I for one think that the entire melee combat system should be bash (nudge is a pretty weasely name hehe).
Rather than feinting and holding which is what happens allday errday in Australia, I think combat should be about proper footwork, bashing people to put their timing and footwork off so you can chop them.
For example, I think the 1h bash should be the fastest; a simple punch or push (maybe a different system of control; short tap for punch and hold for push), 2h should be the slowest and perhaps weaker behind a polearm; a pommel strike where the tap could be a quick jab and the hold could be a push with the entire weapon. Polearm could be a short bash on tap and a push on hold, the push could be similar to the 2h one.
Shield bashes could be similar to the 1h bash except somewhat slower but much more effective.
Bashes should be very ineffective against a blocking enemy (perhaps take into account direction?); specifically one who is using a shield.
If timed properly; that is if someone is in a strange position: just missed a swing, just starting a swing, just missed a kick, you hit them anywhere but the front, they could have significantly increased effects, perhaps even a knockdown.
Nudge-kick chambering is strange, a cool idea but it looks very odd and people can block (and perhaps attack, I'm unsure) your next hit after you've knocked them down.
Also I think the cooldown is a little irritating, maybe remove the message and shorten the cooldown but give diminishing returns on consecutive bashes. This is where I see the biggest fault in them as a consistent user of nudges, I just keep nudging, stabbing in the face, nudging, stabbing, then if they try to nudge me, I will use sneaky footwork and kick them, stab them then nudge and stab them. With a Broad Short Sword, this does a pretty hefty amount of damage even as an archer with 6 ps and 50 wpf. Would do insane damage if I was a melee character with a loomed BSS.
I think somehow altering the controls to make it a keybind that works the same way as other keys; it only works at the specific time (not when you are typing, similarly to the throw key in rageball) and you can rebind it as you see fit.
Also I think it would be very cool indeed to see specific items have impacts on the speed, power and cooldown rate of bashes, as should player skills.
Finally I hope we can agree that the animations look a little silly
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I for one love the idea of nudging, as shown by my wall of text ^. I really hope it is integrated into M:BG but less strangely.
Owens:
Please, please stop complaining about how overpowered it is, you and your clan all have the same misguided ideas that you can do anything if someone else can do it. Numerous times you have tried to nudge me and it hasn't worked out for you at all, in fact I've found it much easier to kill you after your failed attempts at nudging.