I would indeed enjoy a feature for left-handedness, being a left-handed person myself. It would add significantly to the immersion, but I do see how coding this for a very small minority would perhaps be cost-ineffective.
Left/Right handed
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I'm resurrecting this topic, because:
(1) I'm left-handed.
(2) several points relating to that have already been posted, and the alternative is to start all over again from scratch.
For me, mounted combat is really awkward and unintutive, because I have to "unlearn" what feels natural and fight from the wrong side of the horse. At the speed with which mounted combat happens, I don't have time to think about it, and keep trying to fire to my right and slash to the left, with obviously poor results. Combat on foot is less of an issue, but still feels wrong.
Reversing the player animations and implementing a "reversal" option for all corresponding movements would be far from trivial, but should not be an overwhelming task. Question is, is 10-15% of the market worth the time and effort? Personally, I can ignore the odds of encountering left-handed NPCs, but I'm really struggling with the inability to reverse the player character. Having dabbled both with "sword and board" SCA combat and with archery, everything about combat in the game feels backwards, because for me, it is.
Try a simple task like using a pair of scissors in your left hand, if you don't understand the problem; most people just end up crinkling the paper, because the natural movement of the fingers normally keeps the blades together, but in the opposite hand they tend to seperate.
Incidentally, one of the Scottish clans had such a high proportion of left-handers that they built their keeps with reverse spiral stairs. That way, at least they'd end up on even terms with the attackers, not at a disadvantage. Normally, a left-handed attacker was able to negate a defender's advantage in a siege, being able to fight normally around the corners which a right-hander had to fight back-handed against.
The sketchy information on the subject seems to indicate that at least 5-10% of the population was naturally left-handed at that time, although the incidence may have risen to 10-15% in recent years. Periods of high stress seem to lead to increased left-handers in a population group, as agents of change: nature's way of "rolling the dice" for better or for worse when "more of the same" isn't working. For a stagnant heirarchy (like Europe had in the XVI and XVII centuries), change was something to be feared, so left-handers were driven into "conformity", and regarded as "evil". Originally, "sinister" simply referred to "left side", and had no (or at least much more limited) "evil" connotations until later.
(1) I'm left-handed.
(2) several points relating to that have already been posted, and the alternative is to start all over again from scratch.
For me, mounted combat is really awkward and unintutive, because I have to "unlearn" what feels natural and fight from the wrong side of the horse. At the speed with which mounted combat happens, I don't have time to think about it, and keep trying to fire to my right and slash to the left, with obviously poor results. Combat on foot is less of an issue, but still feels wrong.
Reversing the player animations and implementing a "reversal" option for all corresponding movements would be far from trivial, but should not be an overwhelming task. Question is, is 10-15% of the market worth the time and effort? Personally, I can ignore the odds of encountering left-handed NPCs, but I'm really struggling with the inability to reverse the player character. Having dabbled both with "sword and board" SCA combat and with archery, everything about combat in the game feels backwards, because for me, it is.
Try a simple task like using a pair of scissors in your left hand, if you don't understand the problem; most people just end up crinkling the paper, because the natural movement of the fingers normally keeps the blades together, but in the opposite hand they tend to seperate.
Incidentally, one of the Scottish clans had such a high proportion of left-handers that they built their keeps with reverse spiral stairs. That way, at least they'd end up on even terms with the attackers, not at a disadvantage. Normally, a left-handed attacker was able to negate a defender's advantage in a siege, being able to fight normally around the corners which a right-hander had to fight back-handed against.
The sketchy information on the subject seems to indicate that at least 5-10% of the population was naturally left-handed at that time, although the incidence may have risen to 10-15% in recent years. Periods of high stress seem to lead to increased left-handers in a population group, as agents of change: nature's way of "rolling the dice" for better or for worse when "more of the same" isn't working. For a stagnant heirarchy (like Europe had in the XVI and XVII centuries), change was something to be feared, so left-handers were driven into "conformity", and regarded as "evil". Originally, "sinister" simply referred to "left side", and had no (or at least much more limited) "evil" connotations until later.
Man this Topic is 1 year old, i don't think that someone, except for me, will reply....
Bohemond Chesne
Squire
General von Hiller said:
Not only a year dead, but the few posts a year ago where just discussing how wrong it was to necro it.
The problem with adding in lefthanded ness is that it will probably be a lot of work, only 11% of people are left handed (god knows what proportion of the game comunity are left handed given I know several of my lefty friends dont PC game due to awkwardness of controles), and historically most people fighting were trained to fight right hand regardless of their natural proclivities.
Fighting sword and board and training others to do so, I have noticed that lefties often do very well because while their attack may suffer their deffence is more intuitive and they learn offensive manouvers with their shields faster (hooks, bashes etc).
If you want to figure it out, or can find someone who will do it for you go fer it. A couple of english noble families were noted to be left handed and it would be nice to repressent such.... also would be good to allow huscarls to use their axes the right way round.... wrong way.... you get what I mean.
But If you want to garner support it might be best to head over to the mod section and start looking into how the game works and talking with the folks who can do such stuff.
5hr00mY
Recruit
Yeah, well I'm resurrecting it again!
'Handism' is akin to racism, perhaps even worse (in some cases) when you consider the historical context.
YES! This game needs a choice of weapon hand. And yes, I know that 80%+ of the population are right handed. But the occasional 'lefty' would add a lot to the gameplay, just as a southpaw throws the spanner in the works for a lot of conventional boxers. it would add some variety to field combat, but where it would most come into play is in sieges - where the spiral staircases were designed for right handed defenders to have the upper hand (as the attackers weapon would clang off the wall). I'm imagining armies throwing lefties at those staircases 1st, while the defending army is yelling at the lefties to stand back.
But just a simple choice of 1 hand or the other is not really good enough... Most left handed people will agree that they have at least partially adapted to the right handed world. I'm left handed, and given the choice - I would swing a sword with my left hand. But I also play guitar right handed fashion, and I use a bow right handed fashion.
Simple... there are 4 inventory slots in warband. Just make that 2 for each hand, and the problem is sorted - you get to choose.
'Handism' is akin to racism, perhaps even worse (in some cases) when you consider the historical context.
YES! This game needs a choice of weapon hand. And yes, I know that 80%+ of the population are right handed. But the occasional 'lefty' would add a lot to the gameplay, just as a southpaw throws the spanner in the works for a lot of conventional boxers. it would add some variety to field combat, but where it would most come into play is in sieges - where the spiral staircases were designed for right handed defenders to have the upper hand (as the attackers weapon would clang off the wall). I'm imagining armies throwing lefties at those staircases 1st, while the defending army is yelling at the lefties to stand back.
But just a simple choice of 1 hand or the other is not really good enough... Most left handed people will agree that they have at least partially adapted to the right handed world. I'm left handed, and given the choice - I would swing a sword with my left hand. But I also play guitar right handed fashion, and I use a bow right handed fashion.
Simple... there are 4 inventory slots in warband. Just make that 2 for each hand, and the problem is sorted - you get to choose.
Bohemond Chesne
Squire
5hr00mY said:
Two for each hand would rule out someone carrying a shield, throwing axe, sword and mace say and still be one hand dominant. It would also be a step towards duel weilding which is a whole different kettle of fish. A single option to be one hand or the other seems do-able if someone with the right skills chose to give it a try.. its just that despite cross-dominant and lefties making up almost 40% of the population, it's not really anyone's priorety.
