Spears

[Zharal]

I think spears in game are far diferent then the general concept of spear.  A general spear lenght I belive is betwen 8 and 12 feet.  It is used to gain a long reach on prey and to keep dangerous prey at lenght.  In battle it is used on the front line to bring down horsed troops and chargeing footmen.  If a footman got passed your spear you would have to drop the spear and pull a blade or try and gain distance to use the spear again,  thus being used against arm opponents to keep them at a safer distance.   A javlin on the other hand is a much smaller weapon used for flight.  A shortspear in game is far shorter then a javilin and I belive can be used duel weild eaisly.  Not to mention there are spears in game that can only be held in your primary hand so as not to offset balance.  And I have seen spears that are clearly stated in there ldesc that they are specialy made for close quarters combat.  Which to me would be like a short yardstick with a spearhead on it.

[Xamminy]

You're thinking of a weapon more commonly called a 'pike,' inkhore.  Spears are more like 5-6' in length.

[Zharal]

A five foot spear I belive would be a javlin.  Maybe if I where a  pygmy Id own a five foot spear.

[xX_Cathedral_Xx]

In my opinion, I think two spears would be rather odd to work with, but possible to do given you would probably figure out a way. Two shortspears, would probably be a lot better to use than a longer and shorter in combination. If you don't think parrying with a spear is possible, you just need to watch Troy.. The fight scene between Prince Hector and Achielies(Spelling?) is a perfect example.

[Larrath]

Two full-sized spears would probably be too bulky for most humans to handle.  Maybe elves are agile enough to handle two, but it's still going to be difficult to attack properly with them.
Two half-sized or short-ranged spears should be fine.  People grip them by the middle anyway, so it's not all that long and hard to manuever.

It's possible to parry with just about anything from a large piece of rock to a two-handed axe of singing +3.  Parrying isn't always just throwing your weapon into the opponent's weapon; more often than not (and especially where weapons are more fragile), it will be an attempt to hit the side of the weapon and deflect the blow, or to dodge and use your weapon to keep them from bringing their weapon in for a second hit.

[Zharal]

These are the definitions of Spear and Pike, compliments of WordIQ.com.
Hope this is helpful.

Definition of pike

A pike is a pole arm once used extensively by infantry principally as a counter-measure against cavalry assaults. Pikes were extremely long weapons, carried by infantry and resembled a spear between 10 and 14 feet long. These eventually grew in size both in shaft and head length; the awl pike could exceed six metres in length.
The steel tip was fairly long compared to the shaft, making the weapon most unwieldy in close combat. This meant that pikemen were often equipped with a sword for close encounters.
In operation on the battlefield, pikes were often used in large square "hedgehog" formations. For example, the Scots used highly disciplined units of pikemen called schiltrons to defeat English knights and heavy cavalry at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314. Large pike formations, sometimes defending attached musketeers, were in use during the 17th century, but were eventually rendered obsolete by the bayonet and the demise of the cavalry charge in the face of more effective firearms such as the flintlock musket.
The landsknechts were pikemen of renown during the 15th to the 17th centuries, mercenaries of the European Renaissance. They were most skillful in their handling of the long pike.
Retroactively most very long spears are today called pikes, such as the Macedonian sarissas.
Pikes today are used to carry the colours of an infantry regiment.

Definition of spear   


A spear is an ancient weapon, used for hunting and war. It consists of a shaft, usually of wood, with a sharpened head. The head may be simply the sharpened end of the shaft itself, as is the case with bamboo spears, or it may be of another material fastened to the shaft. The most common design is of a metal spearhead, shaped somewhat like a dagger, and made entirely for thrusting. Some spears used casters or casting devices such as the atlatl.
Spears of different designs were used for close combat and for throwing. One of the most famous throwing spears is the pilum used by the Romans.
The spear is a pole weapon, and may be seen as the ancestor of such weapons as the lance, the halberd, the naginata and the pike. Also the bayonet may, when mounted on a rifle, be considered a type of spear.
More than a weapon, a spear may be a symbol of power. In the Chinese martial arts community, the Chinese spear (qiāng 槍) is popularly known as the "king of weapons". Wotan's spear (called Gungnir) is of ashwood, made from the "World-Ash" Yggdrasil, and it is remarkable that Chiron's wedding-gift to Peleus when he married the nymph Thetis at a wedding attended by all the Olympians, was precisely an ashen spear.
One spear of religious significance is the Spear of Destiny, an artifact believed by some to have vast mystical powers.
A difficult distinction in spear history comes when trying to identify a lance. Early spears were often of 'poor' construction and made for throwing. In time spears became better build and stronger with steel tips. In Europe spears eventually became heavy and were used for mounted cavalry rather than for throwing. Although the term lance comes from Latin, it became associated with these longer, heavy spears and their many variations. Thus most who study medieval weaponry will distinguish between a spear (for throwing) and a lance (a kind of spear that was not thrown). Most scholars today would classify aboriginal weapons (such as those of the New World) as spears despite being reffered to as lances.

