Weapon customization is just about looks and coolness.
Octavian Vanguard
@ohmsEU and @ohms 2
Badging character: Bimble on the Union server, Badgehunter.com and City Info Tracker.
Tbh I feel Dual Blades is quite a different set from Katana although both have blades involved. On the weapon customization side, it's just for looks, but the powers from Dual Blades are different from Katana plus they involve combos. If Dual Blades is better than Katana or not it is just a matter of opinion.
I'd start a Katana scrapper and if you enjoy it keep going, if not, then wait for dual blades.Enjoying or not enjoying your katana scrapper doesn't mean you can or cannot enjoy a dual blades one, as I said they are different sets.
Bear also in mind that secondaries can also make a big difference, you might love a Katana/DA and hate a Katana/SR for example.
Dual Blades is very cone heavy nice AoE style set. Katana is known for providing a stupid level of defence
And what Nightmarer speaks is true. Different combos can have a very different feel to them. I always hate both Spines and Invul and now I've made a Spine/Invul which actually builds and plays well
"Well, they found my diary today.
They were appropriately appalled
at the discovery of the eight victims
They're now putting it all together.
Women wrapped in silk
with one leg missing
Eight legs, one body, silk,
spider, brilliant!"
The only thing i don't like about DB is the animation, i suppose after playing a troll rogue on WOW i'm a bit spoilt.
Bleh I am sure I posted more than that. I'll try again, although it's echoing much of what's said above.
'Better' is very subjective and like Nightmarer says they do play a bit differently.
Try both for a few levels and see which you prefer. After all, there's nothing to stop you playing both 
Octavian Vanguard
@ohmsEU and @ohms 2
Badging character: Bimble on the Union server, Badgehunter.com and City Info Tracker.
[ QUOTE ]
After all, there's nothing to stop you playing both
[/ QUOTE ]
Yup play both and if you run out of slots on your server you finally have a reason to learn french
http://boards.cityofheroes.com/showf...=2#Post9598762
This answered my question on the us boards.
Katana is a bit attack pose attack pose attack pose but otherwise good. Dual blades is fast but the combos aren't all that fluid with each other. So until you are totally adept in them the attack chain filling between combos aren't going to be needed in the combo after the next and so you might be a bit attack pose anyway. Once you have dual blade chains down it should be fast as hell.
I already prefer dual blades. 36 brute, 36 scrapper, 36 tanker and 36 stalker on test which is nice! I might remake all 4 especially the stalker and scrapper as they are proving mighty!
He will honor his words; he will definitely carry out his actions. What he promises he will fulfill. He does not care about his bodily self, putting his life and death aside to come forward for another's troubled besiegement. He does not boast about his ability, or shamelessly extol his own virtues. - Sima Qian.
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
After all, there's nothing to stop you playing both
[/ QUOTE ]
Yup play both and if you run out of slots on your server you finally have a reason to learn french
[/ QUOTE ]
LOL!
I've always wanted to wander over to the DE server (currently studying it at uni), but...I'm worried all of the abbreviations will affect my written german *very* negatively 
From reading BaB's posts, katana and the other weapon sets look to be getting a small cut in recharge time. So less posing. 
http://boards.cityofheroes.com/showflat....ev=#Post9677694
Recharge time? Don't you mean cast time? But ofc as a result of a cast time change the recharge time could change with it to keep a certain amount of damage per second to an attack.
He will honor his words; he will definitely carry out his actions. What he promises he will fulfill. He does not care about his bodily self, putting his life and death aside to come forward for another's troubled besiegement. He does not boast about his ability, or shamelessly extol his own virtues. - Sima Qian.
The DPS won't change if cast times are changed and recharge times kept the same.
@Jay Leon Hart
Kerensky: this has nothing to do with underwear
Zwillinger: I put on my robe and wizard hat...
Synapse: I had to resist starting my last post off with "Yo dawg!"
[ QUOTE ]
The DPS won't change if cast times are changed and recharge times kept the same.
[/ QUOTE ]
The DPS of a auto'd attack would change and the DPS within a build up duration would change.
On one attack if I did 100 damage with a cast time of 2 seconds and a recharge time of 8 secs then every 10 secs I can do 100 damage with that attack making it 10 damage per second. If they then make the cast time 1 second then itll make the attack do 100 damage every 9 seconds which is 11.11 damage per second with that attack.
With every millisecond of an attacks cast time shaved off you come closer to having 1 more attack added within a build up duration. Instead of having say 5 attacks within a build up any lowered cast time might mean I can now have 6.
To compensate they can do anything, adjust anything but more easily either damage per endurance or keeping the cast plus recharge the same. But the amount of attacks within a build up might change and so the cast and recharge might not be exactly the same.
He will honor his words; he will definitely carry out his actions. What he promises he will fulfill. He does not care about his bodily self, putting his life and death aside to come forward for another's troubled besiegement. He does not boast about his ability, or shamelessly extol his own virtues. - Sima Qian.
Well, they already stated they aren't changing anything other than the cast times, as these were not part of their original calculations so shouldn't make too much difference.
I also realise, after a little thought and a little sleep, that a cast time does affect DPS on a single power, due to the recharge timer not starting until the animation finishes.
So, with these changes, all (or the melee ones, at least. I didn't see mention of ranged sets) weapon sets will have incrased DPS due to lower cast times.
Sleep is good, really good
@Jay Leon Hart
Kerensky: this has nothing to do with underwear
Zwillinger: I put on my robe and wizard hat...
Synapse: I had to resist starting my last post off with "Yo dawg!"
edited for being irrelevant 
I want to start a katana scrapper but don't know if i should wait for duel blades to arrive,
will they be any better or is it just about looks and coolness?