@ubersnail-prime The dual pistols must absolutely not be added to the game. That's a 1-shot kill if they both hit, since a normal pistol does 50% damage. If they make it not a one shot kill (e.g. each pistol does ~40% damage), then why not just use the Eye of Reach? Same damage, but longer range and with a scope. Despite being thematically cool, it doesn't have a balanced place in the game, and thus, I'm against it
The boarding axe is a great idea, although I'm against making it a literal weapon. To have the power to reopen holes on a ship personally, it should just take up a weapon slot, but not be usable as a weapon. That's an insane amount of power to be carrying around with just the hole-opening ability. Additionally, until boarding as a tactic becomes less strong/mandatory, I'm against adding this in (although I would like to see it added eventually). Boarding doesn't need any help right now
Like @RedEyeSith said, the sledge just doesn't really fit the game. I'm not a fan either. The rapier idea is great though, although I would tweak it slightly from RedEyeSith's suggestion. I would like to see it become a dueling superiority weapon, more tactical than the cutlass in a 1v1, but less able to deal with multiple attackers than the cutlass can in terms of defense. The parry-on-attack mechanic is creative, but sounds too strong. Given that all numbers are arbitrary and subject to change, I suggest something like this: I like the thrust as a primary attack. Have it do less damage than the cutlass (e.g. ~7 hit kill), be a two thrust combo (e.g. two consecutive thrusts before recovery) that's slightly quicker and with slightly longer range than the cutlass and no knockback at the end of the combo. After a primary attack, if the primary button is held, then the rapier user will prime their weapon for a timed parry (e.g. 0.5 second duration). This can be cancelled into a dodge by pressing space and a direction. If they are struck in this period, it knocks back the attacker and cancels their combo (note: a player cannot parry by holding a secondary attack, only primary). If the rapier user is not struck or otherwise takes damage (cannonball, bullet, cutlass lunge, etc), they are put into recovery. I also like the secondary horizontal slash. Have it as a one combo attack doing the same damage as the thrust, slightly faster than the cutlass primary, but with the same reach, although with a wider arc. Have the primary and secondary attacks be chainable into a three hit combo (e.g. thrust-thrust-slash, thrust-slash-thrust, slash-thrust-thrust). If the third attack in a three hit combo is a slash, it knocks back like the last cutlass slash if it is parried. Lastly, if the secondary attack is held, it performs a lunge attack similar to the cutlass, but with a horizontal slash instead of a thrust. This does less damage than the cutlass lunge (e.g. ~3-40% health), but would naturally cover a larger AoE. This gives a rapier user a huge variety of control strategies to use against a defender, including some ability to fight multiple defenders (the slash and lunge-slash), although the rapier user relies mostly on dodging for defense as their block can only be performed after a thrust and only blocks one attack, making it ineffective against multiple attackers at once. This means that despite it's advanced tactical capabilities, it is still best suited for engaging opponents one at a time
(NOTE: the only problem I have with my idea for the rapier is that is doesn't currently have a way to dodge without first attacking and priming the parry. However, this could be solved by adding a separate button in the game for dodging with any weapon, meaning blocking first is not longer necessary. This also opens the door for possibly another move to be added to the cutlass)
Throwing weapons would definitely be a cool addition, although Rare has to be extremely careful about what they implement in this regard, since the potential for radical imbalance is huge with these. They especially don't want to add anything that will increase the effectiveness of boarding right now, which is the biggest hamper to adding in new weapons. The grenado idea is awesome, but I feel like it does add to much power to boarders (much like the boarding axe) in this current iteration of the game, by virtue of basically being a pocket cannonball. The Stink Pot actually sounds like a benefit to the enemy team, since puking can be advantageous (puking on an enemy blinds them). It's just the drunken effect of being drunk that is the disadvantage. If it's made so it does somehow impair the victim, then I think that'd be almost too strong
I do really like the idea of the daggers though, although I'd change them like so: dual daggers as a melee weapon. The primary attack is a very fast, low damage (lower than the rapier from before, maybe ~9-10 hit kill) cut with shorter range and smaller arc than the cutlass with an endless combo (daggers alternate cutting). Any cut in the combo can be cancelled into a shorter (e.g. half distance) dodge by pressing space and a direction. The secondary attack is a a fast, no windup, double dagger stab, same range as the primary, but with a forward hop (e.g. a quarter to third of a lunge distance), puts the player in recovery but without exhaustion (unlike the cutlass lunge), is blockable, does twice the primary cut damage, and knocks back the opponent if it connects with their block. Like the rapier and cutlass lunge, this move requires 'feet on the ground'. This can be performed after any hit in the primary combo, as long as the cut strikes something. Holding the primary button primes one of the daggers for throwing (short windup), which is thrown upon releasing the button. Getting hit during the windup cancels the priming. After throwing, the dagger is gone (a.k.a player only has one dagger left). The primary combo becomes half as fast and the secondary does half damage and doesn't knock back anymore. Both daggers can be thrown one after another, at which point the player can't attack without switching weapons. The throw is unblockable (like a bullet) and does something like a cutlass slash worth of damage (in other words, both throws are a little less than half health combined. This makes them ideal for finishing, but not for initiating). Using an ammo box restores the daggers (e.g. a dagger user has two 'shots'). Pressing the secondary button while a throw is primed cancels the throw. Lastly, holding the secondary button performs a block identical to the cutlass block, except any attack that causes knockback (third cutlass hit, rapier slash as third hit in a combo, double dagger stab) puts the player in exhaustion instead of the knockback (meaning they become vulnerable to being hit). This block can be dodged out of just like the cutlass' can. This makes daggers both extremely aggressive and versatile with their ranged option, but without the area control, raw single hit damage, or reliable defense of either the cutlass or rapier; a specialized weapon like the rapier, but focused on aggressive play rather than tactical play, but arguably even less well equipped to deal with multiple attackers. The daggers do have a block as well as dodge, but not one that can be heavily relied on as it is less responsive (holding the button instead of pressing the button = slight delay) and cannot block a whole combo without becoming vulnerable. This makes them both less defensive than the cutlass and less evasive than the rapier, since it's dodges are also less responsive (must attack or use less responsive block first)
One last thing to keep in mind with weapon balance is lunge surfing. Using the cutlass lunge to traverse through water is a key mechanic in the game now. My iteration of the rapier also allows it to lunge surf just as well as the cutlass, however the daggers, while having a faster (no-windup) 'lunge' and thus be able to lunge surf more responsively (no delay), will not have the sheer launch power that the cutlass and rapier do because of a shorter lunge. This makes them better at getting off a ship or travelling short distances, but worse at boarding a ship or travelling long distances
Given that I literally just thought through both these weapons literally as I wrote this, I'm sure there are a plethora of balance problems. That being said, I think the general concept behind each of them is solid and, if implemented, would expand the melee combat considerably. Also, seeing as I've given the rapier and daggers moveset four different options (pressing primary/secondary and then holding primary/secondary), if these were to be implemented, I would also like the cutlass to gain another unique move geared towards it's general purpose/defensive style
