Hilariously oversized weapons in 3K - did CA go full fantasy?

[Intranetusa]

So we now have a guy (Xu Chu) with a comically large mace the size of his torso, strapped to the end of a polearm. Even if we want to rely on the romanticized novel ROTK, XuChu uses a glaive similar to Guan Yu's guan dao. Only fantasy Dynasty Warriors portrays him with a ridiculously large mace that defies physics.





https://us.v-cdn.net/5022456/uploads...rnijfgsctc.png



Comparisons between Dynasty Warriors and Romance of the Three Kingdoms:


Dynasty Warriors Xu Chu:


https://vignette4.wikia.nocookie.net...20090507202005


2008 Romance of the Three Kingdoms Xu Chu:


https://us.v-cdn.net/5022456/uploads...jx8zqlum0g.jpg


The Xu Chu screenshot is taken from the CA E3 developer interview with Al Bickham:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFQHDRXiyfM

[zoner16]

IIRC, in the records, he uses a halberd.

He doesn't. The Records don't mention any weapon that he used.

It's rather amusing because it really likes talking about Dian Wei's (Cao Cao's other famous bodyguard) weapons.

EDIT: Hey, they put Dian Wei in there too:



https://imgur.com/a/Jtt6Gci

They even gave him his historical weapons from the Records. They're correctly sized too. Why'd they have to give Xu Chu that stupid thing if they were perfectly capable of putting decent stuff in.

[SturmChurro]

Wait... wait.. is that an actual screenshot from 3k?

[Intranetusa]

He doesn't. The Records don't mention any weapon that he used.
It's rather amusing because it really likes talking about Dian Wei's (Cao Cao's other famous bodyguard) weapons.
EDIT: Hey, they put Dian Wei in there too:
https://imgur.com/a/Jtt6Gci
They even gave him his historical weapons from the Records. They're correctly sized too. Why'd they have to give Xu Chu that stupid thing if they were perfectly capable of putting decent stuff in.

You are right. I've revised it.

You're right about Dian Wei. It seems like they are alternating between records, Romance, and full blown fantasy Dynasty Warriors here...

Wait... wait.. is that an actual screenshot from 3k?

Unfortunately, yes.
The Xu Chu screenshot is taken from the CA E3 developer interview with Al Bickham:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFQHDRXiyfM

[druchii7]

Again no features related to classic mod at all. Again seems like there'll be no relevant evolution on battle/campaign mechanics apparat from the non historical/fantasy features.

Even the visual aspect shows Warhammer like weapons... That mace would weigh over 100 if that's solid steel.

[Intranetusa]

Again no features related to classic mod at all. Again seems like there'll be no relevant evolution on battle/campaign mechanics apparat from the non historical/fantasy features.

Even the visual aspect shows Warhammer like weapons... That mace would weigh over 100 if that's solid steel.

One cubic feet of iron weighs close to 500 pounds. That thing looks like it is around one cubic feet or more. The weapon is basically physics defying.

[SturmChurro]

Unfortunately, yes.
The Xu Chu screenshot is taken from the CA E3 developer interview with Al Bickham:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFQHDRXiyfM

It looks like it's from a game from 10+ years ago. Maybe it's just in very low?. It looks awful, and I'm not talking about the picture quality look at the grass and the ground textures. Why would they even show that off?

One cubic feet of iron weighs close to 500 pounds. That thing looks like it is around one cubic feet or more. The weapon is basically physics defying.

He is wielding it ONE-HANDED! On a horse!

It looks like a rebar club from New Vegas.... that super mutants use.

[perifanosEllinas]

Hilariously oversized weapons in 3K - did CA go full fantasy?

Apparently, it did.

[Theramines]

One cubic feet of iron weighs close to 500 pounds. That thing looks like it is around one cubic feet or more. The weapon is basically physics defying

I know you've been looking forward to this title, Intranetuser. I feel bad for you. I hope modders are able to salvage something from the wreckage.

[RGA]

It's called Chui, a typical Chinese type of mace. I saw quite a few both in museums as well as replicas displayed in pagodas, though the weapon head is rather a smooth globe than this sadistic abomination All of them are hollow so not like you have to lift hundreds of pounds of pig iron, but it's still quite heavy. I remember seeing an interview with an old man parading such weapon through the village's festival, in which he said that his replica weighted about 20kg and only legendary warriors could use it

Again, too early to judge anything at the moment. It could be just a rare item exclusively available to Xu Chu. Also, let's not forget that Rome I's pikemen hold their sarissa perfectly level by holding it at the very end with their right hand

[Intranetusa]

It's called Chui, a typical Chinese type of mace. I saw quite a few both in museums as well as replicas displayed in pagodas, though the weapon head is rather a smooth globe than this sadistic abomination All of them are hollow so not like you have to lift hundreds of pounds of pig iron, but it's still quite heavy. I remember seeing an interview with an old man parading such weapon through the village's festival, in which he said that his replica weighted about 20kg and only legendary warriors could use it

Again, too early to judge anything at the moment. It could be just a rare item exclusively available to Xu Chu. Also, let's not forget that Rome I's pikemen hold their sarissa perfectly level by holding it at the very end with their right hand

The chui is much smaller though. It's typically the size of a baseball. Even the larger hollow chuis depicted in art and opera (even the big ones portrayed as wielded by demons) are still much smaller - maybe the size of a person's head. This abomination is bigger than a large man's torso.

