't hold up the "historical references" in most of the cases:

As if by magic were... I have "stumbled" with a singular Artstation[...]
[...]

Spoiler: Props & Animals

^^For some pieces i'll admit-it's a shame that they didn't get into the game.

In the meantime though, there has been a lot of improvement in that regard, mainly because of Alieser, who, while he was a 2D artist for TaleWorlds, insisted on being as authentic as possible, looking for historical refferences in pictures of museum pieces, books and such, and a few of us tried to help the best way we could.
Sadly, he doesen't work at TW anymore but he did leave a LOT of legacy, especially visible in the new armors and helmets (when 3D fully follows through on his art), and the ones to come that 3D department will need a lot of time to catch up on it seems, as they also still do non-armor related stuff i presume.

Some of his concepts can be seen in the latest development update video, and how 3D department cuts corners sometimes (both figuratively and literally), like with the Khuzait civil crown recently:

...but his work is visible from the first new armor pieces that started being added from ~1.4.1 i think, sturgian, then battanian to follow and so on.

 

[9yearsago]

Even if they did add some stuff, they would "forget" to distribute them amongst the troops and lords.

 

[CrazyElf]

^^For some pieces i'll admit-it's a shame that they didn't get into the game.

I think that the only real solution will be to add a new artist of comparable caliber. Easier said than done, I know, but I think it's the only real long term solution.