Support NeoGAF

[GamingIsDead]

Historically accurate to feudal japan of course.

I'd say Halo reach and 4. The female armors look practically the same as the male ones.

They certainly are more fitting on the posteriors on the females that's for sure.

 

[PseudoViper]

+1

 

[SeventhSon]

Also Dragon's Dogma is not such a good example. Compare the "silver breastplate" piece for males vs females (keep in mind it's the same armour, it actually changes appearance depending on the sex of the character you equip it on!):

The Silver Breastplate goes in the Clothing slot, and is worn under Armor.

Of course, most female pawns decline to wear anything over it, same goes for the Silk Lingere.

 

[Kyne]

 

[SonyToo!™]

dp

 

[Kikujiro]

The Seeker from Dragon Age 2

 

[massoluk]

I thought this is going to be Titania from Fire Emblem: The thread.

 

[SonyToo!™]

Practical female armour is really good but I'm too much in love with Satoshi Urushihara's designs to ignore sexy armour. (Langrisser and Growlanser fame, these pics are from the former)

The artist who is famous for Legend of Lemnear is way too much into fan service to put a female in full body armour which is a shame because the male armour's look great.

If you added these 2 armour sets together then you would have a full set though lol (they are more fitting to the OP but they are way too large to post)

http://www.legendra.com/media/artworks/sat/langrisser_iii/langrisser_iii_art_6.jpg
http://www.legendra.com/media/artworks/sat/langrisser_iii/langrisser_iii_art_7.jpg

http://static.giantbomb.com/uploads/scale_small/9/90334/2281101-langrisser.47889.jpg
http://static.giantbomb.com/uploads/scale_small/12/125800/1838265-redin.jpg

 

[Kinyou]

The Seeker from Dragon Age 2

Reminds me, Aveline also has a normal one

Practical female armour is really good but I'm too much in love with Satoshi Urushihara's designs to ignore sexy armour. (Langrisser and Growlanser fame, these pics are from the former)

Considering the other stuff Urushihara draws I'd consider those outfits almost prude, lol

 

[K.Sabot]

Also I think the FFXIII-2 Lightning armor is pretty viable since the only bare spots are around the joints.

 

[Mesoian]

ITT: Fashion armor.

I was always a big fan of Uriel

But this is pretty moot as the best functional female armor would be exactly the same as male body armor. There was a pretty interesting piece that someone brought up the last time we had this conversation about how a chestplate that was rounded to encompass the bust of a woman would end up caving in her chest on a solid blow due to the curving process in metal.

It's all fantasy armor, and functional armor isn't very sexy for most people. So...you know, boob armor.

 

[Amazeballs]

I thought this is going to be Titania from Fire Emblem: The thread.

Fire emblem 7-10 had some of the best armor designs. Practical-looking and form-fitting, while being stylized just enough to look appeal to the anime crowd.

Also that's not Nephenee

 

[Wii Tank]

I wonder if Phantom Zelda counts.

 

[Jimnymebob]

Sieglinde, Dark Souls

"Danger, Will Robinson!"

 

[Mister Chippy]

I bet you love Arma.

The unfortunate thing is that games are not designed exclusively to mirror reality -- doing so essentially takes the game part of it away. Character designs are not made perfectly to life or death situations; otherwise all characters would look boring and uninspired, pretty hard to attract sales with boring looking characters. "Functional" to most people means something that isn't immediately just completely retarded, ie, the chainmail bikini.

Yeah, I know.

All I ask is 1 medieval mil-sim and I'll be happy. Chivalry jumped the shark big time.

Also, not all realistic armor was boring. The Chinese had some lovely armor.

But yeah, all super realistic armor all the time would be boring. I love looking at all the cool armor people think up and create. I just with more of it was practical (not necessarily realistic, just semi-practical).

 

[Daedardus]

Fire emblem 7-10 had some of the best armor designs. Practical-looking and form-fitting, while being stylized just enough to look appeal to the anime crowd.

Fire Emblem: Where even the dudes wear female armor.

 

[Patryn]

1)not all armors are full body armors, look at this greek armor for example

2)obviously Wang Yi is sexualized but overall the armor is good imo
3)this


is not sexy but is completely stupid imo.

You notice how his armor goes all the way to his neck? You notice how your examples both have exposed cleavage and chest? Not practical.

 

[Mesoian]

I wonder if you could make a safe but durable carbon fiber boob-armor set.

 

[SonyToo!™]

But this is pretty moot as the best functional female armor would be exactly the same as male body armor. There was a pretty interesting piece that someone brought up the last time we had this conversation about how a chestplate that was rounded to encompass the bust of a woman would end up caving in her chest on a solid blow due to the curving process in metal.

It's all fantasy armor, and functional armor isn't very sexy for most people. So...you know, boob armor.

Like 99% of the depictions on Joan of Arc who is always wearing a std breast plate

Interestingly enough she is often depicted as wearing a skirt, but that is too dowdy nowadays so artists go for the boobs instead. EDIT I wonder when this painting was made? My guess is during the Victorian era when corsets were fashionable to create the hour glass form.

 

[theprodigy]

Fire emblem 7-10 had some of the best armor designs. Practical-looking and form-fitting, while being stylized just enough to look appeal to the anime crowd.

