Archery at close range is op

Wiebelo · March 20, 2018, 9:09am

I love this game for its realism, that is why archery at close range is really bugging me. You can kill every enemy by walking backwards and shooting arrows in their face, which is way easier than melee combat. I feel there should be some penalty for walking, being close to a melee combatant or being hit with a melee weapon if you are drawing an arrow.

Whenever i clear a camp of bandits or cumans i always approach with a bow and try to take down one or two enemies before i switch to my blade. I just do this for realism though. The easiest thing is to just walk backwards and shoot them in the face one by one.

Franz · March 20, 2018, 9:21am

i guess an arrow from close range, straight into the face, would definitely be deadly … So there you have your realism again.

Voxdalian · March 20, 2018, 9:23am

Try long range archery from horseback, you’ll be surprised how easy it is and it’s more satisfying too.

Wiebelo · March 20, 2018, 9:35am

Sure, close range arrows to the face are the worst! But try to land one while running backwards when someone is lunging forward to you with a sword.

HiraethAlone · March 20, 2018, 9:54am

Every time im using a bow to shoot someone up close i always wish this game had a bash function like skyrim where you can punch and stun them for a second to give you a chance to get some distance between you and them.

Conrad · March 20, 2018, 10:37am

I agree with the OP. Indeed it is easy to kill quickly whilst moving backward with a good bow. However realism is not covered at all in this instance really. If it was me, faced with a foe shooting arrows, and I was close enough to land a hit, I’d aim for the bow stave, which would surely break or chop down on the archers bow hand and wrist. Enemies never do this, or seem incapable of doing it. Even when they land a hit, the drawing of the bow is not hindered or interrupted enough for realism. Hopefully it will be addressed with some of the other glaring combat failings.

zack_paden · March 20, 2018, 10:50am

Henry hates taking a blow to the head while aiming. It’s always right before he fires too!

Wiebelo · March 22, 2018, 9:49am

Neither is satisfying. On horseback you can also just run around and kite enemies without ever getting hit or taken of your horse. No fun at all.

Voxdalian · March 22, 2018, 9:52am

I said long range, read before you answer.

Wiebelo · March 22, 2018, 10:05am

This topic is not about long range. Read the topic title.

Voxdalian · March 22, 2018, 10:07am

The discussion is about close range archery being strong, so I think saying long range archery is more fun is a valid point to make and entirely fitting in the context.

Wiebelo · March 22, 2018, 11:51am

Does it fix the problem that archery can be easily abused? No. Learn to think before you answer.

Voxdalian · March 22, 2018, 12:50pm

But whether you abuse it or not is your own choice. If you chose to ruin your own experience by abusing something that’s your problem, if you want fun gameplay you just don’t do it, and if someone else abuses something than it has nothing to do with you. So there is no problem at all here.

Watanabe · March 22, 2018, 12:59pm

Agree with OP 100%. Especially when youre well armored in the later stages of the game it is way too easy just to let 4+ opponents hit away at you while you shoot them in the face one by one.

I like the idea of enemies being able to break your bow when you try to equip it at melee range. Would love to see this implemented into the combat system somehow.

serk · March 22, 2018, 1:11pm

I always avoid the archer type in most game because it tends to be cheesy and OP. It is even worst when you have a reticle with your bow.

IMO, backpedaling and moving around should be forbiden when the bow is drawn. It also make no sense that backpedaling is just as fast as the ennemies walking towards you, and without any chance to trip on some branches or rocks that you obviously don’t see.

It would help if the ennemies would not enter ‘‘combat mode’’ when close to an archer and instead would just keep running and slashing at you.

linusvanpelt1776 · March 22, 2018, 3:54pm

No. That’s not realistic and it’s not even deadly. Otherwise there wouldn’t have been swords in history, only archers. First because you can’t be sure to kill your opponent instantly. Second because while you use your arrow from close range (which means: take your arrow from your quiver, put it in your arrow, pull, release), your opponent has all the time to pass your body from side to side more than once even with a knife.