Top MUDs: What's your weapon of choice?
Player-submitted articles do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Iron Realms, the company or its employees.
Weapons are prolific in the top MUDs whether they are used for hunting, for combat, or for roleplay use in the case of the ritual knife or dagger. They add flavour and choice to our text lives and strategy to our combat. Some are heavy and slow, dealing limb crushing hits with every swing. Others are small and fast, occasionally able to be thrown and capable of delivering debilitating afflictions to our foes.
The choice of weapon you get is very much dependent upon the class you choose, although there are some professions that can get by without needing a weapon at all!
Speed knights with frighteningly fast rapiers in each hand will attempt to overwhelm you with the double slash, afflicting so fast that you eventually cannot move or cure (or at least so they hope) before they step in for the kill. On the other hand, a monk might seek to add an envenomed handaxe to their already formidable biological arsenal.
Perhaps you have ideas for shaping the weaponry-heavy combat environment. Would you like to play a Runewarden who can bring a stunning or 'bashing' option in with a large shield alongside a sword or battleaxe instead of the standard double slash? Maybe you want to end the existence of that pain in the behind, dirk-wielding Occultist? Or perhaps the idea of a Blademaster drawing and sheathing his sword twenty times a minute makes you laugh? Are you a forestal who thinks that bonding with the animals should be all the power you need? Or do you just really hate that gosh darned bard?
Many of us have ideas and want to see our personal classes 'buffed' making us forces to be reckoned with, top dogs of the rankings and feared champions or assassins. But, in the end, our games must bear some semblance of balance. If we strengthen one aspect and adopt the 'win at all costs' attitude, the best MUDs fast become one player games as we drain the enjoyment for others, pushing them away.
Conflict drives our text games, much of it combat-centric, and weaponry is used by most, if not all combatants. So, what are your thoughts?
Author: Lianca of Achaea
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Comments
Two handed weapons seem to
Two handed weapons seem to get a raw deal - always seems worth using 2 rather than one big two handed weapon
Good
Good friv
Interesting weapon of choice.
Interesting weapon of choice.
Yeah. Interesting.
Yeah. Interesting.
Uh huh
Quite
Mhm.
Mhm.
Yessir
Interesting
No. Not sir.
No. Not sir.
Two-Handed weapons
have their place, but my usual weapons of choice would be dual wielding... something. Maybe bows. Is that how that works?
Dunno.
Dunno.
^
^
I know.
Oh yes. I do. But I'm not going to tell you.
autofire crossbows!
autofire crossbows!
Uh huh..
Uh huh..
Dual wielding two-handed weapons?
Like a boss
agree
I agree. Atleast in lusternia 2 handed weapons have a higher chance of hitting and a higher chance of poisons coated on hitting too.
my long hard halberd =P
my long hard halberd =P
really?
really?
My halberd
is longer than your halberd :P
doubt it
doubt it
Is too!
Is too!
Psh.
Who needs two-handed weapons when you could be easily using each for Thanatology: spreading Despair with one hand while the other has a Withering Touch.
What.
What.
Exactly
Exactly
No
No
Yes!
Yes!
Nein.
Nein.
shafted!
shafted!
:O
How rude!
Yes!
Yes!
What about trolls? Don't they
What about trolls? Don't they walk on all fours?
No.
No.
Only forum trolls
Or so I hear
Uh huh..
Uh huh..
What?
You don't believe it?
Nope.
Nope.
But I seent it!
I seent it myself!
I don't even understand it.
I don't even understand it.
sure
sure
The best trolls get you to do
The best trolls get you to do the walking for them!
They break the legs, hence no
They break the legs, hence no walking.
No
Never heard that. Atleast on Achaea, never in character descriptions anything related to that either.
Tears.
Tears.
Yes.
Yes.
In some areas only.
In some areas only.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Apparently not so in Aetolia!
Apparently not so in Aetolia! Although Carnifex specializations are warhammers or polearms--was hoping I'd be able to use a claymore, but that works too.
Achaea
No longer has use for 2h'ers either anymore :< Makes me sad. See a few in Lusternia though...
