Let's talk curves. No, not THOSE curves. I mean swords. We all know the katana has a slight curve to it. So do the cutlass, scimitar, some sabers and a ton of other swords. Then we've got straight swords: The broad sword, the claymore, some sabers and a ton of other swords.
So what's the difference? Well, curved swords cut more efficiently. When a straight sword cuts a guy, it pretty much just cuts with the part where it lands. But a curved sword will run along the body after it lands, making a deeper wound.
Then why not make all swords curved? As usual, the answer is armor. Curved swords cut flesh well, but when you go after a guy in armor you're not cutting so much as hacking. Straight swords are generally more suited for this. That's why the katana doesn't do so well on armor.
Of course, it's not all about the curve. Weight plays an important factor, too. Heavier swords are generally better for chopping through armor. The katana sacrifices weight so that it can be efficient for offense and decent for defense, where as I mentioned in my last post, Western swords are generally designed for either or.
Another example are the Chinese dao and jian. The dao has a slight curve to it, but is a lot heavier than the straight-bladed jian. Some jian are so light that the blade actually bends when you strike. Yes, it's meant to do this. Bending can help it get around a guard.
And the saber... it's a cavalry weapon, probably the sword to find the longest use. Naturally, a ton of designs were adopted because of it. Later the saber became more of a symbolic weapon than one used for battle. The "wristbreakers" of the U.S. Civil War were basically useless for any real fighting. They got their name because if you swung one, it was likely to break your wrist.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Monday, July 27, 2009
Swords
<3 swords.
No, I'm not talking about FFXI swords. I mean the real deal. I collect 'em. Granted, most of them are stainless steel pieces of crap, but I do have a couple of "real" ones. Here's my collection:
4 katanas (2 stainless steel)
1 wakazashi
1 rapier
2 sabers (one a real from the Civil War, the other an immitation)
1 ninja-to
1 tanto
1 broadsword
1 claymore
1 short sword of Greek design
1 sword cane
4 WWII bayonets (real ones, used by my grandfather. They're very rusty)
I also have a few others for actual use:
2 foils
1 electric epee
1 bokken
2 wooden jian
1 wooden dao
1 staff
2 sai
The katana's my favorite weapon, for its versatility.
Most Western swords are generally designed in two ways: slashing weapons like broadswords or two-handers, tend to be really heavy, weighted at the top. This makes them great for hacking through armor, but practically useless for defense. In the case of the broadsword, you'd have a shield for defense. For a two-hander, you have no defense, but it's pretty damn hard to block that weapon, too. Basically, you strike first and hope you hit.
As Western swords evolved, they got lighter and slimmer. The rapier was much lighter and longer than a broadsword. But despite what video games tell you, it was not a super-fast thrusting weapon. It's a cut-and-thrust weapon, and it's still pretty damn heavy, due mainly to its length. Rapiers were used in towns, where nobody was wearing armor. Defense would again rely on your other hand, where you'd have a main-gauche, a heavy dueling gauntlet, or just a cloak to slap away attacks.
Finally, the epee evolved from the rapier. The epee is a triangular bladed sword with a needle-sharp point, meant only for thrusting. It's very fast and suited for defense as well as offense. But you're not going to be hacking through any armor with it. Of course, by the time it evolved firearms were in widespread use and there was no need for armor anymore...
But I digress. So, the katana. It can cut or thrust, is heavy enough to do some real damage, light enough to be able to defend yourself with, and best of all can be used efficiently with one or two hands, a feat few other swords can accomplish (don't kid yourself with bastard swords. They claim those can be used with one or two hands, but trust me, they're freaking heavy).
The only problem with the katana is it's nigh useless against armor. It does fine against samurai armor, sure, but when the Mongols invaded, the samurai fared badly because their katanas kept breaking on the Mongol leather armor.
Not that that has anything to do with modern times. The point is that the katana adds a lot of versatility you can't get with most other swords. You can really substitute it for a lot of other weapons in different fighting styles, too.
Hoping to get a real dao and jian some time soon, but for monetary reasons I haven't been collecting in a while. I should get a new ninja-to, too. I put mine through hell in high school, before I started using wooden swords for practice :x
No, I'm not talking about FFXI swords. I mean the real deal. I collect 'em. Granted, most of them are stainless steel pieces of crap, but I do have a couple of "real" ones. Here's my collection:
4 katanas (2 stainless steel)
1 wakazashi
1 rapier
2 sabers (one a real from the Civil War, the other an immitation)
1 ninja-to
1 tanto
1 broadsword
1 claymore
1 short sword of Greek design
1 sword cane
4 WWII bayonets (real ones, used by my grandfather. They're very rusty)
I also have a few others for actual use:
2 foils
1 electric epee
1 bokken
2 wooden jian
1 wooden dao
1 staff
2 sai
The katana's my favorite weapon, for its versatility.
Most Western swords are generally designed in two ways: slashing weapons like broadswords or two-handers, tend to be really heavy, weighted at the top. This makes them great for hacking through armor, but practically useless for defense. In the case of the broadsword, you'd have a shield for defense. For a two-hander, you have no defense, but it's pretty damn hard to block that weapon, too. Basically, you strike first and hope you hit.
