Hey Devs: Archery

[jakeelala]

Bows are so nerfed into the ground it's literally disgusting. Some suggestions:

1. Un-nerf bows from IPS 20% reduction (thematically bows have much more piercing ability than throwing weapons)
2. Bows are two handed, they deserve to get 1.5x damage from Stat bonus
3. Inherent IPS: Give bows inherent improved precise shot (10-30%) that will work for each target an arrows hits even if you're in Archer Focus.
4. Add to Point Blank Shot: "with a bow equipped, you gain +3[w] within 10 meters, and +5[w] to damage within 5 meters"
5. Add to Archers Focus: "with a bow equipped, you gain an additional +2% Doubleshot with every stack of this feat"

Thank you

[jakeelala]

Also maybe consider removing IPS as a stance, and make it an active attack granted by the feat (+some [w], w/e) that causes you to lose any AF stacks but for the next 10 seconds all of your attacks pierce as IPS does today. Archers Focus should be the default, always on stance unless you activate your IPS shot otherwise.

[Tilomere]

Also maybe consider removing IPS as a stance...

They did that last patch?

Huehuehue.

[Bjond]

Whatever you do with bows, consider itemizing them at the same time. There's nothing interesting for bows (at all) in any of the raids. Chaosbow even has the ludicrous ranged-alacrity line which is superfluous for a style that can hit the animation cap with less.

[Weemadarthur]

Bows are so nerfed into the ground it's literally disgusting. Some suggestions:

1. Un-nerf bows from IPS 20% reduction (thematically bows have much more piercing ability than throwing weapons)
2. Bows are two handed, they deserve to get 1.5x damage from Stat bonus
3. Inherent IPS: Give bows inherent improved precise shot (10-30%) that will work for each target an arrows hits even if you're in Archer Focus.
4. Add to Point Blank Shot: "with a bow equipped, you gain +3[w] within 10 meters, and +5[w] to damage within 5 meters"
5. Add to Archers Focus: "with a bow equipped, you gain an additional +2% Doubleshot with every stack of this feat"

Thank you

Tbh I would be happy with just 1 & 2 on your suggestion list. Personally though I would still prefer the bow pass we were told was in the works and then fell through the cracks as we all speculated it would after the half baked mini pass we got at the same time ranged was nerfed.

[AbyssalMage]

Personally though I would still prefer the bow pass we were told was in the works and then fell through the cracks as we all speculated it would after the half baked mini pass we got at the same time ranged was nerfed.

Oh, we all new on the forums that this was going to fall through the cracks. They gave us hope, that was all they were ever going to "give" us. I mean if the forums do weekly reminders we may one day get something but they knew then that nothing was going to happen.

[mikarddo]

Bows are so nerfed into the ground it's literally disgusting. Some suggestions:

1. Un-nerf bows from IPS 20% reduction (thematically bows have much more piercing ability than throwing weapons)
2. Bows are two handed, they deserve to get 1.5x damage from Stat bonus
3. Inherent IPS: Give bows inherent improved precise shot (10-30%) that will work for each target an arrows hits even if you're in Archer Focus.
4. Add to Point Blank Shot: "with a bow equipped, you gain +3[w] within 10 meters, and +5[w] to damage within 5 meters"
5. Add to Archers Focus: "with a bow equipped, you gain an additional +2% Doubleshot with every stack of this feat"

Thank you

Sounds good without being OP.

Unfortunetely, we are in the age of 2h melee right now, and ranged is being nerfed everywhere not buffed. Not just in mecanics but also in raid loot as loot by the preview.

[ShifterThePirate]

Bows will never work when lag keeps eating your arrows. Half of the time they don't even register as a hit or a mis....
The same issue often prevents you from hitting running enemies. Like flying bats and running kobolts are sometimes just impossible to hit because the arrows don't connect and just disappear...

[kanordog]

Bows will never work when lag keeps eating your arrows. Half of the time they don't even register as a hit or a mis....
The same issue often prevents you from hitting running enemies. Like flying bats and running kobolts are sometimes just impossible to hit because the arrows don't connect and just disappear...

