A suggestion about the standard weapon format

[EliminatorVenom]

I'll contextualize my idea, but to make a tl;dr available: If possible, I'd like to change the Standard Weapon Format to Standard Equipment or Item Format, as to better implement all possible variations of items that may be of interest. I fully understand, however, if such a change is impossible, so at least to bear the idea in consideration. In any case, the idea being accepted or not, would something like, say, a profile for a type of power armor be a Weapon profile? If so, may I add values that are not part of the Standard Format, like a Lifting Strength section, to explain that it can increase the LS of the user?

So, I wanted to make a profile for a certain type of armor/suit used by people within the Hyperion Cantos universe. I was unsure what format I should use, however.

It isn't a mech-suit or anything like that, so I don't think a vehicle profile is warranted. A weapon profile seems most fitting, but the way the format is phrased makes me think that it might not be the best option, as it both lacks the sufficient connotations for something like an exo-suit (which can increase lifting strength, for example, something the standard weapon profile lacks) and the phrasing in itself seems to imply an offensive device, which the suit certainly can be used as, but isn't really the focus. I... really don't think I should use a character profile either. If I had to guess, I'd pick the weapon profile, as there are already suits in the category, albeit the format would be incomplete for the profile's purpoes.

In fact, I decided to study the matter further, and upon checking the Weapons category, I was surprised at how ample the designation for weaponry went.

• Many Vehicles are also considered Weapons, with one good example being the F-14 Tomcat, but, really, this can be seen through the entire category. Which, well, under a certain perspective isn't wrong, but considering our site, most Vehicles would already be Weapons. Heck, even if it's not a strong case, it isn't very hard to argue that even a civillian, normal car can be constituted as a weapon. So, yeah, I just wanted to point out that, in 95% of the cases of all vehicles I've seen on the wiki, any Vehicle is a Weapon too.
• To what degree a weapon is, well, a weapon, or a character profile? Because there's an issue with this, which will be pointed out by using a Warlord-class Titan from Warhammer 40k, but could easily be an EVA from Evangelion: What if said weapon can be controlled by a pilot and mostly function as a vehicle, and may be in fact alive, and if it so chooses, may act out, and have individual, strong, formed personalities, standard ways to fight and behave if not prompted to obey their pilots, much like a character? The Warlord-class Titan treats it as a character, but that would not take into account how it, well, fights.
• Looking more at the Weapon category, there's a lot of things that are... not exactly weapons in most senses of the word. Not that I disapprove them having profiles, mind you - this will tie in with my idea - but they are weapons by only using incredibly loose definitions that could probably apply to anything else. We have cloaks, chess pieces, power sources that, to be fair, can be fully used as weapons, but are not built for combat/warfare exactly (which is extremely common, I mentioned the Chaos Emeralds but, really, it could be the Infinity Gems, the Human SOULs...), summoning tools that are not capable of direct harm, amulets that empower the user but, again, do not cause direct harm upon others, machines that while capable of great power, are really used for terraforming-ish purposes... And the list could go on. Heck, some things are in the Weapons category but do not either use the format nor function like weapons within their verse, like Bloons Tower Defense's Bomb Shooter, which is a unmanned, nonthinking weapon, certainly, but acts exactly like a character in the game and fights/behaves itself automatically. So, really, I'm starting to thing that the format's name might not be the most appropriate.

So, my idea was to change the format's name, and thus the category and those within it, as either Equipment or Items, as those names are far more receptive of more types of things than just weapons. The Weapons category may still exist, but be applied to objects and items built for the intended purpose of combat. I'd also like to know if there's an issue with Vehicles usually overlapping with Weapons. Personally, I'd rather distinguish them more strigently and thus vastly minimize the amount of overlapping, but I understand that might not be feasible and I can see the point being made for many of the cases. In any case, I'd also like to add that, no matter the conclusions reached here, we should add more Optional sections to the Standard Format. Lifting Strength is a very obvious one, as some weapons may have not only feats of resisting pressure/force, but some, like the aforementioned suits, can enhance lifting strength considerably.

I'll try my hardest to not bring subjectivism on this, but please, just to get it out of the way: If you wish to debate that something like a common car is not a weapon, give precise definition of what constitutes as a weapon or not. I cannot argue in favour, against or be neutral for a definition that is not specified. Attempting to discuss something like that without a definition in mind, even if just a suggestion, will force the debate into a discussion of semantics, philosophical and legal definitions, which will derail the purpose of this thread.

If this issue has been already commented upon and debated, I apologize, and the thread may be closed.

 

[DarkDragonMedeus]

I'd still prefer to classify them as weapons, but there are some things that could use tweaking. Speed section should say "Attack speed" rather than "Combat speed" given most weapons aren't sentient with their reactions, and actual combat speed is dependent on the person using them. Melee weapons in general are very tier and speed wielder dependent.

 

[EliminatorVenom]

I agree. The issue, as I see it, is that the definitions of what constitutes as a weapon are very unclear to me, and some of the things accepted as weapons would require more sections to the format.

 

[DarkDragonMedeus]

I would consider things like McGuffin artifacts weapons yeah.

 

[Antvasima]

Should we move this thread to our staff forum?