I really think that 2h'ers
I really think that 2h'ers need a worthwhile buff, but then they risk getting OP and people who don't use them end up whining. Personally, I've always been a big fan of 2h bludgeons like warhammers and whatnot, but gotta settle as an Axelord in Lusternia.
Seriously
Wait, I think I know why 2h weapons aren't ever used... If they got a buff to the extent that knights would use them, they would be VERY effective in the hands of non knights... Perhaps modify DSL to increase the speed and/or damage of two handers?
That is a great idea - I'd
That is a great idea - I'd like to see that happen!
Ditto
Me too! Sounds interesting.
Ditto ditto
I agree, I'd love to see that happen!
Uh huh.
Uh huh.
Yessir
Indeed
Quite so
Indubitably
Unequivocally indubitable.
Unequivocally indubitable.
Mhm.
Mhm.
Indubitably unequivocal!
Indubitably unequivocal!
I might too. but I don't know
I might too. but I don't know since I didn't read the comment above.
I just said they are used :|
I just said they are used :|
In Aetolia perhaps.
I've never even seen one in Achaea, besides the occasional sent with a spear or trident, or forestal with a quarterstaff.
Don't forget the...
magical staffs! :)
Meh
Miss seeing knights wandering around with warhammers...
I wish all specs were equally
I wish all specs were equally viable. Being limited to one 'superior' one is such a waste.
It's cool to play the underdog, though!
And that stuff's always fluctuating.
Sometimes that's what makes
Sometimes that's what makes it annoying.
no thanks
Been playing that for too many years to agree with that!
right. it's really a big
right. it's really a big question for me why one type of weapon would ever be better than another. shouldn't it be the person using it who can make it as efficient as possible?
No. Why would a dirk be
No. Why would a dirk be equivalent to a warhammer? Which is why Thoth's Fangs really need to be changed..
The reality is a bit between
The reality is a bit between both these opinions. Yes, skill matters, but yes, some weapons are simply better than others. Historically rapiers turned out better than broadswords, it wasn't simply a change of fashion.
Hmmm....
Rapiers were always civilian swords - bastard swords were still used by knights in the battles of the Renaissance.
Also, dirks and warhammers aren't designed for the same things - arguments about one weapon being better than another can get pretty silly, oftentimes.
Yeah
But it's unfortunately inevitable. But I've been thinking I'll never dominate PVP - don't care enough - so why not pick something I'll have fun RPing!
Good advice!
Good advice!
Uh huh
Uh huh
D:
D:
:)
:)
:(
:(
You're making so many different kinds of faces
I don't know which of them to believe! :/
Indeed.
Indeed.
sigh
sigh
well
it really depends. The main problem is that some classes use weapons while others aren't really used.
or horses, since that's
or horses, since that's really what defines a knight.
Moreso
historically, sure.
Definitely
Not
Achaea
Monks should be able to use quarterstaves. Punching people does get boring eventually, believe it or not.
Psh. Monks are amazingly OP,
Psh. Monks are amazingly OP, who cares if it's boring.
mmhm
We hate monks in Lusternia, because they seem to be quite OP
Agreed.
Agreed.
Yep
Yep
Monks aren't OP
Everybody else is just underpowered >.>
nice
nice
Agreed
Needs more of the old Sentaari styles.
No
No
No to you, too.
No to you, too.
Nay.
Nay.
Monks have it good, so no.
Monks have it good, so no.
Come to the Lusternia Dark
Come to the Lusternia Dark Side. Monks use weapons there, duel weild as well as two-handers.
Oh yeah.
Oh yeah.
Sounds fun
Sounds fun
Agreed! More options. RP
Agreed! More options. RP options too.
yes sir!
yes sir!
It's true
Lusternia has the coolest monks (as far as I can tell)
Come to Lusternia, where
Come to Lusternia, where monks have access to monk only weapons.
No
Monks should be banished from all games >:)
Hrrrm.
Hrrrm.
Flails, glaives, and warhammers oh my!
