Because of the idea of some fool using a rondel in actual melee combat, not just to finish off someone you're grappling with or who is lying on the ground. Because shield skill is based off agility so this 'peasant' is wearing a sock, but has a steel shield strapped to his left arm...
Justify the 4 directional pierce attack, fine, just give it to every other thrusting 1handed weapon then. Why not, i'm sure you can use them in the backhand just as well. There can't be one rule for the rondel, and one for everyone else, if we involve the possibility of different grips and 4 directions of pierce with 1 onehander, then it opens the question of why the others don't get it far more than if they just left it alone to begin with.
If we actually based the weapon attack directions off what you could do with them in real life then all 2directional polearms would have 4 directions, cos why not? I bet they could all be swung in combat situations. Also since we're on realism why do shields take agility to pick up when armour and weapons need strength? Why don't greatswords have crushthrough, or knockdown against foes who survive the swing, especially those in plate? Or maybe we could add a skill that allowed people to gain the extra attack directions and knockdown with all weapons... hmmm... that'd require a lot of strength in real life... let's base it off... agility! Game fixed.
At the risk of this devolving into a realism thread...I'd like to say that if a dude in cloth with a dagger charged a knight in plate in real life, he'd get cut in half by the knight (just like what usually happens in game). However, if the cloth dude was fast enough, lucky enough, and/or skilled enough, he could rush the slower knight and stab him through the visor or in the neck (just like can happen in game). This is ok.
However, you do have a point about the directional attacks. Keep in mind, however, that the rondel can have
either 1 direction or 3 directions, depending on the mode...not 4 directions. I would not be upset if we added this ability to other daggers, or took it away from the rondel.
I think it should be added to other daggers so ppl can use them.