Broken armour and weaponry is quite a small part of the game but... hell, we've got 10 months, let's discuss it.

I didn't really like the way Oblivion handled breaks and repairs. I'd be using a sword, everything was going fine, then suddenly I'm fighting a troll using only my fists... so later I whip out a hammer, hit my sword for a bit, and voila! Fixed. It worked, but there's room for improvement.

Instead of a 'health bar' sort of thing for your weapons, I'd like to see a chance of breaking every time it's used. Of course the probability would be extremely small, tiny, for anything other than certain circumstances. For example: when used to block a much heavier weapon such as an axe or war-hammer, the probability of your sword breaking would be much higher. The material of your weapon should also factor in, and how old it is. Maybe here we could have a health bar, but instead of the weapon breaking when the bar reaches zero, the probability of a break increases as the health decreases. Also I'd like to see my weapon break - I want the blade to shatter as I block a trolls fist, with fragments flying away and leaving me holding the stump. Even broken weapons should be usable - if the top half of my sword broke off, I wouldn't give up and starting using my fists. I expect the remaining part of the sword would still be quite sharp, so it should be still usable, although the damage should be far far less than a blade in good condition.

Apologies for the focus on swords, but that's what I find myself using mostly. Ideas on other weapons would be greatly appreciated Hammers and axes would be much more durable and harder to break, although the handle could break if used for blocking.

As for repairing: It should require specialist equipment. You should have to return to a forge, or hire a blacksmith to do the job for you. Factions such as the fighters guild should supply forges for their members, the player could also buy one for their home. If you're homeless and friendless, I suppose you'd have to pay for someone else to do it.

I want to see my items getting shattered when they lose their "health". I want to see small bits "flying away" (not the right word, but you know what I mean) when somebody hits it and it's closer to being broken. This can be done by using destructive environment technology on equipment.

My main point: I want to SEE a difference between an almost broken item and a completely new/repaired one.

'Shattered'

Thats the word.


Also call health their durability.

Why do undead and weapons have health?

The most honest beginning to a thread ever. :foodndrink:


I think it sounds good if it was done right.

With “smithing” in Skyrim, you might very well see something along those lines.

I would say keep the durability, bring in chance of breakage below a certain threshold. Not too fair if you look after your equipment and a fully repaired axe breaks on the first leather shield you come across because the in game dice roll comes up snakeyes. Can't be bothered to carry hammers, take your chances.
Also think hammers should take up more in inventory, so you have to save them for your equipment, not use them to repair loot so you can sell it for 100%.

You're right, it would be better if well maintained weapons don't break at all. I think hammers should be removed entirely, it doesn't make sense that you can fix holes and reforge weapons out in the middle of a forest using just a hammer. Maybe they could have a different use, such as fixing armour which isn't too badly damaged (hammering out the dents) but as far as full scale repairs are concerned, you should need a forge.

It'd be a more immersive system I'll give you that.

Absolutely. I'm not expecting they'll implement this, and I won't be annoyed if the system is exactly the same. This is purely for discussion purposes.

I hope when weapon health drops to zero you'll really have a broken weapon in your hands this time around.

Agreed. No repair of broken weapons in the field, and there should even be a constant decrease on how much the weapon holds up. Very small, practically insignificant at normal difficulty. So a "repair in the field" may be simply keeping the weapon as sharp as possible after fighting, but you can't fight the ongoing corrosion so to speak.

Block skill should reduce damage your shield or weapon take quite significantly. A skilled swordsman has one major priority of course - staying alive. But keeping one's weapons in good condition is right behind that. Proper fighting technique never has you rigidly blocking edge on edge or doing anything like that which would result in damaging the blade. The same with shield parries - taking blows flat on isn't advised, instead you angle the shield and deflect rather than block.

That raises another good point. Dulling of the blade could be separate from breaking, requiring constant maintenance to ensure maximum damage is delivered.

7 out of 10 Stars because you did not mention it should look damaged too when it is and dirty and bloody depending on expirences and damage done.

Love all the realism from evryone keep it up

i wnna repair my broken weapons in the field... i master my armory skill every playthrough and if u asked me it is my most important skill....i dont want that to be taken away from me. its my favorite. and the hammer is pretty symbolic they kwo u want fix everyting with a hammer but i mean. wut else r they gonna give u... i love my armorer skill. dont call it out just cuz u dont like field repairing. especially sinceit takesso many hammers anyway. and y not fix ur loot to sell. thats wut some people really did. ANYWAYY. yea im okay with seeing my weapon break as long as i dont have to pick the other end of it up to fix it. and take it to some darn forge so they can rob me of my money.how about not.

Good to hear an alternate viewpoint.

Personally I don't like the repair hammers. As I've mentioned already in this thread, I find them to be unrealistic. Fallout has a better repair system, in my opinion, where you would take the parts of similar items and use those to repair your equipment. So if you found a shotgun, and happened to be using a similar gun, you could repair your weapon using the shotgun you just found. Not sure how this would work with Skyrim's weaponry, though... crossbows are the only thing's it would really make sense with.