Maybe the difference in damage between 2h and pole/1h stabs has more to do with that the highest 2h stab damage is 26p and the highest 1h/pole stab damages are 31p/33p respectively? That is not a small difference. Which is a problem because 1h should not do the same or even more damage than the other 2 classes, simply because 1h allows you to use a shield without penalties. Speed bonus and hold attacks are not used differently by these classes, at least not in any significant or constant way.
Just for shits and giggles:
Here are some comparisons between 1h and 2h swords that have both swings and thrusts. (I didn't compare polearms in this as most high-stab damage polearms are only 2-directional)
| 2 handers | 1 handers |
Average Speed | 94 | 99 |
Average Length | 116 | 105 |
Average Thrust | 23p | 24p |
Average Swing | 39c | 30c |
On average 1-handers have 1 more point of thrust damage than 2-handers. To overcome this horrendous shortcoming, they compensate with their much higher swing damage on 3 of their attack directions, much longer length with only slightly slower swing speed.
Let's look at the top 3 thrusting swords of both 1h and 2h.
| German Greatsword | Great Sword | Danish Greatsword | Espada Eslavona | Scottish Sword | Side Sword |
Speed | 90 | 93 | 90 | 102 | 103 | 99 |
Length | 123 | 120 | 124 | 90 | 80 | 95 |
Thrust | 27 | 26 | 25 | 31 | 30 | 29 |
Swing | 39 | 37 | 41 | 25 | 27 | 29 |
Going down the list, the 1-handers are WAY faster than the 2-handers. The difference between the fastest and slowest weapon is 13 points of speed.
The 2-handers are WAY longer than the 1-handers with a difference of 44 points between the longest and shortest.
The 1-handers have noticeably higher thrust damage with a difference of 6 points between the weakest and strongest.
The 2-handers have DRAMATICALLY higher swing damage with a difference of 16 points between the weakest and strongest.
I still don't see how 1-handers are as overpowered as everyone says they are. The 1-h thrust weapons that do a lot of damage have laughably low damage on 3 of their attacks (with a slight exception to the side sword), combined with dramatically lower length. They only thing they have going for them is their speed.
So again, (not surprisingly) the CRPG community is blowing things WAY out of proportion.