Brass goggles meets Middle Earth...

[Mina]

... or how to steampunk a medieval hunter's costume.
I pretty much had the idea to take my character in Lord of the Rings Online (an elf hunter) and steampunk her because I thought it'd be pretty nifty (after I posted the idea in a reply to a post over on the steamfashion livejournal page).

Anyway, I was wondering how I might go about doing this. I've already drawn a rough sketch of what I'd like. It includes leather vambraces, pauldrons, crossbow, a hooded corset-vest, heavy boots, and cargo pants/leggings with bustle, but at this point it just looks like Link on a bad day. So if anyone has any ideas, here's the place for you to write them down.

Also, this is not the place for you to decide whether or not you think steampunk and fantasy go together. I personally have no problems with combining the two, and I will do so. I would just like some advice on how to go about it.

[Atterton]

Have you ever looked at the computer game Arcanum?

[Mina]

no, but I guess I'll just have to go take a peek now that you've mentioned it

[costumemercenary]

Not to reopen the debate on "what is.." but, I think it does depend on if you're intending to move the "hunter elf" part to a Victorian Steampunk setting or if you want to keep the medieval (and thus be arcanepunk or whatever it's calling itself this week).

Also on budget. I've got my mind stuck on the idea of some sort of clockwork crossbow, which isn't going to be cheap or easy to build.

You mention a bustle and a corset so that sounds to me that you're going for the Victorian route.
On a random clicking fest I found this picture of a long coat that is promising in terms of steampunk.

Looking at the LotR ranger costumes from the film, I'm noting a lot of lacing as decoration/fitting down the front and side of the tunic) and to me, that's sort of the "buckle" of arcanepunk. The fastening to overdo and use decoratively. Perhaps replacing some of those smooth V lines with cog arc edges (using it as a design motif... it's not any more odd than using the leaf motif on everything)?

Oh, and there's probably some potential in drawing inspiration from Assassin's Creed II's half-cape and daggers-in-bracers look.

Hmm... brains seems to be melting. That's some ideas. Most of them not compatible with each other. Goodness debateable.

[Atterton]

Mercenary: In the movie Gladiator there´s a "crossbow uzi" as they call it, able to shoot four bolts in one go. You could look at that for inspiration for your clockwork crossbow.

As for the original post, I should think it gets a bit complicated since many of us probably have no idea what can and can´t be done within your computer game.

[Pike]

Caveat that I'm really bad with costuming/fashion/that sort of thing... and I am not particularly knowledgeable on fantasy/LotR...

...but if this were my project I think I'd go for a primarily steampunk look and then layer the fantasy on top-- a steampunk costume with one of those Robin Hood-esque hooded cloaks on top, for example.

I do like the aforementioned idea of a crossbow with a clockwork look, but if it were me (and I had the time/money/skill), I would consider ditching the crossbow altogether and go for a gun-- something akin to Doc Brown's rifle in BttF 3, or what you would find in World of Warcraft:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Doc Brown's Rifle:



Pictures of a figurine of my World of Warcraft character (Night Elf Hunter) with a rifle.  I think it looks good, that may just be me, however... 

I agree that this will be a bit of a fine line to dance along without it coming off like "Link on a bad day", as you said; my own inkling would be to lean mostly to one side in order to avoid just looking like a mishmash... do you want mostly fantasy, with some steampunk elements?  Or mostly steampunk, with some fantasy elements?

Either way I'm interested to see how this turns out, so keep us posted!

[Mr. Hatchett]

The two most obvious routes are optics and ballistics.  Swap out the crossbow for a fancy slug thrower and strap on some sort of long range crystal optic eyepiece.  For inspiration you might see DaVinci's sketches, World of Warcraft (their Dun Morogh guards are basically dwarfish rangers with shotguns,) or the Eberron D&D game setting.

[akumabito]

Mercenary: In the movie Gladiator there´s a "crossbow uzi" as they call it, able to shoot four bolts in one go. You could look at that for inspiration for your clockwork crossbow.

Last pic on this site: http://www.zorgltd.co.uk/pages/gallery.htm#thumb <-- those are the folks that built it..

[Mina]

As for the original post, I should think it gets a bit complicated since many of us probably have no idea what can and can´t be done within your computer game.

This won't be for in-game, just a costume for my own purposes, probably LARP and cons.

Thanks everyone for the ideas so far. I like the Assassin's Creed pic.

Just because it's my first love in life, I think I'd prefer to keep it mainly fantasy, with steampunk overtones, but at this point I'm open to anything. Something I've heard a LOT in relation to building steampunk outfits is 'start Victorian, and add on from there', so I'm going to give it a shot, but instead I'll start medieval/fantasy, and add on the Victorian/steampunk stuff once I've got a base to work off.

I'm playing around with my initial design in GIMP, and once it's a bit more refined, I'll post a pic.

[Mr. Boltneck]

One other source for reference images might come from the fact that the Victorians were absolutely in love with the Middle Ages, and left a vast legacy of paintings, engravings, illustrations, and authoritative writing, much of it, by modern standards, hilariously wrong. Still, it gives you a good running visual start at how mediaeval costume looked to the (often Romantically inclined) 19th Century. Every era tends to distort the real or imagined past into its own image, in one way or another (Jackson's LOTR bringing us such concepts as Aragorn's rather nifty leather duster and Legolas, the extreme-sports elf) and the Victorians did it with style.

