> Just an advice:
>
> Straight swords are typical infantry weapons.
> Curved swords are typical cavalry weapons.
Sorry, I have to disagree.
Straight swords are one of two things: Chopping weapons or stabbing
weapons. Examples: medieval broadsword (used by mounted heavy cavalry
primarily) Two handed claymore (used by foot troops) and Rapiers, used
for cut and thrust work.
The choppers are designed to cut or smash through heavily armored
targets (as with broadswords) and even the pike hafts of the enemy (as
with claymores and zweihanders.) The rapiers, primarily to puncture
unarmored foes.
Curved swords are primarily slashing weapons, designed to open large wounds in lightly and unarmored targets. Hence their prevalence in places where most of the time, most of the targets didn't have much armor: Late period middle east after gunpowder, Japan (where even the heaviest armor wasn't very heavy until about 1550) and, I suppose, the Lunar Empire where peasants never have metal armor.
The association of slashing weapons with cav is natural (if incorrect in bronze & medieval ages) as gunpowder period and later cav swords DID curve. When cav changed from lance-shock troops to fast charge & reform troops, they needed weapons that didn't stick in their targets. Hence sabers and scimitars.
To open up heavily armored types, medieval troops came to rely on two handed weapons, swung punturing weapons like warhammers, and the lance. As armor got better, shields got smaller until knights gave them up (almost) completely. But no one gets very far trying to cut through full plate with a slashing weapon - without magic.
I'm glad to see that Issaries recently mentioned that Lunar scimitars are usually not very curved.
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