04-12-2013, 02:23 AM
Absolutely amazingly looking mod you have made! Skyrim is my favorite game, and it's great to see this high quality mod with such historical accuracy!
Although there are some mistakes, it is by far the most historically accurate mod for Skyrim I've ever seen.
I'd like to mention some things, which you may already know, or then not:
On lorica hamata:
The sleeves should probably be omitted, since usually the loricae hamatae used by legionarii at republican and principate age were sleeveless, short sleeves became later, and long sleeves even later.
On lorica musculata:
The colour of it looks a bit more copper than bronze to me. It should be bronze. Or then iron. Or painted. I've read that the pteryges were usually made of white linen, but brown leather is also an option (which is much more popular in movies, games and re-enactment). Double pauldrons are of course not historically accurate (they invented them in Gladiator). And the lorica goes a bit too far down the torso, making the movement of hips harder. It should terminate at waistline with the downwards curving part covering abdomen.
On centurio:
Your centurio with phalerae looks great. It could also have torques awards at shoulders, but it's not obligatory. A cloak on left shoulder only could be nice, as well as vitis, centurio's rod.
On lorica segmentata:
The lorica could be more polished and the belt connecting the two breastplates could be brown leather, now it looks like bronze.
On arm protection:
Manica could go down a bit (one lamella) more, to the wrist (some re-enactors make it cover the back of the hand too). It should also be worn on the front side of the arm. Most people wear and depict manica on the outside of the arm, but it probably really should be worn on the side facing the enemy, defending the arm from thrusts. And maybe, like some have suggested, the lamellas should be in reverse order, the one on the wrist being on top and others below it step by step (for the same thrust defending reason).
Bracers were not used by Romans at all, even though it's the thing in movies which general audience immediately associates as "ancient" or "Roman".
On helmets:
The imperial Gallic G Helmets look great, although it too could be more polished and the earguards should be of bronze instead or iron. Do I see a chin strap in those pictures, or do I just imagine it? The crest suspender is simplified, but you know it already. The crest box could also be made from wood, and painted with the colour of the crest. You found no arhaeological examples of the Roman Attic helmet, because there isn't any. All of what that helmet is based, is reliefs, and it cannot be said if these exact kind of helmets were ever used, or were they just an artistic convention.
On leg protection:
Romans used greaves, mainly officers, but also legionnaires in the republican era, bronze ones, but on their left and not right leg, because left was a leading leg more close to the enemy while right was away from his strikes. In Roman empire legionarii wore greaves on both legs (as well as manicae on right arm) on the campaigns of Trajanus in Dacia. Your greaves seem to have correct leather straps/belts suspending them at the back, but you could remove the fabric straps underneath the greaves.
On javelins:
Your pila looks just authentic, and the bolts should be at the side of the wooden "box" in the middle pilum, and two in number. I've read that one of the bolts was made of wood, so it would break on impact, making the iron rod lop on the wooden shaft and thus throwing the javelin back became impossible. Do they have buttspikes like they should, maybe they do, hard to see in the dark picture.
On swords and daggers:
They look decent, but there were many more types of hilts for example. The scabbards should have suspender rings on them, but because they are also hang incorrectly, in weird position and too low, the rings would probably look weird without a baldric. You have added the baldric (balteus) to your lorica hamata, and you should add it to the lorica segmentata too, if it's impossible to add the the sword scabbard. Pugios hilt should be metal and not covered in leather.
On cloaks:
It would've been very nice to see a sagum or paenula, since I love cloaks, especially Roman ones, and Skyrim doesn't originally have any cloaks. Animating them would although be probably very difficult. But you could at least place the fibula on the right shoulder on the cape you've made.
On shields:
The rectangular semi-circular scutum would be a must have for these imperial Roman legionaries, it is a shame if it can't be done in Skyrim. The game should also be scripted that no damage would be dealt to the character if an arrow or a blow from a weapon hits the shield. But maybe that would ruin the gameplay.
What I'd like to see more, is the signum in the first picture, some other standards, and standard-bearers. Also lorica squamata would be very nice. Only sad thing is that the game won't let a character have a sword on the right side. Even when a character dual wields swords, it draws them stupidly from the same scabbard on the left side. Also all weapons in Skyrim are too big to be realistic, as well as all shields are too small. But would it be possible to make the gladii and pugiones slightly smaller?
Your weapons and armour look absolutely fantastic, and while I've given you this big list of complaints, it doesn't mean that I wouldn't like what you've done. I appreciate your hard work, artistic skills and enthusiasm for detail, which is in the top level amongst game modders. On arcani though, it's quite fantastical compared to the other creations, I'm sure they didn't wore iron masks when they tried to infiltrate into crowd, or in any other occasion either. But it looks sinister as you said, and this is a game, and you've probably been influenced by the appearance of arcani in Rome Total War, which depicts them wearing a mask and a hooded cape.
