We joke a lot, and we don't always make it clear we are doing so. But if there's a discussion where it seems like we're taking part in a reproductive organ length comparison, you can feel safe that yes, it is a joke. We couldn't care whether the Empire wins or not. Sure it'd be fun, but its not necessary. We like using history, and rather than guess at what another knows, we base our arguments upon the basis that others don't know the same. Yes, we knew you know things, Aristo, but its easier for us to write things the way we do. It also helps explain why we say what we do, say a bit on what we know.
We've had actual OoC fights once or twice over the years, and they're never fun. They generally only end with someone swinging a big hammer (either a GM or a mod).
Anyways, one final bit about crossbows:
http://indie-rpgs.com/archive/index.php?PHPSESSID=b58fb884b56fa5941d8f49250603d6c4&topic=10676.msg113199#msg113199When we use history as a reference in our arguments, it is to explain our understanding too. It doesn't affect situation whether others actually know quite a bit too.
Going from the linked source, there's an indicator why heavy plate (which undeniably is expensive) and powerful crossbows existed side by side. The church, which had a hell of a lot of power back then (with wider range of wielding it than single nobles), outlawed the heavier crossbows because they were too lethal to the nobility. In essence, they denied access to a certain tech because it was too effective. At close range, the only way for plate armor to stop a heavy crossbow is for it to be so thick that it can't easily be penetrated. Unfortunately, that would also mean that its too heavy to carry, let alone fight in.
As we don't have access to the linked source's source, we can't back up the argument with the best type of stuff: verifiable facts. But someone referencing a person that actually did a thesis on just this sort of comparison is better than most sources. And it "feels" more reliable than other arguments (including ones we've used).
As for Iron armor in the civil war and such: that makes sense. handheld firearms of that era did not have the armor-piercing capabilities of heavy crossbows or modern guns. Mind you, a crossbow bolt that doesn't hit close to a 90-degree angle might not penetrate the armor, instead being deflected. But same can be said for some levels of guns. Mind you, we'd think having a poorly aimed crossbow bolt bounce off your shiny plate armor ought to give you at least a moment's pause. Chances are, at least one might be lucky enough to go penetrate and cause all sorts of inconvenient wounds.
In fact, the early armored ships were used in this era because weapons weren't good against them. Those were called "Ironclads". Care to guess how their hulls were made resistant against cannons?
Now, on to funny theories:
Maybe someone in this RP has archer protectors that are actually made of thick iron? sure, it would be heavy, but it'd be at least as strong as a stone wall, but easier to move. Heavier than wood & hides, but resistant to pesky things like fire. Of course, unless some nation has access to a lot of raw metal, it might be cheaper to have steel plated oak (or similar dense wood) for such protectors.
Also, we'd gladly welcome input from others about the Empire. If you want to have it compared to our idea, feel free to PM us & Sep. We have bones and a few tendons, but we don't have the rest of the body yet.
Edit: Read up on the IC now (only one post, but still). Lightning damage doesn't behave like that. While (obviously) very powerful, lightning is basically electricity. Electrical burns, unless there's a lot of surface contact, are subtle. It might just be a tiny red or black dot on say, a finger (or here, hip), maybe with a little bleeding at the contact point (a few drops of blood). There'll also be a similar small black spot where the electricity was grounded. Thats the extent of the visible injuries. The fun bit about electrical burns? They're nasty on the inside. It can go from merely a bit shaken inside to that much of the insides between the two points are utterly fried. With lighning, it'll be more towards the higher end.
Correction: Lightning wounds are a bit more obvious, but they're still not as extreme as you described, WilsonTurner:
https://www.google.no/search?q=lightning+strike+wound&client=ubuntu&hs=JKI&channel=fs&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=VCoAVLCxB8jk4QSls4H4Cg&ved=0CAgQ_AUoAQ&biw=1215&bih=671The nature of wounds is a bit more than a hobby for us, which is why we reacted here. We don't get paid to make realistic fake wounds, but we do it actively as part of the local Red Cross. Going from those images in the linked google search, we think we'd actually like to make a lightning strike wound later.
