When I first started playing cRPG in early 2011, archery was pretty scary.
Archers could really tear shit up, and they were nerfed accordingly into more of a support role.
If enemies were out in the open, I'd shoot for the chest or head in my best effort to get a kill, but when teammates were working on taking someone down, I'd aim strictly for the legs.
If I hit, it'd stun the enemy for a moment, just long enough for someone to get a hit in. If I missed and hit a teammate, I'd do less damage than an accidental TK headshot.
That support role worked really well for me, and I'm assuming it did with other archers and assisted melee teammates too.
We, as archers, were also able to help rid the match of cavalry, as well. Horse archers take first priority.
This lessened the stress put on melee infantry as they had less couched lances bearing down on them.
It required
teamwork.
So, class counters.
"Balance" seems to have separated entirely from "class counters." The two
should be holding hands.
Balance should
not just be about making it less annoying for melee to deal with horse archers or correcting the longsword stats so it fits better in the sword hierarchy
gag.Each "class" should have a counter, and making each individual melee unit its own army isn't going to solve the problem unless the intention is to dig a large grave, fill it with archers, and cement it shut.
- Archers play a necessary support role in keeping horse archers and other cavalry off their melee teammates.
- Horse archers play a role in being a highly mobile archer, capable of flanking infantry and chasing away enemy cavalry.
- Polearm users can have a very strong offense or play a supporting role similar to that of shielder.
- Crossbow users support like an archer, but dish out higher damage on those wearing heavier armor.
- Two-handers are the main brunt of the attack and, in turn, are supporting the rest of their team.
The key here is that everyone is supporting each other in one way or another.
If your archers fail to get rid of that pesky horse archer, and that horse archer only has to worry about getting within five feet of a melee unit, the horse archer will win.
This is not a broken game mechanic, but
broken teamwork.
If your cav or xbowers don't get rid of the three archers on the hill, and your two-handers get shot to shit running up that hill, it is (
say it with me) not a broken game mechanic, but
broken teamwork.
Nerfing archery even further was not a progressive step in the right direction, and it will ensure less players will spec ranged.
I know a few guys who are only playing the mod just so they can retire and spec
out of archery.
Arrows are now fewer per quiver and even heavier than before.
For an archer to carry as many arrows as he had before, arrow weight has effectively doubled.
This is insane. After talking with a few guys who play as archers and some STF testing myself, archers are now also
way too accurate.
TL;DRIn summary, class counters have been dropped from the balance discussion; every class needs to be equal to all other classes. Each melee unit is his own army.
Archery, especially horse archery, has been shit on the hardest because melee players find them annoying and impossible to catch/kill; however, poor teamwork is the issue, not a broken game mechanic.
Un-nerf archery. Play your class well. Use your class' strengths to your advantage, and remember you are an important supporting member of your team (unless we continue along the one-man army route).
I'd really like to see some honest, thoughtful input from others.
Let me quickly post some unwanted responses in this spoiler so you don't have to
archer is gey
fuk archery
plate amor best armor
jeade is liberal my old friend
obama
2h supereor class nd shoud be invisible to arrpws
qq want sum whine with ur cheeze archer gay boys
nigeria
etc, etc.
I probably should note to the EU guys that I am an xbower, not an archer.
