Spears please

[Bradik_Losdar]

Spears could be easily added to the game without having to code a whole new set of animations (this is the only thing I can think of that has held them up (along with other polearms) from inclusion in the game since launch).

The only graphic work needed would be the looks of the spears themselves. Simply using the quarterstaff attack animation for them (adjusting the speed a bit) would work just fine. I mean if we have people 'thrusting' with maces and the like, who really cares if our characters all use spears like shaolin monks do? Just get them in the game!!!

As for the thrown aspect of spears, that would fall under the same category as every other thrown weapon - either stacks of 20 (which I assumes donates a 'low-grade' weapon that can be thrown 20 times before becoming useless) or returning types. Use the spear throwing animation that Hobgoblins have already combined with the sunflask toss animation for characters - it may not look pretty, but we don't care - get spears in the game!

For the whole 'reach' part of spears - just ignore it for DDO. It overly complicates the combat system (and I hope isn't another reason spears have been left out of the game so far)

Honestly all polearms could be included this way (just use the quarterstaff attack animation and ignore reach) - but the spear, one of the most basic and ubiquitous weapons that man has ever made, needs to get its day in the sun in DDO. Please Devs, please, after more than 5 years of waiting, can't someone just green light the above 'quick fix' suggestions to fast track spears into the game?

[KraahgDaAxe]

I believe the reason spears are so hard is because they are dual purpose. I don't know any other dual purpose weapons in DDO. You have hammers AND throwing hammers.

Now, they could add spears and then add throwing spears, but that seems slightly redonculous. Atleast with hammers and daggers it makes sense that they are separate, as they are weighted differently.

That being said, they could add "spears" as throwers and "boar spears" or another item that has the same function as a spear, but were never meant to be thrown.

Personally I would love spears. Then add a PrE for halflings for Master Throwers.

Kraahg

[Flavilandile]

Spears could be easily added to the game without having to code a whole new set of animations (this is the only thing I can think of that has held them up (along with other polearms) from inclusion in the game since launch).

The only graphic work needed would be the looks of the spears themselves. Simply using the quarterstaff attack animation for them (adjusting the speed a bit) would work just fine. I mean if we have people 'thrusting' with maces and the like, who really cares if our characters all use spears like shaolin monks do? Just get them in the game!!!

The worst is that there's already two quarterstaff with spear model in game.... Dreamspitter and the staff ( well spear ) from Mindsunder.

I agree that it's easy to bring spear in game :
create a weapon type 'spear' with it's own damages.
create new models ( along with the above two )
use quaterstaff animations.
drop the ranged part of the spear. ( anyway thrown spears are not melee spears are not mounted spears... they are different weapons for a different purpose, so if you really want ranged spears create another weapon type : thrown spear, like we have thrown axes and thrown hammers )

[der_kluge]

What? A quarterstaff animation looks NOTHING like what it would look like to use a spear. A spear you thrust. A quarterstaff you swing. How is that even remotely similar?

Spears also have another major problem - reach. Currently, nothing with reach exists in the game. The day they add spears to the game, is the day they also add all the polearms and other reach weapons.

And frankly, there are already too many stupid weapons in the game cluttering up the random distribution tables. We don't need a dozen more stupid items showing up in our reward list to make the things we truly want even more rare.

[dunklezhan]

Currently, nothing with reach exists in the game.

I think you might be wrong about that.

[NaturalHazard]

I believe the reason spears are so hard is because they are dual purpose. I don't know any other dual purpose weapons in DDO. You have hammers AND throwing hammers.

Now, they could add spears and then add throwing spears, but that seems slightly redonculous. Atleast with hammers and daggers it makes sense that they are separate, as they are weighted differently.

That being said, they could add "spears" as throwers and "boar spears" or another item that has the same function as a spear, but were never meant to be thrown.

Personally I would love spears. Then add a PrE for halflings for Master Throwers.

Kraahg

actually there are many different types of spears and there are throwing spears and thrusting spears hawaiin warriors. There are short thrusting spears like those used by the zulu and long thrusting spears. There are heavy throwing spears and light throwing spears, javalins, you can have melee spears and throwing spears, we have throwing daggers and melee daggers already? whats the difference?

[irivan]

I agree with Derkluge that spears need a separate and different animation than q staffs, and i think that spears should also be able to be used in multiple ways and like the mindsunder spears (rahls might) should be capable of doing all types of damage (blunt, piercing, and slashing) but so should most weapons be capable of several types of damage Swords should be able to thrust or slash for example, while hammers without a tack on the end should not be able to pierce or slash.

To me all of this is easily added with a simple toggle button, so the coding would be a toggle button to change stance with certain weapons, for slash pierce or blunt, just makes the most sense, and in that case some of the animations could be reused. Just the pierce one would have to be invented. Also you could have a toggle to throw the weapon as well, just give it a long cool down timer before it could be thrown again or even equipped to account for recovery time.

