Bow As A Primary Weapon

t4e.axel

Green Slime
A bow as a main weapon is a good thing, except ranged weapons are usually very broken so I been thinking on how it can be balanced and viable, and most importantly, fun.

Core Bow Usage Changes:

1- It can be equipped in the main weapon hand, quiver goes in the shield slot. (This makes weapon switching a bit more difficult and challenging).
2- Decrease quiver size. (15, 2nd one 20)
3- Add 0.5 second(or more) of delay between each arrow you shoot, eliminating ultra fast spam.
4- "Bow Weapons" decrease your character's armor.
5- Skills have high mana usage.

As for the skills, here are some suggestions:

1- Scavenge - Eliminates 1 stick in your inventory to generate 1 arrow, uses 10 mana. (Short animation of the skill causes a opening for the enemy to strike, also have a limit on how many sticks you can carry) Charge increases stick consumption and generates more arrows.
2- Double Shot - Shoots 2 consecutive arrows, uses 55 mana and 2 arrows. (Like a 2 arrow spam.) Charge low damage increase.
3- Escape - Jumps a short distance backwards, uses 45 mana. Charge jumps further back.
4- Spread Shot - Shoots 3 arrows cone spread, uses 70 mana and 3 arrow. Charge low damage increase.
5- Showtime - For 1.5 seconds you lose the delay so you can spam arrows, they deal 25% less damage, also your armor decreases by 100, mana cost 100. Charge decreases mana cost.

This way of ranger plays requires better timing, planning and accuracy. Each arrow missed will cost you. Even though if you are skilled enough you can alternate between weapons to create openings and defend yourself properly.

High risk play with high rewards. That is what rangers live for!
 

MrChocodemon

Handsome Moderator
http://secretsofgrindea.com/forum/index.php?threads/making-the-bow-a-primary-weapon.131/#post-4421

As you can see of the Devs response:
We have considered it a lot, and there have been much discussion about it in the old beta forums. But at the end of the day, the game became better when we turned the bow into a secondary weapon, and while perhaps a primary bow could have a place in our game it would take so much work to fine tune it we'd rather put into creating new content. :(
 

t4e.axel

Green Slime
Yeah I saw it but I kinda already gave it some thought before so i kinda wanted to post this anyways. Its a pity, Marksman is my favorite class in RPGs, I hope they at least add a way to recover arrows at least ;_;
 
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Teylor

Green Slime
I think it could be easily balanced

just keep the mechanic, that you can only have a limited amount of arrows with you. But give us a passive skill that increases arrow drop chance (for example a 30% chance that an arrow drops when you hit an enemy) and pick up range for arrows. This way, it can be a primary weapon, but sometimes you are forced to go into the crowd to gather arrows or forced to fight with sword/magic if you ran out of arrows.

Furthermore: The problem with the bow currently is, that it shoots as fast as you can click. While the 1h/2h sword feel "good" and realistic, the bow is abolustely op when it comes to attack speed. It should have a similiar attack speed like 1h swords and should be influeneced by Attackspeed as well.

If all of this gets considered, bows could easily become a main weapon. I can imagine some great bow skills (rain of arrows, triple shot, piercing arrow, circle of arrows and a summon: stationary crossbow).
 

Own

Moderator
I can imagine some great bow skills (rain of arrows, triple shot, piercing arrow, circle of arrows and a summon: stationary crossbow).

Meteor, Chain Lightning, Ice Spikes, Frost Nova, Summon Plant Silver Charge.

Every mechanic a bow class could cover is already covered by some spell. I doubt anyone wants to see months spent on redundant mechanics. :p
 
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