I think this is a better option than nerfing shields as suggested in the other thread.

Agreed. Apart from making shields less ubicuous and therefore contributing to the 2h vs 1h+shield balance, it also goes in the direction of making the game slightly easier after the anti-scumming and balance changes, and in particular of making the game a bit easier for melee classes, which are widely regarded as harder than casters.

+1

Possibly calculating damage (and to-hit bonus? which is also tied on strength) with 1.3-1.5x strength if no shield is equipped. For normal strength values of 10-30 this would mean +1-4 damage at 1.3x or +2-8 damage at 1.5x on normal tactics.

While many two-handers are already pretty powerful, so is a high-DV shield, and this would help make the decision between those two a tad more meaningful. (+35 DV, or 6d5+48 damage?) I upvoted it.

Part of the problem is many two-handers not using the two-handed weapons skill - halberds for instance are polearms instead. The two-handed weapons skill gives a nice damage bonus, which could be increased to make it more attractive, but it wouldn't affect these other sorts of two-handed weapons. So I think the overall solution would be to increase the bonuses on two-handed weapons skill training whilst also making it more inclusive of two-handed clubs, spears, axes, etc.

Agreed

I actually think melee weapon skills could use a +to-hit / +dam boost across the board (just compare to missiles); that's probably for another RFE though...

From a risk/reward standpoint ranged attacks are certainly a lot less risky for the same reward. I think there should definitely be some easier classes (and right now I only play easier classes) but archers can pretty much run around in Berzerk and murder a lot of things in one hit before the monster can close the distance. In the event they get in a dangerous situation Coward is only a keypress away.

So I definitely wouldn't mind seeing an RFE about the relative difference between ranged and melee.

I think it should work not only for twohanders, but with onehanders without shield too.

Depends on the size of the one-hander, naturally. There's only so much strength you can put into a dagger. We should copy D&D all the way on this, if we do it in the first place!

longswords, broadswords, battle axes, cudgels - they all certainly should get like 1.5x bonus if wielded with both hands. Some DV boost aswell, maybe? The damage change should be easy to do, spears already get a damage boost when wielded twohanded [a measly +2 tho.. useful in early game, regardless]

also, what's exactly the justification for tactics affecting Archery - what is the 'aggressive' way to shoot an arrow at something, compared to the 'defensive' one?

I think that weapons should be fit into one of three categories:

Single-handed Weapons - Can only be used in one hand. If other hand is free*, it can be used to do an additional barehand attack (which would NOT get unarmed combat bonuses or train unarmed weapon skill). No bonus for use without additional weapon or shield, but would have lower movement cost for dual-wielding if both weapons are single-handed weapons.
Dynamic Weapons - May be wielded in one hand. If other hand is free, weapon gets a 1.5x bonus with regards to Strength.
Two-handed Weapons - Requires both hands to wield. Gets a 2x bonus with regards to Strength.

Whether the first two categories are split according to weapon type (daggers and knives would always be single-handed weapons), by weight, or be specific to each weapon (a club might be single-handed while a cudgel might be dynamic) is up for discussion, of course.

This gives a little more balance between the options, in my opinion, and encourages players to consider going without a shield, by giving every weapon a potential benefit to fighting without a shield.

* I'm undecided on whether the game should automatically attack with the free hand (could be an issue when, say, attacking a corrosive being with nothing but an eternium dagger), or if it should be limited in some way - either by a tactic (Aggressive or higher causes you to use extra barehand, Normal or lower and you only use the weapon), by a specific command (rather than just moving into the foe - note that this could potentially also be used to do minor damage using a shield in dire circumstances), or as a switch on the equipment screen.

"Ubiquitous" :)

Also, it's good in my mind that some two handed weapons are not in the two handed weapon category. A halberd, for example, is simply not the offensive weapon that a greatsword is. But aren't there a couple two handed clubs, hammers & swords that really ought to be moved into the two handed weapon category? Perhaps they deserve their own RFE?

With an bow I can maybe imagine, if I stretch a bit, that one can pull harder and thus shoot more accurate and penetratively, but crossbows I don't know.

I don't think making wielding a one-handed weapon without shield should give a strenght bonus to damage, it sounds like it's giving every class something the new duelist class gets(although to-hit).

Also with two-handed strenght bonus to damage, you don't want it so high that it is the same as the duelist class.

Maybe a slight bonus won't harm when only wielding a weapon.

But as others said, maybe not daggers so. Rather give daggers and whips a to-hit bonus when not wielding a shield, as one is more agile without a shield and with a whip the shield might be a bit in the way.

Duelists would get their additional bonuses on top of the bonuses we're talking about, so they'd still be unique in this regard. What we're trying to do is make it so that other melee classes have good reason to consider one-weapon-no-shield fighting, but not so strong a reason that all or most such PCs will prefer to go that way.

Of course it will stack, silly me.
One weapon one shield must always remain the best option. damage+DV wise. For non-duelist/monk/beastfighter fighting classes.

I have upped the ST damage bonus as part of the whole shield discussion (can't find the other ticket ID right now). Read the manual for p9 and try it out!