M&F: more differentiation?

[danr]

I'm playing a DDNe using M&F, and using my spreadsheet I've found some surprising things out:

- At M&F 14, morningstars are only slightly slightly better than maces. Flails and spiked flails are also hardly better
- At the same skill level, a +1 whip of electrocution is actually just a bit better than a randart +3,+11 flail of electrocution

For one-handed M&F, it seems that there's no real difference between the different weapon types in damage output. The bigger ones do more per hit but just get fewer hits. Is it supposed to be balanced this way? I find it disappointing when I find a morningstar (which seems cool), check it on my spreadsheet, and then find that there's no point switching to it from the mace I've been using since DL:1.

So everything is about the same, except for the demon whip, which rocks. If you can find one

[seth]

Isn't this how it is for all weapon types? Just that it's a gradual increase rather than big jumps (though sometimes I do get confused about the differences between maces and flails).

As for the electrocution whip vs flail of electrocution, that's just because of the speed and the fact that electrocution adds a relatively fixed amount of damage, isn't it?--try switching to flame or frost (or attack an elec resistant enemy) and it should be significantly different.

edit: well, I guess I'm wrong about that first part. There seems to be relatively clear upgrade paths with other weapons, but for M+F it does seem to be more muddled

[galehar]

I think it really depends on skill level. You need higher skill to reap the benefits of the bigger weapons.

[acvar]

There are just too many weapons in the game. With such small steps between them it is hard to notice any difference even when there is one. When you add in the fact that pretty much all weapons trade base damage for weapon speed there is pretty much no actual difference between weapons as you advance. This for the most part is a good thing (though fewer weapons to sort through would be nice) since it makes finding the "right" weapon less of a make or break occurrence. Crawl is already a very heavily equipment based game. No reason to make it even more so.