[Mechanic]

I met someone last month who is working on steam-fey. The basic inspiration is what would the fairy folk do with all the bits and pieces that drop off airships and passing steam carriages. Go the same route with elves.

At short ranges, a longbow was faster and as deadly as a muzzle loading rifle and could give a single shot breach loader a good run for its money, so no need to lose the bow. A cross bow would benefit from some sort of mechanization - perhaps steam cocking. The repeating crossbow http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Repeating_crossbow is another option for steaming up and appears to be somewhat period - see the Sino-Japanese war reference.

Bakshi's Wizards http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wizards_%28film%29 may also be an interesting reference for you. The natural world has been destroyed and the Elves are forced to fall back on tech or perish. I have always found the female fighter from the refinery compound in The Road Warrior http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mad_Max_2 somewhat post apocalyptic fey looking

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

She may be a source of inspiration.

Looking forward to seeing what you come up with

[Mina]

So I have two designs that I came up with, and I like them both a lot. The first one (my initial design) has received unanimous approval from my family, but I think the second one is a bit more steampunk. So I guess the only thing to do is show you good folks the sketches and see what you have to say.

(pay no attention to the poor quality of the weapons, my forte is clothing)

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

the color of the corset vest will probably end up being the same as the vest in the first pic, I just couldn't get it quite that light in a reasonable amount of time.

[Pike]

So I have two designs that I came up with, and I like them both a lot. The first one (my initial design) has received unanimous approval from my family, but I think the second one is a bit more steampunk. So I guess the only thing to do is show you good folks the sketches and see what you have to say.

(pay no attention to the poor quality of the weapons, my forte is clothing)

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

the color of the corset vest will probably end up being the same as the vest in the first pic, I just couldn't get it quite that light in a reasonable amount of time.

I would have to say I am leaning more toward the second design as more recognizably "corset" and thus more recognizably "steamy"... the first one appears to be more generic fantasy to me, unless I knew what I was looking for.

I think you have a good start there, throw in a steampunk'd crossbow and maybe a few other details and I'd say you'd be pretty close to the mark. 

[Mr. Hatchett]

I'm with your family.  While I must confess that I've never worn a corset, I think the first draft would be more practical attire for hunting unless you're specifically after boars, and the corset is armored, in which case you'd want a different set of weapons (probably a lugged spear and a long knife).

[Atterton]

Don´t most corsets keep you from bending over? It would be a real shame if you´re out hunting and you have to go home again because you accidentally dropped your bow and you can´t bend down to pick it up.

[Mina]

I've already decided that the corset will have no boning, so flexibility shouldn't be an issue.

I'm still refining my sketch, it will probably be a while until I have something that I absolutely love.

... and strap on some sort of long range crystal optic eyepiece.

That would be unnecessary as elves have extraordinarily keen eyesight

[Atterton]

If you´re making an actual costume, I would suggest a foldable telescope. I saw one for sale on the internet once, but can´t find it. It was a kind of leather tube, with a small lens at one end and at the other a larger lens. When folded, the large leather lens would be laying horizontally inside the flat tube. It managed to look quite well like advanced medieval technology. Here is a more modern version of it:

[Reverend Panic]

If you´re making an actual costume, I would suggest a foldable telescope. I saw one for sale on the internet once, but can´t find it. It was a kind of leather tube, with a small lens at one end and at the other a larger lens. When folded, the large leather lens would be laying horizontally inside the flat tube. It managed to look quite well like advanced medieval technology. Here is a more modern version of it:

http://www.steampunkemporium.com/store/steam_accessories.php here's a shop selling those ones and the binocular version :3

[Atterton]

It was the leather version that looked medieval though.

[Mina]

So here's another sketch, all I really did was change the colors and add a few small details (rivets, gear detailing and such)

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

as for weapons, I'm thinking of maybe a compound bow instead of a crossbow, and a bastardsword as well. This picture was helpful inspiration for that decision

a foldable telescope sounds awesome. there's going to be various little bits and bobs that one would need on a hunting expedition hanging from the belts, I just may include that among them.

[Thistle]

I love the bow idea.  (I`m an archer so am biased though )
Would you wrap the limbs in anything? The sketch suggest leather?

[psychichazard]

I can imagine huge aesthetic potential in a compound bow. I usually shoot my self-made long bow in the field, and use very low draw weight bows for Larp. A kids compound bow might be safe and cheap enough for this. Good luck!

[akumabito]

I was just wondering about the double bow as used by Tsu'tey in the movie Avatar.. I couldn't find a decent pic of it, but this toy uses the same type of bow:



Is it based on a real design, or is it just movie goodness?

[psychichazard]

No, that's just movie badness. It wouldn't work well, possibly not at all.

[Narsil]

Yeah a double bow doesn't achieve much that I can see. Making bows with greater draw weights isn;t really a problem and a bow's power is only really limited by the strength and skill of the user (apart from crossbows).

The clever bit of bow technology is making the best use of the stored energy. Ideally you want the greatest force applied to the arrow just as it leaves the string, which is what compound bows attempt to achieve with cams and pulleys. This means that the bow is transferring energy to the arrow over the whole length of the release  and there is much less tension for the archer to hold while aiming.