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I remember in the Shorin Ryu Bushido I studied we were taught how to use a katana both one-handed and two-handed (one-handed in the reverse hand style, much like how you would use a wakizashi and two-handed in the forward hand style). In both methods, depending on the way you used the blade your speed and accuracy weren't much different, the only difference was the change in power. A katana was designed to be a light, well-balanced weapon that had the versatility of being used with a wakizashi or by itself. I don't remember Samurais making much use of shields, but I know in Bushido we focused more on parrying and blocking with the weapon rather than working around a cumbersome shield, which is why you had the smaller, lighter wakizashi in your off-hand to aid in parrying and blocking. Then again, I think there should also be less of a "Samurai" influence in the game, since it seems to be the only real way of life actually taken from RL (and the Bushido teachings should be removed from the Fist entirely and reverted to a more Wu Shu based teaching or at the most stretch, Kung Fu, considering Bushido is a weapon-based style as opposed to a closed fist style, but that's an argument for a different forum that I likely won't win).
On the notes of Kung Fu, especially with the consideration of Chinese Broadswords (which are strikingly similar to cutlasses and scimitars with a few subtle differences) and the completely unmentioned Chinese Straight Sword (also referred to as a Tai Chi sword, since it's the style it's most associated with) I believe more consideration should be given to these weapons, because a light, well-balanced weapon in the hands of a fluid individual will hold significantly greater accomplishment over an individual with a large, two-handed sword. Not to say that one will always win over the other, because it's all about the style of the individual, but this argument of the Scottsman over the Chinaman is bunk in my opinion because SK doesn't base itself off the refinement of a person's particular style (which SK doesn't have the code capacity to take into account, or would be the most beautiful and dynamic game ever if it did).
Staffs in the game are far too underpowered and not given nearly the credit they're due. I know of several techniques using a simple wooden staff that will easily parry a sword stab/slice and strike an individual in the same motion, similar to how a riposte would work. I know that with a jo ( this is the other stupid thing, jo is the Japanese word for staff and putting staff after it is just plain redundant, either take the jo or staff part out) I can utterly devastate someone with a single sword in his hand by simply utilizing the functions of the staff. Have you ever seen someone fluidly maneuver a staff around their body? If I still had my digicam, I'd upload some videos of my use with one and show you the variations of movements that can be used in combat. If I ever got my hands on a lightweight staff made of a durable metal, I would definitely be a scary force to be reckoned with (but such a thing is not practical/doesn't even exist IRL, which is why we're talking SK and not RL). And whoever says they'd take a sharp weapon over a blunt weapon anyday is a fool and doesn't know the first thing about combat, because being struck properly with a blunt weapon will do just as much damage as a properly placed slice.
The root problem, though, isn't the weapon subtypes really, but how they're actually used. A kama ingame as it stands has one basic function when you see the text roll across the screen, it simply slices some part of the opponent's body. A kama IRL will do as someone said, if you strike toward the base of the blade, it will likely get lodged in your opponent if not sharp enough, but, with the way it's also designed with the curved blade, it's easy to dislodge and sever what it's lodged into (which is why it's used as a farming implement to cut things). If you want to put a realistic weapon, such as a kama, in the game you can't have it based on a simple weapon scale of accuracy/damage/speed because then you can lump them all into one group and compare them all to each other (which is exactly what's in SK). A fourth factor really needs to go in based on the style the player wants to use with their weapon. There really needs to be a style skill or something, similar to specialize which allows a person to choose from several ways to USE their weapon rather than just picking a weapon and being done with it. It would add a significantly greater dynamic and customization to the game as opposed to what's currently there. You could have style <fluid> or style <rigid> or something along those lines, where a fluid character would parry and dodge better, but do less damage overall compared to a rigid style that would do more damage but take the hit of less movement/parrying (and no, this isn't anything like stance, stance would be in addition to stye). You could add style to all the melee classes and that would allow them to better choose what weapon subtype they really want as their style would affect the use of whatever weapon subtype they choose.
The major problem with this thread is there are a few people arguing alot about weapons when they have absolutely no clue how they're actually used, other than what they've read about/seen in motion pictures. Those posts really need to be removed and it needs to get back on topic about the actual weapon subtypes in the game because the thread got about 20 posts too long between Yana and Rial at each other's throats about the difference between a katana and claymore. I know I'm just now stepping up with my two cents, but please leave the arguments up to the people who've actually used the weapons as opposed to gamer geeks who think they even have a clue.[/u]
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