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[sambojin]

Cheers for the post and the script/data generator files zagibu. I'll grab a perl interpreter for my Win XP computer and give them a run.

My primary concern is picks and perhaps also wooden shields. I'll run picks through the scripts (modding the raws to use hammer, mace, axe and sword skills in case there's a large variation in results simply by different skill useage). This will allow normal levelling of skills in the arena and no setup problems. Hopefully it will give some decent data that you can then append to the bottom of the document in post #1.

Shields will be screwy to set up, and will take a ridiculous amount of time to set up tests (for either use as a weapon or their defensive benefits at different skill levels, SO many material types to test ) but should be doable with your scripts/data generators. This will take me a rather large amount of time though, so don't expect anything too soon. Or possibly ever. I'll get the pick data soonish though (copper picks seem amazing in-game, although I don't expect the data to back that up. Steel FTW as always I'd say).

[SirHoneyBadger]

Concerning the speculation on warhammers: You could solve the problem of warhammers getting stuck in shields (or skulls, for that matter) by engineering a larger, flatter head, with a greater overall area. The damage done (and armour-destroying nature) could then be salvaged by employing either a "ball-peen" or blunt pyramid striking surface, or simply adding a short central stud or spike (or more than one), which would be kept from penetrating to a dangerous (for you, not them) depth into material, by the surrounding flat head.

This type of warhammer might actually be an improvement over a battleaxe, which has always had the problem of getting stuck into bone. Less maintenance required, as well.

The larger head should also make it a bit easier to strike the enemy, and wouldn't have to be horribly thick, reducing the overall weight.

Balance, by the way, is pretty important in a warhammer: You don't want to overextend yourself with a weapon, especially one that isn't very good at parrying or deflecting counterattacks. You also don't want to swing too hard and lose your grip, particularly considering that warhammers were often employed from horseback. Even if you have a method of retaining the weapon, badly losing your grip on it can still prove disadvantageous, to the point of being fatal.

P.S. Mercury cored platinum hammers with iridium hafts, tungsten spikes, and beryllium sweet spots are all well and good, but in real life, anything over 2-4 lbs (kilo, kilo and a half) gets really, really heavy after desperately swinging it for several hours, without a break. If anyone out there still doesn't consider this to be a bug along the lines of the gatling-crossbow, try it sometime and let us know how it goes*.

*I'm absolutely not suggesting anyone ever try the following, but if you really wanted to simulate the stress and life-and-death nature of a real battlefield, you'd try swinging that platinum hammer while floating-for a while, atleast-in the middle of a deep swimming pool. I hope your horse is a good swimmer.

[Kaos]

is there data about the type of damage (blunt/edge), contact area and penetration capacity of stonefall traps like there's for the other weapons???

[Boogeyman]

Since necromancy is in, might as well practice it.

Is the data in the op still good for 34.02? I tried to run the simulator, but my pc couldn't handle it.

[zagibu]

I highly doubt it.

[Funk]

no there hav been some changes.

[NTJedi]

This is still linked in the current dwarf fortress wiki, but it's 7 years old!   Is this still accurate?

[Fleeting Frames]

No - twisting alone may turn yellow into red, for example. However, there has been nothing quite like this since then.

The closest modern-day equivalent that I know of is From Iron to Steel: A survey of v0.43.05 combat [Long] *VERSION UPDATE*.

[anewaname]

Maybe the wiki should include both links, since the older post still includes useful data, for understanding combat mechanics as they were, for seeing how others have tested, and for understanding where repeated ideas about combat have come from.