ok, I'll give you the torch bit. thats a utility point that I hadn't thought of as an exception. I think in my mind, its more that you stash(whatever means applies) your offhand "thing" and hold the torch when needed... but the torch itself not exactly counting as an "offhand thing", but rather a utility that simply has to be held in the off hand.

and I'm not sure I buy the minimum equipment lighter movement thing. a buckler, dagger, Main-Gauche, whatever... would not necessarily be burdensome, and the practical usefulness of it, (if you don't have to be holding a torch or something) would outweigh its... erm, weight.

I've put quite a bit of time into Elder Scrolls games playing a character that used a 1H weapon in one hand and cast spells from the other - damage/protection/healing/conjuring - the classic Spellsword. Very disappointed as well that there wasn't really a true 1H/cast option in the weapon abilities categories.

For the 'just do this' apologists - it's not the same.

To be honest, i really like to have a 1 hand and spell skill line.

Yup, One hand magic other one sword.

They are very likely to add this one. Battle-mages keep opening this kind of threads

I hope they will be adding new skill trees later, they're adding DB and TG after launch so why not one handed.

In fencing the spare hand is used for balance, and rarely cheap tricks. So they could have a passive for reduced knockdown chance, and a pocket sand/eye poke active.

They would just have to code it so a shield blocks the skills from being used.

Well i do miss the spellsword ,but if you don't mind you can always get a sorc and put some dual sword. The problem is that spells don't need to be equipped, so having a "equipable" spell on your left hand is kinda stupid useless if you free cast. If you plan to play solo/pvp you can use Puncture with the pierce armor morph (- 45% spell resist and armor) + Low cut + Surge + Lighting Splash + Encase.

But if you go into a party Puncture will be a problem, since it's a Taunt.

DB = Dragonborn? If so i hope not. Since lore wise they are just a few and requires to kill a dragon to their power manifest (since the power of a DB is eating dragon and using the voice).

Dark Brotherhood and thieves guild

Oh, sorry for my mistake. World skills probably.

By "Elder Scrolls games" I assume you mean Skyrim, because that's the only ES game where you could equip each hand individually with weapon or spell at the same time.

And the 1-handed weapon + spell is not the "classic" spellsword in the Elder Scrolls. Spellsword has been a class in every ES game from Arena to Oblivion, and in each game it has been allowed to use shields or has had Block as a major skill.

i admit, the weapon choice is a bit strange, not far from how guild wars 2 is (or was, no idea these days), except the skills are tied to each and every weapon, instead of simply having a skill tree and needing x weapon to use the skills

quite a limitation but i can tolerate it

The best would be having separate spells line from weapon but it seems that won't happen at all.

What? Spells are separate from weapons in ESO. Weapon skills have their own stamina-based abilities ("special attacks" in other words) and class skills are all magicka-based spells.

What i mean is, you can't cast impulse without a destruction stave equipped. The only spells that you can cast with any weapons are spells from class skills, world skills and guild skills. The spells from destruction staves use Magicka and are spells, they increased damage by boosting Magicka, not Stamina.