I had, a fair time ago posted a topic with a shared title. Swords, Spears and Stabbies isn't that great of a title, it should really be Medium weapons, Heavy Weapons, Light Weapons but that isn't just as attractive. The combat overhaul I'm suggesting is to make pvp and pve more exciting in dueling and raiding. I'm re-writing my old thread http://www.minecraftforum.net/topic/534731-swords-spears-and-stabbies/page__p__7054246#entry7054246.
There is an addition of three "classes" that you will choose when joining a game, each that can be honed to your liking. You will receive a weapons "kit" now when crafting a sword and will receive a weapon according to what. Meaning from the same kit you may receive a dagger or a sword. This is to make weapons easy and accessible.
The Medium Weapons
The Medium Weapons kit are the most reliable weapons, that can switch from the most powerful defense, to a tactical offense. The Medium Weapons are also ideal dueling weapons as they only lack the ability to maneuver quickly around the battlefield.
The Medium Weapons starts with a sword. It is a trusty and reliable weapon as it can quickly switch from defense to offense and has knock back abilities and a good block. The single sword is the most reliable weapon when alone and can work well in groups.
If the Medium Weapons wishes to change he receives a tower shield. He focuses on blocking incoming blows and taunting mobs while his friends pick them off, he also still has the sword which has slightly lower attack rate than the original. He is ideal to guard doors or to protect team mates.
The Heavy Weapons
Heavies act as a support class, however they can still be deadly on their own, they are the only class whom has natural knock back on hit (although the knockback is not strong enough to keep a mob away, they will eventually reach you) they have a cleave ability hitting multiple target, they also have a longer reach than other weapons, however both their weapons have damage penalties if their target is very close.
Weapon Choices:
Spear: Spears have a 10 degree radius of cleave, not much but it has a longer range than other heavy weapons, has higher knock back, attack speed but does lower damage than other heavy weapons. If you keep the enemy away, this becomes the one of the deadliest weapons. But it is most effective whilst guarding a door or such.
Claymore: The claymore has almost no reach than other heavy weapons, but a 90 degree cleave radius. It also has a very short "penalty" range and a slower attack speed. The claymore isn't very effective when guarding doors but quickly dispatch overwhelmed allies and attacking one opponent is similar to attacking multiple fighting wise.
The Lights Weapons
The Light weapon's main characteristic is that they lack both knock back abilities and cannot block. That means they can only avoid hits by dashing and cannot defend a spot and can dash to avoid attacks. However they have a very fast attack rate (making blocking almost useless against them) dealing little damage with each hit but have a higher dps over all.
Light Weapons start with duel daggers. They have very little chance to deal a critical strike from the front but back stabs are guaranteed criticals. They work usually need to rely on a distraction but they are key to the team to be able to kill key important targets such as healers or archers.
If an light weapon wishes to switch he receives a rapier and a parrying dagger. They now have normal critical hit chance, (except from the back which is now a very high critical hit chance) They have a fairly higher dps at the cost of some maneuverability. They are now more hardy but still aren't made for fighting masses.
Weapons are also now an equipment, much like a armor. Resulting in your seeing a sheathed weapon either on your back for shields, heavy weapons or light swords. Or on your side for everything else. (Just two textures, sheathed which will be a recolor of the weapon most of the time and unsheathed which will just be the colored part (These can be made invisible for texture packs who don't approve)
The main reason for this is that when you press "V" you unsheathe your weapon, preventing a damage increase from all enemy induced damage, but slowing you down slightly. There is also a very small delay, but this would be a advantage to being prepared.
Skills:
There are five skills slots fit with slot specific skills you may mix and match to create a weapon ideal for your current situation. You may activate these skills by right clicking, left clicking, holding right click then left click, left click then right click and clicking both at the same time, without holding either.
Acquiring new weapons and skills:
Notch stated that there may be a level up, my suggestion is based on that. There will be a skill tree with skills and passive abilities you may put multiple points into. There is one skill at the bottom to acquire the weapon which then splits into five tree which last for eight abilities (five skills (each line having a skill for each slot) two passive abilities), the last being a whole new weapon (2 new main weapons, 2 new off hands and one upgrade for the default weapon) complete with then new attacks and such sharing only skills. The concept in a whole is that many abilities require to know others, but never require to put more than one point in it. Thus no skill is superior to another.
Crafting skills:
Within chests different "Skill elements" when crafted with paper they create new skills for you. Dungeon only exclusive skills
Non-Skill abilities:
Light Weapons:
Dashing (3 points possible): Double tapping a directional key whilst armed will cause you to dash there is a small delay after dashing and you will bump into enemies. Putting points will cause you to dash further, shorten the delay, pressing shift while dashing will keep you from falling off a cliff, the final point will let you teleport through enemies.
Acrobatics (5 points possible): While your weapon is drawn "double jumping" while touching a ledge will cause you to grab the ledge staying up momentarily. Double tapping will cause you to leap in the direction you are pointing. Each point will let you stay up higher and increase the range of your dash.
