Anyone else... kind of want DRK to get new standing/running animations?

The way Dark Knight's hold their swords was always sort of bizarre, but since I started playing one as a 'main', I'm struck by just HOW incredibly awkward it looks. Especially when running and sprinting.

Anyone else kind of want to see them updated, and maybe hold their swords in some other manner, along with a different running/sprinting animation? All the attack animations look great, it's just while standing about that it looks funny.

Maybe something more like this:

https://fsmedia.imgix.net/11/15/f5/d...y-7-remake.png

For running, maybe they drop it lower (akin to SAM), or even sling it over the shoulder (turned sidewise, so that double-edged swords don't look like they're slicing into your shoulder).

For sprinting, I actually think it would be kind of a cool touch to have them rushing forward, dragging it on the ground behind them, maybe even creating some sparks?

Just my two cents.

historically accurate sword stance, different enough from everything else to stand out.

pretty good by my books

I love the DRK stance.

It looks a bit awkward, yes, but also powerfull from a defensive point of view - and well DRK is a tank, right?

Only thing that bothers me is that DRK does not have skills wich increase their parry rate (anymore). He has the perfect stance for parrying attacks, but somehow GNB got the parry-skill, with the weapon on his shoulder... >.>

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Originally Posted by Tint

I love the DRK stance.

It looks a bit awkward, yes, but also powerfull from a defensive point of view - and well DRK is a tank, right?

Only thing that bothers me is that DRK does not have skills wich increase their parry rate (anymore). He has the perfect stance for parrying attacks, but somehow GNB got the parry-skill, with the weapon on his shoulder... >.>

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Seifer's battle stance is the proper guard stance. Point towards the enemy arms raised, ready to react. It might look a bit awkward but at the same time, Gunblades are awkward weapons.

Not going to lie, the DRK standing stance is a massive pain. A lot of the current armor sets just don't work or look outright stupid.
The DRK exclusive GARO set comes to mind. Enjoy that shoulder spike clipping through your eye! >_>

I'd enjoy Cloud's stance a whole lot more.

Why would they use Cloud's stance? He isn't a dark knight.

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Originally Posted by Endeleon

Why would they use Cloud's stance? He isn't a dark knight.

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Even though he's a Final Fantasy character, I wasn't really suggesting to "copy Cloud". Rather, I just think the stance looks a lot more natural for SUCH massive swords, and would hopefully alleviate a lot of clipping issues.

Plus, I think it would make it a lot easier to enjoy the actual *appearance* of your Swords. The current DRK stance can make it hard to really appreciate how their weapons look, especially with so many weapons now having dynamic animations and glow effects that only appear when un-sheathed.

I've honestly always thought Cloud's stance looked awkward. Like he's trying to hold a greatsword (or, well, a slab of metal with a sharp edge that he's pretending is a greatsword) like a katana.

Cloud's stance is a regular longsword "neutral" stance. The only reason he can do it is because the buster sword is light as a feather due to it's material and almost legendary status.

Also because Cloud is a modified super soldier enhanced with Jenova cells.

That's a valid factor.

I mean, DRK's can hold swords however they want, I'm not suggesting they have to copy Cloud's stance. I think it looks fine, but whatever.

The current stance just feels... bizarre.

I definitely thought the same about the DRK combat pose for a long time, but after playing one for a bit the stance grew on me. The running animation still looks awkward to me though...

Funnily enough, the DRK's stance is based on a real sword stance known as the 'Ox stance/Ox Guard'. A more low-hanging version of the stance, but looking at the two the inspiration is pretty clear.

I don't really play DRK so won't comment too much, but their run does look a bit awkward from what I've seen.

Pretty sure lalafell has a different stance when running/sprinting with weapon drawn as a dark - a stance thats better IMO than the taller races.

I have no issue with DRKs normal combat stance or its sprint animation.

But that run animation has always looked weird to me. I know the Greatsword is heavy, but still, there has to be a better normal running animation when your weapon is out.

