The option NOT to dual wield one-handed weapons

In many MMO:s one-handed weapons are exclusivly balanced to only work with another paired option. For example a shield, tome, wand or another one-handed weapon.

I would like to see this changed so that we atleast have the option not to do this without getting hurt by doing so.

Having a single one-handed weapon with no offhand offers great fantasy options for those who love this style. It is also appreciated by players who like a more realistic approach to bladed combat.

Gameplay wise a free hand offers many advantages. You open up the ability to use quick one-handed spells. You also have a free hand for martial moves like grabbing and punching. You could also use your second hand to use special potions or tools like granades or grappling hooks etc. These are just random suggestions but you get my point.

A character only using a single one handed sword has a completly different feel and fantasy in contrast to a dual-wielding character. And this is important to some people.

How can this be implemented smoothly?
If a selected few classes (for example rogue+warrior) get designed around this gear setup, the problem is solved.

Are there any problems with this?
At first glance, yes. Items in MMO grants stats. That means that a character wearing 2 items as weapons
(sword+sword, sword+shield etc) will have a stat advantage.

To counter this, classes that specialize in this path could get buffs or bonuses for not wearing an offhand or two-hand.

What do you think? Would you like to see, or have the option for a few classes, or a single one, to be able to only weild one-handeds without an offhand?

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Comments

Caeryl

I’d like to see this as an option for a proper duelist, either as system to augment any one-handed weapon abilities (possibly in a Military mode or as part of a Thieve’s Guild) or class specific mechanics for melee-based classes like warrior and rogue.

I’d lean more toward an augment style since weapon types aren’t class locked.

WizardTim

Historically, 2 hands. 2 Weapons. Or both hands on one weapon.

There's virtually no tactical advantage you'd gain by purposely keeping one hand unarmed. Even duelists would rather have a buckler or dirk in the off-hand rather than go completely unarmed. Hell even a coat or cloak to tangle your opponent's sword with was preferable to unarmed.

If you needed to strike your opponent, stabby with a dirk or smashy with the guard works better than your bare fist, and if you needed to grapple or grab, drop the weapon in your off hand.

That being said, yes there were HEMA dueling styles that focused on one handed swords and unarmed off hand. It was more or less a given that you'd either lose your off hand weapon, or sometimes duels just required one weapon for the sake of etiquette.

For spells... I'm not sure that's how AoC will be doing those types of things.

ataulfos

in logical terms use 1 weapon instead of 2 make them ligth so would be amazing to see a speed buff for those one handed playstyles focused more on evasion and quick speels like a duelist with one long and thin sword or even a rogue with acrobatics and fast animations, that way there would be a diference between the 2 options, even magic could be faster with this kind of setup leting ppl make more stuff in less time instead of maintain a rotation or something like that

George_Black

This fighting style doesnt fit in the environment of mmorpgs I am sad to say so, since one of ny favourite stories are the D'Artagnan Romances (3 musketeers).

Rapiers and light swords were a renaissance weapon. That period doesnt fit well with fantasy.

Anyways, nothing should be impossible, but a 1 sword fighter would have to drain ideas from other melee classes.

Maybe the best way would be a 1 sword fighter with magical powers (no orb, no tome, no second weapon).
Melee ranged with a tiny bit reach.

Noaani

wolfwood82 wrote: »

Historically, 2 hands. 2 Weapons. Or both hands on one weapon.

There's virtually no tactical advantage you'd gain by purposely keeping one hand unarmed. Even duelists would rather have a buckler or dirk in the off-hand rather than go completely unarmed. Hell even a coat or cloak to tangle your opponent's sword with was preferable to unarmed.

This only applies to situations that could be considered formal combat - whether that is a one on one duel, or an all out war.

In more brawling/hooliganism type situations - as well as any kind of situation where you wish to conceal the fact that you are prepared for a fight - a single smaller weapon has always been (and remains today) the weapon of choice.

I'd be all for a class having the option to equip a single one handed weapon. It isn't hard to compensate the character for the stats, and as a playstyle it is somewhat more realistic than many of the melee playstyles that most MMORPG's make use of.

Wandering Mist

I always find it amusing when people talk about realism and then quote a bunch of historical inaccuracies that have no place outside Hollywood.

Oh and on a side note if you wanted realistic combat you'd need to take out dodgerolling and swinging 2-handed weapons around like they are made of paper....

afar

I like this idea. If any of You ever played Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic (kotor) considered an best rpg ever, there was an option to one wield and it was done in a pretty nice way. I didn't really understood that back then so still used both weapons, but when final boss used only one weapon and kicked my ass every time, and i had to beat him also with one weapon (wasn't needed but turned out to be easier for me), i got an absolute... positive bias? for one handed weapons. Like when we played with wooden swords (i was a kid when i won this game) i told every friend how single wielding is OP

Krim L

This has actually been asked before, and it is something they plan to implement.

Q: Will there be advantages to using a one hander without a shield?
A: That will be something you build towards, there will be passives and stuff that will promote certain fighting styles.

Source: Sept. 27th, 2019 livestream https://ashespost.com/9-27-19-livestream-transcript/

Edit: Link with the time stamp to the question

https://youtu.be/pQIH2YGfknY?t=4633

Nagash

skearnz wrote: »

i hope they add a gauntlet that smiths can make into weaponry, like a clawed gauntlet:D
having a onehanded weapon build sounds great but also being able to punch sounds amazing with the open hand sounds great to:3

Ishka

Well, I like the idea of having a single one handed weapon that gives options for the free hand, since it is balanced by the "lack of stats" from an absent weapon.

