Archery nowdays

[Templar_Steevee]

After last patch archery changed a lot - archers can't kite anymore. And that's good.
Now archer is forced to figth in melee - that's good too, it makes game funnier.
But there should be done one more thing: give archers a possibility to figth in melee.

Atm x-bow users are"ultimate archer killers" They are fastest (except mounted) units in game.

Archers are easy to catch nowdays, but thy cant have a serious weapon (taking one or two slots) without getting only one stact of arrows.

How to give archers possibility to figth in melee? Answer is simple - make all bows one slot.
Archers will still be slow as hell (even slower because of heavier melee weapon), but some of them will figth more instead of running away.

I think it could make game better for all.

[Kelugarn]

Hmm... No.

[Rebelyell]

that was my idea QQ

[Kelugarn]

It's an awful idea. They made the most powerful bows two slots for a reason.

Imagine a 18/21 archer build as follows:
6PD
6PS
7ATH
7WM

~145 bow wpf
~100 2h wpf.

Rus/Longbow + longsword [German/SoW/Great sword/etc.] + arrows ofc.

An archer shouldn't have the same melee capabilities as a dedicated 2h/pole-arm user.

[Cosmos_Shielder]

Hmmm.Why not!
but then we should do something for arrow to prevent archer getting more arrow because of that.
why not putting every  bow except rus and long , as a zero slot item , put arrow as 2 slot and add 80% (this figure lmay be tuned between 50 to 100 )  in every quiver.
then lower rus and long to 1 slot.

So Rus Bow and Long bow would still be the same for pure archer except that they have the chance to take a on handed weapon.
And other bow would get too much arrow so they would have the opportunity  to take another weapon

[Cosmos_Shielder]

It's an awful idea. They made the most powerful bows two slots for a reason.

Imagine a 18/21 archer build as follows:
6PD
6PS
7ATH
7WM

~145 bow wpf
~100 2h wpf.

Rus/Longbow + longsword [German/SoW/Great sword/etc.]

An archer shouldn't have the same melee capabilities as a dedicated 2h/pole-arm user.

with my idea rus and long bower would only be able to take one slot because they would need at least one quiver

[Kelugarn]

How to give archers possibility to figth in melee? Answer is simple - make all bows one slot.
Archers will still be slow as hell (even slower because of heavier melee weapon), but some of them will figth more instead of running away.

Strong bow + big weapon.

This is what I'm against. This is one of the things that was intentionally removed from the game oh so many months ago.

Hmmm.Why not!
but then we should do something for arrow to prevent archer getting more arrow because of that.
why not putting every  bow except rus and long , as a zero slot item , put arrow as 2 slot and add 80% (this figure lmay be tuned between 50 to 100 )  in every quiver.
then lower rus and long to 1 slot.

So Rus Bow and Long bow would still be the same for pure archer except that they have the chance to take a on handed weapon.
And other bow would get too much arrow so they would have the opportunity  to take another weapon

Interesting solution, but I don't know how the archer community would like being stuck with double the arrows and double the weight for double the slots. The current one-quiver-one-slot system allows for archers to travel light, especially with the new quiver weights. Increasing the amount of arrows to 200 or 400% would result in a proportional weight gain, not sure how being forced to carry at least 30-50 arrows and 14-20 weight (or none at all, under a larger, 2 slot, quiver system) would sit with people.

And currently dedicated Rus/longbow archers can take a 1h weapon with them, just not anything that can be used in melee offensively.

Also there's always the option of an archer dropping their arrows/bow and picking up a melee weapon when threatened at close range, something I would think would be more appealing than holding onto all those lead arrows and trying to fight.

[Araxiel]

It is fine as it is. I really enjoy to slash runaway archers in the back.

[Casimir]

Increase the number of arrows per quiver and make 1 quiver + 2 sot bow viable.  Thus gives access to a decent 1 slot weapon if they wish to attempt melee. Archers that want to have 2 quivers are then forced to use a low quality 0 slot weapon.

Your suggestion i believe is to accommodating for archers as it would allow for an incredibly powerful bow, a quiver of arrows and a top tier 2h/polearm (which we al know are the most effective weapons).

[Tanken]

I'll stand up for your suggestion, even though it does sound crappy to melee players. Bows should be 1 slot, either that, or make arrows take up 0 slots. This way, you can still have a 1-2 slot weapon and a 1-2 slot bow, but your other 2 slots are obviously going to be for arrows.



