Seriously. I think the disadvantages of wielding two weapons outweigh the advantages. Here are my thoughts on second weapon and cogenic neural bridging:

-It's good for getting rounds in if you don't have double or triple attack, but then again those with second weapon and/or cogenic neural bridging can easily get four attacks per round without second weapon.

-It's good for extra damroll, hitroll or whatever your second weapon comes with. Of course, that extra 4-6 damroll isn't much of a boon especially when it's only used for regular attacking. (gotta remove the second weapon for use of most good skills, can't cast or alter either)

-What else? Oh, perhaps you can say you get to use an extra casting weapon. But those casting weapons WILL drop on the ground, not your inventory, if your weapon decides to be a rebel.

Overall, I think wielding two weapons simultaneously is pretty cruddy. Maybe I'm missing some subtlety that would make it worth while. What do you all think?

If by chance everyone is on the same wavelength then what if second weapon/cogenic neural bridging had some small chance to add an extra attack with the second weapon whenever the primary weapon attacks? That way, it's possible to actually get more than 4 attacks per round with second weapon without having implant weaponry.

Deneb, you are right on the money. A matter of fact, at one time second weapon and the borg versions did give more benefits. Some weapons used to load with +speed or some other fun effects. For example adrenaline or confi. So instead of wielding one weapon, a ranger could wield two and gain those benefits. As we all know, tempus changes over time. With these changes, sometimes it creates problems with other classes skills or spells.

So how could second weapon be a benefit with the current way tempus is being run. I like your idea with a chance to get another attack in. As long as the skill has to be learned for this to happen. Anyone can dual wield, and I don't think that a mage dual wielding weapons should get any chance to get an extra attack. A ranger, borg, or mercenary on the other hand should.

Why not add special skills that can only be used if your dual wielding. You talked about how you have to remove the second weapon to use decent skills and your 100% correct. So add some kind of insentive for a skilled dual wielder. Make different skills for different weapon types. For example, two slashing weapons could be used to slice outward at the same time. Can almost picture a knight using two swords and trying to behead someone. (No, knights should not get benefits from dual wielding) Or using a pounding weapon and stabbing weapon. Stick your dagger into them, then pound it in further causing more damage. Of course something like this would be diffacult to code but I'm just throwing ideas out there.

I like the vivid picture you painted. It really would make the game more realistic if evil knights got to dual wield. Knights have been dual wielding and sometimes even triple wielding since the dark ages and who are we to tell them they shouldn't. No, I think that knights should get both dual wield and dual behead (a separate skill that does twice as much damage as behead) and hope to re-energize the knight class.

Dual Behead? What the hell is that?

I think the prevalence of dual wield comes from the fact that it's a part of the core D&D game (which all muds are for the most part based on.)

I also think that the benefit of dual wield is most noticeable by newer players who might not know exactly how to efficiently gear up.

In a newbie world where you're barely breaching 0 ac, and your hit and dam is dismal, the prospect of wield another weapon (given you have the skill) is one not to be ignored.

You've got to admit– Tempus has a lot of gear slots… esp. and other randomness. Not to mention the fact that AC, damroll, etc. are inflated, which gives a genuine robustness to Tempus and its content.

As we learn to effectively and efficiently gear our characters in other slots, we learn that we don't really need a shield for certain classes, or that we don't need to dual wield. Justifying a move, such as shoulderthrow or wrench, versus having another weapon completely depends on play-style and experience.

What has also happened is the reduction in role-play and the increase in the economized player mindset.

Many characters wear roughly the same types of gear, not because they are playing to the type of character that they made, but because they want an advantage, whether it's high dam/hit, or high AC, effects, etc.

As nerdy as this sounds, it's cool at the table to know that your character has the image of one who is so proficient in weapons that they can wield TWO. It translates MUCH differently online on a game like tempus, where efficiency rules.

Just a few thoughts.. R*3

Yeah, it is cool when you visual your character wielding two weapons at once. And, it is just like you said, "efficiency rules". So what's the problem? Why can't wielding two weapons be cool when it pertains to the imagination and efficiency so long as it's balanced? Of course, I say this because I think wielding two weapons is crap. Everyone else may think differently.

Yeah, I agree that dual wield should get an upgrade to meet the kind of game that Tempus has become over the last xyz years.

I hate to reference this game, but in WoW, dual wielding was based on increasing the number of hits that you dealt and the speed in which you added extra damage. The weapon's stats also increased your overall attack power.

On top of this, dual wielding allowed the chance to process weapon effects, like damaging poison, or casting.

I like the previous comments about adding an extra attack, i.e. Cyborg's melee combat program (I forgot the name…)

It would also add more flavor to envenom and other weapon effect spells, opening the doors to more weapon altering possibilities.

Ex. Jim, the ranger, chooses to wield a mace and shield, tanking his way through Calidan.

Bob, on the other hand, chooses to dual wield, sacrificing the ac, but instead utilizing another weapon and envenom, because he's starting to get 5 hits in each round, increasing the chance of poisoning his target.

Who knows… Maybe the physic's acidify alteration could be a spell that adds acid to a weapon, instead of f'ing over one's gear :p.

It's a great door of opportunity to open, yeah?

Q: Would that mean a dual wielding borg/ranger or merc could get 7 hits a round? :p WHO KNOWS! Let us pioneer.

R*3

A: If you're asking that based on my suggestion that dual wielders will sometimes attack with the second weapon whenever he or she attacks with the primary weapon then cyborgs can get 10 hits per round (thought I would imagine that this would be extremely rare).

Four attacks from primary, each triggering second weapon to attack plus two attacks from implanted weapons. 4+4+2 =10