Racial weapons

[Kaityra]

The idea maybe about saying you were born to wield this type of weapon.

What? The only weapons one could be born to "wield" are natural weapons such as claws and teeth. And even these weapons have to be trained as you can see if watching animals.

Maybe each race can have its own "special" racial weapon to achieve balance.

The more special things we have the more difficult it is to balance things. I think introducing more specialities is the wrong approach if you want balance.

The "special" weapon could give "special" attributes to wielders of that race alone..maybe even strike like a crafted weapon when someone from that race uses it.

I guess we are talking about magical weapons here, right? Normal weapons shouldn't grant any "special" attributes to the wielder. Each weapon has characteristic on its own but it doesn't modify any attributes of its wielder. Please, I'm into fantasy, too, but could we please not stray too far away from the path of logic?

[Adder]

I'm not so sure that it would be good for weapon merchants, because it is yet another weapon for each race that you need to keep in stock to have the right thing to sell available. Would basically drive the small merchants out of the business. Or maybe you would just produce the weapon after it has been ordered.

[Seraj]

Let me write more on this just to clarify:

1. Currently, the system checks the characters stats (int,str etc) before h/she can wield that certain weapon. For example seduction weapons etc. If the character satisfies that criteria, then he/she can wield that weapon and thereby get the stat boosters associated with that weapon.

2. So to extrapolate, maybe the system can deduct the character's race and then give booster.

3. "Born to wield" maybe the wrong phrase. What I meant was the above...the stat boosters happen based on race deduction.

4. So..for example the "Enkis Short Sword" gives boosters to Enkis Sword skills while the "Ywnnn Short Sword" to the Ywnns.

5. How hard one creates damages with such weapons will depend on their base stats and skill level plus the booster.

6. The weapons can be loots based on whatever 'randomness thats still balancing' 


As far as trading/bartering,obviously the Enkis will trade the swords that dont boost their skills (but does for Ywnns) for ones that do the trick for themselves.  Hopefully things wont get too complicated than that

[Kaityra]

Seraj, you describe how it can be done but not why. I still don't see any logical explanation to why an Enkidukai short sword should be different from an Ynwnn short sword. Both are classified as short swords. As I have already stated all player races are humanid so all races can wield weapons.

[Prolix]

An enki sword might have a smoother grip so as to not damage claws ... are enki claws retractable? It might have a different balance to compensate for a different arm structure.

[Under the moon]

All weapon designs can be used equally by all races based on size and strength. The races all have very similar hand and arm structures, so 'base' weapons would all be about the same. Perhaps you could design custom grips for races, but it would offer such a small benefit as to not really having a point.

I would be more interested in personalized weapons that are custom fit for just your character, giving you a slight 'edge'. Weapons made in this way would be slightly uncomfortable to all others, so not quite as good as base. It characters has anatomical stats, such as exact hand sizes and types, you -could- perhaps share that weapon with those who have similar stats.

[Mythryndel]

UTM... I assume you are talking about commissioning a weapon. I like the idea of a custom fitted weapon also. It would be usable by all but the six fingered man... i digress...

But in all seriousness, if I understand the main point of the original post... it is that the game is vanilla. ALL races can do ALL things and be masters of ALL weapons. Max stats for all races are XXX. (not going to spoil anything). At stat XXX a Enki can do the same thing as a Dwarf... etc. This idea is, as I understand it, about making a character of a smaller statured race less effective with a claymore than a character of a larger statured race. Or at least something to that effect. There are physically things that a 6'1" person can do that a 4'0" person cannot. Why should a dwarf and a Kran be able to do all the same things?

[Under the moon]

All weapon designs can be used equally by all races based on size and strength.

No, a dwarf should not be able to use a claymore the same as a Kran.

[Zweitholou]

I think aside from the physical attributes of some races which may help or hurt their ability to wield certain weapon styles, racial weapons could be a cultural distinction. This would mean that in towns populated mainly by klyros and in those populated mainly by enkis, there would be weapons in the klyros and enki styles respectively. Also, these weapons would have differing shapes, sizes, and ornamentation than each other, but would still represent a certain weapon type. For example, the basic principle of a two-handed sword remains the same throughout medieval cultures. It is a sword which requires two hands and more strength to wield as it is longer and therefore heavier, and it is slower yet deals more damage than a short sword. For each race there could be an equivalent cultural variation. The weapons' stats would be very close, but the look would match the race's cultural style. This is represented in history when comparing two-handed variants from different cultural groups. There is the European longsword , Scottish claymore, German Zweihaender, Japanese Katana, Indian Khanda, Thai dha(two-handed versions exist), and Chinese Wodao. While these swords are all under the category of two-handed swords, as you can see they vary quite a bit. The most variation is seen between areas isolated from one another, obviously because they were less likely to influence each others' sword designs. The similarly isolated races of Yliakum (isolated until the portals opened) would have carried weapons with them for defense, or at least the ideas for their style of weaponry. This cultural distinction between weapons of the same type from different areas extends beyond swords into all other weapon types AFAIK. Also, some civilizations never developed steel two-handed swords at all, such as the Inca, Aztecs, Mississippians, Inuits, Aborigines, New Guineans, Pacific Islanders, Maori, and some African civilizations (so far as I know ). Therefore, some of Yliakum's races would not have their own cultural versions of longswords, such as Klyros perhaps, as their physiological make-up would not encourage the widespread use among their race of long, heavy swords. This can apply to most of the weapons, but not all. Clubs and knives have been used since the stone age fairly consistently among differing civilizations AFAIK. As some other people have already said, I don't see this being high-priority, but I think if added eventually it will increase the realism and cultural uniqueness within the game.