However, I do think that archery has finally reached a point of somewhat balance with other classes--now let's fix onehanders so they stop glancing all of the time.

[Bronto]

Best solution is to make regular arrows, only regular arrows, 0 slot. Then rus and longbow users can take a 1 slot weapon. Or leave it the same because it's so hard to pick up a dropped weapon.

[Tennenoth]

I'm not sure I understand why people are saying this is necessary.

As many people know, I personally use a longbow along with a one slot melee weapon (langes messer), I have never had a problem with this and although I am classed to be a melee/archer hybrid it doesn't make much of a difference that I carry only one stack of arrows.

At level 30 I was using the following build;

Strength: 18
Agility: 21

Athletics: 7
Power Strike: 3
Power Draw: 6
Weapon Master: 7

Archery: 159
Two Handed: 55

Now, even if you don't have the powerstrike or the melee wpf, it is still perfectly viable to carry a decent melee weapon with you. Sure you've got a slightly limited arsenal, particularly if you want to use polearms or two handers, but at the end of the day, you can do it.

Archers have been nerfed and buggered continually but at the end of the day, they're still usable, ok, you can't run but I look around on the battlefield and I still see that the most noticable archers are the ones who are a good shot but are able to defend themselves in melee. You don't need the wpf for melee although it helps but sacrificing a few points (I believe 6 or so) in archery for the ability to swing significantly faster is well worth it.

I completely disagree with your suggestions as although you can't kite as well as you used to, you already have the ability to defend yourselves with a few very little negatives.

There is no need to reduce the slot requirement on the higher powered bows, if you choose to use those then you have several options. There is a 0 slot hammer that allows you to block, although it's quite crap in attacking back, you still have something, you take that and an extra stack of arrows for your War bow/Longbow then it's your choice, or you do as I do, drop one stack of arrows in favour of a proper melee weapon. If you don't like that, then you can take two stacks of arrows but class with the fact that you'll need to grab a melee weapon at some point and hunt the battlefield.

Alternatively you can use a one slot bow and take a proper melee weapon and two stacks of arrows, or go one further, take a 2 slot melee weapon, such as the Heavy Bastard Sword (Quicker weapons for obvious reasons) and one stack of arrows.

The options are there, there is just no need to lower the slots or increase the number of arrows in a stack, both of those might be useful if there was a problem, but there isn't. I've played as an archer since day one (Ignore the HA phase, I still had a bow) and throughout that time I have always carried a melee weapon, and always a decent one.

17 arrows is more than enough for me, and there are always plenty of them scattered around the battlefield if you ever need a quick restock. I'm not here to shout "adapt" or any of that crap at you, I'm here to say that it's not a change that's needed and to offer a couple of already apparent solutions.

At the end of the day, you increase the number of arrows, you run the risk of archers suddenly having 50 masterwork bodkin arrows to shoot, increasing the incentive to run or you allow them to have a decent melee weapon, 34 masterwork bodkin arrows and more archers with the more powerful bows.

Even if you're not good in melee as an archer, use your head, there are plenty of ways to get one over on your melee counterparts.

In short, increase the number of arrows = more arrows for someone to shoot at you as they back away.
lower the slots on the two high powered bows = more archers dealing more damage with the same number of arrows & decent melee.

I hope this makes sense, I wrote it quite hastily and although I have proof read it several times, I've never been fantastic at not rambling!

[Templar_Steevee]

Strong bow + big weapon.

Also there's always the option of an archer dropping their arrows/bow and picking up a melee weapon when threatened at close range,

Strong bow is not so powerfull, and with one quiver they will pew-pew in about one minute. Archer with strong bow and 1 stack wf arrows and a melle weapon will be almost like a thrower imo.

As an archer it's pretty hard to pick up a weapon, because archers are 2nd line support class, especially, when enemies are charging.

And I have to agree with Tenne. One quiver can be enougth, but only in low populated servers, and now when you are picking up an arrowdifferent than you are using, you are dropping one of your equipped weapon.

IMO if archer want to be helpfull he should kill horses or riders and other ranged. To kill a standard horse i have to shoot 2-3 arrows. Plenty of you will say it's small amount, but good riders on champion arabian warhorses can dodge arrows in medium and long range.

[Piok]

I hate xbows too (arbamy old friends most) too effective for little skill involved..
As for 1slot bows: allow only one ammo per ranged... solves problem with kite archies, xbows cav, cav archer, throwers but too harsh for them so buff acuracy 

[Vibe]

archery before - gay
archery nowadays - still gay