Basically, because some people see it as an "I win" button, or because they've got some romanticized notions through entertainment that a katana is the coolest weapon evar.
They've seen some really cool manga or anime or took karate lessons when they were eight or maybe grew up on the Highlander TV series, and despite the plethora of resources for information on the topic, they actually believe that a katana can cut through mountains or split skyscrapers in half. Shows like Deadliest Warrior don't help the situation.
In gaming circles, discussions about the katana can be as bitter and divisive as religion or politics. Some people are convinced that they have magical powers and some people realize that it's nothing more than a piece of steel. Certainly, a well-crafted and finely constructed weapon, but still just a piece of metal that conforms to the same laws of physics that apply in the rest of the world.
When a discussion about the katana begins, it's wise to extract yourself from the conversation as politely as possible (unless, perhaps, you have some history or military buffs, and the discussion is confined to academic or historical details and not popular entertainment). Usually, within ten minutes, someone will so thoroughly demonstrate their ignorance that you wonder how they ever graduated high school. "No, seriously, I saw it on the internet somewhere! A katana can literally slice through a tank and deflect laser-guided missiles! Some dude in World War II used a katana to cut bullets out of the air and chop a plane in half!" Yeah... Just go. There's no interest in facts there.
More germane to gaming, I think that players tend to gravitate toward the katana specifically because they either a) want to emulate some fictional character that used a katana; or b) think that the katana does or should provide some sort of substantial benefit in terms of game mechanics.
In both real life and gaming, my favorite melee weapon is the battleaxe. It has stopping power, is comparatively easy to use, and has a sort of brutal panache that you just don't get from a sword. One of the things that consistently bugs me about gamers is when I'm told that I'm playing the game wrong for using a battleaxe. In approximately half the games where I've played a paladin or an elf, I've been told that I "must" use a sword... Only dwarves or vikings use battleaxes apparently.
They've seen some really cool manga or anime or took karate lessons when they were eight or maybe grew up on the Highlander TV series, and despite the plethora of resources for information on the topic, they actually believe that a katana can cut through mountains or split skyscrapers in half. Shows like Deadliest Warrior don't help the situation.
In gaming circles, discussions about the katana can be as bitter and divisive as religion or politics. Some people are convinced that they have magical powers and some people realize that it's nothing more than a piece of steel. Certainly, a well-crafted and finely constructed weapon, but still just a piece of metal that conforms to the same laws of physics that apply in the rest of the world.
When a discussion about the katana begins, it's wise to extract yourself from the conversation as politely as possible (unless, perhaps, you have some history or military buffs, and the discussion is confined to academic or historical details and not popular entertainment). Usually, within ten minutes, someone will so thoroughly demonstrate their ignorance that you wonder how they ever graduated high school. "No, seriously, I saw it on the internet somewhere! A katana can literally slice through a tank and deflect laser-guided missiles! Some dude in World War II used a katana to cut bullets out of the air and chop a plane in half!" Yeah... Just go. There's no interest in facts there.
More germane to gaming, I think that players tend to gravitate toward the katana specifically because they either a) want to emulate some fictional character that used a katana; or b) think that the katana does or should provide some sort of substantial benefit in terms of game mechanics.
In both real life and gaming, my favorite melee weapon is the battleaxe. It has stopping power, is comparatively easy to use, and has a sort of brutal panache that you just don't get from a sword. One of the things that consistently bugs me about gamers is when I'm told that I'm playing the game wrong for using a battleaxe. In approximately half the games where I've played a paladin or an elf, I've been told that I "must" use a sword... Only dwarves or vikings use battleaxes apparently.
