The Useless Longbow

[Elmetiacos]

I ground my way up to 18/18 to be able to use one and I discovered once I had that the longbow is a complete waste of time. The new animation which slows archery combined with the bow's own slow speed means you have a delay of about 4 seconds between choosing a target and releasing the arrow. This is too much for the bow to have any real value: at long range your target could have gone anywhere in this time while at close range you have already been killed. Unsurprisingly hardly any archers use the longbow now. It should either be totally reworked or simply removed from the mod.

[Rumblood]

As it currently stands, the Longbow (not any other bow), really needs an accuracy buff. Possibly give it (and only it) pierce damage.

Either one of those would make the Longbow worth dropping into my inventory along with a faster bow or melee weapon.

As it stands, for the low accuracy the draw speed is far too long, or the damage is too low. I think the draw speed should stay the same personally. Buff one of the other components.

[Elmetiacos]

The problem is the speed: it doesn't matter if you up the damage to 60 blunt, I still wouldn't use it because I can never hit anything. I generally get one kill (sometimes 2 or 3) in any round with a Warbow but I'm lucky if I get one hit in a round with the Longbow - and that's generally only if I risk shooting into a nearby melee. Target acquisition is impossible with a bow that slow.

[Mullerian]

The problem is the speed: it doesn't matter if you up the damage to 60 blunt, I still wouldn't use it because I can never hit anything. I generally get one kill (sometimes 2 or 3) in any round with a Warbow but I'm lucky if I get one hit in a round with the Longbow - and that's generally only if I risk shooting into a nearby melee. Target acquisition is impossible with a bow that slow.

Id much rather see it being made "unique" in that sense than just upping the speed, if i wanted a faster version of the longbow i would just buy the warbow as that one essentially already fills exactly that role.

[dontgothere]

Longbow was the ultimate long-range weapon (barring machines) so I think it makes sense to buff its projectile speed, make it cost a LOT more so that (with upkeep) only dedicated archers can realistically use it consistently, and see how that plays for balance.  The longbow should be a weapon that you're afraid of from the moment you spawn - it should be a serious long-distance threat.  Definitely should take much longer to draw-back on than the other bows, though.

[Punisher]

Longbow was the ultimate long-range weapon (barring machines) so I think it makes sense to buff its projectile speed, make it cost a LOT more so that (with upkeep) only dedicated archers can realistically use it consistently, and see how that plays for balance.  The longbow should be a weapon that you're afraid of from the moment you spawn - it should be a serious long-distance threat.  Definitely should take much longer to draw-back on than the other bows, though.

Yes, we definetly need more powerful ranged weapons, the current ranged spam is not enough, we need a longbow to terrify us so we're afraid of it's mightyness from the moment we spawn. It would be only fair that an archer who stays away from battle and never puts himself in danger gets a more powerful weapon.

[dontgothere]

Sometimes arrows will kill you.  Sorry.

Warband and CRPG cater to several different styles of play, including archery.  Everybody deserves an interesting upgrade path and much of the fun of this mod comes basically from outsmarting other peoples' builds; otherwise we'd just be playing Native.

I carry a requierment-0 shield, I dodge when I see someone aiming, and if an archer still ganks me that was just his job done well.  Why get all upset about it?

Like I said, the longbow should have a long draw time.  That balances the distance.  It should have a high cost.  That balances the character's armor; it means that if a unit (especially cavalry) gets anywhere near them, they're dead.

Seems fair to me.

[Dunecat]

Longbow was the ultimate long-range weapon (barring machines) so I think it makes sense to buff its projectile speed, make it cost a LOT more so that (with upkeep) only dedicated archers can realistically use it consistently, and see how that plays for balance.  The longbow should be a weapon that you're afraid of from the moment you spawn - it should be a serious long-distance threat.  Definitely should take much longer to draw-back on than the other bows, though.

Actually, a composite Mongol bow was superior to longbow both in size (being smaller, in this case) and in plate armour penetration.

[dontgothere]

Actually, a composite Mongol bow was superior to longbow both in size (being smaller, in this case) and in plate armour penetration.

True dat!    But I'm sure you realize, contextually, gameplay-wise...

[Kafein]

Yes, we definetly need more powerful ranged weapons, the current ranged spam is not enough, we need a longbow to terrify us so we're afraid of it's mightyness from the moment we spawn. It would be only fair that an archer who stays away from battle and never puts himself in danger gets a more powerful weapon.

Pretty much sums up the opinion of any melee/cav player in his mind.

Bows are still machine guns and the damage buff transformed them from a support class (what they nearly were pre-buff) to a sniper-zero risk class again.

If they were to be correctly balanced (requiring points to use), only crossbows should be the long range weapons. They packed a considerably higher draw force than any bow, thus increasing the shot speed and the range. But no ranged weapon should be as accurate as they are now, both for realism and for game balance.

[Rumblood]

Pretty much sums up the opinion of any melee/cav player in his mind.

Bows are still machine guns and the damage buff transformed them from a support class (what they nearly were pre-buff) to a sniper-zero risk class again.

If they were to be correctly balanced (requiring points to use), only crossbows should be the long range weapons. They packed a considerably higher draw force than any bow, thus increasing the shot speed and the range. But no ranged weapon should be as accurate as they are now, both for realism and for game balance.

I must say, there is nothing truthful to this statement at all. Troll along in your own thread. This is about a specific archery weapon. If you don't have an actual comment, GTFO.

[Rumblood]

The problem is the speed: it doesn't matter if you up the damage to 60 blunt, I still wouldn't use it because I can never hit anything. I generally get one kill (sometimes 2 or 3) in any round with a Warbow but I'm lucky if I get one hit in a round with the Longbow - and that's generally only if I risk shooting into a nearby melee. Target acquisition is impossible with a bow that slow.

No offense, if those are your numbers you just need to play another class, because you aren't an archer 

[Elmetiacos]

No offense, if those are your numbers you just need to play another class, because you aren't an archer 

Do you use a longbow? How many people do you shoot dead with it every round?

[dontgothere]

I don't call for nerfs of any item/build I haven't used myself.  Just something to consider, guys...   

My archer alt has 5 PD and a Strong Bow, most costly arrows, and I think the level is about 27.  I score about 1-2 dozen hits per round, but get maybe 3 or 4 kills.  I don't think it needs buffing or nerfing - it seems decent to me - but I can't take seriously anyone who says I'm more than just support.

[Rumblood]

Do you use a longbow? How many people do you shoot dead with it every round?

1 player and 3 horses when I use it. As stated though, I quit using it because the faster fire rate of even a Strong Bow outweighs the damage buff of the Long Bow. Seriously though, if you can only land 1 arrow during a round, you can't aim, or you have no WPF and can't aim.