I've been asking myself if people wouldn't prefer another archery. Basically, the one we got is pin point accuracy with any kind of armor (Played with a kuyak last days, was lulzy to have pin point accuracy), with high power draw builds, which means a trajectory for the arrow which is almost straight, but no damage except for the headshots.
Another archery system is possible, by keeping the "accuracy" value the same, but increasing a lot the damages, which will change the current meta based on pin point accuracy, and replace it by a more randomized system. (headshots will be lucky, lets say it like it would be), but the normal shots (body, leg, arms), will have slighly less frequency as before, but will happen in 90% of cases. Basically, a headshot would be a instant kill, but it won't happen much.
The ranged meta atm is :
Throwing got low damage, poor accuracy compared to archery, and shit range, but still, high speed rating (you can throw your spears/axes quickly).
Archery got low damage (still, you do as much as throwers with high PD), better accuracy, better range, medium speed rating.
Crossbows got high damage, high accuracy, high range, low (really bad) speed rating.
The changes needed in my humble opinion are
Throwing got high damage, poor accuracy (depending on the build), low range, high speed rating
Archery got medium damage, medium accuracy, medium range, medium speed rating, medium ammo size.
Crossbows got high damage, high accuracy, high range, really bad speed rating medium ammo size.
I don't know what changes would be needed for throwing to make it happen, but buffing damages would be enough to lower accuracy. I know what changes are needed, and here are the proposed stats of bows.
Short Bow
missile speed: 42
weight: 2
accuracy: 96
difficulty: 1
speed rating: 62
missile speed: 42
thrust damage: 27 cut (Current : 20 cut)
slots: 1
871
Nomad Bow
missile speed: 45 (Current : 48)
weight: 2.4
accuracy: 102
difficulty: 2
speed rating: 68
missile speed: 45
thrust damage: 25 cut (Current : 18)
slots: 1
1,356
Tatar Bow
missile speed: 44 (Current : 46)
weight: 2.4
accuracy: 102
difficulty: 3
speed rating: 65
missile speed: 44
thrust damage: 26 cut (Current :19)
slots: 1
3,787
Bow
missile speed: 42
weight: 3.5
accuracy: 101
difficulty: 4
speed rating: 58
missile speed: 42
thrust damage: 30 cut (Current : 25)
slots: 2
Can't use on horseback
5,188
Horn Bow
missile speed: 43 (Current : 44)
weight: 2.7
accuracy: 103
difficulty: 5
speed rating: 59
missile speed: 43
thrust damage: 28 cut (Current : 21)
slots: 1
7,896
Yumi
missile speed: 38
weight: 3.2
accuracy: 105
difficulty: 6
speed rating: 59
missile speed: 38
thrust damage: 30 cut (Current : 23)
slots: 1
8,658
Rus Bow
missile speed: 41
weight: 3.7
accuracy: 105
difficulty: 6
speed rating: 56
missile speed: 41
thrust damage: 33 cut (Current : 25)
slots: 2
Can't use on horseback
9,974
Long Bow
missile speed: 40
weight: 4
accuracy: 106
difficulty: 6
speed rating: 52
missile speed: 40
thrust damage: 35 cut (Current : 28)
slots: 2
Can't use on horseback
11,100
Basically, if I'm right, this massive damage increase would lower a lot accuracy, and a global missile speed for low tier bows would remove the point and click we had before the last patch, which was like some kind of counter strike bullshit. One of the most important thing we could see is, a stop for the bullshit we see everyday on EU1 : porcupines, with 6 arrows in the body, still fighting like demons.
Values are suggestions only, I believe there must be a lot of tests before these changes are implemented in the mod, if balancers ever agree about these.
Also, I saw something interesting in Battle of Europe, archers aren't able to kite, since their moving speed while drawing the bow is reduced by 50% or something like that. A change like it would prevent shotgunning with high damage bows, but in return, giving slighly more wpf to archers to put in melee would be nice. Little disclaimer, I don't want to see archers with 150 wpf, but it'd be nice if we could get something around 50/60 wpf easily (I saw that somehow, if you put ranged wpf, you'll need more wpp to get wpf in melee).
I want these changes, because I'm sick of the current situation, everyone please note I didn't suggest a BUFF, but a CHANGE in the way to play archery. Now, feel free to rape the minus button and hate me because I had an idea to change the current situation which is like FPS games.