Ran a bow build a few weeks ago, the dps was alright in heroics albeit slow to clear mobs due to lack of aoe.
The real problem was that about the fourth of my arrows flew away without hitting anything but not as a miss just simply flying somewhere.
Fixing that could give a nice 20-25% increase in dps.

Also, size matters, it is a PITA to hit any smaller mobs - feeding on the char's legs- with a bigger character, like wf, horc, db.

[LurkingVeteran]

Bows are so nerfed into the ground it's literally disgusting. Some suggestions:

1. Un-nerf bows from IPS 20% reduction (thematically bows have much more piercing ability than throwing weapons)
2. Bows are two handed, they deserve to get 1.5x damage from Stat bonus
3. Inherent IPS: Give bows inherent improved precise shot (10-30%) that will work for each target an arrows hits even if you're in Archer Focus.
4. Add to Point Blank Shot: "with a bow equipped, you gain +3[w] within 10 meters, and +5[w] to damage within 5 meters"
5. Add to Archers Focus: "with a bow equipped, you gain an additional +2% Doubleshot with every stack of this feat"

Thank you

The first 2-3 are good suggestions.

I note that the latest two raid bows are already using +6 dice, so maybe they are coming around to bows being two-handed.

[droid327]

Bows are so nerfed into the ground it's literally disgusting. Some suggestions:

1. Un-nerf bows from IPS 20% reduction (thematically bows have much more piercing ability than throwing weapons)
2. Bows are two handed, they deserve to get 1.5x damage from Stat bonus
3. Inherent IPS: Give bows inherent improved precise shot (10-30%) that will work for each target an arrows hits even if you're in Archer Focus.
4. Add to Point Blank Shot: "with a bow equipped, you gain +3[w] within 10 meters, and +5[w] to damage within 5 meters"
5. Add to Archers Focus: "with a bow equipped, you gain an additional +2% Doubleshot with every stack of this feat"

Thank you

1&3. Yes, I'd prefer to remove the 20% damage reduction for IPS and instead change it to like an 80% chance per target hit to pierce. Though I imagine the servers would groan with the added calculations that would create. I wouldnt turn "Shoot-through" into a standalone stat like Strikethrough though, and start giving % from various sources.
2. Every ranged weapon is 2H except Throwers...so should xbows get 1.5x too? Melee 2H get the stat bonus to keep them competitive with 1h weapons + offhand. That's not an issue for ranged weapons.
4. Sounds more like an Epic PBS feat. That would absolutely destroy in early levels, no one would use anything BUT a bow till like L12.
5. Doubleshot seems to be the most parsimonious way to boost Bows at this point, yes. I'll just say though...the more you boost AF, the more you're rewarding stance-dancing between AF and IPS, and that's not something I think the game should be pushing people towards, its not fun gameplay. I might just give Bows 150% Doubleshot scaling innately.

[RogerP1er]

[/QUOTE]4. Add to Point Blank Shot: "with a bow equipped, you gain +3[w] within 10 meters, and +5[w] to damage within 5 meters"[/QUOTE]

actually in ADD 2nd edition, there was a specialization feat allow to reduce the minimum distance of point blank to 2 meter, and it was done so with a +3 hit and damage. so i guess your suggestion would be an acceptable proposal, but i d see it as a plus 1 wpn within 10 meter, and 3 wpn within 5.

[jakeelala]

They did that last patch?

Huehuehue.

Yeah super lame. Nerfs should be precise and not blanket combat styles that are already weak

Tbh I would be happy with just 1 & 2 on your suggestion list. Personally though I would still prefer the bow pass we were told was in the works and then fell through the cracks as we all speculated it would after the half baked mini pass we got at the same time ranged was nerfed.

I must have missed this

Sounds good without being OP.

Unfortunately, we are in the age of 2h melee right now, and ranged is being nerfed everywhere not buffed. Not just in mecanics but also in raid loot as loot by the preview.