[Kaityra]

But nowadays you find Katanas in the hands of Europeans who are into Japanese Iado , a Claymore in the hands of someone who is doing reanactment in the USA, a Chinese Dao in the hand of someone who is doing Wushu in Canada ...
What do you think would happen if groups from different tradition meet in the confined space of the first level of Yliakum? Right, they intermingle despite some traditionalists. That's why I still suggest to leave it to a roleplaying decision. Want to play a traditionlist? Fine, choose a traditional racial weapon. Want to play someone who is open to use a weapon from another race? Fine, choose a weapon that suits your character, but please no Claymores for dwarves please, it just looks ridiciulous.

[Seraj]

Zweitholou,

  Wow! Thats an awesome research you put up there

  Just looking at those pics makes me wish for those swords in PS

- Seraj

[Mythryndel]

I don't know about most of the weapons you have come across, but the katanas I see here in the US are crap. They are display pieces for theatre or decoration. If you really want a katana that will be usable in a combat scenario, you need to find someone that really knows how to make one... not just how to make a replica.

Now... besides the "real world" justifications or contradictions... I support this idea in PS. This is a GAME... and as such not everything about it has to relate to a real world concept... come one people... we have MAGIC in PS. This isn't to say that the fact that something exists in the real world, means it can't be in PS too. It just isn't always going to be a good enough argument to get a concept implemented in-game. The point of this in PS is variety, flavor, change, <insert synonym here> not necessarily to implement a real world concept.

[Zweitholou]

Seraj, you describe how it can be done but not why. I still don't see any logical explanation to why an Enkidukai short sword should be different from an Ynwnn short sword. Both are classified as short swords. As I have already stated all player races are humanoid so all races can wield weapons.

Kaityra: I completely agree that it should be the decision of the character whether they use their own race's weapon styles or others. I was just trying to give a logical explanation to why an Enkidukai short sword should be different from an Ynwnn short sword. Because of the other differences in culture that have remained as we can see already in game, such as architectural styles and armor styles, I feel that it would be logical that weapons would follow a similar course. Not to mention that it diversifies the game environment, IMO. Of course, in the instance of architectural styles, a Dermorian can certainly choose to live in a Kran's house, if they have enough money.  I just think it would be terrific, far into the future, to have the choice between different race styles.

Seraj: Thank you.

Mythrydel: I agree that they are. And might that someone be a traditionalist who crafts his race's weapons to perpetuate his culture?  And I agree that the point is variety, flavor, change, etc. I'm just providing the real world justification for those who want it. PS would not be nearly as engaging and unique, IMO, without the variety within the art and settings.

Thank you devs. 

[Omni-Tom]

 I played a mud a long time ago and they had something interesting similar as in a racial or class weapon. The racial bonus was based on the fact that other weapons could be practised to 100% but a racial weapon skill could be practised above this, think it was 110%. or 120%.
it w
 The general idea was that this weapon was a lot more affective for the character. Such as say a raced mage using a quarterstaff with 110% staff which would enhance the players combat abilities with that weapon type. This could be implemented with say a % bonus say 10% for example. This may be applied to a players skill as he starts a level with a 10% bonus on the base and also can be added to the high end above say 99%.

 As for damage that may be nice but for some being much more accurate and able to hit and damage a monster may prove an impotant ability.

 As for racial weapons it would have to give some sort of noticeable difference be it damage, accuracy, or both. Also from what I noticed so far actually doing damage may be a bonus where a player would do damage to a monster when it would not as opposed to a monsters defence or countering it. Another option could be that it may do 1/2 or 2/3 damage against a monsteres defence when it would do no damage.

 You hit the monster in the chest, the monsters plate armor partially blocks your attack,, you do crush damage  to the monster.

[yanom]

weapons only a specific race can use? Racist !

Even if it x weapon is part of the culture of y race, z race can still use it.