The Useless Longbow

[Adamar]

I've been playing as an archer for a while, my char is level 30 and I've experinced the same problems as others here.

I've concluded that the longbow needs a slight accuracy buff, all bows need to keep arrows drawn longer, and arrow speed must be nativitized.
Do this and the class is fixed.

Also, on a personal note, if the longbow is to receive a boost please do it soon. Im almost level 31 for the first time and I must make my mind on an heirloom.

[Seawied]

Bad (very very bad idea).
For now here is not (looks so) minimum 5 kg free weight what doesn't decrease effective WPF for archers.
So in case of 4,75kg weight - you must wear nothing more except 1 pack of arrows.
Because even 2nd pack of arrow will decrease your effective WPF more and more.

Why at all  (general\generally) you want to change bows weight? What the point?
Just to find another way how to decrease Longbow quantity? It's (those ways) fully enough now.

P.s.AFAIK weapon weight doesn't affect character running speed at all (only other weapon modifier - but I will not tell you - which one )

No, weapon weight does not affect your WPF... only armor weight does. Also, the coveted 5 kg weight changes based on your character's stats. This means that your maximum weight before penalty will change depending on a number of factors.

[3ABP]

Longbow gets piercing damage next patch. 23p I think.

Is it possible to increase projectile speed (only for Longbow) too?
Reason:
Longbow designed (in game) to shoot at long\very long distance.
Longbow can't (it is almost impossible) to shoot at short\medium-short distances because of shooting speed (and it is ok).
But on long distance arrow loosing arrows damage very quickly (first) and traveling time on long distance is... terrible (second and main).

So it would be nice to increase a projectile speed for Longbow.

P.s. and please give us know how now works bow mastery mechanics?
I have spent 3 days to find a "patterns" - but didn't. As for now - here is no any relations between PD, WPF and accuracy.
When you increase one of variables (PD or WPF or both) you newer know what you will receive as result - increasing or decreasing accurasy.
ESPECIALLY it is important for Longbow - because I am (and not only I) didn't find a way to make a Longow accurate.

[Tears of Destiny]

It has been proven that wpf increases accuracy, and PD merely makes the reticule "hold" longer at the optimum position, as well as increasing damage at all ranges. Also from what I can see, among other archers as well, PD no longer makes your bow less accurate.

As for the longbow, I had success with it at 130 wpf for a "shotgun" against cavalry, though for long distance shooting I would try and go for at least 150 with it.

XBows have recently been concretely proven that the base accuracy (I think walt did it) does not effect your shot at all, and regardless of your wpf the reticule will be identical whether you are using a light xbow or a sniper or any of the others.

I have yet to see a similar test for bows (hopefully walt will do this), though I think the base accuracy for them actually matters.

I am tempted to just buy the last few bows I do not own, and make my own experiments with them to test the "accuracy" effect, just timing the screenshots to match the reticul at the best position would be an utter pain (unlike the xbows).

[Heroin]

XBows have recently been concretely proven that the base accuracy (I think walt did it) does not effect your shot at all, and regardless of your wpf the reticule will be identical whether you are using a light xbow or a sniper or any of the others.

I think you might have misunderstood the results presented by Walt. Basically, an item's "Accuracy" statistic is not the "Base" accuracy, but rather the maximum attainable accuracy with that weapon, with enough proficiency.

So, for xbows, the sniper xbow has the POTENTIAL to be the most accurate xbow available, assuming you have enough WPF to take advantage of said accuracy.

Basically, if you have ZERO WPF in xbows, the reticule size for the light xbow will be the same as for the sniper. However, if you have 150 wpf in xbow, the sniper xbow reticule will be smaller.

[3ABP]

It has been proven that wpf increases accuracy, and PD merely makes the reticule "hold" longer at the optimum position, as well as increasing damage at all ranges. Also from what I can see, among other archers as well, PD no longer makes your bow less accurate.
...

It has been proven that even dev.team members don't know how archery works (I have a link to topic proving it).
(not all of them, but...)
So - here is not so clear with WPF, PD and result as may be looking from a side.

P.s. this topic (in theory) dedicated to discussion about Longbow (not whole bows line).

[WaltF4]

Here is the plot Heroin and Tears_of_Destiny are referencing from my post on crossbows:

(click to show/hide)

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The less expensive crossbows are more accurate for low crossbow proficiencies. The less expensive crossbows remain more accurate until they reach their minimum reticules sizes because the reduction in crossbow reticules width per proficiency point is a constant for all of the crossbows. The accuracy statistic of a crossbow seems to determine what the minimum reticules size is. So with very high crossbow proficiency (something like 170+,) the sniper crossbow is likely the most accurate.

