I've suggested this over time and time again. This would open up lots of concepts based on unarmed combat without having to make new powers. By weapon based powers to have a costume in which no weapon appearing in the hands can make it look like you're performing the abilities with just your hands. These are powers that would look good without a weapon.

Skewer: It looks like you're impaling your enemy with your arm, a very bloody Mortal Kombat fatality looking move and something the Mega Destroids in the AP already use.

Sword Cyclone: It looks as if you're swinging your fists around like a tornado battering your enemies.

Skullcrusher: Looks as if you're dropping both fists down in a reverse Demolish action and it's effects are just what you'd expect from it's looks.

Tiger's Bite: It looks like you're punching with both fists at the same time.

Dragon's Wrath: It looks like you swung your arms together in a scissor fashion and kind of like Tiger's Bite as well.

Annihilate: Like you're doing a deeper uppercut. Maybe like a Smash in boxing.

Scything Blade: This and other Single Blade animations could be like you're chopping with your hand.

Would be cool.

I'd love to see these attacks. An invisible weapon skin would be the easiest way to get them.
But there is one problem: The speed line FX that follows your weapon. Appearantly, this is a huge issue for Cryptic, as it was also brought up as the reason why we can't have shorter blade weapons. Not the animations are the problem, the speed lines looking wrong with them are!
So, the alternative is making all new powers based on these, but without any weapns in the first place. That's a lot more complicated, of course.

You must mean those graphics that make it look like your weapon is going swish, I'm sure those could easily be seen as your arms swishing.

It would be glorious :)

Except thet the speed line FX on weapon attacks does not have the same emanation point as unarmed attacks. The weapon "swish" begins where the character's arm has already ended.

I've got it - a severed arm w/ clenched fist as a weapon model. You "hold" this by the bone sticking out of the end.

THIS! So very much this!

Are you meaning to tell me your arm and the weapon moves in different time? Because that would mean the current animation needs fixing in itself even WITH a weapon.

The weapon move according to the position of the arm, otherwise it would look odd if they moved separately even with a weapon in hand.

I think what he's saying is that the speed lines eminate from the weapon, not your arm, and the weapon extends at (about) a 90 degree angle from your arm. So remove the weapon and the speed lines would appear above your arm and eminate from nothing. They would run parallel to your arm instead of eminating from it....

That said, I /sign this suggestion. I'm less interested in unarmed combat than I am in being able to use things like the Roin'esh hand blades with actual blade attacks without a regular sword sticking out of my sword...

:)

Well there is that too. I would really want to use unarmed looking attacks. Heck it could be a change in the emanation points to make the weapon invisible if that's what it takes. A "none" option on the weapon on the character creator please. :p