On Thu, 24 Jun 1999, Reece, Tom CPT - 30th Signal Bn wrote:

>
> a good idea to keep my AC up. I guess the key factor in
> deciding between the two is that over the course of a
> battle, does the extra damage inflicted by dual wielding
> (once that skill is maxed out) offset the extra damage you
> receive due to having a lower AC?

It's a little more subtle than that. If you're soloing, the
comparison is pretty straightforward. If you're in a group,
the extra damage is a small percentage of the damage the group
does, so it may not exceed the extra damage you receive. If
you're grouped with just a cleric, you definitely want the
extra weapon. If you're grouped with a bunch of tanks the
difference between using a weapon or shield may be all of 3
seconds. If you're grouped with a bunch of wizards, the
damage from the weapon may be negligible, and you'll want to
use a shield and every taunt song available to keep the mobs
off your wizards.

What made the decision for me is that my str is not
spectacular and shields tend to be heavier than weapons. So I
just carry two weapons, rather than two weapons and a shield,
or a weapon and a shield.

--
John H. Kim
kim@...