Merging the identical weapon talents

[Mithril]

At least three of the current weapons talents are identical to one another: swords, axes, and maces. Specializing in these results in no practical differences except regarding the type of weapons allowed. A fighter specializing in swords is no different than a fighter specializing in axes. Unless you have access to the fighting with two weapons talents the same applies to knives. This has at least two serious drawbacks.

Firstly, in order to spawn items for all the different weapons specialist a very large numbers of weapons must be generated. Most of these weapons will be useless to most classes and most of weapons specialists (axes are useless to sword specialists and so on.) This causes a large number of junk items that clutter the game.

Secondly, it makes artifact creation very more difficult to balance. It is very likely that some weapon artifacts will be better than other and thus all fighter specialists will specialize in that weapon (currently, swords due to Ringil). So having different weapon specialists become pointless since all will choose the same weapon speciality.

Two ideas to for removing this problem
1. Merge swords, axes, maces, and knives into one skill. Fighting with two knives is an additional separate skill as it is currently.
2. Create one skill for two-handed weapons and one for one-handed weapons that you can use with or without a shield. Fighting with two knives is an additional separate skill as it is currently.

[Mithril]

Personally I prefer 1. This makes all weapons potentially an interesting find for all characters that use close combat. Fighters differentiate as they do currently in which additional skills they have, like shield skills, two knives skills, or special maneuvers for two handed weapons.

With such a system all close combat weapons are interesting for close combat characters especially in the beginning of the game. Even a shield specialist who finds a two-handed weapon artifact in the beginning of the game may use it initially until a good shield appears.

[darkgod]

I think this is a good idea. I'll keep a weapon mastery damage skill and an exotic weapon mastery damage skill for rare weapons like whips and tridents

[Zonk]

I think 2 would be better *IF* we had a way to choose whetever to wield weapons one or two handed(which I'm not sure it's in, although I might be wrong. 2 hands->more damage, obviously).

Still, 1 isn't bad.

[Grey]

This is a fantastic idea. It'll make all weapon finds much more interesting.

[Wombat]

It sounds like a great idea. I assume that a specialist class like Cursed will keep its requirement for battle axes in spite of the change