I can only speak from the perspective of a Knight class, but I think there's enormous room for expansion for different weapon styles. The thing about being a Knight is that you can't actually fight effectively if using anything but two envenomed weapons at once. While almost all use either rapiers, or long/broadswords, with a few concessions to battleaxes, you'll never see a warhammer or other blunt object. I've always wanted to try out a flail or halberd to just to see how it might work, but there are just too many factors that stop me from using it or trying anything new.
1) That's about 16 and a half credits worth of lessons just to see what it's like.
2) Even if I do like it for hunting, it'll be useless in combat due to the fact that no class has skills than make it remotely useful.
3) Nobody makes them. Nobody.
4) If I did want to look into how it performs without committing to the lessons, there's no way. As there's no precedent of others using it as anything other than novelty, I have no idea how it would perform from others.
Some things that could make alternative weapons more viable would be:
1) Rebalanced stats so that every pair of one-handers has a roughly equivelant heavy weapon.
2) Allowed envenoming of blunt weapons
AND/OR
3) Added abilities to make up for the lack of Razeslash, double-venoms, (possibly) parrying, and other skills that require swords and swords only for their performance.
4) For maybe a month after implementation (Should it ever happen), refundable proficiency lessons so that people will be able to get a good working knowledge of the quirks of each weapon. We already know from fellow Achaeans how current weapons perform before comitting, but these would be a fresh slate.
Agreed
This pretty much sums up my thoughts exactly
Me too. Good list of pros and
Me too. Good list of pros and cons.
Yep.
Yep.
yes
yes
Uh huh.
Uh huh.
Mhm
Mhm
Flails + Weapon Proficiency
For Shatter. Tons of uses, even if it just opens up the pathway to making illusions realistic and fool the enemy/systems. Most combatants I would imagine could easily find a use for them if they thought about it. But for normal combat, it's terrible idea with the way it's set up right now, yes.
Glaives are badass.
That is all.
Flails, glaives, and warhammers....
Great post. Next round of classleads, submit it!
I am so sick of knights running around with rapiers. Think about it. Here's a class wearing plate mail armor using thin-bladed rapiers. From a historical standpoint, medieval knights used longswords and broadswords. For a few reasons. One, you got the cutting damage from the edge. Two, you got blunt damage from the sheer weight of the sword. And three, you were going up against other knights. You needed a weapon that could stand up to your opponent's armor.
I know, I know, this is a fantasy game. But keeping stuff like this in mind never hurts.
Agreed. Never see anyone
Agreed. Never see anyone using those weapons, only mostly for non-combat purposes.
Your post seems to suggest
Your post seems to suggest that rapiers would not be effective against plate, they were actually very effective.
Well said
One forerunner to the rapier was the estoc, which was designed to pierce plate. Not to mention that longswords and broadswords actually didn't weigh terribly much, and that the actual swords these plated knights would be using, while called longswords, were more a D&D bastard sword than longsword. And if they wanted to bludgeon with it, they'd grip by the blade and swing the hilt at you. Or, ya know, they'd just try and pierce between your plates.
RPGs have led us all astray from accurate weapon knowledge.
Exactly!
Exactly!
Yep
Yep
Yeah.
Yeah.
Blunt weapons.
There are some, albeit few, uses for blunt weapons, even for a knight. A good flail can make a difference if you're throwing shatter into your combos, but what I'd honestly like to see is DSL usable with other weapontypes - I'm fully on board with that. Being stuck with "use two rapiers and STAB FASTER" is a sad state for a plated powerhouse.
Stabbing Faster
Rarely a bad idea.
Not necessarily true,
in real life anyway. And in a game you might be sacrificing some other advantage like accuracy to do so.
It kills the vibe
I agree
Variety is the Spice of Life
Some variety in weapon usage would be nice. Certainly when it comes to PvP, the double rapier reigns supreme (for a knight, at least). Part of the problem is that afflictions are vital to good combat and the double rapier setup allows for the best stacking. For blunts and two-handers to be remotely viable they need methods to either inflict considerably more raw damage or associated skills that can compare to a decent affliction stack.
or give them each their own
or give them each their own afflictions that fire without needing a specific skill use.
Interesting.
