I have noticed ever since the newest update concerning the archery components, that the arrows no longer pierce and stick in their targets, but merely bounce off as it hits (this includes flesh).
My suggestion is that the game revert back to real immersion and allow the arrows to pierce and stay in target. Although it is true that arrows can ricochet off of solid targets, arrows striking flesh, or shot directly into heavy armor could pierce, and therefore should.
In all honesty this is a real immersion killer if not fixed.
I found since the recent patches a lot of arrow headshots and some body shots ricochet, specially when you are sniping something that is not aggro towards you yet and it is really frustrating.
Archery is hard enough with the number of arrows you use and need to carry and slow draw time for power shots etc. This should be fixed
I believe part of the frustration is the system that assigns damage points to arrows and bows. A well placed flint tipped arrow in the real world could kill an armored opponent if it is a well placed shot in a vital area that’s not protected.
The ideas that arrows ricochet off of flesh is not realistic at all and need to be addressed.
In all honesty, archery in the game should reflect archery in the real world, not as a fantasy cliche. A warrior used the bow for far shots, or attacking the opponent at range, then drawing another weapon in hand-to-hand if need be. A typical quiver didn’t carry more than 20 arrows, however that number can be speculated by culture and so forth. Nomad cultures carried more than one quiver on horseback to facilitate their particular style of combat.
The damage done by an arrow should reflect reality. Arrows that are well placed and made of strong piercing material would and should be deadly. However, the slow draw time and focus required would balance out the rapid fire tactics employed on smaller draw weight bows. An archer with a full quiver using a light draw bow could if well trained launch arrows much like it is portrayed in the light shot currently in use by the game, however the piercing power that arrow has would be far less than it could be. On unarmored flesh it would be damaging but less than it would be if the arrow was drawn to full length and aimed well.
I feel the archer should be balanced as how it is in reality. The archer should carry a limited amount of arrows on their person, but each arrow should be able to do significant damage if not outright kill unarmored opponents with a single head shot. If they followed this principle to some extent I think archery would be more fulfilling. Players would have to be more careful in the assaulting of bases, since the threat even from thralls would be great. With that said, thralls shooting in rapid succession would only lay down a thick carpet much like they already do with quick shot. However, with careful draw like a power shot would be deadly if the aim is true.
I usually experience that hitboxes seem to get all wonky when I use my bow… Quite specifically on Cat type enemies, unless I waited about 2-3 seconds or more after firing the first, then it’d just pass directly through the beast… Quite annoying, even if it isn’t all that long O.o
If they ever did decide to makes the bow act more realistically, the Explosive Arrow would be a one hit kill with a headshot regardless of armour. Unarmoured, there wouldn’t be much of a head left, but armoured, the concussive force of the blast would smash the helm into the skull, more than likely doing lethal damage, or at the least, severe brain damage.