For what it is worth... I have worn an EP IV Stormtrooper before and honestly, am not a fan. Getting to wear the First Order Stormtrooper was quite the experience and here are my findings:
1) It will be quite the feat to dress yourself, if not entirely impossible.
2) The legs being connected at the knee DOES somewhat restrict free movement (you can't take a knee, you can't get up stairs easily, etc), BUT if you space them correctly, I actually like them better than Ep IV legs. They do not twist. there is never an issue with the shins. They feel more a part of your body. I endlessly adjusted my Ep IV legs and they just never seemed to work quite right or were ever comfortable. You give up some freedom of movement, but these don't have those other issues.
3) The body sits more comfortably and more uniformly. Since the body is essentially one piece, it doesn't shift much and it never seems to pinch or bite you in the crotch... in fact the buttplate and cod plate are designed much better, work better and function as one would expect.. AND, most importantly, the cod can easily come off to go to the restroom!
4) The belt is very hard to close, but does a great job of helping you suck it in and making you look the part... much moreso than an EP IV trooper.
5) The arms... suck. I just don't know how else to say it. The gaskets between the shoulder and the bicep is a huge limiter to your movement and looks great, but is a constant pain. The gaskets at the elbow are also a pain. The detail on the inside of the forearms is cumbersome and also limits your movement a bit. There is very little I like about them.
6) Back and chest are pretty cool. I love the way they go together much more than the originals but they are so wide that when you couple them with the arms, they restrict movement to the point that it is VERY VERY hard to even take your own helmet off and would make it all but impossible to put your own helmet on. It is really nice that you can easily take the chest off to get a little air.
7) Gloves are a billion times better than Ep IV gloves.
8) Did I mention I hate the arms?
9) The helmet is great. Because of the duck bill you can't see down at all, but since the lenses are one piece and not nearly as bubbled, you have MUCH better visibility overall. Unfortunately, because how far you have to pull the front of your helmet down, when you turn your head, you hit it on your shoulder.
The gaskets are the weakest point of this costume, but it also helps to create a MUCH more consistant look between costumers. You all tend to look the same, which is the point. While I will always have a warm place for Ep IV armor, I think this update is a great one for both movie lovers and costumers and I know I'll be getting a set for myself (while I'll likely never have a set of Ep IV armor.
1) It will be quite the feat to dress yourself, if not entirely impossible.
2) The legs being connected at the knee DOES somewhat restrict free movement (you can't take a knee, you can't get up stairs easily, etc), BUT if you space them correctly, I actually like them better than Ep IV legs. They do not twist. there is never an issue with the shins. They feel more a part of your body. I endlessly adjusted my Ep IV legs and they just never seemed to work quite right or were ever comfortable. You give up some freedom of movement, but these don't have those other issues.
3) The body sits more comfortably and more uniformly. Since the body is essentially one piece, it doesn't shift much and it never seems to pinch or bite you in the crotch... in fact the buttplate and cod plate are designed much better, work better and function as one would expect.. AND, most importantly, the cod can easily come off to go to the restroom!
4) The belt is very hard to close, but does a great job of helping you suck it in and making you look the part... much moreso than an EP IV trooper.
5) The arms... suck. I just don't know how else to say it. The gaskets between the shoulder and the bicep is a huge limiter to your movement and looks great, but is a constant pain. The gaskets at the elbow are also a pain. The detail on the inside of the forearms is cumbersome and also limits your movement a bit. There is very little I like about them.
6) Back and chest are pretty cool. I love the way they go together much more than the originals but they are so wide that when you couple them with the arms, they restrict movement to the point that it is VERY VERY hard to even take your own helmet off and would make it all but impossible to put your own helmet on. It is really nice that you can easily take the chest off to get a little air.
7) Gloves are a billion times better than Ep IV gloves.
8) Did I mention I hate the arms?
9) The helmet is great. Because of the duck bill you can't see down at all, but since the lenses are one piece and not nearly as bubbled, you have MUCH better visibility overall. Unfortunately, because how far you have to pull the front of your helmet down, when you turn your head, you hit it on your shoulder.
The gaskets are the weakest point of this costume, but it also helps to create a MUCH more consistant look between costumers. You all tend to look the same, which is the point. While I will always have a warm place for Ep IV armor, I think this update is a great one for both movie lovers and costumers and I know I'll be getting a set for myself (while I'll likely never have a set of Ep IV armor.