Interesting.
Quite.
Quite.
sounds complex.
sounds complex.
An actual good post. Please
An actual good post. Please submit to class leads
lusternia knight weapons
in lusternia knights have a veriety of specs. though in most specs the speed weapon in that group is almost always used. so it's a little redundent but, atleast you have more options. though there's not really a 2 handed bludgen weapon unless you count the cavalier spec but, that's not compleatly a blunt 2 hander since it has a sharp point.
:D
:D
D:
D:
:)
:)
:(
:(
they could always opt for
they could always opt for just aesthetic changes, like say, DSL with a claymore, and just tweak the damage. more than anything, i think players want variety.
Pretty much
I'd honestly rather use a double-edged twohanded weapon than double blades. It just feels kind of... Silly.
Alternate to DSL in Chivalry
They could have an alternate attack to DSL in Chivalry, something meant to make use of a 2Her with a different name and flavor text than DSL, but balanced to be as good. Both abilities'd be in the tree, but you'd only be able to use one, anyway, so it wouldn't be any different.
this is why i love my sitara.
this is why i love my sitara.
One of the other IRE games
One of the other IRE games has a skill where a two hander can make multiple slashes. Don't remember which one, though.
Polearms!
Polearms!
Yes!
I love this idea
Agreed.
Agreed.
Yeah
Don't need to make things more complicated. We just want to pimp our characters out with different kinds of weapons!
pimp
Odd term to use!
figure of speech
it's used that way in slang
Hrrm.
Hrrm.
Would be nice to make two
Would be nice to make two handed weapons on par with something along the lines of dual wielding axes or broadswords depending on type.
i hope this passes in the
i hope this passes in the latest classleads in achaea.
we have nice warhammers in
we have nice warhammers in Aetolia
Part of the problem is the
Part of the problem is the way rapture handles crits. Multiple attacks just make bashing better and unless you're never going to hunt, why gimp yourself if you have the choice?
nod
nod
Unarmed
Unarmed
mhm
mhm
QS
QS
Two-handed monk FTW
Tried lots of weapons keep coming back to my Tahto.
Otem!
Otem!
Oooh...
Non-Priests that use warhammers!
Phaesteans
You know it's a sad state of affairs when even a Phaestean won't pick a warmhammer as their weapon of choice.
I'm assuming this Phaestus
I'm assuming this Phaestus dude is an omnipotent one?
Lord Phaestus
He would be The Smith. God of the Forge, Dwarffather, etc.
Pretty impressive fellah!
Lotta titles there.
Pretty impressive fellah!
Lotta titles there.
Should add, Phaestus Gun in
Should add, Phaestus Gun in the West!
Well, there should be!
I mean, lotsa knights did, historically!
yep
yep
Uh huh
Uh huh
Huh uh
Huh uh
Agreed
I concur. It is a real shame such cool weapons do not have their own niche in the game outside of being a collector's item. Allowing twohanded weapons to have extra features such as knockback, prone, disarm in addition to their damage all in the same attack might be a good way to fix this perhaps. Many of them would also knock someone off balance when used properly. Fighting against someone with a heavy axe is no easy task if they have the initiative. So much can be done for these truly awesome weapons. They are meant to kill through tons of overall damage and insane offensive power.
It is truly a sad state of affairs for twohanded weapons right now in Achaea. Truly piss poor performance. Hopefully the powers that be will step up to the task of truly ramping up these weapons. All weapon options should be made to be very viable. I am not a combat expert, but these days it seems like rapiers or lose. *shakes head*
More than just effects
There need to be skills that actually work with two-handers. DSL simply doesn't work, monks don't use them, blademasters have their own weapons, etc. Unless you're rocking the classless life and just use Weaponry, Riding, Avoidance, Survival, and Vision, you're going to have a hard time.
Swordmasters in Midkemia
Swordmasters are required to use two handers! Also, there's Pureblades in Lusternia!
Bonecrushing's nice too, but
Bonecrushing's nice too, but I really want to find a good enough time to do the Cavalier quest.
Pureblades?
