No.
A mysterious, otherworldly blade of pure force might be a good artifact… but probably shouldn’t be on the standard loot/crafting lists.
Oh god. Please not a chain sword. Not for any particular balance reason, but I can’t get the image of what happened to this idiot did with a chainsaw in the town I was living in. He took a chainsaw, revved it up, and tried to cut a branch off a tree…from the bottom of the branch. The chainsaw hit the wood, bounced off of it, and the fool basically cut his own head off.
All I can think about now when I think of a chain sword here is the PC blocking an attack with it, the chain catching on the bone of the zombie, ricocheting and the PC’s lopping his own fool head off.
Plasma is all sorts of fun, though. Especially if you were to implement those plasma forks in such a way that the important parts of zombies simply…cease to be. In fact, Plasma forks mounted on the front of the car to convert the Z problem into bright plasma sounds like a completely wasteful but beautiful use of electricity. Or take a UPS, hook it up to a couple banks of ultracapacitors, hook those ultracapacitors up to silver tonfas sufficiently electrically isolated from yourself, provide hand triggers you squeeze to forcefully connect the wiring to the silver (spring force forcing said connection to be NO), touch the two ends to opposite sides of the zombie, and say goodbye to that zombie. Nothing like the smell of ozone to realize you’re completely nuts and in love with electricity. Yum.
It’s interesting to read comments above and learn how the others think about this weapon and chain sword in this game.
Ok, there are some problems to solve, and the initial idea of this item is that I want a middle size melee weapon with a small volume.
When using bows and guns, I’d like to switch to melee weapon when monsters close to me, and the ordinary middle size weapon would take 6 volume or more, I want a smaller one.
It’s true that beam swords only exists in space fantasy, but we also have mystery like artifacts in this game, and my point is if we can not figure out the components of this items, we just not allow players to craft it, this item can only find in the lab.
And in what situation should players use this weapon ? It’s not a weapon for long period battle, it’s powerful but also need much power supply, so unless players have enough power supply or in danger, there is no need to use it. Yes, I mean it’s a “burst DPS” weapon, it help much when you are crowded by zombies.
Just try to make it reasonable.
[quote=“richardyangran, post:24, topic:3353”]It’s interesting to read comments above and learn how the others think about this weapon and chain sword in this game.
Ok, there are some problems to solve, and the initial idea of this item is that I want a middle size melee weapon with a small volume.
When using bows and guns, I’d like to switch to melee weapon when monsters close to me, and the ordinary middle size weapon would take 6 volume or more, I want a smaller one.
It’s true that beam swords only exists in space fantasy, but we also have mystery like artifacts in this game, and my point is if we can not figure out the components of this items, we just not allow players to craft it, this item can only find in the lab.
And in what situation should players use this weapon ? It’s not a weapon for long period battle, it’s powerful but also need much power supply, so unless players have enough power supply or in danger, there is no need to use it. Yes, I mean it’s a “burst DPS” weapon, it help much when you are crowded by zombies.
Just try to make it reasonable.[/quote]
Stick some combat knives in your boot, hell I think by a grace of code you can stick a bloody Zweihänder in your boot. As far as artifacts go someone correct me if I’m wrong on this but aren’t they based off the Artifacts and Anomalies from S.T.A.L.K.E.R. and it’s source of inspiration Roadside Picnic? S.T.A.L.K.E.R. is post-apocalyptic/science fiction.
Or a machete? Though if you’re going for a CQC weapon that’s silent and melee, keep some kind of knives in boots (Which if I’m correct don’t encumber you at all?) alternatively, get an Adamantine Claws bionic, Hydraulic Muscles, or Chain Lightning. With the claws you and unweild your bow, activate the claws and go to town, with the muscles you can just activate them and gib some zombies, and well I’ve never gotten to use Chain Lightning.
Raital: shit, I’m sorry we brought that up. That sounds really unfun both to witness and to be reminded of. 
More generally: hmm. If you’re looking for good damage in melee, consider a martial art? I think they’re under renovation now but ought to be doing OK.
A dual-purpose tool such as a crowbar could also work.
As for No-Disassemble…I think players won’t go for that. Most everythig in Cata is disassembleable. If the weapon is an Artifact, such as an Icewand or somesuch from an Ice Lab finale, then yeah, it can be Weird and OP.
Otherwise, no. I think a beam or force sword isn’t suitable. You might get away with a vibrosword, but that still has the volume problem.
So, you really want this game to be about crystals and non-comprehendable power sources that fuel cutting implements?
I enjoyed KOTOR oh so much but then, can we have other planets first, please?
[quote=“vultures, post:27, topic:3353”]So, you really want this game to be about crystals and non-comprehendable power sources that fuel cutting implements?
I enjoyed KOTOR oh so much but then, can we have other planets first, please?[/quote] tried KOTOR 2? I’m not sure why everyone keeps bashing it, it’s pretty good. It references the first game way too much though.
Still, it’s fun as hell being pure light or dark side.
Then again going by typical convention, chainswords only have a single edge open. The edge towards you is closed. pretty sure it wouldn’t stop you chopping your foot off though. I’m just thinking that it might be nice to cut down a chainsaw and modify it a bit to make it a more viable weapon.
@Raital: holy crap. someone you know? poor guy.
I know, it’s great all the way, right? It’s a balanced one, too, has an NPC system with strength to it, and it’s one of the peaks in the genre, like when you think of Tomb Raider and where Eidos was going with it, even before the series.
And then there are unicorns, orcs and lightsabers. If you have one, you’ll want 'em all.
If we’re looking at realism, then can we nerf the katana and nodachi?