DRK being a tank, I don't know which one would be a more defensive stance, the Ox Guard (the style that DRK uses) or the Plow Guard (the style that cloud uses)...

the DRK running's animation is the proper "charge" animation for 2H sword. Problem is, realistically a person will only enter that stance just a few second before making contact with the enemy line, both to increase momentum and impaling enemies. It looks ackward in this game because we're not supposed to permanently run around in that stance.

I like the DRK standing pose. The running/sprinting poses have never really bothered me, but I had always found the way they held their sword out before them interesting. It was one of the things that made me try the job when I first started this game and wanted to pick a tank to level. I’d hate to see it changed, really.

The way DRK stands is okay, but the running animation looks like you're trying to shovel snow along your driveway or something. It's the main reason why I dropped it after getting to ~50, I just can't stand how stupid it looks. People can harp on about how it's 'realistic' or whatever, but I think the entire game concept is beyond realistic at this point. If they had a running animation more like the SAM one, I think it would be better.

It's only awkward because it's not featured in more games and anime these days. Artist tend to go for more fanciful and "cool" looking fighting techniques, however even with the Abyssal/ Dark Magic skills Dark Knight's use, i find it very comforting that an iconic weapons such as the great sword was given such a unique and historically accurate style.

https://grauenwolf.files.wordpress.c...12/image42.png

https://66.media.tumblr.com/937bf3e0...rtdfb6_500.jpg

https://grauenwolf.files.wordpress.c...12/image39.png

and it's still used to this day.

http://www.thearma.org/essays/newstancepics/RO3q.jpg

Hope it stays that way.

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Originally Posted by Skogli

Cloud's stance is a regular longsword "neutral" stance. The only reason he can do it is because the buster sword is light as a feather due to it's material and almost legendary status.

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I'm just dropping in to say that the Buster Sword is actually extremely heavy and only the Mako-infused SOLDIERs are capable of wielding it. It was passed down from Angeal (whose father made it for him) to Zack then Cloud, and all of three started out dragging the thing on the ground because of how heavy it was. Most of the official descriptions of it state that it's "heavier than a sword has any right to be" or that it requires "Herculean strength" to wield.

For the OP: The current DRK combat stance is fairly close to the realistic stance and posture that a person wielding a zweihander or two-handed sword would use. Most swings were done from either a low stance or off the shoulder, if they were ever swung at all.

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Originally Posted by Terin

Even though he's a Final Fantasy character, I wasn't really suggesting to "copy Cloud". Rather, I just think the stance looks a lot more natural for SUCH massive swords.

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To be fair, you couldn't leave any but the most realistically sized of DRK's weapons in that stance, either. The low hanging guard puts more strain on your right arm, true, but it's every bit as able to keep the sword steady and better able to easily draw a heavier weapon into a cut (especially a diagonal blow) than a simple middle guard.

The only stance you could realistically maintain for larger of DRK's weapons from is the same stance one would use for carrying it in general -- resting against the pauldron, similar to a rifle-hold. And once using a mere standard greatsword/spadone/montante/zweihander, the difference is irrelevant, except in that the hanging guard better flows into the strikes for which long blades tend to be optimal. The point of DRK's stance isn't to hold an enemy at range through intimidation of a unfettered thrust; it's to take off an appendage or two as soon as the enemy dares to attack.

tl;dr: No, it's the proper and more physically optimal stance for what large weapons do. And once you get into the fantasy realm of 10+ kg blades, it's irrelevant, because neither stance would be useful.

It still just looks incredibly awkward to me. The running animation in particular sucks. I feel like the sprinting animation should be the running animation, and maybe the sprinting animation should either be sprinting with the sword held in one hand (like they're overcome with adrenaline and rage), or pulled even further back, maybe dragging along the ground.

The DRK drawn weapon pose is a reference to Dark Knight Cecil in FFIV. Sure it looks strange because it's not so common than what we see in media but nevertheless it's a type of way to hold a sword.