For me helbeards simply won't do, and here's why:

Spears and helbeards may look quite alike, but they're just not the same weapon, they're wielded in a completely different way, and there is a big differene in the weapons head... so saying [/quote] Just be happy you have other polearms [/quote] just won't make me happy, would you be happy if longswords were removed and whenever you complained about it people just say [/quote] Just be happy you have claymores [/quote] make you happy? Claymores and longswords look even more alike if you ask me, but just like spears and helbeards there is a big difference in how they're wielded, and we don't even know for sure that they will include other polearms, just like we are only 85% sure they won't include spears, infact I'd rather have spears use the claymore animation (no matter how stupid it would look) than not have them at all... and besides, back when the vikings were mighty and controlled much of England they used spears more than swords (this is also my argument against people saying crossbows wouldn't fit (yes I know they aren't ingame), for by that logic your saying swords shouldn't be there either.)
And for people who say spears were overpowered in Morrowind, have you tried using a jinx blade? THEY were overpowered...

Now onto other supjects, I've just heard some terrible news about blocking (which to me don't make any sense):

Is it really true you've only allowed blocking with shields and two-handed weapons? Why? Hell I'm 90% sure that in real life it would be ten times easier to lift two medium sized blade up to block an attack than lifting a gigantic blade... but two-handers should instead just deal far more damage than any one-hander, and there would easily be enough room for a block button for each weapon on the ps3: lets say that l1 is left hands attack, l2 left hands block, the exact same with r1 and r2, I know this would fit because the combat options in Ob (block, attack, cast spell) filled all these spots... and now that the hotkeys have been removed we have the four arrow keys for other stuff and the select button didn't do anything if I remember correctly. So bethesda please reconsider this, if what I heard is correct...

Another style of difficulty slide (I think Daggerfall did it right)

First of all I don't think this is confirmed, so here's how I'd like the difficulty slider to work: Like Daggerfalls... but if you haven't played Daggerfall I'll explain it: In the beginning of the game you can choose how high your reflexes are, with the choice of very easy, easy, normal, hard, and very hard, what this does is... lets say you choose very easy, enemys will now move a slower and attack slower but your skills will also increase slower. and its determined at the start of the game what you choose, and it cannot be changed.

I have nothing more to add here right now but will update the list once more combat info have been shown, please discuss this and tell me your oppinions on combat related subjects...

Lol, it's spelled 'Halberd'.

oh.. halberds..

Anyway, less choice is always bad, so if there are spears, polearms and halberds in Skyrim this will add variety and is by definition a good thing.

And it is the diffrence that dooms spears, polearms can use the same 2hand animations as say a great axe, a spear would need a new set.

Variety is not by definition a good thing, variety is by definition a wide range of choices. A wide range of different ways to be executed is variety, would you call that a good thing?

I get what you're saying, but don't write things that simply aren't true.

Anyway, on to the topic at hand. I don't care, spears are situational weapons and will almost never be the optimal choice in the vast majority of combat situations in this kind of game. I feel the same way about halberds. If they're in, fine, I won't complain. I won't care if they're out either though.

I'm pretty sure gunmasters post made it clear... but atleast you had something to say which had anything to do with the topic...

Lifting them is easy, actually blocking is not. Unless you have HUGE upper body strength, a two-handed weapon (or even a one-handed weapon if swung with any force) will power right through one-handed blocks. Those arms of yours will bend under the impact, and the strike will carve right through your skull. You would have to instead redirect the impact with a very well placed parry, the timing and angle for which would probably be hard to implement well in the game.

Personally, I think this is a fantastic change. More differentiating between character builds is good news.

More diffrence in denying people freedom to play there way?

Realism should be a spice to make gameplay more fun, not a hinderage.

I think halberds are fine, In Morrowind Halberds pretty much handled like spears, In any case, it's is more a case of spears being unable to do stuff that halberds can do, while halberds can be used like spears pretty much completely, except for maybe throwing spears.

Forget spears though, I want freaking Helbeards! I don't know exactly what it is but it sounds like a cross between http://www.laterallinemedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/giant_moustache.gif and http://www.ragweedforge.com/frosts-blades-carbon.jpg.

Or maybe it's http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hel_%28location%29-beard and be something like http://www.cynicallyoptimistic.com/blog/Files/CrazyBeard1.jpg crossed with http://scienceblogs.com/isisthescientist/upload/2009/04/dr_isis_i_only_need_a_minute_o/explosion.jpg.

Enhanced variety in gameplay thanks to giving weapon builds more unique benefits sounds like more fun to me.

If your idea of "freedom" is a single weapon that does everything, well that just strikes me as boring. In this case, the realism of having certain weapons have limitations and advantages will no doubt result in a far more enjoyable experience.

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Yeah... I was thinking http://i271.photobucket.com/albums/jj125/Gizmojunk/1293380127_6d50813a72.jpg at first.