Yeah it's all pallys/bears/barbs right now with some sorcs, alchemists, and the occasional bard. Lots of throwers but that's not going to be for long...

[Xgya]

I totally agree about the stat bonus. I'd like to see tests to make sure we don't break anything in half (or whether we should only apply it to Bow Strength applying 1.5 times your Strength bonus, but not affecting any alternate stat - make having two stats for both hit and damage a feature of bows, then give them a bonus for doing so)

No reverting IPS. Boost bows so their baseline damage is closer to Inquis, then they'll both be equally affected by IPS, which was the original intent.

Final ranged DPS 'buff' isn't really one as much as it's a change to a seldom-used game mechanic.
Make all ammo returning. ALL of it. No more stacks of arrows in chests. Arrows and bolts as loot to the same extent bracers and goggles are.
It's an equipment slot absolutely nobody cares about, and it's a shame.

weapons have evolved over the years that letting ranged weapons get an extra affix from their ammo wouldn't be overpowered, but would be very versatile.

[Tilomere]

Well, when the player base complaint was that ranged is too safe, then nerfing IPS and making ranged a single target stand still for archers focus dps style makes sense. It is what people asked for.

Now we encourage casters to stand still to cast by cutting their DCs while moving, and we have ourselves balance as asked for by the player base! How about -4 DCs for casting while moving? Would that give casters pause enough to be in greater danger? Maybe take an arrow to the knee?

[AbyssalMage]

Also, size matters, it is a PITA to hit any smaller mobs - feeding on the char's legs- with a bigger character, like wf, horc, db.

That is something that has been a problem once it was discovered with the 10k builds back during MutU. Not sure it is a simple fix or they simply don't think it is worth developer time. But yeah, the fact that Halfling (and now Gnome) make for the best range builds is a PITA.

[Xgya]

Well, when the player base complaint was that ranged is too safe, then nerfing IPS and making ranged a single target stand still for archers focus dps style makes sense. It is what people asked for.

Now we encourage casters to stand still to cast by cutting their DCs while moving, and we have ourselves balance as asked for by the player base! How about -4 DCs for casting while moving? Would that give casters pause enough to be in greater danger?

Another option would be a certain amount of spell failure while moving, reduced to 0 by having Mobile Spellcasting, a feat that's otherwise useless right now.

I'm not sure about numbers, but it needs to be decent enough to warrant people paying a 2 feat tax to get rid of it.

[salmag]

Bows are so nerfed into the ground it's literally disgusting. Some suggestions:

1. Un-nerf bows from IPS 20% reduction (thematically bows have much more piercing ability than throwing weapons)
2. Bows are two handed, they deserve to get 1.5x damage from Stat bonus
3. Inherent IPS: Give bows inherent improved precise shot (10-30%) that will work for each target an arrows hits even if you're in Archer Focus.
4. Add to Point Blank Shot: "with a bow equipped, you gain +3[w] within 10 meters, and +5[w] to damage within 5 meters"
5. Add to Archers Focus: "with a bow equipped, you gain an additional +2% Doubleshot with every stack of this feat"

Thank you

1. I agree wholeheartedly. ONLY un-nerf bows.
2. Add this bonus damage to Bow Strength feat.
3. Interesting... I like this concept.
4. I agree except I would cut this in half & expand the PBS range (for Bows only). +1.5[w] within 20m, +2.5[w] within 10m. Since Bows are best at longer ranges - expand their PBS range so it encompasses a longer distance.
5. Not sure about this one, though it couldn't hurt.

I'll add one more.

6. Get rid of the Dodge & Mobility feat requirements for Shot On The Run. Or rather get rid of the Dodge requirement for Mobility.

[droid327]

Bows are best at long range - expand the PBS for them.

I'm not sure you realize what "point blank" means lol

[salmag]

I'm not sure you realize what "point blank" means lol

I do. But Bows need something, so expand the Point Blank Shot for them...

You're right my original statement doesn't sound right...

I tried to make it seem better... hehehe