This is from a write-up in a similar discussion that's happening in The Keep.
Case in point, the above "spear rework" video uploaded by Grovin Angroshim, on YouTube. That video basically encapsulates everything wrong with how spears are in the current game, and at the same time why "spear rework" mods aren't any kind of solution at all.
Individual Combat situation ("Before") [00:00 - 01:12]
Notice, that despite the player is holding a pike, just after the very first thrust at 00:17, for the entirety of the minute-long duel the player is NEVER in spear/pike combat range. In the entire duel, they are always within the axeman(axewoman)'s range, and it's not like the tip-range either. The distance never separates, because as anyone whose really tried in becoming a spearman knows, it's basically impossible to do so in both SP and MP.
It becomes possible in SP only when the relative Athletics difference is huge. In SP, if your Athletics goes around 250+ and wearing very light armor, you can back-pedal fast enough to offset the speed of the enemies advancing. But this isn't because the spear is working properly -- it's simply because you've gained a super-human level of physicality, relative to the normal levels of Athletics in the game.
Watch 00:22~00:23 segment. Even if the spearman lands a block-push, see how small the distance is. That small distance may be enough for gaining range for short weapons, but no way to do so for polearms.
Then look at 00:30~00;31. The player got a chance and rammed the pike tip to the axeman's face. It failed to deal proper damage, and it also failed to interrupt the axeman's attack animation. The axeman's vertical chop just ignored that hit to the face and landed a -4 hit on the player. (The damage is low, because it was pretty long for being a one-handed axe, indicating a handling problem)
It doesn't matter how close the distance is. Unless your attack totally missed, there's no way a rod that's shoved into your face doesn't interrupt your attack.
Look at 00:45. Another 1 damage. Barely flinches, just walks in.
And from 00:45 the player tries more actively to gain distance. Probably from fatigue, because just blocking stuff non-stop for 30 seconds becomes tiring and you can lose focus. But there's just no distance gained at all. And add insult to injury at 00:49 -- a torso stab while the axeman is swinging, but it does nothing, and the axeman's attack lands.
Another spear hit ignored at 00:59. the enemy attack just ignores it and lands, and finally, at 01:02, another hit to the face just ignored, and the axeman lands the final blow.
In the entire duration of the duel, the player landed at most 2 damage, and it wasn't even from a spear. It was from pushing.
Individual Combat situation ("After") [01:20 - 02:05]
Now, look at the rework. Is that actually "better?"
Notice, that what the mod did, was have even short-distance hits land normal damage, but notice how the rework does NOTHING to fix the problem of distance. In this 40-second duel, it goes exactly the same as "Before." The only saving grace is that the short-ranged hits dealt enough damage for the player to win, but the duel itself? That's not a spear fighting at the spear's distance.
I'm not criticizing the mod or the mod maker. I am making the point that the spear rework mods in existence are basically a work-around to a problem, because they can't fix the real problem itself, so just tweaks certain things to make it at least manageable.
As a rule of thumb, very generalized but mostly true in case, the HEMA swordsfolk point out that fighting against a spear without a shield is very difficult to win, and "just block/parry the spear to the side and close-in" is in most cases, a fantasy that just doesn't happen, much like how grabbing and/or deflecting punches and kicks like in kung-fu flicks, is a fantasy that just doesn't happen in a real ring.
Things are significantly better when the opponent gets a shield, but not to the point that it gives any kind of solid advantage.
Look at the above sparring vid from the Schola Gladiatoria organization. Doesn't matter if you have a shield or not -- your best defense against a spear, is still distance. A shield, is just another layer of protection that helps you survive against a spear, but that disadvantage in reach just cannot be ignored.
The problem with the spears is not the damage -- it's the reach.
Group Combat situation ("Before") [02:24 - 03:10]
Now let's look at group situations in the spear rework mod video.
It's a one-sided massacre, with the spear formation dealing a whoppin' grand total of 0 kills until they rout. This is basically all the issues as mentioned in individual combat, above, that's been expanded into a group scale.
And particularly this video gives us an EXCELLENT view from the side, of how there's 0 distance between the fighting infantry lines.
Group Combat situation ("After") [03:25 - 04:08]
Now let's look at the "after."
The results are significantly better, because the rework allows the rear line of the spear to attack without being blocked off by the front row's shields, as well as close-range spears dealing more damage.
But again, where's the distance? The fight itself, like in the case of individual combat, has no difference at all. There's no distance between the lines, and just shields clash into shields with zero distance.
This, is what happens when an infantry line with short weapons meet an enemy formation with spears.
Now, granted, the shield wall in the game, is not the phalanx. Also, when armed with short spears, a shield-crash-shield situation CAN happen, particularly when both infantry lines are armed with shields and short spears -- a classical example being fights between Greek-style hoplites, in which case two hoplite lines would crash into each other shield-vs-shield, with the first to third row soldiers using overhead thrusts, that go above the hoplon in attempt to attack.
Therefore, because the player's men are using a shield wall with relatively short spears, the opposing infantry line could close in in such a manner. But the problem is, when the spears get longer, as with longer spear-armed troops in the game, and particularly with pikemen. It's a common knowledge Vlandian Pikemen just, simply, suck except against cavalry charges.
If we're looking for a fundamental fix, the devs need to develop two additional AI behavior algorithms, one specifically for spear troops, to make use of their spears as the main weapon, and use it in a coordinated manner, and another one for AI units meeting spear troops, that makes them hesitate from just walking into spear range.
However, if a change to the AI is not an option that can be explored. then a fix needs to be applied not to how the spear deals damage, but how it can keep the opponent at bay -- which is why I've suggested the spears to get a much more powerful pushback effect.
