Better idea: Since we'd need to have a custom playermodel for certain other things, we animate that instead since someone (I actually forgot who) released files for the default player. As well as that we could do node-based armor too. Save on datablocks and also on image mounts.
Of course we retain all the default nodes and animations for use but add our own in there for things like attacks with different weapons (basically fighting styles, 2H sword, 2H club/axe, 1H sword, 1H club/axe, dagger, bow, etc)
This solves the hands issue too. And I imagine that animating is easier when you have the whole reference frame.
Note: The "certain other things" I was referring to is actually referring to sprinting since I would rather have sprinting than crouching. But that's just me. (this also means we don't need to worry about friend crouch-jumpers and the like)
I've already got the sprinting working but there's no way to reference the file and animations back to the base one so they have to be redownloaded. And believe me I tried, every way it could theoretically be done crashes the moment you try to use the datablock. I guess a client content pack would solve the download issue. And the fancy GUIs issue too.
In fact since I've been working on stuff on my own for the past like six days it's almost as if I have my own RPG here. Oh no splinter mods (cept I'm coding everything from scratch as modules)