Being able to block in native duel is absolutely vital. If you miss a single block, you're often dead (sometimes two depending on how marginal the hits are). Blocking is also harder, so the skill ceiling is higher. A player can footwork all day, but if he can't block and he faces off against an opponent who can, then he's going to lose damn near every single fight.
It's a shame that shields don't require some sort of manual blocking. It would greatly increase the skill required to usefully contribute in native battle.
I disagree, The only reason I ALWAYS use shield, is because the blocking system with a weapon in M&B is horse*hit, and unrealistic to boot.
Shields take ALL kinds of manual manipulation - you have to watch your sides, watch your up block, avoid shield breakers etc.
They ARE easier than manual blocking, but not because manual blocking requires more skill, (even though it does).
Its easier, because manual blocking in M&B is is over simplified in the engine, and thus requires more attention by the user to overcome its clunkiness, but if manual block was more like shield blocks (but with more failure points), it would be more realistic, and a better system - not the other way around, from how i see it... You shouldnt have to manipulate your mouse and movement and thus your view, as much just to block left or right etc. If you could 'button bind the directions, it would be an improvement.
What would be nice, is if the NEXT M&B WB, made weapons block more like shields (in other words, EXACT angles via mouse, rather than 4 directional choice then a button, with the new system I would imagine requiring a button to determine angle of block- or 2 block buttons/or a button that with each click switches horizontal to vertical back to horizontal again, actionable DURING the opponents swing animation , and the weapon on an axis like the shield is now.)
Shield blocking SHOULD be easier as well - blocking with a shield, has ALWAYS been easier in rl, its why they used them. Yes, you might say in later medieval times, when 2handers came into their own, they learned to block with it, but it was a much more time invested skill than blocking w/ a shield, AND blocking with a one hander, even against another one hander, much less a larger weapon, is much harder in rl with anything other than a pair of balanced rapiers,
than it is in this game. Crush through would be much higher on weapon blockers, and blocking would be more of an attempt to redirect the opponents swing slightly to one side, as you side step to the other direction.
BUT, an axis based manual block (like shields) with a button to choose horizontal or verticle stance, would be a gigantic improvement to the current clunky 4 directional manual block with a required 'tell of foot movement' and annoying jarring view change caused by using the mouse to choose the block direction.
Shields as they are now, are much better mechanically than manual blocking is, in this game. The only thing to really complain about is the 'force-field' and the clunky engine that limits manual blocking mechanics.
/start flaming
