Equipment

Equipment is the general term used to describe a set of tools, items, and apparatus used or donned by a player to achieve a certain purpose. Wearable equipment refers to those items which the player may wear to defend, attack, gather resources, or simply to flaunt their sense of fashion.

## WYSIWYG

Ref.:

**What You See Is What You Get**

Chronicles of Elyria uses a system of "What You See Is What You Get". This has a couple meanings within the scope of the game. First, it means that when looting something or someone you are limited to only those which you can physically see on the person's body. This is true whether it's another player or an NPC. You won't attack an NPC wielding some powerful magic weapon, only to loot his body and find a different powerful weapon, several, or none. If you could see it, you can loot it. If you didn’t see it or they didn't use it, you likely won't find it.

This also holds true when hunting animals or beasts. The loot that you can attain will be something that would be realistically attainable from the animals body. For example, a giant brown bear will not yield a pair of chain boots. Rather, you would more likely find hide, meat, bones, teeth, or claws.

If you see a character wearing metal armor with a shield and sword and a backpack, they are wearing exactly that. You will not kill them only to find a broken dagger and some cloth armor in their Inventory.

The other important aspect of WYSIWYG is that you can evaluate characters encountered in the wild based on what they're wearing. Because there are no nameplates over NPCs or animals that show their relative level, it'll be up to you to determine if you're up for the challenge. One of the ways you can do that is by glancing at the gear someone is wearing.

If you see someone approaching you on the road in a shirt and pants, leather jacket, and no visible weapon, they're likely to be of little risk to you. On the other hand, if someone approaches wearing a studded leather vest, a rapier, and an off-hand dagger, chances are good they know how to use them.

This system does away with the "infinite space" pocket-dimensional inventory found in many games and introduces a limited inventory system.

## Types of Equipment

Chronicles of Elyria has many different types of wearable equipment. One of the things that makes CoE unique is the way in which it allows or disallows different types of equipment in order to encourage different play styles.

Equipment in Chronicles of Elyria is broken up into several different equipment slots. These are:

* **Head**
	+ Helmets, caps, coifs, and hooded cloaks
* **Face**
	+ Masks and cowls
* **Neck**
	+ Necklaces, cowls, and coifs
* **Torso**
	+ Clothing, armor, and holsters
* **Back**
	+ Backpacks, capes, cloaks, and holsters
* **Arms**
	+ Bracers, gauntlets, bracelets, and bucklers
* **Hands**
	+ Weapons, gauntlets, gloves, knuckles, and rings
* **Waist**
	+ Belts
* **Legs**
	+ Garters, trousers, skirts, and leggings
* **Feet**
	+ Boots and shoes

Different slots can often equip several different types of items. However, the type of item equippable is often constrained by what else is equipped.

For example, hands can have either gauntlets, gloves, or rings, but it is not possible to have all three simultaneously. Furthermore, gauntlets act as both arm and hand items. So if you equip a gauntlet, you fill both item slots.

In addition to the above, the head can have many different things, but if you equip a coif, you can’t wear anything on the neck. Likewise, if you equip a hooded cloak, you can’t put anything on your head. While these combinations may seem arbitrary at first, they serve to identify purpose and functionality. Someone wearing a hooded cloak is likely trying to conceal their identity - not something generally done with a helmet. However, a mask and hooded cloak is completely - acceptable?

 Weapons

* **Brawl**: No weapons, but there are no rules. You may bite ears.
* **One-handed**: You fight with one weapon in one hand.
	+ Axe
	+ Sword
	+ Rapier
	+ Mace
	+ Dagger (Including hidden retractable boot and gauntlet blades)
	+ Spear
* **Two-handed**: Two weapons, two hands? Twice the damage.Two-Handed
	+ Axe
	+ Spear
	+ Sword (Possibly only one hand)
	+ Poleaxe

* **Shields**: This offers total or partial protection from attacks.
	+ Shield
* **Thrown Weapons**: A weapon is sometimes better if thrown (like a chair).
* **Ranged Weapons**: These are the weapons that launch projectiles.
	+ Bows
	+ Wrist-mounted crossbows
* **Siege Weapons**: These are the weapons used to attack fortresses.
	+ Ballista
	+ Battering Ram
	+ Catapult
	+ Trebuchet

## Weapon Components

Weapons are created in different components that define their look: blades, handles/grips, and other requirements. For example, making a Katana would require a curved single edged blade with hidden tang (projection of a blade held by a handle) plus a recipe for a handle wrap and one guard.

