Melee weapon attack types and modes/alternative grips

I have two questions about melee weapons I couldn't find answer anywhere. Maybe Beta participnats can answer it. Or a developer 

#1 - attack types of melee weapons:

Will we again be limited on attack types/directions on certain weapons, like you can't thrust with sabers or axes, or cant swing with spears or rapiers in previous titles?
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I really hope this time there will be no such limitations. I think every type of melee weapon should be used in all four attacking directions.
Sabers were definetly used for thrust attacks, but also some axes had heads capable of doing piercing damage with thrusting attacks (dane axe for example), but even weapons designed for example mainly to cut, like standard axes should be able to deliver moderate blunt damage with thrusting attacks.

#2 - weapon modes:

Will we able to change weapon modes on more then just throwing weapons (pressing X to use as melee)?
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Many melee weapon would benefit from multiple modes: axes with hammer or spike on the opposite side of the cutting head, or fighting picks with a hammer on one side and a pick on the other could use all of their capabilities by rotating the head 180 degrees. Or spears could be held with a shorter grip to use them in close combat more effectively and so on...

I don't know about that either, I'm not in the beta; however, while I do hope all weapons have 4 attack directions, I do think slash weapon should stay doing slash type damage, and blunt do blunt, etc. There are to give different weapon types greater distinction other than what types of damage it does - the down direction attack of sabers becomes a upward slash instead of using the stabbing animation of two-edged swords, and it should result in different attack timings and tells.

Also I know I'm in the minority here but I really hate the downward swing of spears in warband. It looks stupid and it defeats the point of spears, being longer-reached fast attacking weapons, the upward swing has a terrible tell and a long windup attack compared to the downward thrust. Which is why above all things, all weapons should have 4-directional attacks. Spears with shields are basically useless in SP and MP, since it has only one attack direction. Sure reach is the major advantage here, but one direction gives next to no variance to attack. A bot can block that, but more importantly, it's absolutely boring to play with.

I would love that two-handed axes could be thrown

I agree that weapons should be able to do a wide range of attacks, but that some of those should only do trivial damage, like a punch.  Yes, you CAN stab somebody with an axe, even without a point on the end, although it's probably not going to hurt them much, especially through any kind of armor.

1. Attack direction limitations are pretty similar to Warband. Axes and similar weapons can't stab and I think all spears only have the regular and overhead thrust. Some of the sabers and maces can stab oddly enough.

2. I've only seen the weapon modes switch between throwing/melee and 1H/2H in the case of bastard weapons. In multiplayer at least, only the Cataphracts axe and Sturgian cavalry axe look like they might benefit from flipping the weapon but they can't be switched.

@Davic, thanks for the clarification.

About spears. I think narrower movements for the animations would improve spear wielding. Just dont move the spear so far back before a swing. By the way as I know this would also be more authentic.

I agree.

About swords, they are meant to be versatile. I suggest it having at least 2 modes: swing and thrust (with almost no changing delay and no sign for the enemy to see the current mode). Down attack in swinging mode would be a low cut aim for the legs. Right attack in the thrusting mode would be a round about stab (extending the arm to the right and stab), lower damage but can bypass blocking if attacked from a correct angle.

About polearms, as there will be weapon crafting, I expect there will be polearms with blade on one side and hammer on the other side. Pressing X should technically swap the item for the other version which visually flipped and have different attack type and damage for swinging attack.

Alternative grips could be make the combat more interesting or maybe screw it up XD

Alternative grips could make combat interesting indeed.
For example you can cut lightly armored archers into pieces with a battle axes head, then flip it and crush the armor of heavy infantry with the spike or blunt head of the same weapon.
Or you just want to take a lot of prisoners, so you order your troops to use blunts. What if they dont have? They use their fists! But with alternative grips there is much more chance to have a weapon wich can deliver blunt damage in some way.

But I cant see how it could ruin the game. Multiplayer? If it would really be a problem in multiplayer (I don't think so), just make the feature single player exlusive.

Some game purists will not like it and if the I.A. have trouble using the spear correctly I don't want to imagine using alternative grips XD

lcmiracle said:

I don't know about that either, I'm not in the beta; however, while I do hope all weapons have 4 attack directions, I do think slash weapon should stay doing slash type damage, and blunt do blunt, etc. There are to give different weapon types greater distinction other than what types of damage it does - the down direction attack of sabers becomes a upward slash instead of using the stabbing animation of two-edged swords, and it should result in different attack timings and tells.

Also I know I'm in the minority here but I really hate the downward swing of spears in warband. It looks stupid and it defeats the point of spears, being longer-reached fast attacking weapons, the upward swing has a terrible tell and a long windup attack compared to the downward thrust. Which is why above all things, all weapons should have 4-directional attacks. Spears with shields are basically useless in SP and MP, since it has only one attack direction. Sure reach is the major advantage here, but one direction gives next to no variance to attack. A bot can block that, but more importantly, it's absolutely boring to play with.

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absolutely wrong
the upward attack is very useful when u r too close to ur enemy
in small alleys or tunnels, or in a chunky men vs men fight
i wish an X key could be programmed to change the upward hit for the spear, it would be awesome for everyone