Question on early Roman helmets and armor

[Paullus]

ATM I am one of many working on a historical RTS and we have included the Scipio Africanus-era army in the game, mainly so we can have some truely authentic digital Second Punic War "battles". The problem is that small Roman milites ingame begin to look all alike, especially at a distance. In particular the Principes and Triarii blend since in the game both will be armed with pole arms, pilum and hasta repectively. To make them appear noticeably different to the player we have been looking for some distinguishing features.<br>
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Beyond the various combinations of hamata, squamata, pectorale, Etruso-Corinthian, Attic, Montefortino combinations, what other helmets and armor were in use at this time? Was the Negau used by the Romans, or possibly some later Greek Thracian types? And was there any chance that an average soldier might obtain a solid bronze cuirass?<br>
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Thanks for your help! <p></p><i></i>

[Crispvs]

Unfortunately, there was probably no difference in body armour or helmets between the different classes of soldier. I think Polybios makes it fairly clear that how a soldier was equipped was a matter of how much he could affor to spend on equipment. I don't think he mentions the muscle cuirass, saying instead that the soldiers wore an 8 inch(?) square breast plate or, if they could afford it, a coat of Gallic mail. Like all ancient authors (as far as I know) he fails to make any distinction between different types of helmet, although he does say that the helmets of centuriones were tinned or silvered to make them stand out in order to enable their men to follow them more easily.<br>
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Crispvs <p></p><i></i>

[Paullus]

Thanks for the reply! Yes, that's the same as everything that I've read. One option we can have is to make some of the soldiers appear as optios or centurions, even if they aren't. Thanks for the info on the tinned/silvered helmets, did not know that <p></p><i></i>