Also that's not Nephenee

eh Nephenee is the only armor-wearing girl in FE10 that doesn't have "practical" armor (still better than most though)
the rest do though (Fiona, Jill, Marcia, Meg (LOL), Sigrun, Titania, Tanith)

 

[Lautaro]

I actually prefer mildly-sexy armors (I like eye-candy and I won't deny it) but maybe this one counts:

because is not "female armor", is just regular armor with boobs inside.

 

[Mister Chippy]

I wonder if you could make a safe but durable carbon fiber boob-armor set.

No, the shape of the boobs would still direct the force of the blows right into the middle of the chest, killing you. Armor in general should be convex to push blows away from the body.

 

[Amazeballs]

eh Nephenee is the only armor-wearing girl in FE10 that doesn't have "practical" armor (still better than most though)
the rest do though (Fiona, Jill, Marcia, Meg (LOL), Sigrun, Titania, Tanith)

The skirt and the general emphasis on leather or plating make perfect sense given that she's a foot soldier. Anything heavier would weigh her down. She could do with a more protective set of leggings though.

 

[theprodigy]

The skirt and the general emphasis on leather or plating make perfect sense given that she's a foot soldier. Anything heavier would weigh her down. She could do with a more protective set of leggings though.

....wait a minute Nephenee's the only foot soldier that's not a general lol

Spoiler

no thanks I like the leggings as they are

There's also Devdan, but who in their right mind would use him over Nephenee?

female foot soldier
the rest are mages, laguz, or swordmasters

 

[Amazeballs]

....wait a minute Nephenee's the only foot soldier that's not a general lol

Spoiler

no thanks I like the leggings as they are

There's also Devdan, but who in their right mind would use him over Nephenee?

 

[The Technomancer]

Reminds me, Aveline also has a normal one

Considering the other stuff Urushihara draws I'd consider those outfits almost prude, lol

Having read through the whole thread yeah, I think this is the epitome of practical female armor

 

[Wiktor]

I love Saber's armors from Fate/Stay Night and spin-offs

 

[To Far Away Times]

Wanted to post this.

 

[Beerman462]

 

[Kinyou]

Well... you can't say that it isn't functional

 

[dragonbane]

Jodie's outfit during the military section of Beyond seemed fairly functional for the purpose of the mission (stealth/no direct engagement) :

 

[Just take it with you.]

Came here to see Chris Lightfellow and was not disappointed.

I think Women in Reasonable Armor has some good examples of functional female armor. Granted, there are still some boob plates though.

 

[Thorgal]

Hilde from Soul calibur 4.

The only female character in the game who shows up in proper attire for combat .

 

[Khezu]

Females can wear judgement, so judgement.

 

[Vlade]

Brass Set;

Best armor design in a game full of best armor design.

 

[Messofanego]

But this is pretty moot as the best functional female armor would be exactly the same as male body armor. There was a pretty interesting piece that someone brought up the last time we had this conversation about how a chestplate that was rounded to encompass the bust of a woman would end up caving in her chest on a solid blow due to the curving process in metal.

It's all fantasy armor, and functional armor isn't very sexy for most people. So...you know, boob armor.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lIwFTU7zAbg#t=1m43s

This video explains it well, why boob armour just can't work in reality. In normal clothes or actual military wear, you can compress the breasts for a wider range of motion but if it becomes rigid like steel breastplate armour, then you're severely limited. You'd have to work one-handed, and only move the weapons laterally away from the body.

 

[MissDeviling]

Loved Titania's armour, but to add one that hasn't been mentioned yet:

Viola from Radiant Historia.

 

[A Huge Battleship]

Tyria's Linkage from Ar Tonelico Qoga. Shurelia's version is inferior.

 

[Not Spaceghost]

While it's not a full armor suit, I always liked the distribution of shanoa's armor plates over her robes.

She has a bareback dress though but it's functional since she has a huge glyph on her back for big summons and attacks. Same reason as to why her arms aren't covered at the top.

 

[Intheflorsh]

The Seeker from Dragon Age 2

Dragon Age has always been good about this.

Spoiler

Except for mages.

 

[AlucardGV]

Elwen's armor.

brofist.jpg

 

[PsionBolt]

From the Etrian Odyssey series: Protector, Hoplite, Fortress, Shogun.

 

[Mesoian]

That's going to chafe my willy....

 

[Toa TAK]

Nothing beats this. Such a great design.

Love the Light Armor.

 

[mclem]

Not *too* bad... but the circles!

 

[SeventhSon]

Not *too* bad... but the circles!

Same as the males.

 

[mclem]

Same as the males.

Well, it was kinda absurd on them, too. "And here are the pectorals".

 

[Tomat]

We'll never know her true identity.

 

[Drac84]

Functional

Jane Shepard Hahne-Kedar Armor Set:

Hawke, Dragon Age II:

and much easier to find, Impractical armour:

These SC5 gals have the upper arms and shins protected up the ying yang, but little else.

Sophita:

Ivy:

Taki

And Frea from FF IX lol

 

[SonyToo!™]

Looks like I derped about modern artists not using armoured skirts (although it might still be the case with western artists). That said rather than being a skirt plate like in my Joan of Arc pic it's 2 side plates that has been used for years by Japanese artists.

EDIT, Tagu from Valdis Story is a female, however it doesn't truly count as it's just her soul placed into living armour.