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Parrying only works with heavy, slow weapons. The unfortunate reality is that with a light, fast weapon, you do not have the time or reaction speed to actually

by dmoy 14y ago

Parrying only works with heavy, slow weapons. The unfortunate reality is that with a light, fast weapon, you do not have the time or reaction speed to actually parry. "Parrying" doesn't really happen. Getting the f* away with your feet is the only option. So yes I suppose it does matter what you mean by "real swordfighting." If you mean standing there decked out in 50lbs++ of metal armor with a giant sword & shield, footwork is less important. If you mean the kind of swordfighting that took off from 17th century on - dueling with rapiers, not mass combat, then it's footwork all the way down. And yes, for the record, I think that realistic dueling would make for a very boring video game. I would be 100% behind more realistic sword & shield combat though, that could be incredibly awesome.

tikhonj 14y ago
I don't know. As I said earlier, I only really have experience with fencing (and mostly with saber), but real parrying does happen there. And sabers are extremely light and fast. (It feels a little silly to bring fencing up as the example when I just talked about how it isn't entirely applicable to the real world, but I think this part is.) It isn't just parrying in a vacuum--it also involves good timing, footwork and some forethought. It's definitely not based entirely on reaction time. For example, if you're moving backwards while parrying, you get significantly more time. Also, having a good idea of where somebody will attack (for example, you feign an opening) helps. And, of course, you do a ton of drills about how to parry so the different parries are burned into your mind. It still isn't anything like the movies, of course, but it is still significant. It also affects the right of way, but only if the opponent does not get through your parry, so parrying well is important even in the framework of the rules.
- ww520 14y ago
  Usually parry is done with a return attack. It's more like knocking the opponent sword off balance and thrust mine in. There are much more control with light weapons like foil or sabers to do parry and return than heavy sword.
  - kaybe 14y ago
    The same goes for Katanas (which are about as much as I can handle for more than a few minute, so for me they're heavy). You sort of 'catch' the opponent's blade and you can flick it to the side by turning your blade, leaving your opponent open.
yummyfajitas 14y ago
The unfortunate reality is that with a light, fast weapon, you do not have the time or reaction speed to actually parry. "Parrying" doesn't really happen. Getting the f away with your feet is the only option.* I don't agree with this. I practice eskrima and we block/parry a lot. It's a lot easier to move a 0.2kg stick than your whole body (50-100kg). But blocking/parrying is not a substitute for footwork, it's a complement to it. If your footwork is good, your opponent might only be able to attack you from 1-2 directions. Blocking 2 directions is far easier than blocking 12 (8 in competition [1]). [1] For safety reasons, thrusting and knee strikes are not allowed. Nor are strikes to the back of the head.
vacri 14y ago
I get the feeling that a swordfighting game as described in the article is going to pander more towards "be a medieval knight/brigand/samurai" than "be an Enlightenment dandy/fop"

by dmoy 14y ago

tikhonj 14y ago

I don't know. As I said earlier, I only really have experience with fencing (and mostly with saber), but real parrying does happen there. And sabers are extremely light and fast. (It feels a little silly to bring fencing up as the example when I just talked about how it isn't entirely applicable to the real world, but I think this part is.) It isn't just parrying in a vacuum--it also involves good timing, footwork and some forethought. It's definitely not based entirely on reaction time. For example, if you're moving backwards while parrying, you get significantly more time. Also, having a good idea of where somebody will attack (for example, you feign an opening) helps. And, of course, you do a ton of drills about how to parry so the different parries are burned into your mind. It still isn't anything like the movies, of course, but it is still significant. It also affects the right of way, but only if the opponent does not get through your parry, so parrying well is important even in the framework of the rules.

ww520 14y ago
Usually parry is done with a return attack. It's more like knocking the opponent sword off balance and thrust mine in. There are much more control with light weapons like foil or sabers to do parry and return than heavy sword.
- kaybe 14y ago
  The same goes for Katanas (which are about as much as I can handle for more than a few minute, so for me they're heavy). You sort of 'catch' the opponent's blade and you can flick it to the side by turning your blade, leaving your opponent open.

yummyfajitas 14y ago

The unfortunate reality is that with a light, fast weapon, you do not have the time or reaction speed to actually parry. "Parrying" doesn't really happen. Getting the f away with your feet is the only option.* I don't agree with this. I practice eskrima and we block/parry a lot. It's a lot easier to move a 0.2kg stick than your whole body (50-100kg). But blocking/parrying is not a substitute for footwork, it's a complement to it. If your footwork is good, your opponent might only be able to attack you from 1-2 directions. Blocking 2 directions is far easier than blocking 12 (8 in competition [1]). [1] For safety reasons, thrusting and knee strikes are not allowed. Nor are strikes to the back of the head.

vacri 14y ago

I get the feeling that a swordfighting game as described in the article is going to pander more towards "be a medieval knight/brigand/samurai" than "be an Enlightenment dandy/fop"