Personally I like the maul animation for staves. The Oar is an example of one thatās already in the game.
But why would a wizard use a long staff anyway? Probably dates back to Gandalf I guess. He had a staff because he was a wanderer (and old), and they were useful as both weapons and walking aids. youād think sorcerers in the Hyborian Age would use weapons for fighting and arcane foci for sorcery, like Taemien said. And be no more likely than anyone else to use a staff.
Why would anyone use a long staff? Because itās free, and a very good and versatile weapon. Having reach is always an advantage in a fight, and it can also pack a solid punch.
As a martial artist whose name Iāve forgotten said, full contact sparring with quarterstaves is difficult because you canāt make a quarterstaff safe, unlike e.g. swords.
But it would be a neat legendary weapon, that staff from Hour of the Dragon. Stacks poison on hit, but rubbish durability. Niche, but interesting.
This is what I would like for you to try.
Attach your cellphone on the end of a quaterstaff or walking stick. Now strike something as hard as you would in a fight where you intend to injury, maim, or kill your opponent. Wait youāre not willing to do that?
Why would a sorcerer do it then? The devices used to channel their powers is worth more to them than that silly bit of electronics. The devices they use they have killed many to infuse and channel powers for. Most are not willing to hurt another person to charge a cellphone. Yet sorcerers kill on a daily basis to charge their powers.
Now why are they going to risk that on a silly stick when there is plenty of weapons on hand even improvised ones that would serve better for that purpose. Thereās a reason this genre is called sword and sorcery. Our sorcerers are strong and very capable warriors in their own right. Villains that can go toe to toe with their more mundane but extremely strong and resilient barbarian rivals.
Not some old dude in a bathrobe and a walking stick.
āāā-
Edit:
It seems the original design was a long staff before they changed to the short staff design we have now.
@Ulyssi I wonder if they changed because the long staff immediately makes the sorceror look more generic/high fantasy? One great thing about this game is you can tell the art team really thinks about sticking to a consistent, unique aesthetic.
All true. I guess I was more asking why people automatically connect staves and wizards in their minds? I think itās mostly because of high fantasy genre conventions, so I was questioning whether that fits in this sword and sorcery game.
This is making me think of that song people sing in the Discworld books, āA Wizardās Staff has a Knob on the Endā
Iām not sure tbh, if I had to wager a guess it would be that the shortening is a result of wanting the staff to remain firmly in the ātoolā category. I just happen to love the art teamās concept art and remembered this image while reading through here. Personally I would love to have a fighting sorcery staff, or any polearm in the AGI category.
Not in the game, weāre not. Our sorcerers are asthmatic old men and women with less than half the hitpoints of our strong and resilient barbarian rivals.
That said, I do agree that using an actual weapon to kill enemies makes a lot more sense than using a ritual tool. The current sorcery sticks arenāt really designed to double as weapons.
Iām not entirely convinced that a magic staff would be as easily subject to breaking as an iPhone duct taped onto an axe handleā¦ but the fact is, Xaltotun didnāt turn the Heart of Ahriman into a cudgel, he kept it hidden like a proper horcrux.
I can totally imagine that blue one hand axe which already gives corruption, coupled with a staff in the other hand to chain the axe combos in a close combat, and immediatly after cast a spell for a distant enemy.
I agree with Taemien, though I can dream of more, our sorcerers are already strong.
And they look awesome too 