I think one problem is that most medieval fantasy (or otherwise) settings usually center on western European culture. And people find it odd to see references to anything else but that. I can not speak for PS in general, but I do not think it is impossible to imagine seeing some exotic weaponry like this in the game.
Of course there are many things that would have to be done before getting them in game. Foremost would be to find a skilled 3D artist willing to do these sorts of items justice. We may also want to changes to the combat rules to support exotic weapon fighting styles. It would be cool to see some combat specialization some time in my lifetime
As far as crafting is concerned, you may think that the making these swords would also require the need to for specialized skills. But we might be surprised to find out that the methods were very similar (with the addition of some special techniques.) Unfortunately, I do not know very much about creating oriental swords. I will do some research.
But if anyone has any ideas about the setting and extra crafting steps or tools that they would be interested in seeing for use with these styles of swords please post them here. To be any use they would need to fit the context as well as the limitations of the game. For example, the special quench tank containing unusual liquids might be used. Or some additional tools needed to create that beautiful ornamentation. Maybe a ceremonial drum would have to be played to put the smith in the correct frame of mind.
Valorius, it is great to hear from someone who is familiar with swords and swordsmanship in RL - as compared to where most of us get our experience. Thanks for the great post.
It is my pleasure sir, and i will gladly answer any questions of yours or your staff's that i can via email or discussion on this forum.
I am very fond of both pre-eminent Oriental swords, the Katana and the Tai-Chi sword, and i have extensive training with both.
Both are very different weapons designed around very different philosophies, and as such, both have very unique properties, strengths, weaknesses, and forging techniques.
For instance, even among Katana's there are major variations in length and blade sweep. There were even some ancient Katana's that were of a straight bladed design called "Choku-To" Katana's.
The Choku-To is one of the great armor-piercing thrusting weapons of all time. And though the Choku-To lacks the more familiar curved blade Katana's vicious slashing properties, it greatly outperforms it(and maybe any sword ever made) in penetration, as the curved Katana is actually not a very good thrusting sword at all. A curved Katana holds an edge over virtually any European weapon in slashing, as it is designed to have it's optimum cutting point near the tip of the blade; as opposed to European swords with typically have their optimum cutting point about 1/3 to 1/2 way down the length of the blade itself, but armor penetrating thrusts are definitely not it's strong suit.
Conversely, a Tai-chi sword is by it's very nature very "flimsy" and flexible, so it is not a good penetrating weapon AT ALL, but is designed for slashing and thrusts at soft anatomical regions(such as the eyes, throat, diaphragm, etc). However, because it is typically a "masters weapon", it is expected to be wielded with a degree of precision that enables the user to exploit even the smallest gaps in an enemies armor(and as i stated above, "bend" around enemy blocks and parrys and stike home anyway). So if the user is indeed a master(which i definitely AM NOT), its' limited penetration capabilities almost become irrelevant, as no suit of armor has ever been made that is free of weak points. Not even a modern main battle tank is strong everywhere. Of all the swords on earth that you do not want to face in the hands of a man that really know's what he is doing, the tai chi sword heads the list IMO.
The legendary Marine Sniper Gunnery Sgt Carlos N. Hathcock II famously opined that, "Nothing on the battlefield is more dangerous than a single well aimed shot", a principle which definitely guides the theory behind the design principles and employment techniques of the Tai-Chi sword.
One point i would add though, and one that seemingly has eluded the weapons designers of planeshift and virtually every other RPG ever made- in the real world(and i would suspect in any real world with thinking, adapting species that lacks firearms), the battlefield will ALWAYS be dominated by two weapons:
The bow, and the spear(thrown or thrust).
The reason for this is simple, as man has always sought to extend the reach of his arm beyond the limitations Nature has placed on us. Nowadays we epitomize this philosophy with thermonuclear intercontinental ballistic missiles and B-2 stealth bombers, but before the advent of the firearm, rocketry, and aircraft, the spear and the bow absolutely DOMINATED the field of battle. OK, so the spear is not the sexiest weapon, but it was clearly by far the most preferred because with a good spear you doubled(or more) the standoff range of that a sword could achieve.
A sword was a gentlemen or nobleman's weapon, more a sign of status than anything else, and was really a weapon of last resort(for when your spear got broken or was lost), or one intended for dueling against a weapon of similar design.
Even the legendary Samurai did not use the Sword as their primary weapon (naginata). Nor did the Romans(Pilum), English(Pike or Pole-arm), Greeks(Phalanx Spear), and so on down the line. The legendary European knights also did not employ the sword as their primary weapon, but instead used the lance for most mounted fighting. In reality it was not until the days of firearms that Cavalry's main melee weapon become the sabre(a weapon designed to fill a very specific role in it's own right, and one that has very specific properties as a result).
In melee combat, something along the lines of a five to six foot long spear with a 12-18" double-edged blade on either end would be very, very hard to beat. You certainly would never want to face a man(or feline) armed with one of those if all you had was a sword....and that's ANY sword!!!
Anyway, thanx for the compliments and kind words, and if you need any input on any weapon you may decide to model, please feel free to email me, as i would be honored to help to make planeshift even better than it already is.
M21sniper2000@yahoo.com
*edit*
on a related note this thread is titled "specific weapons requests" and I would like to see a katana and wakizashi I may not have had 20 years of practice in those but 5 years is still a sizable amount I'd say. (plus more years of various martial arts, which would also be interesting in game.) Considering they are a longsword and shortsword respectivly they could just be the result of an alternate way to make longswords and shortswords.
You just nailed it. Both the tai chi sword and the katana ARE long swords, but they are long swords that are arrived at by plugging the same set of equations into very different philosophies.
The Euro long sword excels at thrusting, but is weaker on the cut. The Japanese Katana is the exact opposite. The Tai-chi sword on the other hand seems weak and flimsy, and inferior to both- until you consider the philosophy that governs the Tai-Chi practitioners way of living, and his way of fighting.
The Tai-chi sword seeks to behave as water, simply flowing around a defense from all angles as opposed to simply overpowering it a single point.
The closest Western sword to the Tai-Chi sword is the Rapier. That's another sword you DO NOT want to face in the hands of a master.
[ Please avoid making one post right after the other in the same thread. Just "Modify" your first post to add more information. --Karyuu ]