Sounds like a cult for a certain type of sword. :> What is a Pureblade? A guild, or artie, or what? I've never played Lusternia, so I have no clue, but it does sound interesting!
Weapon Specializations
We have five skills branching from Knighthood. Check out the online help files some time!
Yes.
Yes.
Weapon
The weapon I choose is my MIND. Or apparently talisman that shoots sand.
hi. Magic. Screw regular
hi. Magic. Screw regular weapons.
magic is for the weak
magic is for the weak
For the most part have to
For the most part have to agree
Fire. Lots of it.
Fire. Lots of it.
Fire, fire and more fire.
Fire, fire and more fire.
Claws.
Claws.
hi
hi
My middle finger.NO just
My middle finger.
NO just kidding. Hehe. Fire.
hi
hi
stuff
stuff
Yes.
Yes.
staff!
staff!
My weapon of choice? A free
My weapon of choice? A free credit.
And fire.
I want a morningstar...
I want a morningstar...
have to be
Have to change guilds near for that to be affective.
Morning stars *are* cool
It cannot be denied.
Amen. Especially when more
Amen. Especially when more than just ornamental, as priets in some games never really get to use them.
Agreed
My understanding is that in Lusternia, if you can use morningstars, you're always better off with hammers.
and if the spiked ball looked
and if the spiked ball looked any more like a stereotypical star, you'd have a wand.
Yep.
Yep.
Uh huh.
Uh huh.
Uh huh.
Uh huh.
mmhm
Pondering a new guild, but eh, so many lessons
winterlynn likes her whip lol
winterlynn likes her whip lol
Me too!
Whip all the way.
Unless someone shows me something equally as good. ;)
I love whips but their damage
I love whips but their damage is pretty terrible, if you don't have an artefact one anyway.
Whips
Whips look pretty awesome!
They suck!
Hehe MACE! TO THE FACE!
I know...
But hey, they look the part with a dirk and bow combo. Serp pride. :P
Serpents
are pretty cool!
Aye.
Aye.
Only if they have artie bows
Only if they have artie bows and dirks.
Psh
Fire all the way
Jakari.
You can wh ip with them and do major damage? :D
monks
No one likes them, say hello to my viola instead.
This scares me greatly :P I
This scares me greatly :P
I however like my aged Dragonbone halberd of DOOOOOOOMMMM!!!
Sounds impressive
That's alot of O's. Very doomy indeed.
Sounds impressive
That's alot of O's. Very doomy indeed.
So does
Indiana Jones!
She has grown a fondness for
She has grown a fondness for her staff recently though
My quarterstaff?
...quarterstaffs are terrible weapons. But at least it's pretty.
Quarterstaffs are awesome!
And who says they're horrible weapons? Maybe in Achaea. But Little John used one, and he was a badass.
You typoed the word 'fatass'.
You typoed the word 'fatass'.
Me?
I prefer quicker swords or spears, but Sable? Magic, all the way.
Quick Swords IRL
A bastard sword or a two-hander will be faster than a smaller sword because yer using two hands, and having two swords doesn't equal attacking twice as much or any such nonsense. All stuff that bugs me about gaming swords.
Magix!
Magix!
Artifact staff for
Artifact staff for staffcasting AND poking people!
Artifacts.
Any would do. :C Gimme one!
magic is definitely the way to go
whether it is a staff or wand or cudgel. So much cleaner than cutty-bashy-gorey weapons.
Have you seen Achaea's
Have you seen Achaea's staffcast death messages? Kinda gorey.
Yep.
Yep.
Magic?
Nooo. Takes too much thinking, just kick it. But sadly, making katas involves lots of thinking. o.o
Lusternia in general
involves a lot of thinking.
Me..
I like Rapiers with my minion and Dwhisper...makes things rather nasty
i quit halfway into thinking
i quit halfway into thinking of a bashing kata. let alone an actual strategy.
upside
And easy to summon a new weapon without worrying about decay
fists
fists
So, how much experience do I
So, how much experience do I get for the bard?
the storm
hammer
My lyre
it rules
Or..
Mandolin, flute... :)
I prefer the sitar
If any of the IRE bards could play that, I'd be sold.