Also, if the 40lb chuis are anything like the Song to Ming Dynasty guan daos, then the heavier ones were just training tools and used for feats of strength (there were like 6-10? different weights of guan dao used for training). The actual combat weapons would have been much lighter.

Rome 1 sarissa was more of a rendering/animation issue - the devs didn't purposely make it look comically absurd like they are doing here.

[Intranetusa]

I know you've been looking forward to this title, Intranetuser. I feel bad for you. I hope modders are able to salvage something from the wreckage.

Thanks.
Hopefully, the folks from Europa Barbarorum can salvage this and inspired CA to copy off them for the next game like Europa Barbarorum did with Rome 2.

[musketer]

Maybe he just caught a naval mine with a harpoon?

[Evan MF]

Wouldn't be out of place in Total War: Warhammer.

[RGA]

Chinese weapons, especially those depicted in arts or used for ceremony purpose could be ridiculously big. Above is a painting of Qin Ming, a classic character from the roman Water Margin (painted by the Japanese artist Utagawa Kuniyoshi, curiously). You can clearly see behind him a ernomous Chui.

My point is not that this weapon is realistic. It's not, by any means. My point is that this weapon is plausible in East Asian culture. As CA said it themselves, TW3K should aim not only for historical authenticity but also cultural authenticity. They design the game with Chinese market in mind, where a lot of people firmly believe that oversized chui used in combat is a real deal. Before you call them stupid, let's not forget that 99 out of 100 people would also think horned Teutonic Great Helm was a thing. It wasn't.

[Intranetusa]

Chinese weapons, especially those depicted in arts or used for ceremony purpose could be ridiculously big. Above is a painting of Qin Ming, a classic character from the roman Water Margin (painted by the Japanese artist Utagawa Kuniyoshi, curiously). You can clearly see behind him a ernomous Chui.

My point is not that this weapon is realistic. It's not, by any means. My point is that this weapon is plausible in East Asian culture. As CA said it themselves, TW3K should aim not only for historical authenticity but also cultural authenticity. They design the game with Chinese market in mind, where a lot of people firmly believe that oversized chui used in combat is a real deal. Before you call them stupid, let's not forget that 99 out of 100 people would also think horned Teutonic Great Helm was a thing. It wasn't.

What they have here does not resemble any Chinese hammers or maces - not even the big fantasy versions. They decided to make a comically gigantic European mace with spikes that looks like a naval mine. As mentioned by someone earlier, the odd proportions makes it look like a concrete-rebar hammer used by 10+ foot tall supermutants from Fallout. This thing is neither historically authentic nor culturally authentic.

The Romance of the Three Kingdoms novel portrays Xu Chu with a glaive/da dao/guan dao. If CA was really trying to go for cultural authenticity, then the guy would have a guan dao/glaive.

[SturmChurro]

What they have here does not resemble any Chinese hammers or maces - not even the big fantasy versions. They decided to make a comically gigantic European mace with spikes that looks like a naval mine. As mentioned by someone earlier, the odd proportions makes it look like a concrete-rebar hammer used by 10+ foot tall supermutants from Fallout. This thing is neither historically authentic nor culturally authentic.

It doesn't even look cool.

[RGA]

What they have here does not resemble any Chinese hammers or maces - not even the big fantasy versions. They decided to make a comically gigantic European mace with spikes that looks like a naval mine. As mentioned by someone earlier, the odd proportions makes it look like a concrete-rebar hammer used by 10+ foot tall supermutants from Fallout. This thing is neither historically authentic nor culturally authentic.

The Romance of the Three Kingdoms novel portrays Xu Chu with a glaive/da dao/guan dao. If CA was really trying to go for cultural authenticity, then the guy would have a guan dao/glaive.

I though we are discussing about the SIZE of the weapon, not its design. I personally don't like this design either.

[Intranetusa]

I though we are discussing about the SIZE of the weapon, not its design. I personally don't like this design either.

Both. The size is ridiculous and looks like something used by giants from Warhammer. The design is ridiculous and doesn't look like anything remotely resembling Chinese weapons.

[Daruwind]

Wouldn't be out of place in Total War: Warhammer.

Both. The size is ridiculous and looks like something used by giants from Warhammer. The design is ridiculous and doesn't look like anything remotely resembling Chinese weapons.

Nah, in WH we use big guys for big weapons. Why remove half the fun? I would just remind you that it could easily be unique item for him in Romance mode which won´t be available in Classic mode as the trailer and everything are from the Romance mode.. This is one very possible scenario here.

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