>OK, but in most cases the skills/specialisations are a bit narrower
>than that, with 'Scimitar & Shield' or 'Greatsword Fighting,' etc.
>But the bottom line, surely, is that HW/HQ is not a simulationist
>game, which means while there must be lines drawn between accuracy
>and abstracton, they will be drawn in rather different places than,
>say, with RQ. Distinguishing Sword & Shield Fighting from Spear &
>Shield is a pretty clear one, for example, but the difference
>between Short, Medium and Long Spear or the like matter less in such
>a highly cinematic, hero-driven.
The difference between 1-handed and 2-handed weapon use is fundamental, actually, far more than what TYPE of weapon you are using (using a weapon you can swap between 1- and 2- handed style is another complication). But then why differentiate between any weapons if you're only interested in the heroic narrative? Creating separate weapon skills at all will either drain HP into Combat alone (and it's always been the stated intent of HW to decentralise the game away from combat) or to specialise to the extent that the master swordsman is rendered helpless when his sword is magically shattered. 'Close Combat', inaccurate though it may be in itself, is good enough to describe melee techniques. Add in the specific weapon/combat types and it's not at all bad. I think it was Roderick who said that Close Combat is ALREADY a highly specialised skill, as it's single use is to hit the other guy. As such, it's a huge drain on HP to either cost it at +1/3HP OR to split off separate, and likely just as unrealistic, +1/1HP skills.
I can see the sense in splitting off 1-handed and 2-handed, in swung or thrust style, 4 skills. Of course, most swinging weapons CAN be thrust, and most 1-handed weapons CAN be used 2 handed... oops, we're back at a single skill again...
Wulf
p.s. someone may notice this is a reversal of my initial attitude of years ago, but in practice I've decided that higher cost and/or narrower definition of weapon skills is simply a waste of HP.
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