I think 1h stab is fine now. Before it was borderline unusable (even with a slight damage buff). Now it is effective, just like overhead or left swing.
There is no need to nerf. 1h now has 4 valid attack directions. 1h stabs are potent now, but they are not dominating the battlefield in any way.
While I agree with you on most of this, I do think that one handed weapons are now the dominant weapon tier you see at the current moment.
Now, I'd go as far as to say, "Hey, it's new, people are trying their luck with the new mechanic. Gotta be the reason why we so so many, right?".
But I'd be beaten to a pulp by the many people who are now finding it increasingly difficult to bully around one handers like they used to.
I like the previous suggestion in the thread of optimizing the polearm stab animation to fit the new improved one handed update. I agree if you are being out ranged by a 90 reach one hand stab while you are using a spetum, awlpike, long spear, then it's a user error and certainly not a game mechanic failure.
The quick release, I'd say is a given of the one handed tier. They are fast, they are meant to be. If you are concerned with people "aboosing" the reach as an opener, look back on pre buff to when two handers were doing that with half the complain the one hander has gotten in the past month or so. People got used to it. It was to be expected out of half of them with a stab capable two hander. Same concept goes for the one hander now; if you see a player wielding a stabbing one handed weapon, expect a feint or two, then a stab. It's to be expected!!
^
I tested this just about thirty minutes ago with my STF and another players STF. Used variants of polearms vs variants of one handers, even into the rondel dagger range. No shield was used in the test as I was going for innate range, unaffected by shield distance increase via hoplite stance.
The only time I was out done by a one hander stab variant vs my polearm stab variant, is when he would slink around my thrust effectively dodgeing or when my attack was chambered.
BUT for polearms less than 145 length, the game changes. 1/3 of the usual one handed stab weapons you see being used had the upper hand in this area. Just as the great sword stab can outrange the warspear stab, I think it's something we are all going to have to brush off the shoulder and find a new way to counter it, like any good man/woman player would do.
IF a change is to be made to the one handed weaponry AFTER everything else is weighed and measured, due to the one hand still being a nuisance, then I'd be full in well with a damage decrease.
And yes, the stab animation should not deal full damage at the very end of the animation. But, previously it was doing little to nothing.
Progress People! We're working towards it!