I still don't understand how cross-training works
From wiki:
All melee weapon skills cross-train with at least one other weapon skill. When investing XP into the main skill, any cross-trained skills get a direct bonus equal to 40% of that XP. For example, if you put 10 skill points into Polearms, both Axes and Staves will get 4 skill points each for free.
And:
For example, if you trained Axes, but find an amazing demon trident, you'll already have some XP into Polearms due to cross-training.
First of all. What determines how effective I am with a particular weapon is the corresponding skill level? Plus str/dex, slay, but let's ignore these. So if next to Long Blades skill I have zero, it means I'm just as inefficient with them as when I was when I started the game. I just hope its this transparent.
What if I have 15 in my Short Blades. Well obv I'm much more fast and damaging with short blades compared to when I had zero in SB. But what about Long Blades? Am I actually better at long blades too? Even if LB has 0 in it? This would be much easier to comprehend if as I train and level up SB, LB also ticked up, just more slowly. But it doesn't!
So if my observations are correct, the only effect cross-training might have is that, IF I switch to LB, it will train much faster? But I don't understand the mechanism. How could LB have received 40% of SB skill points, that I trained to L15, and not have ticked up even by 1 level? And how does this boost work as I switched to training LB instead of SB and my LB level gradually catches up and maybe overtakes SB?
I think if I better understood this, I'd be able to more easily rationalize when its worth to switch and what to train when. I only used SB and LB as example, its more likely I switch from Axe to Mace for example.