Halberds could be used to good advantage in open country and, but would be an awful choice in back alleys and underground passages.

About no parrying with anything but a shield... IMO that's too silly; I'd have a hard time believing it if Todd Howard sent me PM personally and confirmed it.
(It may be true, but I'd have to see it in the final game to believe it.)

About Helbeards: not all of the forum-users are native English speaking.
I don't know where the OP is from, but as a matter of fact the Dutch word for halberd is 'hellebaard' which is literary translated as hellbeard or hellsbeard.

Back on topic: isn't the point of a halberd (pun a little bit intended) or a spear for that matter, not to kill creatures at distant?

Who has ever said anything like spears having the same move sets and strategy as halberds? I'm actually happy if halberds are in even though they aren't spears. But I don't quite follow what the OP is trying to say.. Is he unhappy because we do not get spears per ce, or is he unhappy because we get halberds? Or something else...?

Oblivion made a perfect job of that, you had the freedom to block with either weapon or shield, but they made each way of blocking distinct. voala, distinct ways of playing without robbing freedom

Halberds were great in Temple of Elemental Evil. They let you attack while sword wielding opponents were still out of cutting range; (and they let you attack while they were trying get away from you).

No Oblivion did a pretty poor job, and is exactly what Skyrim needs to avoid. After a few levels, the differences between blocks made hardly any difference and there was little in the way of situational advantage for one melee build over another. Everything kind of blended together. Skyrim needs to be more unique.

I'm pretty sure he is anoyed people say: "Don't complain about spears, we got halberds." and I'm also pretty sure he is quite tired of the hundreds of comments about hiis way of spelling halberd... also finally I'm completely sure he wouldn't mind spears...

Swords are very common weapons, and versatile. Spears are not. Spears were used in specific combat situations. So saying that we cant criticize people who are still complaining about spears because its the same as if they took out swords, is completely stupid, to be honest.

If you look at the pic with the zombie guys, youll notice the one in the middle holding a halberd like weapon. Either that, or that is the new stance for battleaxes.

:thumbsup: in Oblivion shields were useless... no matter what I had equipped I just played as someone born under the steed, blocked once and then ran around my enemy while hitting him/her/the damn mudcrab... bbut they shouldn't make blocking without a shield impossible... they should just make it 10 times as weak...

1. http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_RGX2lgFSrdM/STmfFhocAxI/AAAAAAAAAw8/ukB6hCRvD5c/s400/PirateLeChuck.jpg is a helbeard.

2. Your arguments make sense, I think; but in the end it's been proven on these forums that you can't win discussions with good arguments. See "We want fast-travel alternatives" vs "It's OPTIONAL" or "Claymores/Halberds are younger than Crossbows and there will be freaking Centurion Spheres" vs "It's low-tech fantasy"
But more importantly, there aren't arguments that the developers haven't heard already, or that they haven't thought about. They do know many people want spears and that there are good points why they'd be very fitting, but in the end if they feel like it's not worth it, which they apparently do, then you'll have to accept that. And hey, there are many other games that have been excellent without spears, even if they were set in a similar setting... it's not like they are typical fantasy RPG weapons, it's rather uncommon actually to include them.

Said the OP without refering to himself

But ok, well. If you complain about we don't have spears and tell us not to say "relax, we have halberds", then I'll say that has it really been confirmed that we don't have spears? Cuz if we don't have spears there must be a logical explanation for it. The thing we must accept is that Bethesdas aren't gods capable of everything. the fact that they had spears in Morrowind is not a reason why they couldn't have problems with spears now, because everything in morrowind was different and "non-dynamical" if you wish you call it that.

Hellbeards for me, too.

But that's not what I'm saying at all... you'd still have claymores just like we'll still have halberds... shame on you...

Spears are much older and cheaper than swords. In battlefield, they were way more common than swords. Sword is basically equals a gun or SMG, while spear equals your trusty rifle or assault rifle. It is heavier, it provides reach, it penetrates armor better, it works great in formations. It fails when formation is broken and enemies are close, and that is when you use your sword or axe or mace or whatever. But before that spear (or other polearm) is king.

Oh, and fencing technique of halberd is about the same as of diquexe, while diquexe is simply a two-handed axe with longer pole and additional spearhead and a backside dagger. Dane axe in some classifications is a two-handed axe, in another it is a primitive polearm. Borders are very blurry here.

More than that, if we don't have spears, but DO have two-handed axes, there is no reason why we shouldn't have voulges, for example. Or some other well-cutting polearm without any/good thrusting ability. Just make a bigger weapon model, throw in good damage and reach, add slower speed — basically, heavier two-handed axe — and you'll have your cutting polearm.

First of all: Blasphemy Bethesda is a company of gods!
And finally: I don't recall typing: Spears were in Morrowind!!!!!!!!.... damnit now I typed it...