DRK Hard Slash animation

[KaliAurion]

Let me get this straight.
A horizontal slash followed by an upward vertical slash, using momentum and the weight of the sword looks like you just picked up a sword and have no idea how to use it?

Look at the way most of the greatswords are shaped, it's not a failed stab, it's a slash. Given DRKs initial stance, it's a sensible first move for a quick hit, followed by a heavier one.
Using the tip end of a blade to slash with a heavy sword, though not practical, is possible and works. The only reason I don't care about it not being practical is because this is a video game, where half if not more of the animations don't make any logical sense. (Looking at you, Wide Volley)
The animation is fine. Wanna complain about something? Go complain about how heavy swing looks like a kid swinging a toy around when you're actually swinging a heavy axe.
Also I understand this is your opininon and that's fine. But the claim of not knowing how to use the sword seems to be coming from someone who doesn't know how to use one themself.
Edit: Also...Yeah. You're dropping the sword at the end there. Why? Greatswords are uh...they're pretty heavy. Especially after a swing like that. You see it in the recovery time.
Edit 2: Now that I've actually taken the time to look at it, it could also look like you're attempting to pierce the opponent while using the full leverage of the long blade to knock their guard to the side, then follow up with the upward slash. Again, risky move given the weight of the weapon because at the end there, you can see that it has weight to it after the slash, before he returns to his original stance.

[Xenosan]

I think where people are finding the 'meh-ness' of the body motion and animation of the swings comes from a combination of 2 things - one of which the gif shows (thanks for share).

1. As seen in video: Pretty much every DRK Weapon Skill is a two-fold attack (Or three!). The exceptions I think are only Spinning Slash and Reprisal. That's it, just those 2. Every other physical Weaponskill the Dark Knight uses is a two-(or more)-fold attack of some form iirc.

2. The other thing is all the DRK oGCDs.. They clip GCD Animations - so when weaving abilities, you'll rarely ever see the full animation of those GCD WSs. DRK has like 3x the amount of oGCDs as PLD. WAR only has Brutal Swing. So there's a lot less clipping on the other 2 tanks.

It's unfortunate because for some DRK WeaponSkills, the 2nd attack (or 2nd half of the animation - the part that gets clipped) is what looks good. Love watching Reprisal impale 'rip' out of the target, but rarely ever see it because it's clipped by the next GCD, which gets clipped by the next oGCD, which get's clipped by the next GCD; on and on

Tossing some bait now, sorry, but it's the stance that I'm not happy with. There were a variety of great Greatsword stances used in FFXI, and they opted for this new thing. If the swords are heavy, I'd think you'd wear your arms out just holding it like that. Shouldn't it be held upright or over the shoulder so the weight of the thing rests on the shoulders and your core, not just the arms. (Elvaan, Mithra, Hyur Greatsword stances from FFXI for example).

edit: I dunno if any of you have played Soul Caliber for Dreamcast (best of the series, the franchise peaked there), but Nightmare/Siegried's Greatsword playstyle was IMO the best visual large-sword animation of any game i've seen

[Synestra]

Love watching Reprisal impale 'rip' out of the target

Dont forget the sound effect of Reprisal! Sucks that it has CD on top of being proc based, i just want to use it more frequently

[pandabearcat]

TBH dark knights don't know how to use their swords, they're more of a channel dark magics kind of deal. At least I laugh whenever my lalafel swings the sword.

[MiniPrinny]

TBH dark knights don't know how to use their swords, they're more of a channel dark magics kind of deal. At least I laugh whenever my lalafel swings the sword.

To be honest... we kind of teach ourselves lore-wise. I mean, we get the Soul Crystal and then [spoilers] happens and Sidurgu is like "what the kitten?!"

[Thunda_Cat_SMASH]

You think hard slash is bad? Well, I mean, that's your opinion and I respect that, but personally the ugliest dark knight move that I've seen so far is Soul Eater. I mean, seriously? Swords don't work like that! And what's with the mid air 360 spin! Though really, it's the initial soul eater stab that bugs me to no end.

[ArdorGrey]

Am I the only one bothered more by the op saying it would be fine if they swapped it with scourge? The implication is that op doesn't use scourge.....

[_Pigzig]

man who cares

[Martin_Arcainess]

Well Hard Slash is your 1st skill so it kinda makes sense that you're just getting used to using a heavy 2 handed sword.

[Freyyy]

Well Hard Slash is your 1st skill so it kinda makes sense that you're just getting used to using a heavy 2 handed sword.

Does it still make sense when you're max level ? And don't forget that we start DRK at level 30 like we would have a natural base knowledge of it and we're not learning it from the beginning, and we're already able to shoot darkness out of our hands and create giant spikes on the floor. It doesn't make any sense.
Hard Slash looks awful, the first swing is super shitty, looks like a failed attempt to thrust the opponent, nothing more.