Mage Staffs
I prefer hitting hard and accurately, so mage staff is my favorite.
magic over meley
I've always prefered magic weapons over meley weapons too.
Mage stuff
LIGHTNING
Favorite weapon?
Surprise is my favorite weapon. Hit them with something they didn't expect. If I can't do that I like cataclysm as a weapon. I can hit them but they can't hit me. Maybe I should have been a serpent sniper.
fear, surprise, ruthless
fear, surprise, ruthless efficiency, an almost fanatical devotion to the Pope, and nice red uniforms?
As an Occultist, I don't use
As an Occultist, I don't use a weapon at all, unless you count a tarot deck.
Occultist weapon?
Tarot decks kind of count. So does 'magic.'
Yeah.
Yeah.
Tarot ftw!
Yay!
If you can slay with it it's
If you can slay with it it's a weapon
It's a relief to me that I
It's a relief to me that I don't have to worry about using forged weapons. Mage's staff for me. I did get it customized using Mayan crowns, as "a dark-hued bloodwood staff"--gives it a bit more character.
I hate relying on another class to make my weapon for me.
So, I have never played a bard.
Yeah
Self-reliance is nice
Whips are the sexiest
Sexiest weapon everrrrr
That's a worry.
That's a worry.
Yes, it sure sounds as it.
..^^
No
Dhuriv beats them anyday
^
^
Who needs weapons
I got me some mighty fine chaos skillz... Don't think I will really get into weapons either.
I could get down with Chaos skills
They sound like loads of fun!
my pretty green vines?
my pretty green vines?
I like the vines too
I like the vines too
vines of viridian were cool
vines of viridian were cool too!
Viridians
LLENA used VINE WHIP!
LLENA used VINE WHIP!
It's super effective!
I love my vines!
I love my vines!
Tekura
Martial arts work simply fine for me.
It does work fine.
Mhm
fists
fists
of course thats what you
of course thats what you would like :)
and my feet too!
and my feet too!
yes, can't forget your feet!
yes, can't forget your feet!
and telepathy!
and telepathy!
hah strangely I forgot about
hah strangely I forgot about that!
How could you forget about my
How could you forget about my telepathy? I use it for evil all the time :P
aww, no reply, le sad.
aww, no reply, le sad.
I guess it's cus you can't
I guess it's cus you can't use it so much on Winter no more :P
I am taking that statement
I am taking that statement back, thank you.
There.
Reply. Stop your sadness.
I want to wield a two handed sword
as a runewarden, of course
What about...
A THREE-HANDED SWORD? :o
Don't be shocked by the sound of my voice
as a bard in lusternia, I get to wander back and forth between stringed instruments. Typically I go with a violin or mandolin. And then play a minorsecond to bust heads.
Wow!
Me likey. :)
More than just noise!
Since playing a note that makes ears bleed just makes people think you're a bad musician, there are other bard attacks. Like Shadowchord, which curdles their insides with poison and makes them vomit shadows.
Axes are fun! Like how they
Axes are fun! Like how they handled 'em for Sentinels, something new..
I'd prefer dwarven
I'd prefer dwarven battleaxes, but Achaea discourages me on a daily basis. :(
how so?
how so?
He probably dies a lot while
He probably dies a lot while using them.
Because it's practically
Because it's practically worthless in Achaea outside of burst damage finishers.
What he said.
What he said.
I am Bill Nighy, and I love
I am Bill Nighy, and I love my soul cleaver. Not for other players though, no.
Heh.
Heh.
My sitara, despite the
My sitara, despite the indian-sounding name.
All weapons are fine by me,
All weapons are fine by me, as long as they get me my kills.
this
this
Ha
Too right
I <3 my scythe. Seriously
I <3 my scythe. Seriously such a kickass weapon. Although hand-to-hand bashing has a certain flair to it as well. Something different than the usual sword / dagger / mace stuff. I think I'd enjoy whips as well, haha.
What about...
A WHIP-SCYTHE!? o:
+1
+1
My rapiers
I love my customized rapier very mucho.