Just because it's name isnt there doesn't make it any less of a shortsword.

You missed the reason I'm worried. If they call it Imperial Sword, then that means that they really don't make a distinction between shortswords and swords or anything like that, and that means that this may be the only sword in the game that's a bit shorter than the others. Because it being short has nothing to do with it being a shortsword, it's just short because this is what the Imperial Sword looks like.

Optimistically, one could maybe say that the Imperial Sword shown in the screenshot is the equivalent to an Imperial Broadsword from Morrowind, which is actually a longsword, and so the picture wouldn't tell us anything about shortswords. However, I think the shape is a bit strange for a broadsword. So I stay worried.

Imperials are based on Romans, Romans mainly used gladiuses for close combat. So I don't think that it is removing the disticntion, it's just strengthening the roman/imperial theme

Does it matter what it is CALLED if it's actually short?

That's what she said :hubbahubba:

That was my point. I think people know by now what a SHORT SWORD is. There doesn't really need to be a distinction between the two.

http://i.imgur.com/p9Pgr.jpg

^ As you can see, they stick to the Roman style for imperials. They really nailed it when it comes to concept. There ARE going to be shortswords in the game for sure I believe. Especially now, Romans without Gladius used to be bad in close combat.

Nice picture :thumbsup:

They seem to have gone back to Morrowind for the Imperial armor and weaponry

Being fabulously optimistic here, but what if instead of short swords being quicker, and having lower reach, regardless of type and material, every individual weapon has a unique speed and reach, and they don't show up in the inventory because you don't get to find out until you use it? In that case, "what's in a name?" definitely applies.
Oh, and a bit of optimism does not imply stupidity, there is a big difference between hope, and belief.

Guys. Sorry, but you aren't talking sense. "As you can see, they stick to Roman Style" - huh? I even called the thing a gladius in my first post. I know they stick to Roman style, and I like it, but what has that got to do with the removal of a whole category of weapons?
The logic is very simple. There will only be one Imperial Sword, just like there will be only one Sword in each other material category. It would have been possible that long swords have simply been named "Swords" now, and short swords had gotten another name, but the gladius-like Imperial Sword shows that there is a "Sword" weapon which is actually a shortsword, so this theory has to be dismissed. The only option left is that there will only be one Sword for each material.
If there is only one Sword in each material (btw with Sword I mean one-handed, I imagine the two-handed ones are called Claymore or something), then it will be material-dependent whether it'll be a shortsword or a longsword. In the case of the Imperial Sword, it's a shortsword. Which is only fitting for the Roman style. However, how likely do you think it is that the Iron Sword, Steel Sword, Ebony Sword etc. is a shortsword? I find that highly improbable.

So the conclusion is that the Imperial Sword might just be the only shortsword in the game, because "Imperial" is the only material category where that makes sense.
So I'm worried that shortswords have been removed as a weapon type.

Because Longswords are much more common than shortswords, perhaps they have "Sword" (meaning, your run-of-the-mill sword) and "Shortsword"

Not necessarily. There has been talk of an 'Elven glass sword', and http://cdn.gamerant.com/wp-content/uploads/Skyrim-screenshot-Orc.jpg could well be the Orcish sword, but not necessarily the only one. If weapons are upgradable, as we believe armour is, and they have mentioned 13 types of ore, then it's a possibility that the Imperial sword is the basic type, but can be smithed with different materials. Not saying it is likely, just possible. Maybe there is a Khajiit sword which is short, and a Nordic sword which is much longer.

I think it's safe to say we are assuming different things but we won't actually know till it is confirmed. I doubt they'd leave short swords out but rather I think they've made it so that some swords will be shorter and faster but still be just called swords. Otherwise swords have the advantage over the other two (maces and axes) unless maces and axes were also split into smaller categories.

Hey, that actually sounds pretty awesome. I hadn't thought of that in the least. I'd prefer the Morrowind system of Typeclass (Nordic, Steel, Iron, Daedric, whatever) with everything under the sun in it, but.. realistically.. it'd make sense. Nordic shortswords might, overall, not really exist. Khajiit and Bosmer would be unlikely to have long blades made in their homeland often, whereas there may even be several kinds of Khajiiti or Bosmeri bows or short blades/daggers.

Likewise in reverse for Orcs.

If that's the case, where an Orcish Sword or an Imperial Sword may fall into rather different combat roles.. that's totally cool by me.