Not by reducing their stats, but rather by adding a type of armor-pierce to melee weapons as well. While a Katana is fast and sharp, they are very bad against an armored opponent and would be inferior to a morning star against plate armor.
just make the katana and nodachi snap in half if struck against anything that isn’t soft flesh
[quote=“Raital, post:23, topic:3353”]Oh god. Please not a chain sword. Not for any particular balance reason, but I can’t get the image of what happened to this idiot did with a chainsaw in the town I was living in. He took a chainsaw, revved it up, and tried to cut a branch off a tree…from the bottom of the branch. The chainsaw hit the wood, bounced off of it, and the fool basically cut his own head off.
All I can think about now when I think of a chain sword here is the PC blocking an attack with it, the chain catching on the bone of the zombie, ricocheting and the PC’s lopping his own fool head off.
Plasma is all sorts of fun, though. Especially if you were to implement those plasma forks in such a way that the important parts of zombies simply…cease to be. In fact, Plasma forks mounted on the front of the car to convert the Z problem into bright plasma sounds like a completely wasteful but beautiful use of electricity. Or take a UPS, hook it up to a couple banks of ultracapacitors, hook those ultracapacitors up to silver tonfas sufficiently electrically isolated from yourself, provide hand triggers you squeeze to forcefully connect the wiring to the silver (spring force forcing said connection to be NO), touch the two ends to opposite sides of the zombie, and say goodbye to that zombie. Nothing like the smell of ozone to realize you’re completely nuts and in love with electricity. Yum.[/quote]
Do you have like, a video of this or where exactly this happened, which town, and other more specific details?
I’m sure that they really do not want to go digging through those unpleasant memories.
If you’re so morbidly intrigued that you have to see for yourself, here’s a hint: Google is free to use and anybody can operate it.
I don’t understand why so many people are against the idea of a beam sword. The game’s not exactly a stunning example of realism right now, anyway; it sort of follows the rule of Why The Hell Not.
Zombies that shoot lightning? Why the hell not.
Giant plant and fungus armies? Why the hell not.
Humongous monstrosities made out of the bodies of dead things which we shall call a Jabberwock? WHY THE HELL NOT.
Beam sword?
…
You know the answer.
Electric zombies are zombies full of malfunctioning CBMs. see: electric arc, Tesla coil
The evil plants and fungus are a result of the goo. see: witches’s broom, chytridiomycota, venus flytrap
Jabberwocks are more of the same, corpses fused by the goo. see: transglutaminase
Laser swords? A laser beam, just like any kind of light, never just ‘stops’, unless something in its way absorbs or reflects the energy. That means your ‘beam sword’ would likely be a mile or two long.
We already have laser weaponry. They might stretch the bounds of physics a bit by being so powerful despite their tiny little power supplies, but C:DDA generally plays fairly close to hard scifi whenever possible.
[quote=“Rivet, post:35, topic:3353”]Electric zombies are zombies full of malfunctioning CBMs. see: electric arc, Tesla coil
The evil plants and fungus are a result of the goo. see: witches’s broom, chytridiomycota, venus flytrap
Jabberwocks are more of the same, corpses fused by the goo. see: transglutaminase
Laser swords? A laser beam, just like any kind of light, never just ‘stops’, unless something in its way absorbs or reflects the energy. That means your ‘beam sword’ would likely be a mile or two long.
We already have laser weaponry. They might stretch the bounds of physics a bit by being so powerful despite their tiny little power supplies, but C:DDA generally plays fairly close to hard scifi whenever possible.[/quote]
What about a beam sword like Travis Touchdown’s in No More Heros?
So I punched ‘travis touchdown beam sword no more heroes’ into ze google and I have to say:
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That thing looks distinctly like a fluorescent light fixture.
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Okay, that almost seems plausible compared to the usual Star Wars type laser-sword-gadget.
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I still don’t really like laser-swords, and putting something about it having a metal thing on one end in the description field doesn’t really change that.
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If we absolutely have to have a laser sword, I vote that it eats UPS charge crazy fast and carries a hefty chance of accidentally maiming/blinding/electrocuting yourself.
Hmm… I’m not opposed to laser sword type thingies (though I’m more inclined towards a No More Heroes style), but methinks that it’d be one of the [SILLY] items if we ever get the item types/toggles in the game. I’m thinking it’d be hooked up to a UPS, though I’m not so sure about accidentally stabbing yourself every 10 attacks 
The level of technology available in game is already pretty close to ‘beam sword=rare tech artifact’.
Even staying within foreseeable technology, it could easily be something like the System Shock series ‘laser rapiers’ which were such as the;
TS-4: technically a monofilament weapon suspended by a charged field (ie: weaponized cheese wire for the 22 century.)
Mark IV: a baton of porous, highly reflective material that released a stored laser charge when bent out of alignment (basically a weaponized fiber optic cable/capacitor.)
Now, a ‘proper’ energy blade of plasma or somesuch would go alongside your Light Absorbing bionics, the Teleporter, Plasma weapons, Earthquake generators, ect.
I know the answer, just hadn’t wanted to spoil the suRprise.
The game ain’t a realistic simulator, it is a survival-oriented RL that only tries to stay consistent with the original author’s line of ideas. That means we get to play what people enjoy when testing current builds, and further improvements based upon gaming experiences.
My gaming experience with lightsabers is not within Cataclysm and alike pieces of gaming software.
Eventually we’d all enjoy the tool that lets us create c.o.m.p.l.e.t.e mods with our own varieties of items and monsters alike. So, Go Star Wars when that happens.
Meanwhile, I just dun’wanna some vagabond NPC character picking up a crystal off some zombie’s nostrills and whacking my arse to death all Darth Vader style. Think that kind of depression isn’t about CataDDA at all.