A fix for archers (No, seriously! Check it out!)

[Reinhardt]

Let me point out, to start, I'm a cavalryman/infantryman. Okay. Now, onto my proposal for archer balance.


- Buff the Longbow and Warbow, perhaps the Yumi, too. Mostly just 2 slot bows.
(Effect: Will limit the amount of arrows archers carry, since the bows are two-slot. In addition,  it will prevent machine-gun type bowmen. Archers will have to take aim, and attempt to hit their targets instead of spam arrows.)

- SLIGHTLY buff the 1 slot bows. (Effect: Will bring back a sliiiight amount of archers, which will help game balance a bit.)

- Don't revert the changes to ranged (Effect: Won't fuck up game balance)

- (POSSIBLE ADDITION, NOT PART OF THE FULL SUGGESTION) Slightly increase the weight on bows/arrows (Effect: Will prevent archers from running as fast as they do. Not by much, but a slight amount in order to help with game balance. Kiting is still very effective, but the archer will need to know how to play it, and think about what he's doing in order to pull it off successfully.)


In essence, the two slot bows should be more viable. Archers should be rewarded for being pure builds. They should also be rewarded for using their high-tier stuff, not sticking with low-tier bows and being able to pull out a giant two-hander in combat.


As another suggestion, instead of nerfing entire classes, why not look into specific items or aspects OF said class that may make it "OP" or slightly better than it should be?

Thank you.

[Tears of Destiny]

I like it. Also, you get a brownie for using the old-school name for the Rus.

[Spawny]

I like it. Also, you get a brownie for using the old-school name for the Rus.

I didn't even notice that.

[Xol!]

(Cavalry/infantry player here)

I would very much like to see a big buff for the larger bows.  Right now, on my STF, at 7 power draw and ~150 wpf, a nomad bow is more accurate than a warbow.  It shoots faster as well, and after the recent changes, the difference in damage just doesn't justify using the warbow in any situation, let alone a longbow.

I think big bows should get a significant accuracy and missile speed buff, while smaller bows should get a slight speed buff.  Big bows would fit more into a sniper-style of gameplay, rewarding headshots, while the small bows would continue being the arrowspam weapon of choice.  Ideally the yumi and horn bow would fall in the middle of the spectrum, with the longbow and short bow at the extremes.

Whether or not this is implemented or something else, I like the new skillcurve in the ranged category, but something needs to be done to make it truly viable again.

[Reinhardt]

The problem with making the Horn Bow a midpoint for bows, is that it's already (too) widely used, and only 1 slot. Honestly, I think archers should be rewarded for speccing fully into archery, rather than have 140 archery WPF and 70-100 2H.


What was a quote? "Hit like a tank, run like a gazelle"?

[Xol!]

Just because it's in the middle doesn't mean it's a better weapon.  It depends on your playstyle.

If my suggestion was implemented, for example, I'd probably use a nomad for spamming or a rus bow for sniping, depending on the map.

[PanPan]

I'm an Archer and I still like that suggestion...
but like I said many times before...
It wasn't a nerf...
It was a nerf for the ''beginner'' Archers who just quitted 2her / pole
or any other meele class 1 gen before.
Now for ''long-time'' Archers ( Me, who played all generations as an Archer (except some respeccs))
It's easier cause the 'long-time'' Archers stayed as Archers and adapted to the new ''nerf''.
I learned to concetrate shooting more to the head than to the body...
And it really works fine (for me)
When you learned it and you really do headshots 
you get a nice feeling in your belly...

It's a sign that you know the new strategy


EDIT: some grammar stuff

[Reinhardt]

Just because it's in the middle doesn't mean it's a better weapon.  It depends on your playstyle.

If my suggestion was implemented, for example, I'd probably use a nomad for spamming or a rus bow for sniping, depending on the map.

True, true. And I guess if the higher-tier bows were buffed it would decrease the Horn Bow spam. However, it would still allow people to "spam" arrows as well as bring a sidearm (better than a hatchet or small one-hander). It would just need to be balanced well.

[Xol!]

snip

Right, but at the same time, it still needs to be balanced a little.

True, true. And I guess if the higher-tier bows were buffed it would decrease the Horn Bow spam. However, it would still allow people to "spam" arrows as well as bring a sidearm (better than a hatchet or small one-hander). It would just need to be balanced well.

Yeah, certainly.  Perhaps a slight accuracy nerf to the smaller bows or something, I dunno.  Or maybe just leave them as-is.

[Overdriven]

Remember that any nerf/lack of buff for the horn bow is a nerf for HA. You may be rewarding pure archers, but it's still punishing pure HA. The problem with any bow/horse balancing.

Partly why I like your last suggestion though as you mention targeting specific classes rather than the general.

[Adamar]

Long time archer here.

I have to say that since the nerf, my longbow has been reduced in effectiveness. I kind of get it when people say that the headshots thing makes it worth it, but its not the same with the longbow since the reticule is slower and at least twice as large in this case. And the fact that it is a 2 slot weapon means we are either forced to bring less arrows or give up a decent melee weapon for that 0 slot crap a lot of us use(me included on ocasion).

Basicaly I think that each arrow shot from a 2 slot bow needs to have more significance, it shouldn't take me more than 5 arrows to the chest to take out an average melee fighter, since there's generaly no time for that.
So, i'd go with the idea that the longer bows should have a slight buff to both damage and accuracy. Either we get something like that or longbows become irrelevant.

[Tears of Destiny]

What Adamar said, I find it ridiculous that my Rus bow should be swapped out for a Horn Bow for me to remain viable, and using a standard Horn Bow I can score reliable headshots but using my MW Rus Bow my reticule is too large unless I am at short range.