MMORPGs and daggers...

number13death

I've been noticing a trend, lately, in MMORPGs concerning daggers. They're freaking huge! Big enough that I'm pretty sure they're not daggers, but instead are shortswords. Among those who seem to do this is Neverwinter, AION, and Age of Wushu (of the ones I can think of off the top of my head). Can someone enlighten me to this trend? Cause it's starting to get distracting.

Also, why can't they just call these weapons shortswords?

reilz1981

its to fit in their giant hands lol i have noticed this also i blame dragon age for this trend lol

the1tigglet

Guess not every dev can see 20/20 so they make them bigger and bigger? dunno.

braxzana

It's probably just that, if they made daggers the proper size, they would be hard-pressed to distinguish them from one another, visually. Especially in an action paced MMO, it would almost look like the rogues were bare-handed, the dagger's would be so thin/short.

Granted, they maybe shouldn't CALL them daggers considering their size, but that's more of an old-school habit, I think. In TERA, the closest rogue analog (the Warrior) doesn't even make any bones about it and uses two GIANT swords (practically a greatsword in each hand, but that's the exaggerated anime sword look).

silvergryph

Historically, daggers have included single-edged, double-edged and even un-edged (stiletto) thrusting knives with blades as long as about 20" or so in length. So, the daggers pictured in NW look about right to me.

Short swords were the standard one-handed sword with blades from about 24" to 36" long. Surprisingly short when handled in comparison with what you commonly see in Hollywood movies.

Long swords were actually often used two-handed, whereas in D&D they are the default one-handed sword. Incidentally, these would also be dwarfed by the one-handed swords seen in films.

ricktacular

*shrugs* Despite them being called "daggers", I've always considered them to be shortswords. They fit better, thematically, to me.

number13death

silvergryph wrote: »

Historically, daggers have included single-edged, double-edged and even un-edged (stiletto) thrusting knives with blades as long as about 20" or so in length. So, the daggers pictured in NW look about right to me.

Short swords were the standard one-handed sword with blades from about 24" to 36" long. Surprisingly short when handled in comparison with what you commonly see in Hollywood movies.

Long swords were actually often used two-handed, whereas in D&D they are the default one-handed sword. Incidentally, these would also be dwarfed by the one-handed swords seen in films.

But these weapons were larger than my character's (a half-elf) forearm which would have made the weapon around the size of a shortsword.

And my issue isn't so much that I'm using shortswords with my rogue, my issue is with calling them daggers.

silvergryph

number13death wrote: »

But these weapons were larger than my character's (a half-elf) forearm which would have made the weapon around the size of a shortsword.

And my issue isn't so much that I'm using shortswords with my rogue, my issue is with calling them daggers.

Unless your half-elf is 7 feet tall his forearms are probably not going to be longer than 20"...

sadgfh

I think people confuse daggger with knife. There isn't a huge difference between a dagger and a short sword, generally just a few inches in the blade and I think the handle being different. The 6" and 9" type blades are knives, not daggers.

number13death

I didn't say that his forearm is longer than 20 inches. Though I did some measurements and the blade (tip to guard) is just about 20 inches. But doesn't the length of the blade also count the tang (the part that extends it the hilt)?

itsneo

number13death wrote: »

I didn't say that his forearm is longer than 20 inches. Though I did some measurements and the blade (tip to guard) is just about 20 inches. But doesn't the length of the blade also count the tang (the part that extends it the hilt)?

The length of the blade, is just that the length of the blade ABOVE the hilt. The length of the dagger/sword/dirk is the length of the blade + length of the tang.

Which brings to question, what is considered the "standard" average length of the following;

Dirk?
Dagger?
Short sword?
Sword?
Long sword?
Great sword?

Does anyone have an idea as to what the "standard" average lengths of each of the above are?

ricktacular

Whatever your imagination wills it to be.