RPGs with spear combat

[The_Mask]

How are the spears in Kenshi?

Kenshi doesn't have spears.

 

[Reinhardt]

Spears are the best weapons in Evil Islands.

there are other weapons?

 

[Bastardchops]

Spears are pretty cool weapons, but they seem relatively underrepresented in cRPGs, so what are some games featuring them? Morrowind, Kingdom Come: Deliverance, Fallout 2(only one at the very start though), and The Temple of Elemental Evil have them, but I have a hard time thinking of many others.

Thanks in advance for any answers.

Battle Brothers does a good job with pretty much all weapons and gives them all unique uses, spears included.

 

[rusty_shackleford]

pillows of eternity has pikes which have an innate reach bonus allowing you to position their users behind your frontline
https://pillarsofeternity.fandom.com/wiki/Pikes

 

[Reinhardt]

pillows of eternity has pikes which have an innate reach bonus allowing you to position their users behind your frontline
https://pillarsofeternity.fandom.com/wiki/Pikes

if only combat was not retarded clusterfuck...

 

[laclongquan]

Kessen 3, Dynasty Warriors series, Sengoku Warrior series, has spear combat, both animation and variety.

They are RPG, by the way~

 

[Norfleet]

The main upsides of spears in real life tend not to manifest themselves in an RPG: Ability to be used in tightly packed formations, and ability to poke your enemies with them from beyond the range of any enemies who do not also have spears, so that they are stuck contending with trying not to get poked while being unable to actually attack you. Anytime these properties actually are in the game, people tend to be all "spear infantry OP, plz nerf".

Hand-thrown spears aren't that effective. The light Roman pilum was useful against massed enemies, but in a typical RPG small skirmish, a heavy spear has a short throwing range and the enemy can easily dodge it, then you've given him a weapon. You would only use it against beasts, if you have a backup weapon.

This is why the pilum was specifically given a head that would become bent after the first use, rendering it mostly useless as a weapon after throwing, and was specifically meant to function even against shielded enemies, where it would end up stuck in their shield and become an inconvenient encumberance that way.

 

[anvi]

KOTC 2, TOEE <3

 

[Mr. Magniloquent]

pillows of eternity has pikes which have an innate reach bonus allowing you to position their users behind your frontline
https://pillarsofeternity.fandom.com/wiki/Pikes

if only combat was not retarded clusterfuck...

Messing around in the pillars of Eternity beta, I made a party of 6 rogues with pikes. Clustering them like Swiss mercenaries, I abused the hell out of the engagement and flanking mechanics. It was very OP.

 

[Turn_BASED]

pillows of eternity has pikes which have an innate reach bonus allowing you to position their users behind your frontline
https://pillarsofeternity.fandom.com/wiki/Pikes

if only combat was not retarded clusterfuck...

Messing around in the pillars of Eternity beta, I made a party of 6 rogues with pikes. Clustering them like Swiss mercenaries, I abused the hell out of the engagement and flanking mechanics. It was very OP.

It’s the same thing in the pathfinder games. Sneak attacking with a fauchard from behind a tank is so strong.

 

[Borelli]

I would add Incursion the d20 roguelike to the list. With several feats that focus exclusively on polearms you can have tactical fun with your fighter, abusing the range and attacks of opportunity.
Really feels an unique weapon choice compared to lets says infinity engine games.

 

[Victor1234]

The main upsides of spears in real life tend not to manifest themselves in an RPG: Ability to be used in tightly packed formations, and ability to poke your enemies with them from beyond the range of any enemies who do not also have spears, so that they are stuck contending with trying not to get poked while being unable to actually attack you. Anytime these properties actually are in the game, people tend to be all "spear infantry OP, plz nerf".

Hand-thrown spears aren't that effective. The light Roman pilum was useful against massed enemies, but in a typical RPG small skirmish, a heavy spear has a short throwing range and the enemy can easily dodge it, then you've given him a weapon. You would only use it against beasts, if you have a backup weapon.

This is why the pilum was specifically given a head that would become bent after the first use, rendering it mostly useless as a weapon after throwing, and was specifically meant to function even against shielded enemies, where it would end up stuck in their shield and become an inconvenient encumberance that way.

The other main upside could. They were very cheap compared to swords because mainly the head was metal not the whole thing. How many games besides Unreal World show how expensive metal working objects were back in the day though?

Nitpick on the pilum, the head didn't bend, the pins connecting the head to the body would break/bend, so the head was still useful (and got stuck in shields like you said) but you couldn't pull it out and throw it back because the body would break off. I'd also say pila were more javelins than spears, but whatever.

The late Roman infantry also used a lawn dart type javelin called the plumbata that could be thrown farther than the pilum because of the lead weight at the front, as part of the Roman infantry's 'cavalry is a big deal now' reforms.