Please allow me to consider them noticeable inferior to two slot shields.
I disagree, I think the knightly heater shield is the best shield in the game (considering it's only 1 slot, 100 speed, has a very high armor rating and only requires 4 difficulty). Sure the 2 slot shields can take more axe hits, but they weigh more and are 2 slots...
Your argument here is invalid, a crossbow user should only be using a 1 slot shield anyways, even when it was only 1 slot for crossbows and below.
Now those same builds can either choose to use their 1 slot sword and a 0 slot shield (or no shield), or can take a 0 slot sword and a 1 slot shield. Seems fine to me. I can no longer use a 2 slot 2h sword on my xbow character, so I just use a mace. Seems very well balanced to me...
it was a weapon used for the 7/30 troll shotgun build. why should people cry about that? it was easy enough to kill me when i had two xbows. now i have a useless lvl 30 thats not even fun anymore. should i just take hunting xbows?
I quote rogue: "hunting xbows are good for one thing: dropping it for the enemy when you run away so he picks it up an tries to kill you with it". You can shoot a naked archer with it in the head and he doesnt die. you shoot him again and the archer is still standing". why does such fun build that gave me hours of pleasure have to be nerfed? is it so bad that people want to shoot a bit with a xbow while standing on a wall? im more usefull going outside the wall than shooting from it with a 0 wpf light xbow, even if i use my fists
So what's your build? So instead of using a 1h with 1 slot and a shield with 1 slot, you need to take a 0 slot 1h? If you're a 2h/xbow (like me) you can no longer take a sword, you need the mace or one of the "bastard" 1h/2h weapons (like fighting axe or military sickle), polearm users got fucked over decently, but the Q Staff is actually a good 1 slot weapon.
I don't see the problem, I think this is a very good balance move.