I do not agree with Derkluge however that they should not be in the game because of tables getting cluttered, i say bah to that, the more variety we can add to the game means less redundancy and makes it ultimately more interesting.

Please add spears and many other weapons, even if they are the same as other weapons from die statistical stand points since they add flavor and depth.

[Zachski]

I believe the reason spears are so hard is because they are dual purpose. I don't know any other dual purpose weapons in DDO. You have hammers AND throwing hammers.

Now, they could add spears and then add throwing spears, but that seems slightly redonculous. Atleast with hammers and daggers it makes sense that they are separate, as they are weighted differently.

That being said, they could add "spears" as throwers and "boar spears" or another item that has the same function as a spear, but were never meant to be thrown.

Personally I would love spears. Then add a PrE for halflings for Master Throwers.

Kraahg

Daggers in the original PnP game were actually dual purpose, so just because PnP spears are dual purpose doesn't mean we shouldn't work something to implement it.

While spears may not work with the quarterstaff animation, slashing weapons like halberds and glaives would work just fine with it.

[Musouka]

I agree with Derkluge that spears need a separate and different animation than q staffs, and i think that spears should also be able to be used in multiple ways and like the mindsunder spears (rahls might) should be capable of doing all types of damage (blunt, piercing, and slashing) but so should most weapons be capable of several types of damage Swords should be able to thrust or slash for example, while hammers without a tack on the end should not be able to pierce or slash.

As far as I know, spears are designed for a forward movement to pierce whether it is thrown or held, and the shaft of a spear wouldn't withstand a large amount of blunt impacts if used like a staff.

[Xenus_Paradox]

Look, we already have slashing animations being used with rapiers and thrusting animations being used with maces. Having qstaff animations on spears wouldn't be much of a stretch.

Honestly, though, I would much rather see them added either as reach weapons or not at all. Adding them as yet another 2-hander would just be lame. And yes, reach weapons can be balanced- just give them fewer attack hooks than non-reach 2-handers and lower their glancing blow chance/damage.

[azrael4h]

As far as I know, spears are designed for a forward movement to pierce whether it is thrown or held, and the shaft of a spear wouldn't withstand a large amount of blunt impacts if used like a staff.

The spear's haft IS a staff. And in historical combat, spears were used to parry as well, which meant blunt impacts along the haft. It's very similar to quarterstaff use in combat, except the pointy tip at one end, which changes the focus of the offense. However, quarterstaves are thrust into opponents as well, and not just swung around wildly.

[Bradik_Losdar]

The spear's haft IS a staff. And in historical combat, spears were used to parry as well, which meant blunt impacts along the haft. It's very similar to quarterstaff use in combat, except the pointy tip at one end, which changes the focus of the offense. However, quarterstaves are thrust into opponents as well, and not just swung around wildly.

Agreed.

Just for emphasis that quarterstaff animation could be used as a 'quick fix' to include spears in the game here are some vids showing them in action:
Shaolin spear demo - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2o5JrWZrhFM
"Glaive vs. spear" - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXY8B-Iss_w&NR=1
And just for fun...halberd (long axe) and battle axe (short axe) vs. spear - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FobyNkyd-0E

Granted there is a lot of thrusting but note that they are actually used more like staves (even the Glaive and Halberd!) most of the time.

[Aelonwy]

/signed

I honestly don't understand why spears and tridents weren't added already; afterall, aren't the sauhaugin using them on us? Why can't we use those same weapons to make fish-kabobs!?!

[NadgersFishtoaster]

/signed

I think there is a point to having spears, for without them we're shafted.

[Musouka]

Ok... maybe I was remembering a specific type of spear. Something like a long-spear.

[doubledge]

dunno why the devs fear the spear, but they should stick it into the next update.

[Archmage49]

A spear?!?! In a game based on middle ages weapon technology?! No way! It is kinda funny that what is pretty much the most basic medieval infantry weapon isn't available as a weapon.

[DToNE]

I guess they don't like the fact that spears are also the fastest two handed weapon historically. It was very advantageous as a weapon because it was simple, it's light, it's fast, it has reach, it's multifunctional, it's low maintenance, it's cheap, and doesn't require much training to learn how to use. It's also one of the few two-handed weapons with own martial art art-form, which is almost like a dance of spears.

That and Devs don't want any more reason for Clerics to veer out of "Pure Healer" mode. Spears are considered one of the strongest weapons for Clerics to wield. Historically and Mythology wise, there are more famous spears than there are famous swords.

Besides the Rahl's Might wouldn't bother me so much if they changed the material of it from Wood to some sort of Metal. That and the spear can also be considered a monk weapon as it's practiced in Shaolin Martial Arts.

[Rinnaldo]

The sahuagin already have spear-attack animations. Surely, those could be ported to PC's somehow, with some modification?

And then we could just get atlatls added with which to throw the spears...

Then, since we'd have reach weapons... add whips next?

[Fishcatch22]

Whips? that might attract some of the wrong crowd to the game... :P