@galactic-geek by punishment do you mean to erratically move around the target lol? I think we are on a completely different page when it comes to sword-combat.. Nobody mentioned standing still and blocking anyway, that was just your assumption. If you slash someone they should be "flinching" (being interrupted) and have to block (tweaks made in Haunted Shores patch but its not fixed). The problem I'm seeing is two pirates being able to spam into each other where the flinching mechanic isn't working... If you're trying to tell me you've never taken damage while slashing someone who is trying to slash you back then you're either very fortunate to not get this bug, or you don't engage in much PvP combat. Even players like Shockwavez3r0 complain about it constantly, he's top-tier solo PvPer... You can't tell me this isn't a problem lol. I get its hard for Rare to implement something like this with the latency and speed of weapons which is why I'm suggesting, whiffs be more punishable, blocking the third hit be more punishable, as in there are more windows to counter-attack and correctly trigger the flinching mechanic...
Quote from shockwave
Link to twitch https://clips.twitch.tv/ResourcefulPlumpPoxNomNom
Haunted Shores Mechanic Update:
Combat
Improvements have been made to hit registration when shooting at players who are using static interaction points around the world, e.g. ladders and cannons on islands, docks and the Sea Dogs’ delivery ship in The Arena.
When engaging in sword combat, attacking a player and landing the first hit will now prevent the rival player from retaliating, ensuring they are unable to attack through a three-hit combo. The rival player will still be able to block, so be prepared for counterattacks.
Players are prevented from switching between throwables while throwing to bypass inventory limits.