Samurai and it's Katana

[Ryaz]

i dont know about that, katana most distinctive appearance is the single edged blade, if they change it to something else like double edge blade or over size it like a butcher weapon, thats not a katana anymore thats pld and drk weapon

the guard, hilt and the scabbard is probably the only thing they can change freely, not much on the blade

Yeah, the most I see changing with the blade is maybe the color.

[Ramath]

i dont know about that, katana most distinctive appearance is the single edged blade, if they change it to something else like double edge blade or over size it like a butcher weapon, thats not a katana anymore thats pld and drk weapon

the guard, hilt and the scabbard is probably the only thing they can change freely, not much on the blade

at best they can add sfx like aura or particles for the blade or maybe just outright make a lightsaber considering japan liking to star wars

also if SE really going to make sam stay true as sam, then their weapon sheath animation will be the first one in ff14 ever to have the scabbard on the player hip unlike other class which just magically attach on their back/hip lol

i really think you're underestimating the "creativity" of the art team... The less room there is for variation, the crazier the items become. Take a look at the sch/smn books... Some of the dumbest looking items in the game go to those poor saps.

[Zojha]

[...]if they change it to something else like double edge blade or over size it like a butcher weapon, thats not a katana anymore thats pld and drk weapon[...]

So, uh...what?

I'm a ninja. I'm supposed to use daggers. A dagger is a short, double edged blade meant for thrusting and stabbing. At most around 20 inches long, with heavier ones in the 12-20 inch region usually classed as short swords.
Meanwhile in the game...
http://xivdb.com/item/11591/ohojo
http://xivdb.com/item/9225/giantsgall+cleavers
http://xivdb.com/item/9240/flame+elite's+machetes
http://xivdb.com/item/9236/tremor+cleavers
http://xivdb.com/item/9249/high+allagan+cleavers
http://xivdb.com/item/9501/sasuke's+blades
http://xivdb.com/item/11201/hofuds
http://xivdb.com/item/11425/expanse+machetes

And I could name a LOT more that clearly are not daggers. In the same vein, I wholly expect SAM to not use classic Katanas only.

[gumas]

i really think you're underestimating the "creativity" of the art team... The less room there is for variation, the crazier the items become. Take a look at the sch/smn books... Some of the dumbest looking items in the game go to those poor saps.

Iam not saying the katana will look plain in variety, looking at SE history at fashion (ridicilous weapon, belts, zipper etc)iam sure they can cook up something amazing.

What iam saying about the katana is, they will look amazing except the blade part, just the blade because if its not single edged blade it will not be a katana anymore

Unlike smn or other class weapon, sam is the only class that (for now) restricted only to "katana" weapon, its not just weapon, its a weapon "name"

DRG only use "spear", that is wide spread name for a weapon, it could be trident, halberd, normal spear, shape and variety is there because their weapon is just labeled "spear", can you imagine if DRG weapon is restricted to "trident" only? Thats the case for SAM now