Regarding the spells, do you think the "one handed user" can move while casting ? Some spells require a casting time that immobilizes you, or some are instantaneous. Wouldn't it limit the player in terms of the range of spells he can use since he needs to be mobile and in melee range to hit ? I can't think of any strengths in it except "magical/elements buffs" maybe.

Marzzo

wolfwood82 wrote: »

Historically, 2 hands. 2 Weapons. Or both hands on one weapon.

There's virtually no tactical advantage you'd gain by purposely keeping one hand unarmed. Even duelists would rather have a buckler or dirk in the off-hand rather than go completely unarmed. Hell even a coat or cloak to tangle your opponent's sword with was preferable to unarmed.

If you needed to strike your opponent, stabby with a dirk or smashy with the guard works better than your bare fist, and if you needed to grapple or grab, drop the weapon in your off hand.

That being said, yes there were HEMA dueling styles that focused on one handed swords and unarmed off hand. It was more or less a given that you'd either lose your off hand weapon, or sometimes duels just required one weapon for the sake of etiquette.

For spells... I'm not sure that's how AoC will be doing those types of things.

Well. The buckler is a good choice. But some duelists do choose not to use a dirk or buckler. I hope they offer us some of the things you recommended.

Marzzo

George Black wrote: »

This fighting style doesnt fit in the environment of mmorpgs I am sad to say so, since one of ny favourite stories are the D'Artagnan Romances (3 musketeers).

Rapiers and light swords were a renaissance weapon. That period doesnt fit well with fantasy.

Anyways, nothing should be impossible, but a 1 sword fighter would have to drain ideas from other melee classes.

Maybe the best way would be a 1 sword fighter with magical powers (no orb, no tome, no second weapon).
Melee ranged with a tiny bit reach.

Indeed. I imagine the spells would complement this kind of fantasy good. My inspiration would be fiora from league of legends if you know who that is.

Marzzo

Wandering Mist wrote: »

I always find it amusing when people talk about realism and then quote a bunch of historical inaccuracies that have no place outside Hollywood.

Oh and on a side note if you wanted realistic combat you'd need to take out dodgerolling and swinging 2-handed weapons around like they are made of paper....

Realism was one point i made. I made several for all different kinds of people. I personally love the fantasy about focusing on 1 single light blade and leaving my other arm open for spells or martial arts. I dont really care about realism, but some do.

If we dont care about realism, we would not be against insanely large weapons that are 3-4x the size of your character. But the reason that would look stupid is becuase it deters to much from realism.

Marzzo

Ishka wrote: »

Well, I like the idea of having a single one handed weapon that gives options for the free hand, since it is balanced by the "lack of stats" from an absent weapon.

Regarding the spells, do you think the "one handed user" can move while casting ? Some spells require a casting time that immobilizes you, or some are instantaneous. Wouldn't it limit the player in terms of the range of spells he can use since he needs to be mobile and in melee range to hit ? I can't think of any strengths in it except "magical/elements buffs" maybe.

I imagine some spells require you to be stationary and focus, while other are more of a rutine move, maybe it slows u down for half a sec or something.

Maybe in witcher style like geralt uses.

ataulfos

would be nice if one hand oriented characters are more agile oriented for like lower cooldown on dashes and skills with no cast time or cast time in movement, that way the 1 hand rogues could be more acrobatic allowing characters to use the terrain for some skills and with grab skills that cc enemys like in some animes i have seen, would be so cool to look the diference between combat styles but all that work is just to much, maybe for later patches

George_Black

Marzzo wrote: »

George Black wrote: »

This fighting style doesnt fit in the environment of mmorpgs I am sad to say so, since one of ny favourite stories are the D'Artagnan Romances (3 musketeers).

Rapiers and light swords were a renaissance weapon. That period doesnt fit well with fantasy.

Anyways, nothing should be impossible, but a 1 sword fighter would have to drain ideas from other melee classes.

Maybe the best way would be a 1 sword fighter with magical powers (no orb, no tome, no second weapon).
Melee ranged with a tiny bit reach.

Indeed. I imagine the spells would complement this kind of fantasy good. My inspiration would be fiora from league of legends if you know who that is.

Ye.
I did 7-2 against morde only to lose because of bad team last night xDD

I'd like to see a real sword fighter mage like the Witcher.
No mmorpg has done it correctly

Tehonatake

I'm all for single handed weapon with an empty off hand. Think about the sport of Fencing; balance, precision and quick footwork leading to your opponents death. It's been around since the 17th century.

Damokles

Rekkor wrote: »

I'm all for single handed weapon with an empty off hand. Think about the sport of Fencing; balance, precision and quick footwork leading to your opponents death. It's been around since the 17th century.

Yeah... the thing is that before rapiers were used in the fencing SPORT, their handlers used a secondary blade called a parrying dagger...
It fell out of use, after nbility started using rapiers mostly for fencing, no one would use only a rapier in actual life or death combat.

Gimlog

I maybe slightly of topic but I hope there will be the possibility to off equip one of a dual weapons.

I hope so because they show dual dagger not to long ago and as a future shadow guardian I planned to go for dagger and shield ^^".

Damokles

Gimlog wrote: »

I maybe slightly of topic but I hope there will be the possibility to off equip one of a dual weapons.

I hope so because they show dual dagger not to long ago and as a future shadow guardian I planned to go for dagger and shield ^^".

It could be that daggers will always be dual daggers visually, until you equip a secondary weapon.

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