New item: Long Pike

[Dan lol]

You really are over-estimating the capabilities of a long pike in single combat. It can't hit ANYONE within several feet of the user, EVEN SPIN THRUSTING. Chambering the weapon back will not pull the tip close enough to the user of the long pike even when spin thrusting. If you get close to them, they are a free kill. Once you step in the long pikes minimum range, the long pikeman can ONLY block. Also, it's attack speed is 70. 70. It has to be able to block or it can't be a dedicated weapon as intended. You are aware that a long pike user will move really slow due to it's weapon length, also.
I put a lot of thought into balancing it before the initial post. However, Until people can agree on a length I wouldn't make a model.

I think you underestimate the spin thrusting, you can hit and kill with barely past your hand with any weapons thrust if you spin properly.

[Cyclopsided]

I think you underestimate the spin thrusting, you can hit and kill with barely past your hand with any weapons thrust if you spin properly.

That is because currently all the pole arms are short enough to pull the tip close enough to the user (including the standard Pike). This wouldn't get close enough to spin thrust within a couple feet.
I may be wrong with the way the hitbox starts out, but assuming it stays at the tip of the pike which it seems to do. Hence why you can do hitbox gliding around teammates -- with the risk of stabbing them in the back.

[EponiCo]

Spin thrusting is still an issue for all that are in range (even if thats the case). You can thrust at one guy who blocks down and gets sideslashed by teammate and twist it into a guy that didn't see you - you just killed two people with a single stab.
So effectively you enganger 180° if you hold pike down. They can all downblock, no problem, but how are they going to fight your teammates then? Pikes and other weapons are good enough for teamsupport imo, a higher reach pike would just be tedious as this long pike man is certainly not at any risk to be killed as long as he has teammates there. Even in 1vs1 you are in no way gimped, because even the pike is long enough to pull out a hafted blade before he gets in reach.

[Noble Crassius]

Spin thrusting is still an issue for all that are in range (even if thats the case). You can thrust at one guy who blocks down and gets sideslashed by teammate and twist it into a guy that didn't see you - you just killed two people with a single stab.
So effectively you enganger 180° if you hold pike down. They can all downblock, no problem, but how are they going to fight your teammates then? Pikes and other weapons are good enough for teamsupport imo, a higher reach pike would just be tedious as this long pike man is certainly not at any risk to be killed as long as he has teammates there. Even in 1vs1 you are in no way gimped, because even the pike is long enough to pull out a hafted blade before he gets in reach.

Lol wut? I seriously think a spin thrust will not be a problem here. Any argument for or against the effectiveness of a spin thrust is moot, we can all say if this and if that but we really can't tell for sure until it's tested.
(here i go anyways)
 This pike with 70 speed and only 55+ length (compare the steel pick to a great sword for just how much a difference this will make) a spin thrust will probably be imo (again can't really tell until it's tested) useless. Any enemy that's within their weapons striking distance would just be able to out spam anyone who attempts a spin thrust with this weapon it's just too slow and long.

and no you did not kill two people with a single thrust you and a team mate killed two people, happens all the time.

[EponiCo]

The point was not using spinthrust against a facehugger 1vs1 but against someone at optimum range. I did this often enough, taking one or two down from a triple gang on me with only a lance. Fake attack at one turn it into the other guy who stops blocking. And then I died as the last one spammed me.
The point being if you have one pikeman in a group and fight someone else you always have to expect getting that pike into the side. So the pikeman destroys melee capability of all enemies in his range. The pike (and similar weapons) are good enough for this already, just look at how many kills a good pikeman can get, and that's discounting all the guys that died because they downblocked the pike only to be sideslashed. A longer weapon (I don't know how you get 55 I read 350 in OP) just means he can endanger more while being perfectly save. If Marathon is actually right about the hitboxes wouldn't this also mean that he can thrust directly through his teammates with no risk of teamhurt?
The other thing is that "this weapon is useless when they get close" is not really a problem. My bow has speed 50, can't block or even chamber, heck I get staggered when they touch me, but I kill people from facehug range all the time. It's not like you can't carry a secondary weapon.

