Sword drawing accuracy suggestions

[Clockworkjester]

Hello! This is my first post on these forums. I hope I've put it in the right place. Sorry if I haven't.

Okay first of all, now my girlfriend bought me kenshi on Steam a few days ago. LOVE IT! It's so addictive, great game, I'm having heaps of fun with it even in it's current state. I've had the game for only 4 days and already I have racked up 23 hours of play on steam. With my busy lifestyle that is a lot for me. So good job so far! This game has soooo much potential, and I look forward to seeing it grow into the final product.

One gripe with the accuracy of the way characters wear their swords though. I hope this doesn't come off as too nitpicky, but given the game has something of a realistic approach to the way characters fight, and a clear nod to samurai history, I thought I should point something out.

Samurai did not wear katana on their back, unless it was a nodachi for non-combat purposes and just for display, a foot samurai, unless wielding a spear or bow, wore their katana on their left hip, tied in an obi knot with their wakizashi as a backup. I know this because I am a Japanese traditional culture enthusiast (especially when it comes to the samurai), sword collector, and I am a passionate practitioner of Kendo (the martial art which traditionally accompanies the katana, the way the samurai trained to fight) and iado (the art of drawing the katana)
In fact, I don't think there is any documented case of any warrior culture wearing swords on their backs, unless for transport and not for combat purposes. Wealthy samurai, or even simply wealthy nobles in Japan were speculated to have worn nodachi on their backs, not for fighting purposes, but as a display of status and wealth.

In fact, drawing a sword from behind is incredibly difficult and impractical when it's simply much easier to wear and draw a sword from the hip.
I know this is a fantasy game. And while personally, I think wearing/drawing swords from behind in fantasy just looks silly, I understand a lot of people think it looks really cool, and that's okay too.
But I see this game going for some degree of accuracy in the way it portrays swordplay. So I feel that accuracy could be improved heaps by simply having characters wear their swords at their hips (especially the katana and wakizashi)
Notice here, an actual photo of a samurai, he is not wearing his swords on his back. His katana, wakizashi, and tanto are all on his waist on the left side.


Anyone who doubts me when I say drawing a sword from the back is impractical and ineffective, I refer you to Skallagrim's videos on youtube, particularly the one where he demonstrates that drawing a sword from behind is not only impossible in some cases, but ineffective and even downright dangerous in cases where it is 'technically' possible.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYiXEPHLeUY

I hope this doesn't sound like whinging, because I understand this is a minor point to many, but to myself, and many of my friends who I've recommended this game to who are fellow sword enthusiasts and practitioners of sword-based martial arts such as myself, seeing characters wear swords is like having an itch you just can't scratch. It's just a frustrating little detail.

Kenshi is a great game and I'm gonna be playing this game for a long long time, whether or not the swords are worn correctly. Like I said, the game is a fantasy game, so anything is possible, but a little believablility in the finer details can take fantasy a long way.

[PnzrNorm]

Drawing a weapon from your back, IIRC, was inspired by the Celts' two-handed sword, which lead to the famed highlander's claymore. These weapons were so huge that wearing them on the hip would practically immobilise the wearer, but it was possible to sheath the weapon across the back with a shoulder belt to allow the wearer freedom in movement.
To effectively draw this weapon for immediate combat requires a scabbard that is split length-ways, this allows the weapon to exit from the side of the scabbard, rather than drawing from the hilt.
Then again, I'm willing to be that the majority of the time, the scabbard was made of wood, and the wearer would discard both the wooden scabbard and the shoulder belt in preparation for battle and simply carry the weapon.

I've tried searching, but I was unable to come across any videos detailing the form for drawing a weapon from a split scabbard across the back.
In a nutshell, the wielder will twist the pommel end of the hilt downwards and the guard end of the hilt upwards, which causes the weapon to do a spinning motion out from the sheath. The motion ends similarly to the iconic He-Man stance holding the weapon above the head before bringing it down to the ready position.

[LostSaint6689]

Fun facts, good read. I personally don't care about where the sword is... but as a personal rule I prefer any sword that fits in the inventory slot to be worn on the hip and will not put them in the back slot.... or course I have no choice with the majority of the weapons.

I know this is a fantasy game and its going for an eastern feel.... but I would like to see some western weapons. Perhaps for future factions from different regions of the map to show a cultural difference between factions. Though I wouldn't really care if that was a thing or not and if I'm not mistaken Chris has already turned down the idea for western weapons. But hey there can be mods.

[GeraldVinson]

I just want to say that I sort of noticed this too, but I just put the Katana in the Slot 2 part of the equipment/inventory screen, and all of my katana wielding troops wear it on the hip. Just thought I'd come in to say that.

[Clockworkjester]

Fun facts, good read. I personally don't care about where the sword is... but as a personal rule I prefer any sword that fits in the inventory slot to be worn on the hip and will not put them in the back slot.... or course I have no choice with the majority of the weapons.

I know this is a fantasy game and its going for an eastern feel.... but I would like to see some western weapons. Perhaps for future factions from different regions of the map to show a cultural difference between factions. Though I wouldn't really care if that was a thing or not and if I'm not mistaken Chris has already turned down the idea for western weapons. But hey there can be mods.

Yeah, I'd like to see some Western style sabres and even some medieval European style swords. Rapiers could be cool too (the closest thing to a thrusting weapon currently in the game is the ninjatou, known in game as "ninja blade" which is what ninjatou translates to anyway). They'd be good at taking down armoured foes I suppose.

I'm okay with there just being Asian and Middle Eastern weapons because I'm an oriental weapons enthusiast so naturally, those things appeal to me. But I still appreciate Western swords as much as the next guy. I just really like the exotic appeal of oriental swords and weapons. However, I get the feeling it'd make more sense for factions like the Dead Cats to be carrying western style sabres, they wear tricorn hats and longcoats, how much more Western do they wanna get? It'd be silly to knock back the idea of Western weapons entirely if you ask me, but all well.
I'd like to see some polearms or something added too. Weapons like yari, jou staff, etc.

EDIT: I also put katana in the 2nd weapon slot, but I want to have my characters wear both their main weapon AND their secondary weapon on the same hip, just like a real samurai.

[PnzrNorm]

I'd like to see some polearms or something added too. Weapons like yari, jou staff, etc.

Add naginata to this list.

[Clockworkjester]

I'd like to see some polearms or something added too. Weapons like yari, jou staff, etc.

Add naginata to this list.

Oh yes! Of course, how did I manage to forget the naginata. In fact, I think the naginata would be the most useful kind of polearm in this game given it's current state. Longer polearms aren't really useful until we can arrange units into blocks in massive combat (which I think Chris has touched upon once he raises the amount of characters we can have and implements the ability to have multiple squads)

[Shivers]

If you put your katana in weapon slot 2, it goes on your hip.

[Clockworkjester]

If you put your katana in weapon slot 2, it goes on your hip.

Yeah I know, but It'd be good to be able to carry all weapons on the hip, maybe with the exception of heavy weapons since they'd be carried into battle unsheathed in a practical situation anyway.
I want to be able to have my characters wear a katana AND wakizashi bundled together on the same hip, just like real samurai.