Suggestions for Better Archery

[Llama]

Suggestions for making archery better:

I suppose we all need better archers dont we?

I Magic arrows

Simply a spell, cast by a mage which will make all archer's arrows stronger for a limited time.

II Fire arrows

IF the archer is next to a fire, then all his arrows will do extra damage; however they will not be as well aimed, (a combination of smoke and hurry). OPtional: If you fire an arrow upon soemthing flameable (grain, straw, trees, wood et cetera), it catches fire

III Poisoned arrows

Adding poision to your arrows... for increased damage, and perhaps a chance of poisioning the enemy (similar to mummy poision, no need for anything...essagerated)

IV Types of arrows

Different types of arrows, which have different effectivness upon different types of armor.

V A new method to create arrows

Instead of them being dependant on carpentry, start a new skill, FLETCHING which may be dependant, or indipendant on the main archery skill. Fletching would combine branches into arrows (maybe a smith could make special heads are required), and the effectivness of using the materials depends on that skill. For example a n00b may be able to fletch 5 arrows from one branch, whislt an expert 20. WHen special heads are needed (see arrow types), a smith must make them for him, and they must be tied with thread. This allows even new archers to fight, and allows experts to have better weapons.

VI V=ut -at^2

Because of air resistance, an arrow will fly slower the longer it progresses, so the suggestion is simply; if you shoot an arrow 1 space away, you will do X damage, if you shoot it 2 spaces, it will do max X/2 damage.

VII Higher ground

If the archer is on higher ground (one level above the target or he's on mountainous ground) he will do more damage keeping the same accuracy.

VIII Auto-switch

A massive problem with archery is that enemies come quickly towards him , and since everyone pretty much moves at the same speed, the archer has little time to fire. One of the major time wasters is having drag your bow and arrows into your belt, then taking out a sword, killing the enemy and dragging them back again. So the suggestion is having a new compartment, (quiver) in which you place the arrows which are to be used. This leaves a hand free for a small blade (daggers or short-swords only); when the enemy is close enough, the archer will automatically switch to the melee` weapon without the need to drag things around.

IX Stakes

IN RL, rows of archers would create a line of wooden stakes in the ground, in order to prevent enemies (especially cavalry) coming towards them. The suggestion is setting up wooden stakes as an item on the ground (similar to the trap), which would slow down anyone approaching them [no need to damage them]; this would give archers time to fire arrows.

X Reaction speed

Currently, the enemy (NPC) notices you when you are within a few spaces away, and comes towards you; instead I would suggest a change in his AI. He will not notice you unless he has good eyesight (depends on enemy), or you fire at him. When you fire at him, his intellegence (depends on enemy) will be inversly proportional to the delay before he notices what is going on and comes attacking. This would give the archer a small chance.

All these reforms are ineffective on their own, yet together I suppose the would make a major difference.

[Gro'bul]

3.gfx are there, scripting needed
4.easy to make gfx. I can think of 2. There are no armor specific arrows, the bodkin arrow head is the only one thats good at piercing armor. Broadheads like the swallowtail are too large to pierce armor, a bodkin focuses all the energy to a point where the broadhead sinks into the flesh and is made to stay in because of the barbs. I broadhead is going to do more damage immidiately though because of its going to make a bigger wound especially against a mage. Barbed arrowheads are also alot more complicated to make.
7.Higher ground would give the archer more range, and perhaps a better angle of attack causing more damage, but not more damage outright.
9.Great idea

Archers are not lone fighters.

[Nop]

I-IV A hell of a lot of scripting while I see no large gain.

V Contradicts the whole craft system, don't like the idea of single-taks skills.

VI Arrows have an excellent air profile. They impact a target at long distance with 85% of the original power (bullets typically have only 25%). So this rule would be much worse than reality.

VII What about making combat over different levels possible first? Major server changes here.

X Increased AI will benefit everybody. Yet again, major changes.

[Berenind]

All that will take a lot of work, but I 100% agree with it.

I want to be a pure archer, aswell as mastering the short sword. I can't even kill a pig with 35 arrows. It's not really fair.

- Flaming arrows... Wow. Now that would be a site to see.

[Pocal]

Um, no one would kill a pig by arrows if they were a real life archer. They can run around too much, and thus would be hard to precisely hit.

A target for learning the basics of archery would make much more sense than trying to kill a pig screaming and running around.

And as stated, archers are support. They help kill initial numbers of the enemy still in formation so its hopefully an advantage for their infantry, number wise.

[Lennier]

The sucessrate depands on the attributes and skills. Without the right combination of attributes your char can not be a talented archer.

Here you could find some good combinations if you really want to play a classified char: http://illarion.org/community/forums/vi ... hp?t=14602


Apropos, I know chars, they kill a pig with 4 hits in use of 7-10 "normal" arrows and the right bow. And they are far away to be a master of archery.

And we still have wind-arrows and crossbows. They should be more powerful.

[Drathe]

*Chuckles* if pigs are to hard to hit and not good for training archery its a good job certain archers never rode horses and aimed at other moving targets... that would be far to hard what with all the motion.

And hunters... thats why they shout and scream at wild boar becuse it ruptures thier ear drums and kills them rather than shoot arrows or throw spears at it... to fast and squeely.

[Nilo]

I think that most people don't care for archery, because it costs much money for the arrows/bolts (etc.) and it takes a good while to gain skill in it.

However, it is very rewarding once you do spend the time, effort, and money.

[Nalzaxx]

The trouble is you need to all but master something else in order to pay for your hobby.

[Nop]

Actually, the solution for that is quite simple: Make arrows retrievable. If 80% of the arrows shot would end up on the map to be picked up and used again, the price would no longer be prohibiting.

In RL during a day of archery you shoot 100-200 arrows and the actual loss due to breakage is somewhere around 2-5 arrows. Most losses occur in the woods where the arrows tend to disappear in the foliage.

'

[Galim]

That would be really creat, Nop. But can this be scripted? And who does it? And will the other GM's give their okay?