I'm a little late to this thread but I compared the Nodachi quite heavily.
Summary:
1. MANY polearms have better stats than the Nodachi for similar price, more power, polearm ability, same or Faster swing. Nodachi is inferior to similar Polearm weapons, and it can't thrust.
2. Nodachi is also inferior to many 2H weapons that are cheaper. E.g. Maiodao is far faster, closish damage (40c vs nodachi's 43c) and similar length (115 vs nodachi's 122). I'd pick the maiodao any time as the big speed difference (96 vs 91) easily makes up for being slightly shorter and less damaging. Another example is the highland claymore, superior to the nodachi, (thrust is important), the claymore can do it, the nodachi cant, + other stuff mentioned above.
Basically: NO ONE is EVER going to buy a NOdachi other than for decoration purposes. It needs to be improved in whatever way to make it competitive again. I can dig the "make it less attractive so its less often used" theme to keep jap gear less frequent in-game, but nerf it in another way, make it more expensive than its worth for example (which as a by-product it currently is
), more than standard, don't make it shit compared to the other weapons though (which it is as explained above - read point 1). Also 16str to use a peice of crap... pass... (i have 16str btw but I'd never go up for THIS weapon)
Please consider this dev's.