Hmm, if we all simultaneously ask if there will be hand to hand on the http://www.gamesas.com/index.php?/topic/1189588-announcing-the-skyrim-fan-interview-4/ thread, maybe we'll get an answer. :shrug:

I don't think they would get rid of light armour, why would they have heavy and not light?

Those were my guesses at combat skills, LA is stealth.

Not being interested in it doesn't really mean that you should wish it isn't in the game; especially if you're going to call it an "inferior" fighting style. Spartan warriors were trained to kill people in a multitude of different ways with their bare hands whereas the only useful 2h weapon in the history of the world is the spear which probably isn't in Skyrim. 2h swords, axes, maces w/e are completely inefficient in a real world sense and were hardly ever used in midieval times during combat.

so in your opinion a zweihander landsknecht or a nodachi samurai is completely inefficient on the battlefield? I can assure you that a charge with a double handed weapon creates so much momentum that it has the potential to destroy a pike/spear formation pretty effectively. I have to disagree with your statement that the only useful 2h weapon in the history of the world is the spear. It's a generalisation and it's incorrect.

hand to hand has always been a gimped skill and I expect it to be cut from the game.

Now that we have a trigger/mouse button representing each hand, I see Hand to Hand as being more fun than ever before.

Well I'm not agree not weapon but skills and abilities make warrior great, in such cases there can be martial artist similar to monks and assassins, I believe there can be skill thats represent skilled body qualities as before acrobatics athletics do as well add dodging options and different hand to hand combat options.
Yes need to be really trained body to withstand a blow or be quick enough to dodge strike, martial artist will not try always block weapon strikes but can dodge them somewhere withstand them and most important prevent them by counters strikes disarming and staggering enemy, knocks the opponent down to the ground and as well by exhaust enemy fatigue.

Thats will be really good if kicks will return as part martial arts to game, I miss them since Daggerfall good thats mods return them to game, as well nice to see using of grab button in combat not only for dragging stuff around, so with directional combat movements, and four keys (left hand, right hand, jump and grab) H2H can have really nice combinations, there also can be some special racial movements perks like some heavy punches for nords and orcs, some fast strikes for elves, some claw scratches for beasts.
As well some perk for applying on touch spells with strikes in H2H.
H2H can receive bonus damage from armor rating and weight of gauntlets and boots also if there will be no special weapons for H2H

are you thinking weapons like spiked knuckles? or weapons like claw weapons and katars. becuse katars are the only stabbing weapon that i can think of where you actually use and same motion as using your fists

if weapons like katars are in i would definatly accept it. but H2H at a high level is really low powered, you need someting to help with that.

there could be some sweet assassination finishes with H2H like snapping a NPC's neck or suffocating him. for a assassian i think it would be as cool as daggers. should

EDIT: so DRAGON_STALKER what you are saying is more matial arts, so if they do it this way should they change the name from hand to hand to martial arts or hand combat?
not trying to insult you, i do like your thinking of hand combat.

maybe hand combat can be a way of not killing someone, just knocking them out, so if i get into a bar fight im not convicted for a murder, i knocked the guy out and resume drinking. :foodndrink:

I would just simply love to be able to turn my fists into elemental magic projectiles like set my fist on fire for 60 sec

Well since they remove acrobatics thats looks strange to remove dodge ability and jump altering with it as well removing of athletics create question where will be perks for increasing sprint and run speed and decreasing fatigue usage on such actions so more likely there will be skill for such activities since it leveled from different work not just from jumping and running it suit for Todd description of less grinding skills thats require more attention from player, so in such cases Martial Arts skill highly possible.