## Equipment Layering

In order to customize characters to deal with different climates and occupations, CoE uses a unique layering system for equipment. Certain body parts have the ability to contain multiple different pieces of equipment simultaneously.

To accomplish this each piece of clothing is created as a full piece, and then cut up to support the various combinations of clothing. With different styles and cuts of clothing When wearing multiple layers of clothing together the layers underneath will simply be hidden where they would otherwise cause issues with overdrawing and clipping. This system is still undergoing changes.

* Different sections for equipment layering
* Layered equipment **without** lower layers hidden

This system supports up to three layers, depending on the slot.

* **Layer 1:** This will typically be your clothing, and will be the primary barrier against exposure. If you're in the frozen north, you'll want to choose heavy, thick materials that will keep you warm. If you're in the desert, silk or light linen will serve you much better.

* **Layer 2:** This will be dependent on the activity you are performing or the role you serve. Adventurers will use this to don their primary protective layer such as armor or additional traveling clothes. Those involved with crafting and trade will likely prefer things such as aprons or other profession-based garb that protect from the heat of the forge, getting flour everywhere, or otherwise serve their work. For politicians, your armor is looking respectable and trustworthy, so fine clothes with marks of your station will be the best protection in this layer.

* **Layer 3:** Only a couple areas of the body will have this option. Whether it's available will depend a lot on what else you are wearing. The layer 3 chest slot can house a breastplate, pauldrons, overcoat, or tabard, but may not be compatible with wearing a robe or cloak at the same time. There is also a belt slot which is layer 3 because in can be worn over everything. Belts can have scabbards, sheaths, pouches, or pockets sewn in to various attachment points.

There are also equipment slots for jewelry and some other cosmetic items but these would be hidden below other equipment if you were wearing it. So you might be wearing a ring, but it won't be visible under your gloves (if you are wearing any). It's not necessary to wear equipment in every slot at all times since it is so dependent upon your activity. In that sense, a noble may choose not to wear gloves in court so that all those in attendance can see their signet ring. A hat might not be worn indoors due to local custom.

## Survival

Chronicles of Elyria is unquestionably a survival game. It's designed to make people think about the actions they take in the wild in order to guarantee their survival. The equipment a character has on effects them in many unique ways, completely aside from the obvious need to carry food and water.

### Weight & Fatigue

Up to some maximum amount of weight your character can walk all day without getting tired. But go beyond that and your character will begin to become fatigued. The more weight your character is carrying, the quicker you’ll be forced to rest.

### Sprinting & Movement Speed

Some types of armor may slow your run speed down to a sort of canter and will cause you to become fatigued more quickly while running. The heaviest armor will cause you to become fatigued more quickly while sprinting, or may prevent sprinting altogether.

### Temperature

Players are also effected by the equipment they wear and the current temperature. If it's exceptionally cold out, players would be wise to bundle up with a jacket over their shirt and even consider wearing a cape or cloak to keep warm. The opposite is also true. If it's extremely hot out, wearing multiple layers of clothing, or metal armor could cause you to overheat.

### Weather & Terrain

On a clear day the weather, aside from the temperature, will have little impact on your overall comfort. However, if it's raining out, windy, or foggy, it will have an impact on your rate of movement. Likewise, if there's snow on the ground, or you're trudging along through a muddy swamp, you could become encumbered. The heavier your armor, the more difficult the muddy ground will be to navigate.

### Drowning

Heavy armor sinks in bodies of water due to the weight of the armor and the inflexibility inhibits swimming, drowning in deep ocean waters will result in permadeath.

## Gender & Sizes

In Chronicles of Elyria, one size does not fit all. In fact, the same size may not even fit the opposite gender. In Coe, there's gender-neutral equipment, equipment for men and women, and equipment for the small, medium, and large. Wearing equipment too big for you will make it less effective, and wearing equipment too small may be impossible. Of course, this can be remedied by taking it to an appropriate craftsman and having it resized.

## References

1. ↑ Caspian, DJ #11: Equipment & Inventory, 28 October 2015
2. ↑ Soulbound Studios, CoE Discord channel #Media, 14 July 2018
3. ↑ Snipehunter, CoE Discord tag ##4.4.2018#Weapons#, 4 April 2018
4. ↑ Vye, Production Update: A Sense of Identity - Part II, 29 March 2018
5. ↑ Soulbound Studios, Biome Q&A in brief, 10 January 2017