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[SirHoneyBadger]

I can post videos of Japanese katanas cleaving through steel plate, and steel pipe. They're a little on the cheesy side, but they get the point across--pun intended.

These are cutting, but it's also been proven and demonstrated that arrows could pierce plate.
Even fired from a powerful longbow (note: not a crossbow), it should be fairly obvious from a scientific perspective, that an arrow, at range, won't strike with more power than the arm of the archer themself could produce. 

[Proteus]

Well, Longbow with Arrowswith  Bodkin heads surely could penetrate plate at short range and if hitting at the right angles

[zagibu]

Yeah, maybe there is a small chance that a steel plate is broken, but this probably only happens when the impact vector of the blow is quite parallel to the armor's surface normal, otherwise it would just be deflected. And don't forget we're talking about dwarven armor here, which is much thicker than human armor (at least in my imagination) and of higher quality (even less gaps and cracks).

Back on topic: I've done some preliminary manual testing for marksdwarves, and it doesn't seem to be worth a full analysis, as the results were quite the same as with cc weapons (iron doesn't pierce iron ever, steel pierces iron always, steel never pierces steel, etc.). Also, giant cave spider silk clothing doesn't protect from iron bolts at all.

[Narmio]

Yeah, maybe there is a small chance that a steel plate is broken, but this probably only happens when the impact vector of the blow is quite parallel to the armor's surface normal, otherwise it would just be deflected. And don't forget we're talking about dwarven armor here, which is much thicker than human armor (at least in my imagination) and of higher quality (even less gaps and cracks).

Back on topic: I've done some preliminary manual testing for marksdwarves, and it doesn't seem to be worth a full analysis, as the results were quite the same as with cc weapons (iron doesn't pierce iron ever, steel pierces iron always, steel never pierces steel, etc.). Also, giant cave spider silk clothing doesn't protect from iron bolts at all.

First, I'm not sure I like the rationale "dwarven armour is thicker", because in the game, all armour is the same, regardless of who makes it.  I have no problem with dwarf-made armour *being* thicker, but that would need to be represented somehow.

Also, metals forged by medieval techniques are not uniformly strong.  It takes incredibly precise temperature control, not to mention precision forging, to produce a sheet of metal with no weak spots.  I think this should be represented in-game as the difference between plain quality and masterworked items - the latter should use the RAW material values all the time.  Low quality stuff should use a random number between, to pull numbers out of nowhere, 75% and the full value, each time.  The higher the quality, the closer that range gets to 100%. 

Or, for a more involved system, Toady could write some kind of weak-point checker to strikes.  Where, dependent on attacker weapon skill and defender armour quality, a weak point of the armour can be struck - hitting a joint or under a lame or something.  Then you add armour quality to that on the rationale that better-forged armour has less weak-points by design and more uniform metal quality.  The system could be expanded to allow small-contact-area weapons to do this more often, or to take advantage of weak points more successfully.  But that would require some rather complicated modifications to the layers and parts code, I think.  Let's see what can be done over the next few months by just adjusting materials and weapon values.

[zagibu]

I know that the game does not differentiate between dwarven and any other race's armor, but wouldn't it make sense to do so in the future? I don't really see how a breastplate designed for a dwarf (average height 115 cm or something) would fit a human of height 175 cm.

I agree with your proposals for weak spot checking and armor quality having an influence upon that. I also think Toady has already planned something like it.

[Dwarf]

I can post videos of Japanese katanas cleaving through steel plate, and steel pipe. They're a little on the cheesy side, but they get the point across--pun intended.

These are cutting, but it's also been proven and demonstrated that arrows could pierce plate.
Even fired from a powerful longbow (note: not a crossbow), it should be fairly obvious from a scientific perspective, that an arrow, at range, won't strike with more power than the arm of the archer themself could produce.

Define plate. A katana is not going to slice through it.

Also, head-on arrows may penetrate. You must consider, however, that they are usually shot at a steep angle and thus lose much of their kinetic energy, making them much less damaging to armour.

[Earthquake Damage]

RE katanas

I should think Western weapons and fighting styles were more effective against Western armor than Eastern weapons/styles would have been.  The reason:  They were developed (in tandem with those armors) specifically to defeat them.

This assumes equivalent construction quality and training, of course.

Point:  Katanas have little place in a discussion about Western armor (which we assume DF armor, especially dwarven, is).

[EagleV]

I should think Western weapons and fighting styles were more effective against Western armor than Eastern weapons/styles would have been.  The reason:  They were developed (in tandem with those armors) specifically to defeat them.

True, but you forgot that Western armor was also specifically designed to withstand those weapons... Oh no! It's a vicious circle!

[Earthquake Damage]

True, but you forgot that Western armor was also specifically designed to withstand those weapons... Oh no! It's a vicious circle!

Hence "in tandem with those armors." 

[jokermatt999]

Please folks, let's not get into yet another discussion about what a katana could slice through. This topic was about what weapons in Dwarf Fortress do.

[ZeroGravitas]

Even fired from a powerful longbow (note: not a crossbow), it should be fairly obvious from a scientific perspective, that an arrow, at range, won't strike with more power than the arm of the archer themself could produce.

Yeah, but that's a pretty useless piece of information. Obviously the archer couldn't punch his arm through metal plate, but for one thing the arrow's energy is concentrated into a smaller point of impact; the arrow head is probably significantly harder than the archer's hand, and deforms less; the aerodynamics of arrow flight probably ensure that the arrow is traveling along a more stable vector than if the archer thrust the arrow like a dagger, etc.

[Rolan7]

Obviously the archer couldn't punch his arm through metal plate,

Unless the archer was Ironblood, or Morul, or Cacame, or a carp.

Don't take me seriously, this is a good thread (:

[Qwernt]

I wonder, has anyone done similar research using the trap weapons?  IE, best metal for a spiked ball?

[Reese]

I wonder, has anyone done similar research using the trap weapons?  IE, best metal for a spiked ball?

Unless the trap mechanics have been changed, traps function by making an attack with each of the weapons that is installed in it, so determining the best weapon material should apply equally to trap weapons.  The same principles should apply. (ie: harder metals penetrate better with slashing/piercing, heavier metals penetrate better with bludgeoning)

[zagibu]

I wonder, has anyone done similar research using the trap weapons?  IE, best metal for a spiked ball?

Unless the trap mechanics have been changed, traps function by making an attack with each of the weapons that is installed in it, so determining the best weapon material should apply equally to trap weapons.  The same principles should apply. (ie: harder metals penetrate better with slashing/piercing, heavier metals penetrate better with bludgeoning)

Yeah, it would also have to be manually tested, as you can't set up traps in arena mode, as far as I know.