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[Number7]

i hope you didnt test adamantium warhammers, i hear they are about as effective as a pillow

[CapnUrist]

I think the biggest issue with maces vs. hammers is that maces aren't made for killing unless you're bashing people in the head; they're made for breaking bones. This helps incapacitating enemies, but unless it's specifically aiming for the head, it won't help much in killing them. Since there is no taking prisoners of war in DF (if your military engages, they will fight to death one way or the other), breaking your foe's kneecaps won't speed that process, and since dwarves focus on an enemy until it's dead or something else attacks, a quick death is preferable to a quick incapacitation.

If there was an option to let dwarves favor conscious enemies to unconscious ones, I believe maces would see more use.

[krenshala]

I think the biggest issue with maces vs. hammers is that maces aren't made for killing unless you're bashing people in the head; they're made for breaking bones. This helps incapacitating enemies, but unless it's specifically aiming for the head, it won't help much in killing them. Since there is no taking prisoners of war in DF (if your military engages, they will fight to death one way or the other), breaking your foe's kneecaps won't speed that process, and since dwarves focus on an enemy until it's dead or something else attacks, a quick death is preferable to a quick incapacitation.

If there was an option to let dwarves favor conscious enemies to unconscious ones, I believe maces would see more use.

With the newer versions (.20 or .22 and higher, iirc) the victor is more likely to go for a head shot if his opponent is down/unconscious (or if the attack comes up from behind an unsuspecting victim, as my militia commander did with her spear once -- stabs the elf in the head from behind, shattering the skull, jamming the skull through the brain, severing an artery, many nerves severed, etc etc).  This means a hammer or mace dwarf will tenderize pound on his victim, then go for the head once the target falls to the ground after succumbing to the pain.  The problem, still, is the 10 to 100 hits required to take the target down ...