All in all, excellent work!
Although there are some mistakes, it is by far the most historically accurate mod for Skyrim I've ever seen.
I'd like to mention some things, which you may already know, or then not:
On lorica hamata:
The sleeves should probably be omitted, since usually the loricae hamatae used by legionarii at republican and principate age were sleeveless, short sleeves became later, and long sleeves even later.
On lorica musculata:
The colour of it looks a bit more copper than bronze to me. It should be bronze. Or then iron. Or painted. I've read that the pteryges were usually made of white linen, but brown leather is also an option (which is much more popular in movies, games and re-enactment). Double pauldrons are of course not historically accurate (they invented them in Gladiator). And the lorica goes a bit too far down the torso, making the movement of hips harder. It should terminate at waistline with the downwards curving part covering abdomen.
On centurio:
Your centurio with phalerae looks great. It could also have torques awards at shoulders, but it's not obligatory. A cloak on left shoulder only could be nice, as well as vitis, centurio's rod.
On lorica segmentata:
The lorica could be more polished and the belt connecting the two breastplates could be brown leather, now it looks like bronze.
On arm protection:
Manica could go down a bit (one lamella) more, to the wrist (some re-enactors make it cover the back of the hand too). It should also be worn on the front side of the arm. Most people wear and depict manica on the outside of the arm, but it probably really should be worn on the side facing the enemy, defending the arm from thrusts. And maybe, like some have suggested, the lamellas should be in reverse order, the one on the wrist being on top and others below it step by step (for the same thrust defending reason).
Bracers were not used by Romans at all, even though it's the thing in movies which general audience immediately associates as "ancient" or "Roman".
On helmets:
The imperial Gallic G Helmets look great, although it too could be more polished and the earguards should be of bronze instead or iron. Do I see a chin strap in those pictures, or do I just imagine it? The crest suspender is simplified, but you know it already. The crest box could also be made from wood, and painted with the colour of the crest. You found no arhaeological examples of the Roman Attic helmet, because there isn't any. All of what that helmet is based, is reliefs, and it cannot be said if these exact kind of helmets were ever used, or were they just an artistic convention.
On leg protection:
Romans used greaves, mainly officers, but also legionnaires in the republican era, bronze ones, but on their left and not right leg, because left was a leading leg more close to the enemy while right was away from his strikes. In Roman empire legionarii wore greaves on both legs (as well as manicae on right arm) on the campaigns of Trajanus in Dacia. Your greaves seem to have correct leather straps/belts suspending them at the back, but you could remove the fabric straps underneath the greaves.
On javelins:
Your pila looks just authentic, and the bolts should be at the side of the wooden "box" in the middle pilum, and two in number. I've read that one of the bolts was made of wood, so it would break on impact, making the iron rod lop on the wooden shaft and thus throwing the javelin back became impossible. Do they have buttspikes like they should, maybe they do, hard to see in the dark picture.
On swords and daggers:
They look decent, but there were many more types of hilts for example. The scabbards should have suspender rings on them, but because they are also hang incorrectly, in weird position and too low, the rings would probably look weird without a baldric. You have added the baldric (balteus) to your lorica hamata, and you should add it to the lorica segmentata too, if it's impossible to add the the sword scabbard. Pugios hilt should be metal and not covered in leather.
On cloaks:
It would've been very nice to see a sagum or paenula, since I love cloaks, especially Roman ones, and Skyrim doesn't originally have any cloaks. Animating them would although be probably very difficult. But you could at least place the fibula on the right shoulder on the cape you've made.
On shields:
The rectangular semi-circular scutum would be a must have for these imperial Roman legionaries, it is a shame if it can't be done in Skyrim. The game should also be scripted that no damage would be dealt to the character if an arrow or a blow from a weapon hits the shield. But maybe that would ruin the gameplay.
What I'd like to see more, is the signum in the first picture, some other standards, and standard-bearers. Also lorica squamata would be very nice. Only sad thing is that the game won't let a character have a sword on the right side. Even when a character dual wields swords, it draws them stupidly from the same scabbard on the left side. Also all weapons in Skyrim are too big to be realistic, as well as all shields are too small. But would it be possible to make the gladii and pugiones slightly smaller?
Your weapons and armour look absolutely fantastic, and while I've given you this big list of complaints, it doesn't mean that I wouldn't like what you've done. I appreciate your hard work, artistic skills and enthusiasm for detail, which is in the top level amongst game modders. On arcani though, it's quite fantastical compared to the other creations, I'm sure they didn't wore iron masks when they tried to infiltrate into crowd, or in any other occasion either. But it looks sinister as you said, and this is a game, and you've probably been influenced by the appearance of arcani in Rome Total War, which depicts them wearing a mask and a hooded cape.
All in all, excellent work!
Antonius Insulae (Sakari)