[Native_ATS]

i say buff the long bow by 3 damg 

[Christo]

Longbow gets piercing damage next patch. 23p I think.

Sounds good, I wanted to post a suggestion like this one.

[Tennenoth]

The only thing in my opinion that should be changed on the longbow to make it useable is to increase the speed by 2 to 50. I have done some testing on Native while using the exact stats of the current longbow and the animations. Even there it has the release flaw (i'm not saying bug because it's just due to the low speed.) I found that the small increase in speed to 2 got rid of the flaw so massively.

Also for an increase of 3 damage from the warbow, the difference in the speed is 11 while the damage difference between the strongbow and warbow is also 3 while the speed difference is only 4. Looking at the rest of the bows you have near enough the same differences but thats not what I am saying.

I've wanted to use the longbow since the new patch, I find that the release flaw really screws up my ability to aim successfully and I would like to see (and I have annoyed an "item unbalancer" over it in irc) this increased.

If anyone wants to recreate the Native longbow screw over:

Animation pack: http://forums.taleworlds.com/index.php/topic,134185.0.html
Item changer: http://forums.taleworlds.com/index.php/topic,105928.0.html

[Rheinhardt]

When I use my longbow, I want it accurate enough to be a threat at long range, powerful enough to drop a cloth-wearer in one shot and fast enough to make it rain. English archery was all about the speed at which the archer could send arrows down range, and I'd like that to be reflected in game. At the moment I'm trading shots with crossbowmen; in reality I should be shooting twice as fast as a plain crossbow or even faster for the heavier weapons.

Consider video evidence.

I really don't care for holding my accuracy after the draw, that's more a recurve trick. Crossbows will always have the edge fighting from cover as well, since they only have to be exposed when firing. So in short, let the warbow be for the snipers and the longbow for the spammers. That gives them both a role to fill.

[ToxicKilla]

The only thing in my opinion that should be changed on the longbow to make it useable is to increase the speed by 2 to 50. I have done some testing on Native while using the exact stats of the current longbow and the animations. Even there it has the release flaw (i'm not saying bug because it's just due to the low speed.) I found that the small increase in speed to 2 got rid of the flaw so massively.

Also for an increase of 3 damage from the warbow, the difference in the speed is 11 while the damage difference between the strongbow and warbow is also 3 while the speed difference is only 4. Looking at the rest of the bows you have near enough the same differences but thats not what I am saying.

I've wanted to use the longbow since the new patch, I find that the release flaw really screws up my ability to aim successfully and I would like to see (and I have annoyed an "item unbalancer" over it in irc) this increased.

If anyone wants to recreate the Native longbow screw over:

Animation pack: http://forums.taleworlds.com/index.php/topic,134185.0.html
Item changer: http://forums.taleworlds.com/index.php/topic,105928.0.html

+1 to this. Also, pierce damage would be nice to have too, being as the longbow could pierce nearly all but the best armours.

[Keshian]

Why 13? The damage bonus does not effect anything past 4 higher then your bow requirement.

For shits and giggles?  But actually it still affects your shoot speed even though its not a direct damage bonus, the higher the shoot speed bonus, the less your arrows lose damaging power over distance or through rain, which indirectly adds to your damage when hitting a target.  Even a 20 foot shot does slightly more damage.

[Beauchamp]

When I use my longbow, I want it accurate enough to be a threat at long range, powerful enough to drop a cloth-wearer in one shot and fast enough to make it rain. English archery was all about the speed at which the archer could send arrows down range, and I'd like that to be reflected in game. At the moment I'm trading shots with crossbowmen; in reality I should be shooting twice as fast as a plain crossbow or even faster for the heavier weapons.

Consider video evidence.

I really don't care for holding my accuracy after the draw, that's more a recurve trick. Crossbows will always have the edge fighting from cover as well, since they only have to be exposed when firing. So in short, let the warbow be for the snipers and the longbow for the spammers. That gives them both a role to fill.

aye but after 1 minute you will drop dead because will be so tired that you won't be able to shoot anymore. its rather about balance than exact historic evidence imo.

i can imagine giving longbow higher damage (or maybe even pierce), but no faster shooting speed pls.

[Arrowblood]

I have a fine longbow now,and the shot speed is the same of the heavy crossbow. For the most medium armored guys you nedd 2 hits. Its fun to play the bow with 172 Archery WPF.