Realistic fighting went out the door when monks were added.
Realistic fighting was never in the game to begin with.
And this is the answer to the poster's complaint: the game makes simplifying assumptions. These assumptions often diverge from realism. Realism is not the goal -- the goal is a game that flows smoothly. Swords are swords and have a consistent set of properties. Polearms are polearms, and have a different set of properties. (Also, neither the bardiche nor the poleaxe are weapons that exist in 5e.)
If you don't like it, you can houserule to your heart's content. If you want more realistic treatment of weapons, there are other systems out there for you.
(And if you just want fiddly differentiation between weapons and long lists of polearms, then 1e is where you want to go.)
This discussion does make me long for the days of older editions of the PHB where they had multiple pages of weapons, along with weapon art for stuff that essentially all did the same thing, but it was fun to look at all the same. I don't know how many types of weapons got their first introduction to my young mind through the pages of D&D manuals.
Realistic fighting went out the door when monks were added.
Technically when wizards were added :]
"Uh, I have Illusory Script. I think I can read that."
Yeah, but I meant actual melee fighting.
Realistic fighting was never in the game to begin with.
And this is the answer to the poster's complaint: the game makes simplifying assumptions. These assumptions often diverge from realism. Realism is not the goal -- the goal is a game that flows smoothly. Swords are swords and have a consistent set of properties. Polearms are polearms, and have a different set of properties. (Also, neither the bardiche nor the poleaxe are weapons that exist in 5e.)
If you don't like it, you can houserule to your heart's content. If you want more realistic treatment of weapons, there are other systems out there for you.
(And if you just want fiddly differentiation between weapons and long lists of polearms, then 1e is where you want to go.)
This discussion does make me long for the days of older editions of the PHB where they had multiple pages of weapons, along with weapon art for stuff that essentially all did the same thing, but it was fun to look at all the same. I don't know how many types of weapons got their first introduction to my young mind through the pages of D&D manuals.
"Not all those who wander are lost"
TexasDevin So true same here not many people know what a bec-de-corbin is !
I have it on good authority* that it's an ice cream treat with extra marshmallow.
* The Teenagers From Outer Space rulebook, and if you can't trust them, who can you trust?