Fuck the devs, really?
The devs who spent time testing out ranged just to give some statistics to your ludicrous claims? If you guys actually played post-patch instead of whining you'll notice that this "unfairness" is already gone. With the death of banner stacking it is much harder for clan-less archers, but also any archer, to achieve the same sort of K:D ratio as before.
I attribute this to the fact that there is less steamroll from same-banner players, whether riding a clan's banner or a huge clan (such as PRO), who I assume are now somewhat forced to sticking with one clan banner unless they want stragglers. This was the closest thing to consistent teamwork we had in the servers, and now we have a good spread of units across both teams, especially classes that can often turn the tide.
Ranged can no longer hide behind a steamroll and now have to be smarter about their positioning, with less time spent lobbing shots from stationary positions. This does also mean, however, that ranged classes are now especially tougher for newer players.
If anything, this necessary change showcases just how weak archery has become. Perhaps less for HX and HA, as those were generally solo classes, and I can't speak for throwers as I have little experience with them. You've already forced us to play in a position where kiting is our only strength, and now you want to nerf headshot damage because "an arrow should bounce off a thick helmet". It just boggles the mind, you ask for that but never once mention that realistically an arrow should make you or a horse limp if hit in the leg for example. Don't ask for realism, or selective realism, that's impossible to balance while maintaining the same gameplay and style of warband.
The vast majority of archers suffered pre-patch, and now it is much more apparent than before. I ask the devs to watch ranged over the next few weeks, and perhaps consider a slight buff to bring the difficulty more in line for the majority out there. Please do not be deterred by people who obviously have a bias and suggest ideas with only 10 minutes of STF archery under their belt, if that. Also, take the scores of the handful (literally) of excellent, dedicated archers with a grain of salt (although even these players are having a tough time as well). It would be ludicrous to balance 2H or polearms due to a few great players, and I ask that we apply that same mentality to range.
P.S.
I've only skimmed through the topic, but I notice two reoccurring ideas. My opinion, as a dedicated archer for many months, follows;
1) Make archers more melee viable
Not a bad idea, but has some downfalls. First, a class should never be forced into hybridization or a different playstyle. If someone wants to be a dedicated archer, they should have that choice. I also fear that this would lead to a lot more melee-archer hybrids, leading to some difficult balance issues.
2) Reduce headshot damage by 10%
This one's a joke. How often does an archer get a headshot? I'd estimate about 5% of the time, more if using a weaker bow + high accuracy build, but still very low. Limb shots already do little damage, and headshots don't always kill even when they do land. Headshot damage definitely does not need a nerf, it is a good reward if you have the skill to land such a shot, which very few do. A nerf like this would do away with the weaker bow builds and force archers into an even narrower niche-build.
Poll