About increasing damage for H2H and increasing fatigue damage, I think Fatigue damage will be more scalable with skill levels when increased damage will come special movements, sneak attacks and using for example heavy and spiked gauntlets, so bar fight will be mostly safe since drunken fighter will not use deadly combinations and more likely relay on basic punches with bare fists and kicks, handling crime detection for assault in tavern can allow non deadly combat with using of bare fists and items around, as well if NPC will knock out player he will sleep and when wake up at morning can found stolen some gold, adding to Skyrim AI ability do not kill just kick ass and take weapon of unsuccessful Bully, since dialogues now in realtame game mode and there is no stupid mini-game having unsheathed weapon can help in intimidating but at fail npc can kick ass of %PCname take his weapon but leave him live as well call guards, the same goes for guards who arrest and bash NPC instead of kill.

It'll probably be as lame as Oblivion and Fallout 3's were. Though they claim improved animations I don't think it's to the point where H2H combat would be smooth and fluid.

Guessing is all we can do, but I'd rather see stealth characters get h2h. They need something to fall back on, when the bow won't do. The skill should be all about grapples and quick kills, enough with the fist fights.

IMO if H2H is included in the game it will need to combine martial arts techniques such as disarming (jujutsu), strikes in vital areas (karate) meaning that H2H must be accompanied with locational damage and take-downs (judo). The player will use these three together with dodging to take down an enemy. It is arguably the hardest style of combat but could be extremely effective against big and slow enemies that use heavy armour or/and are of an inherently big stature i.e. a troll.

If H2H is done the "Oblivion way" then I doubt many will use it because it just doesn't seem plausible that the player can box face-to-face with an enemy who is wielding a weapon, as if they are battling on equal terms. And for people who argue that H2H is not inferior to weapons then I must disagree. If H2H is just as powerful, then why invent weapons in the first place? All I'm trying to say is that anyone opting for H2H is undoubtedly going to be the underdog in any fight against an opponent using a weapon and it will take all the techniques mentioned above to beat the opponent, not to mention alot of dodging.

If I had my way hand to hand would become a magic skill, and would be powered by a mix of stamina and magicka. Touch spells would be turned into punch spells, that would litterally light your hand on fire, lightning, or ice - and masters of hth would be able to inflict damaging punches with fire, lightning punches that slow the enemy's body, and ice punches that damage enemy armor more.

At any rate, this isn't earth. There's nothing stopping martial artists in Tamriel from punching through armor and catching a sword with their bare hands. Hopefully beth goes crazy, and makes hth just as unrealistic as all the other fighting styles are at master class levels.

I doubt this will happen...Todd himself said that the team is going for a mix between realism and fantasy ("realistic fantasy" as opposed to full-out high fantasy). I guess the reason why they opted for this is to make the game more believable. Punching through armor might match the criteria but I doubt that catching a sword will be included

master hand to hand would be good for assassins also. closed quarters combat ftw...!

oh and as for fighting against, lets say, a sword, who's to say they can't add a dodge animation instead of stone walling the blade with a boxing high block?

Well martial artist more likely will catch the hand thats swing with weapon then stop weapon with bare hand thats is realistic and used most time IRL, as some part of fantasy adding ability to parry weapons with bare hands at hight levels of H2H skill is really possible.
So nothing conflict there.

Catching the hand that is swinging the weapon is perfectly fine but stopping a blade with your hands/flesh isn't unless you have some sort of armor on your hands and/or have spells.

Well as master perk thats looks logical in world where master acrobat can jump of water surface, thats fantasy magical world not reality think about legends about Shaolin monks and D&D epic skill levels.
http://www.racematters.org/assets/ShaolinMonks.jpg
Besides thats can be not actual blocking like shield and more like parry with sword, when power in blade is offset into side instead of resisting and withstand such destructible power.
Of course non skilled martial artist will more likely try to catch hand or dodge such strike.
And you right equipment can also help much for unskilled apprentices of martial arts while master use his body as main weapon at the same level as skilled fencer use blade.

As far as I remember, a finisher move was shown in the gameplay trailer. There was also mention, that some form of crippling system is being used. I might be going out on a limb here, but maybe H2H is going to be moved into the stealth category. Or at least sway in that direction. Attack enemy from behind, cripple him and finish him off. Use your imagination or refer to any Jet Li movie. It would seem to be a viable approach.