So why bother with alternate weapons?

In Fiel's Formula thread it states that there will no longer be a difference between swords and alternative weapons after the big patch. Additionally skill splits are being removed so that all skills apply equally to both swords and alternatives. I think I also read somewhere that the stab/slash difference is being removed. Now if weapon speeds are equalized (I assume they wont be but who knows?) there will be no difference between swords and alternatives. If there will be a weapon speed difference, then why even bother with alternatives? I examine this question knowing that alternate weapons will have slightly higher base weapon attack, but the weapon attack difference has never been enough to offset the speed difference before. Soooo...what's the point?