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[StagnantSoul]

Okay, so we have quite a few weapons in Dwarf Fortress vanilla. Hundreds more in mods. I'm just wondering, though: what would make the best possible weapon?
I haven't gotten into weapon modding yet, but I understand the basics, such as high contact area slashes are better, low contact stabs are better, and low contact bashes are better. But what's the perfect ratio for a really effective weapon?
I'd like to have a weapon that can handle all situations well, like a super-sword or something, but not that over powered. Also, in civ raws, can you have something really hard to get, more so than uncommon?

[Thuellai]

High velocity makes everything better, so giving a weapon attacks with a high velocity, especially with low prepare/recovery times, would make it really powerful.

As far as it goes, if it's in the entity as a WEAPON, they can forge it whenever it pleases.  However, one thing you COULD do is make a weapon and assign it to no entity.  This would make it possible for it to be produced as an Artifact, but ONLY as an artifact - as artifacts are chosen randomly from the appropriate entries (that's why dwarves can make artifact bows and other weapons dwarves can't normally forge).  The more other weapons you have, the less likely it is to be forged, though.

[StagnantSoul]

I like that idea, artifact only. I'm thinking of an axe head on one side, a hammer on the other, with a small spear head on top. Like a mattock, but with a hammer on the back instead of a pick-like blade, and a small blade on top. High velocity, but not super great on penetration, so it's not instant kill.

[Illogical_Blox]

I like that idea, artifact only. I'm thinking of an axe head on one side, a hammer on the other, with a small spear head on top. Like a mattock, but with a hammer on the back instead of a pick-like blade, and a small blade on top. High velocity, but not super great on penetration, so it's not instant kill.

Warning;  blunt attacks are used FAR less times than sharp attacks.

[StagnantSoul]

I know. It'd probably be best used as an adventurer, with a steel one, as steel makes great hammers and great blades.

[Thuellai]

Speaking of weapon design, I'm currently working on a weapon overhaul for the MHU mod, as part of some general improvements.  One issue I've run into is that for some reason the enormous hammers in said game, which are here represented as being about size 900 (seems fairly accurate) seem to also have no ability to, well, crush things.  With the attack as it is currently coded, despite a 1750 velocity, my size 900 iron hammer had to be bounced off an unarmored, unconscious human's skull about six times before it finally crushed it.  Given they look like this:

That seems fairly unrealistic.  How do I make a giant hammer suitably deadly, because right now they're falling FAR below the swords (which are lopping limbs off with aplomb, I must say)

[StagnantSoul]

Due to DF physics, you can't.

[Chevaleresse]

Handwave it with that spike and give it a tiny contact areal

[Delioth]

give it a much higher velocity multiplier- the velocity multiplier is the number given divided by 1000, so the standard 1000 is just basic, and 1750 is 75% stronger than normal. Try something like 7000 and see what happens.

[Thuellai]

Seems a bit of a cheat, but on the other hand...  that slam attack IS pretty brutal.  Right now I have a strong attack with it that has about a 3500 velocity multiplier, and that does occasionally fracture a skull.  And hammers are the "raw damage" weapon.  Nothing I can do about the somewhat odd blunt physics currently plaguing combat, I suppose, and it seems silly to give such a huge hammer head a small contact area.

[GavJ]

I like that idea, artifact only. I'm thinking of an axe head on one side, a hammer on the other, with a small spear head on top. Like a mattock, but with a hammer on the back instead of a pick-like blade, and a small blade on top. High velocity, but not super great on penetration, so it's not instant kill.

The term for what you describe is a "poleaxe"

[Sprocket809]

I thought I'd make a quick thing for the poleaxe idea. It looks okay.

Code: [Select]

[ITEM_WEAPON:ITEM_WEAPON_POLEAXE]
[NAME:poleaxe:poleaxes]
[SIZE:800]
[SKILL:SPEAR]
[TWO_HANDED:67500]
[MINIMUM_SIZE:55000]
[MATERIAL_SIZE:4]
[ATTACK:EDGE:40000:6000:hack:hacks:blade:NO_SUB:1250]
[ATTACK_PREPARE_AND_RECOVER:3:3]
[ATTACK:EDGE:20:10000:stab:stabs:point:NO_SUB:1000]
[ATTACK_PREPARE_AND_RECOVER:3:3]
[ATTACK:BLUNT:10:200:bash:bashes:head:NO_SUB:2000]
[ATTACK_PREPARE_AND_RECOVER:3:3]
[ATTACK:BLUNT:10000:6000:bash:bashes:shaft:1250]
[ATTACK_PREPARE_AND_RECOVER:3:3]
I haven't tested it in the arena yet, hopefully it works ok! I'd imagine a steel version of this would be good in adventure mode.

[StagnantSoul]

Oh, thanks! I'll test it out today.

[Sprocket809]

Gave it a try, it seems to be a bit lackluster against armoured opponents (Blunt attacks are barely used so the hammer doesn't get to crush bone too often). Also seems to be a bit slow. The dwarf typically stabs with the tip and hacks with the axe blade, only really striking with the hammerhead and the shaft in odd situations.

It's probably better for unarmoured opponents, seeing as the pointy bits are used more often.

[StagnantSoul]

I bet it'll do great in adventure mode.