[Cyclopsided]

The point was not using spinthrust against a facehugger 1vs1 but against someone at optimum range. I did this often enough, taking one or two down from a triple gang on me with only a lance. Fake attack at one turn it into the other guy who stops blocking. And then I died as the last one spammed me.
The point being if you have one pikeman in a group and fight someone else you always have to expect getting that pike into the side. So the pikeman destroys melee capability of all enemies in his range. The pike (and similar weapons) are good enough for this already, just look at how many kills a good pikeman can get, and that's discounting all the guys that died because they downblocked the pike only to be sideslashed. A longer weapon (I don't know how you get 55 I read 350 in OP) just means he can endanger more while being perfectly save. If Marathon is actually right about the hitboxes wouldn't this also mean that he can thrust directly through his teammates with no risk of teamhurt?
The other thing is that "this weapon is useless when they get close" is not really a problem. My bow has speed 50, can't block or even chamber, heck I get staggered when they touch me, but I kill people from facehug range all the time. It's not like you can't carry a secondary weapon.

You just brought up a good point, if it is capable to thrust through a teammate flat out that would not work, if that IS the case (dev post required on hitbox issue) then it may be only capable of being 300 to 325 length.
Needs to be tested...

[Noble Crassius]

Needs to be tested...

+1

I would like to see the model look thicker than the current pike as well. long and skinny would not look good imo.

[WaltF4]

You just brought up a good point, if it is capable to thrust through a teammate flat out that would not work, if that IS the case (dev post required on hitbox issue) then it may be only capable of being 300 to 325 length.
Needs to be tested...

The two-handed polearm thrust animation will pass through solid objects directly next to the attacking character and hit objects on the other side with a weapon of 300+ length. I suspect this is why the pike was made the length that it currently is. You can test for yourself by modifying the item_kinds1.txt file in the native module. For example, to modify the pike change the line

itm_pike Pike Pike 1  spear_a_3m 0  409272324 4222124851987200 125 8202 3.000000 100 0 0 0 0 16384 81 0 245 0 282 528

to

itm_pike Pike Pike 1  spear_a_3m 0  409272324 4222124851987200 125 8202 3.000000 100 0 0 0 0 16384 81 0 300 0 282 528

The pike will look the same, but will be listed as 300 length in your inventory or in a shop. Stand next to a towns person or tree and thrust through them without clipping. You could do the same with any polearm you already have on hand.

[Christo]

Geez, Walt always tells something new, detailed as well.

Can the game make some beers for me, Walt? 

[Cyclopsided]

The two-handed polearm thrust animation will pass through solid objects directly next to the attacking character and hit objects on the other side with a weapon of 300+ length. I suspect this is why the pike was made the length that it currently is. You can test for yourself by modifying the item_kinds1.txt file in the native module. For example, to modify the pike change the line

itm_pike Pike Pike 1  spear_a_3m 0  409272324 4222124851987200 125 8202 3.000000 100 0 0 0 0 16384 81 0 245 0 282 528

to

itm_pike Pike Pike 1  spear_a_3m 0  409272324 4222124851987200 125 8202 3.000000 100 0 0 0 0 16384 81 0 300 0 282 528

The pike will look the same, but will be listed as 300 length in your inventory or in a shop. Stand next to a towns person or tree and thrust through them without clipping. You could do the same with any polearm you already have on hand.

This is true: WE can't have pole arms this long due to hitboxes. Thread locking time.
We can't have long pikes. I was right about it not being able to spin thrust since you wouldn't bring the hitbox close enough; completely slipping from my mind that you could ghost through teammates and walls that way too.
Ok. No long pike. I seem to keep coming up with ideas that aren't possible with the current game engine.