As Western swords evolved, they got lighter and slimmer. The rapier was much lighter and longer than a broadsword. But despite what video games tell you, it was not a super-fast thrusting weapon. It's a cut-and-thrust weapon, and it's still pretty damn heavy, due mainly to its length. Rapiers were used in towns, where nobody was wearing armor. Defense would again rely on your other hand, where you'd have a main-gauche, a heavy dueling gauntlet, or just a cloak to slap away attacks.
Finally, the epee evolved from the rapier. The epee is a triangular bladed sword with a needle-sharp point, meant only for thrusting. It's very fast and suited for defense as well as offense. But you're not going to be hacking through any armor with it. Of course, by the time it evolved firearms were in widespread use and there was no need for armor anymore...
But I digress. So, the katana. It can cut or thrust, is heavy enough to do some real damage, light enough to be able to defend yourself with, and best of all can be used efficiently with one or two hands, a feat few other swords can accomplish (don't kid yourself with bastard swords. They claim those can be used with one or two hands, but trust me, they're freaking heavy).
The only problem with the katana is it's nigh useless against armor. It does fine against samurai armor, sure, but when the Mongols invaded, the samurai fared badly because their katanas kept breaking on the Mongol leather armor.
Not that that has anything to do with modern times. The point is that the katana adds a lot of versatility you can't get with most other swords. You can really substitute it for a lot of other weapons in different fighting styles, too.
Hoping to get a real dao and jian some time soon, but for monetary reasons I haven't been collecting in a while. I should get a new ninja-to, too. I put mine through hell in high school, before I started using wooden swords for practice :x
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Kauna the Dragoon
I was browsing through my artwork and found this, a pic of my character, done for me years ago by Tsaryaoh, a friend who no longer plays.
I make a badass drg!
.... or I would if my drg wasn't 38.
I make a badass drg!
.... or I would if my drg wasn't 38.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Screenshots
I just realized when I got my new computer I lost all my old screenshots. Oh well, at least I still got my Photobucket account. The trouble is, I lost Photoshop in the transfer, so I can't make cool sigs anymore :(
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Friday, July 3, 2009
Red Mage
My first job to 75 was red mage. These days I rarely use it, and when I do, it's only to solo with. I have using it in parties or for events. So why'd I level it?
Short answer: It was my first job and I didn't know any better.
Long answer: The instruction book describes a red mage as being able to cast both white and black magic, as well as having some fighting ability. The truth is, all it is is a battery.
Somehow I managed to make it to level 56 with only a nin sub before realizing that rdm wasn't supposed to fight. Back then, the game was new and nobody knew any better, although at that point they were starting to find out.
But the job back then was pretty much the same as it is now: Refresh everyone and cure. The only difference is that there was usually a whm main healer (or a gimp blm/whm or smn/whm), instead of expecting the rdm to handle it on his own.
It was boring. Hell, it's still boring.
For a while in the late 60s, I felt like quitting. I did take long breaks, and when I did log in I'd get constant party invites, turning them down because I just didn't feel like going.
I did level whm instead for a while, but guess what? That was even worse. I got through 60 because I wanted the AF, then kept going telling myself it'd get better, but it didn't. To this day, I still haven't finished it. I'm scared that if I do, people will start expecting me to actually use it.
But I managed to push though on rdm. I beat Maat on the first try (which, back in 2003 on rdm, was considered pretty damn awesome) and eventually slogged up the slope to 75.
Then I decided to level monk, and discovered something startling: The game didn't get boring, it was just that job. Healers suck.
Except smn, oddly. I really did like leveling smn, even though it was mostly a gimp healer. Dunno why.
Anyhow, things got better from there.
Short answer: It was my first job and I didn't know any better.
Long answer: The instruction book describes a red mage as being able to cast both white and black magic, as well as having some fighting ability. The truth is, all it is is a battery.
Somehow I managed to make it to level 56 with only a nin sub before realizing that rdm wasn't supposed to fight. Back then, the game was new and nobody knew any better, although at that point they were starting to find out.
But the job back then was pretty much the same as it is now: Refresh everyone and cure. The only difference is that there was usually a whm main healer (or a gimp blm/whm or smn/whm), instead of expecting the rdm to handle it on his own.
It was boring. Hell, it's still boring.
For a while in the late 60s, I felt like quitting. I did take long breaks, and when I did log in I'd get constant party invites, turning them down because I just didn't feel like going.
I did level whm instead for a while, but guess what? That was even worse. I got through 60 because I wanted the AF, then kept going telling myself it'd get better, but it didn't. To this day, I still haven't finished it. I'm scared that if I do, people will start expecting me to actually use it.
But I managed to push though on rdm. I beat Maat on the first try (which, back in 2003 on rdm, was considered pretty damn awesome) and eventually slogged up the slope to 75.
Then I decided to level monk, and discovered something startling: The game didn't get boring, it was just that job. Healers suck.
Except smn, oddly. I really did like leveling smn, even though it was mostly a gimp healer. Dunno why.
Anyhow, things got better from there.
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