I'm sorry I posted this fairly prematurely. However I will post this to see if it is well taken. Please read my old post if you are looking for more information.
There is an addition of three "classes" that you will choose when joining a game, each that can be honed to your liking. You will receive a weapons "kit" now when crafting a sword and will receive a weapon according to what. Meaning from the same kit you may receive a dagger or a sword. This is to make weapons easy and accessible.
The Medium Weapons
The Medium Weapons kit are the most reliable weapons, that can switch from the most powerful defense, to a tactical offense. The Medium Weapons are also ideal dueling weapons as they only lack the ability to maneuver quickly around the battlefield.
The Medium Weapons starts with a sword. It is a trusty and reliable weapon as it can quickly switch from defense to offense and has knock back abilities and a good block. The single sword is the most reliable weapon when alone and can work well in groups.
If the Medium Weapons wishes to change he receives a tower shield. He focuses on blocking incoming blows and taunting mobs while his friends pick them off, he also still has the sword which has slightly lower attack rate than the original. He is ideal to guard doors or to protect team mates.
The Heavy Weapons
Heavies act as a support class, however they can still be deadly on their own, they are the only class whom has natural knock back on hit (although the knockback is not strong enough to keep a mob away, they will eventually reach you) they have a cleave ability hitting multiple target, they also have a longer reach than other weapons, however both their weapons have damage penalties if their target is very close.
Weapon Choices:
Spear: Spears have a 10 degree radius of cleave, not much but it has a longer range than other heavy weapons, has higher knock back, attack speed but does lower damage than other heavy weapons. If you keep the enemy away, this becomes the one of the deadliest weapons. But it is most effective whilst guarding a door or such.
Claymore: The claymore has almost no reach than other heavy weapons, but a 90 degree cleave radius. It also has a very short "penalty" range and a slower attack speed. The claymore isn't very effective when guarding doors but quickly dispatch overwhelmed allies and attacking one opponent is similar to attacking multiple fighting wise.
The Lights Weapons
The Light weapon's main characteristic is that they lack both knock back abilities and cannot block. That means they can only avoid hits by dashing and cannot defend a spot and can dash to avoid attacks. However they have a very fast attack rate (making blocking almost useless against them) dealing little damage with each hit but have a higher dps over all.
Light Weapons start with duel daggers. They have very little chance to deal a critical strike from the front but back stabs are guaranteed criticals. They work usually need to rely on a distraction but they are key to the team to be able to kill key important targets such as healers or archers.
If an light weapon wishes to switch he receives a rapier and a parrying dagger. They now have normal critical hit chance, (except from the back which is now a very high critical hit chance) They have a fairly higher dps at the cost of some maneuverability. They are now more hardy but still aren't made for fighting masses.
Weapons are also now an equipment, much like a armor. Resulting in your seeing a sheathed weapon either on your back for shields, heavy weapons or light swords. Or on your side for everything else. (Just two textures, sheathed which will be a recolor of the weapon most of the time and unsheathed which will just be the colored part (These can be made invisible for texture packs who don't approve)
The main reason for this is that when you press "V" you unsheathe your weapon, preventing a damage increase from all enemy induced damage, but slowing you down slightly. There is also a very small delay, but this would be a advantage to being prepared.
Skills:
There are five skills slots fit with slot specific skills you may mix and match to create a weapon ideal for your current situation. You may activate these skills by right clicking, left clicking, holding right click then left click, left click then right click and clicking both at the same time, without holding either.
Acquiring new weapons and skills:
Notch stated that there may be a level up, my suggestion is based on that. There will be a skill tree with skills and passive abilities you may put multiple points into. There is one skill at the bottom to acquire the weapon which then splits into five tree which last for eight abilities (five skills (each line having a skill for each slot) two passive abilities), the last being a whole new weapon (2 new main weapons, 2 new off hands and one upgrade for the default weapon) complete with then new attacks and such sharing only skills. The concept in a whole is that many abilities require to know others, but never require to put more than one point in it. Thus no skill is superior to another.
Crafting skills:
Within chests different "Skill elements" when crafted with paper they create new skills for you. Dungeon only exclusive skills
Non-Skill abilities:
Light Weapons:
Dashing (3 points possible): Double tapping a directional key whilst armed will cause you to dash there is a small delay after dashing and you will bump into enemies. Putting points will cause you to dash further, shorten the delay, pressing shift while dashing will keep you from falling off a cliff, the final point will let you teleport through enemies.
Acrobatics (5 points possible): While your weapon is drawn "double jumping" while touching a ledge will cause you to grab the ledge staying up momentarily. Double tapping will cause you to leap in the direction you are pointing. Each point will let you stay up higher and increase the range of your dash.
I'm sorry I posted this fairly prematurely. However I will post this to see if it is well taken. Please read my old post if you are looking for more information.
Checking already gives you 25% addiction.