How bout there be some sort of system, which is like more weapon development such as... If you have been using a iron shortsword for a while then you become more skilled with that one blade and perhaps if you stumble upon a steel shortsword. The steel shortsword isnt always better. Because since you've been using the iron shortsword for a while now it had certain benefits the steel shortsword doesn't have. Sorry if this post is really confusing. So I think this would put more thought instead of just always picking the next weapon type. Iron then steel and so on.

I get what you mean, similar to the Expertise system from WoW or M&B. You use a one handed blade and your 1 handed skill goes up, but your 1 handed blade expertise goes up too, making you better with a 1 handed blade than a 1 handed mace with the same speed and damage. I think it would be like this more than individual weapons, just to make things easier for them lol. Plus I'm hoping with mods (or even better Vanilla) we see all sorts of varieties of a set item. Like for example a Steel Shield, There should be a Steel Buckler, a Steel Tower Shield, a Steel Kite Shield, Steel Scuta (Kind of like a big Buckler, lots of coverage but slow movement), etc.

I also think that there is too much presure to upgrade to better materials. You idea has it's merits, but could make you end up screwed with a worst weapon, in order to avoid the learing period (you could have been doing 30 damage with an iron sword and 20 with a daedric one instead of 70 with a daedric, in order to aboid the period where your new weapon is inferior), it could also lead to a excesive searching of better weapons, as this time having a better material weapons really pays. Both cases could reduce enjoyment.

So because you;re used to the iron sword the steel wont be as effective? Nah, looking too much into it imo. Upgrading weapons (what I originally thought this was about) would be more interesting imo.

For example, say.... you have a sharpening stone, apply to weapons and -> Slightly more dmg!
orr, you go to the smith, and get your sword balanced and now its slightly faster!
or even something like getting your sword reenforced to make blocking slightly more effective.

Whats with the Narnia subtitle though?

Frozen Affairs: Thats what I thought he meant, if you use the sharpening stone it will have a small crit chance bonus or something until so and so many hits.

Realism is good, but this is unnecessary realism in my opinion. I want to be able to evolve, I want to be able to get new exciting weapons that will actually be more affective and cool... I don't want to get used to a weapon and because I'm used to it I get special bonuses that keep me from moving on from it...

I can see what your are thinking and unfortunately I think many who wish to just power play the game wouldn't go for it. One thing did come to mind though... often in my reading I hear about a sword user who has become so accustomed to their weapon that it feels as though it is an "extension of their body". Maybe your system could work for individual weapons rather than materials. Different weapons have different weight and balance, and it takes a warrior time to become full accustomed to these. So if we are shooting for realism we could see a learning curve attached to weapons, that see you rewarded for using a weapon for an extended period, and disadvantaged when picking up a new weapon and forgoing the time spent on learning the previous one. But again, I can't see this making it in.

I was under the impression this thread would contain Narnia. :stare:

I might actually prefer it this way if it was done correctly. Sometimes I like the look of low level weapons more than higher leveled ones and I shouldn't be penalized for that by not being able to do the maximum amount of damage.

That's what I was thinking. A dagger will be a dagger whether it is stone or steel. But if you train your entire life with an Iron Sword, switching to a Glass Longsword will feel a lot different, even though glass is stronger. But to reduce the severity of the learning curve, maybe you increase your expertise with the weapon type you are using (Say Swords), at rate X, and then you also gain expertise with the other bladed weapons (dagger, longsword, and Claymore) at a reduced rate like .5X? So if you use a Sword and gain 20 levels of Expertise you expertise with the other 3 would be at 10 as they grow half as much. This would make the learning curve much more manageable and friendly.

Well, instead of doing more damage in general for a more used weapon, what if the chance of a critical hit was increased slightly, or slightly increase critical damage?
That would make it worth-while to "get used to" a weapon, but not to the point were an Iron sword is better than a Daedric sword.

Yes Yes Yes. That would be not so hard to implement and very useful. So let me get this straight, you use one type of blade which increases your skill for that blade, and the other types of blade, but at a lower rate? Oh that sound spot on....... Quick, who has Beth on speed-dial? anyone???