[DraconFighter]

"I mean would it be viable to points JUST in Sword and ignore Close?"

Yes, that would work. What I've always read and seen in my own game play is that:

1. Every point in Close Combat increases your attack rating .05 and the number of attacks .01

2. Every point in Sword increases your attack rating .1 and the number of swings .01

So, as a general rule, it is better to increase the specific weapon skill (sword, bow, etc) rather than the general skill (close combat, ranged combat).

But I think you'll also notice the sword skill increases faster on its own than the close combat skill, so you might want to put points into both.
And for a ranger, the ranged combat skill determines the number of critical kills.

Of course these aren't the only numbers that influence your attack rating, # of attacks, and # of swings. Attributes like Senses, Dexterity, and Strength also have a bearing.

The # of attacks per round and the # of swings per attack are simple concepts. Does anyone have a good handle on what the "attack rating" actually does? The manual says the "attack rating" is how likely you are to hit a monster and
the "to hit" number is a component of the attack rating. I couldn't begin to translate this into percentages.