[Xamminy]

So...the weapon you described was a pike, even though you had the length wrong.  Is that what you're saying, inkhore?  You said a spear was a weapon for breaking a charge of footmen or cavalry.  That's what a pike is.

[Zharal]

yep thats what Im saying bud.. Thanks so very much for correcting me..

[Larrath]

Spears have far longer handles than swords, and the grip is generally not as comfortable.  Pick up a couple of broomsticks and try to use either ends of them as spears, and you'll see just how unwieldly and inaccurate it gets.

There's more to fighting than standing in place with a weapon and just attacking in a Diabloesque fashion, after all.

[fearwig]

I'd like to say, for one, that I think dual wielding is practically beneficial only in selective circumstances, and that Armageddon, of all muds, should be the first to reflect this. The dual wield code as it is stems heavily from the old Diku/ROM mechanisms, and while it's been crafted into something newer and better, I think it still lends too much weight to the benefit one can recieve from two weapons, especially weapons like spears.

You will do much, much better gripping one spear with both hands than trying to use two, unless, of course, you're a magical night ninja with laser-guided ninja stars and a special XYABstart combo. Which you are not. Thank you.

[Rhyden]

Be a man, use a club.

I still see it as wonky. Sword'n spear, club'n spear and especially axe'n spear is also pretty wonky...

...unless you're a moon mage lvl. 45 with two spears of ultimate doom +5 lightning strength of cloud destruction that can both be wielded giving you like a +8 chance to hit and +2 to save with a -2 advantage to your armor save.

:|

Precisely, Fearwig.

[Agent_137]

You will do much, much better gripping one spear with both hands than trying to use two, unless, of course, you're a magical night ninja with laser-guided ninja stars and a special XYABstart combo. Which you are not. Thank you.

With Ninjawizards! And, uh, bears! with bears that shoot laser beams from their eyes . .

Oh man! That would be so fricken' AWESOME!


p.s.
I think some dual wield combos are silly. Two medium sized weapons of equal size, or one big (but one handed) weapon and one smally parry only weapon is about all that makes sense. Though spears do kinda wonkify the situation. Perhaps they should be made twohanded more aggressively.

[Maybe42or54]

But then my twinked out HG will only be able to use 1 ten foot long spear!
I need 2 damn it! 2!!!

Ok.

Brooms are hard to kill with. That is why we let women (And gay men) use them.

[SewerRat_inTheOpen]

Maybe they are worried that something branches off Dual Wield that does not branch off of TwoHanded or Shield Use? I know that sounds really, really stupid, but I once had someone in my clan ICly trying to get me to switch from one single big spear to two little spears, and when I didn't they emailed me telling me that a particular thing branched of Dual Wield for my class. I don't know if it was true, and even if true it would be a stupid reason to change weapon styles, but if that rumour is still going around that could indeed influence some people's choice of weapons.

...Not true I hope. But could be true.

[Rhyden]

Brooms are hard to kill with. That is why we let women (And gay men) use them.

Buddy, where I come from, that would earn you a harsh kick to the sack if you told that anywhere around a woman.

*Stands back from the splattering blood as the women's rights committee tears Maybe42or54 apart, limb from limb.

[Tlaloc]

Brooms are hard to kill with. That is why we let women (And gay men) use them.

I'm neither a woman, nor a gay man, and I use a broom quite often. I can also kill with one. And then I eat Brainz.