Straight Swords for Samurai?

[Tsiron]

Occurred to me just now though, they had the perfect opportunity to diversify Samurai's arsenal with Shadowbringers... The First's equivalent of the East is long gone, so aside from a stray antique or two it makes no sense that there would be "katanas" dropping as loot, while historically a lot of Norvrandt (especially Voeburt) was shown to have been more traditionally "fantasy", with kingdoms and princesses and knights etc. so they could've conceivably come up with and used two-handed longswords. The Crystarium Samurai Blade almost looks like it could've been one, even...

Was thinking about this again and I'm still disappointed it either never occurred to them, or it did but they decided against it...

[Theodric_Thorne]

Was thinking about this again and I'm still disappointed it either never occurred to them, or it did but they decided against it...

If only they'd done that, then I wouldn't be so anxious about the results of the Weapon Design Contest. We could have had an expansion full of non-traditional SAM weapon options (aside from the relics) just to change things up. The Crystarium Samurai Blade was the only good example we got and even then it's still a saber, just a much better-looking one than its predecessors.

[Jettinson]

Deepgold blade gotta be my favorite due to the handle, still slightly curved but it makes up for nice glamour choices

[VelKallor]

"Those samurai have straight swords"

"Straight. Swords."

[Theodric_Thorne]

I’m not gonna post my design in case it gets me disqualified, but it is a straight cruciform sword like you describe because I had the same thought. A little variety couldn’t hurt. It’s the only 2h sword DPS in the game, it should have more options than just katanas and a handful of sabers. Hopefully some other people submitted something similar and one of them gets picked.

My character is a knight-errant from Ishgard who trained as a Samurai after leaving to explore the outside world following the conclusion of the Dragonsong War. I could totally see him forging a new custom sword to adapt the techniques he learned, sort of like an estoc sword but designed for both slashing and thrusting attacks. Like how Happy Gilmore putts with a hockey stick.

[_Koneko_]

I'm not sure straight swords make a lot sense for a class that heavily uses Iaijutsu

[Theodric_Thorne]

I'm not sure straight swords make a lot sense for a class that heavily uses Iaijutsu

Is there some reason a non-katana sword for SAM can’t be drawn from a scabbard? I’m not sure what you mean. It’s not like the rest of the swords in the game just float exposed on your character’s hip or back because they’re supposed to. They just don’t have models. I wish they did. But it’s not like the animation for Iaijutsu won’t work just because a blade isn’t curved.

[Tsiron]

Iai techniques can still work fine, it's just the motion is smoother with a curved blade.

Counterpoint, SAM has skills where the animation is a thrust, even though katana were not optimal for thrusting. Doesn't invalidate the whole thing does it?

[_Koneko_]

Iaijutsu or speed draw is a technique that relays heavily on the sword being curved it's one of the reasons a katana is shaped like that i'm not saying i'm against straight swords but it don't really make sense for Samurai who is a Iaijutsu user to use one

and as you say your self while it's not optimal for thrusting its fully serviceable at that

[RamKat]

Iaijutsu or speed draw is a technique that relays heavily on the sword being curved it's one of the reasons a katana is shaped like that i'm not saying i'm against straight swords but it don't really make sense for Samurai who is a Iaijutsu user to use one

and as you say your self while it's not optimal for thrusting its fully serviceable at that

You've uh... seen the Golden Saucer weapons I take it? Or some of the numerous designs that defy logic and common sense alike?

You're really going to say a lack of curve in a sword is just a step to far to believe?