To be honest, I’m indifferent about removing knockback, but would still like to see all the other buffs added, especially bonus to CB. If knockback is the identity of Bash, we should keep it? I just want to see Bash not suck.
Loss of skill identity. Such things are cornerstones of the game. If every character has identical skills, there’s no point of playing different characters.
impale doesn’t stun and doesn’t knock back. It slows and deals massive damage, and requires a spear. It’s nothing like smite.
I wouldn’t mind a buff to it on the higher end. Perhaps synergies could be swapped with more flat +damage, and the +damage on the skill could start growing faster past level 10 (since it’s a unique thing that the skill has, it should be emphasised). Could be fun to allow getting like +100 flat damage with high skill point investment and some +skills, then you could actually do a punch barb 
Indeed
That’s why I think bash should have splash damage ties to its Knockback
It preserves its signature affix while making the skill have a special ability that differentiate it from other skills
But for those too afraid of meaningful improvements
Make bash’s Knockback tied to crushing blow
Option 1) lvl 1 kb is 90% and hits that don’t kb are crushing blows, -3% kb per skill lvl
Or
Option 2) lvl 1 kb is 20% chance but each hits that KB are CB, including gear sources KB
Actually what if bash had a mechanic for a % chance to not lose durability to your weapon per hit which increases per lvl. That would make it valuable in terms of using it with an ethereal weapon and then add on an extra 50% damage to undead that is passive so it sort replicates smashing with a mace.
I disagree with your perception of smite identity. For me most important trait in smite is that it always hit and is physical hit, not knockback, and I understand what literally smite means. Impale is more similar becase of always hit trait just awfully slow. Bash wouldn’t be identical the way it is proposed, you just admitted it.
All in all, i like the idea of skill giving much crushing blow and not be super powerfull.
Let’s read the description of the skill Smite.
Long (from skill tree): “Temporarily stun your enemy by bashing it with your shield”
Short (from skill menu): “Shield bash”.
It’s clear that by bash developers mean a knocking back attack since they use the same word for barb’s bash and Smite.
Nowhere in the skill description it says about always hitting. The skill could lose this ability for an attack rating bonus and be largely the same (just weaker).
Me and CharlesJT were arguing about Barb’s STUN skill, not bash (he said that knockback could be moved to Stun).
I said i know what it literally means 
. What are you arguing now?? You quoted my question on what is wrong with same purpose of bash and smite and replied that it loses identity and said (…)“identical skills” next sentence. I dont agree. No need to be dictionary warrior or present as someone who knows the devs ideas just by reffering to skill description. I also said that Knockback can stay.
Bash would be in a much better spot for early skills if the developers added bonus to CB.