Discussion Really stupid armor....

Hi there!
During my long history of reading novels i have noticed that many authors think that armor is just some kind of accessory and can have as many holes as it wants as long as it looks cool. As a history geek it hurts me sometimes....
I see that on both male and female armors so there isn't really a problem with the representation of the sexes in this case... The only difference is that in the cases of male armor they make it ridiculously looking by making it look as cool as possible while ignoring any practicality and in case of female armor they try to make it cool and sexy looking and that too created some really unusable armors....
Normally i can't really fault the authors because not many people have a bigger understanding of armors (i myself am not that knowledgeable but i know enough to write this...) but in some cases its just uuugggghhh!!!
So i would like to know what you think about that little practicality problem that novel armors have and maybe even share some examples like i am going to do right below this!

My example is this here : http://prntscr.com/g09dch (to the left is the one with armor...)
(Novel name : World Reformation Activities of the Dark God — Loving Humans So Much, I Reincarnated in One — )
Lets start from above ! No helmet... shoulder pads too far apart from the neck so they are half useless... the author took the word breastplate too literally or even worse only half, it does not protect the neck it protects only the upped boobs, the lower boobs and the stomach is unprotected...The pussy protector is, i have no words for that so lets continue.. The leg protection is shit, there is no protection for the thighs (i am not sure on that one but i think the inner things have major blood veins in them so it would be good protecting them... its a really popular target in sword fighting because many people forget to protect they legs) the lower leg armor seems OK i thing.... the shoes look really uncomfortable....

 

What I learn from video games and anime is that when it comes to women, less armor means more protection.

 

It's all about fashion man

I rather wear an armor that looks cool and have no protection than an ugly one with full protection

 

Lover boobs and lover leg, insta like

 

Thanks... would not have noticed my little error there.... btw i love every part of a boob equally not just the lover parts

 

Won't look so cool with a spear running through the body though.

 

Maybe it's enchanted with magic... magic explains everything.

 

That is only really acceptable if the magic itself is explained though. lol

 

If it's meant to be then it's meant to be

Destined to have no plot armor

 

Most fantasy armor looks ineffectual or impractical or both. This plagues armor for women more than for men, and it's especially bad when it comes to anime-inspired designs. The reason is obvious: it's designed to make the girls look cute at the expense of everything else.

If you want good looking armor, then the best places will be actually film to a degree and television to an even greater degree. When armor has to be worn by an actual person, it behooves the designer to make something that can actually be moved in. Television has a lower budget so practicality is a bigger concern. These aren't all that common for women in Western media, so you'll have more luck finding them in Asian media. The most practical armor is going to be found in historical fiction, but that sadly tends to not be illustrated.

 

"High level armor" huehuehue

 

We wear that to confuse our enemies. Would you expect a master swordsman to wear nothing but a cape that flutters elegantly even without wind? No. Well now you're dead. And the less protection it grants, the more everyone thinks it's a trap. Those gaps are too obvious. Nobody would wear them on the battlefield if they're not filled with dragons or something.

 

I can come up with a plausible yet ridiculous reason.

Yin is defense based, so the armors females wear are centered around improving offense.

Yang is offensive based, so the armors are more bulky and defense based.

Why no helmets? Simple, not necessary! There is no weak point in the head! Its not like these MCs have anything in those heads worth protecting anyways!

 

*calls @seriouslynope to cry at the sight of the armor*

And well, yeah, armor in lots of medias is terribly made... It's sad how little people know about armor and then they try to make it somewhat cool which ends up being... Well... That.

 

Comrade, I feel your pain. It's either oversized pauldrons, improperly sized breastplates (Too long or in your example, too short. I mean she has underboobs...), improperly shaped arm and leg harness (usually the main reason why custom reproduction armour is pricy, armoursmiths really bust their asses trying to tailor the steel to the shape of the client's limbs which is not easy), nonsensical helmets or the lack of any, the lack of foundational garments to make armour a bit more comfortable or even possible in the first place and more.

You know me too well...

In my experience leg shots are rare because beginners were taught to hit the nearest target i.e. hands, arms, torso, head (Torso and head are nearest due to the fact that the sword which is attached to the arm which is attached to the shoulder is located on the upper half of the human anatomy) and that leg shots are risky if not done well since you lower thy sword when it's likely that the opponent has his held higher.

 

If I had to come with an explanation as a writer:
MAGIC ENCHANTING SOLVES EVERYTHING!
Even a magic enchanted +10 silk dress with +10 Defense Up and +10 Slash Resistance could be harder than steel......

 

It's probably the machinations of the Tentacle Gods (You know the one...) so that they would be easier to molest...

 

Ahem:- Chainmail Bikini.

 

Armor, usually women's armor, in novels (videogames, manga, etc) makes me annoyed because its design is not only impractical - but it'd kill the person wearing it. So much female armor has a cups for boobs which would just scream to me hit here and crush her sternum. And for guys, the oversized shoulders and other aspects add so much unnecessary weight it would slow the person down and often times limit their mobility.

 

plot armour is the ultimate armour, it can take many forms and has the power to protect the user by forcefully bending the fabric of reality to suit the author intentions.