Archers, could use some love? Maybe?

[DarkDreamer]

Perfect imbalance does not apply to Arelith. Archers seeming undewhelming in comparison to melee is not really the crux of the problem, but merely a symptom. We have been gradually getting access to more and more powerful magical items. This indirectly boosts melee characters, pushing them slightly ahead of the power curve. Buffing archers to their power level would only add to the problem IMO.

Yes but when their power is going up, and ours hasnt changed in over a year...Mages and Fighters have gained impressively, Archers do need love too, the problem is, they aren't getting any. Bows remain weak and unchanged, arrows are rare and extremely expensive when they get stronger. So something has to change for the Archers. PVP doesn't need full balance, but some measure of Balance needs to be made too, rather then just leaving us hanging to die as PVP bait for everyone else.

[The Kriv]

Perfect imbalance does not apply to Arelith. Archers seeming undewhelming in comparison to melee is not really the crux of the problem, but merely a symptom. We have been gradually getting access to more and more powerful magical items. This indirectly boosts melee characters, pushing them slightly ahead of the power curve. Buffing archers to their power level would only add to the problem IMO.

Fair statement. But in the grand game of Rock-Paper-Scissors, it might help quell the problem less if at least everyone HAD an Achilles heel, and there wasn't one role that WAS an Achilles heel.

[Sockss]

Archers are pretty strong; aside from you having to have some sort of horrible mental illness to tolerate crafting arrows. Considering their AB, they can do more damage than a WM - not to mention piercing DR which is a really bad time for casters especially.

Rangers are just bad archers, is all. (Even if you go Ranger -> AA, that's not good)

If you're playing an AA around death arrow, that's not the most optimal thing to be doing. Running around chucking auto's is significantly better.

[Peppermint]

A well-played archer is upper tier.

What's holding them back is the obnoxious crafting, not a lack of intrinsic power.

[WhiskeyGuy]

A well-played archer is upper tier.

What's holding them back is the obnoxious crafting, not a lack of intrinsic power.

Yup.

[DarkDreamer]

That and some variety in bows, rather then just "1" bow type that is a bit weak in comparison to every other class.

[Sockss]

Why would you say it's weak?

Archers using the current bows are categorically good, they don't need mechanical improvement, they need QOL improvement.

[SwampFoot]

Call shot leg is a fantastic equalizer. It stacks. And it reduces AC (by way of dex reduction). You can slow a meleer down to a crawl with it.

A ranger or SD build with HiPS can murder most melee classes without taking a hit. My old elven ranger used to crit in the hundred range with a plain iron arrow against favored enemies.

[Dalenger]

Call shot leg is a fantastic equalizer. It stacks. And it reduces AC (by way of dex reduction). You can slow a meleer down to a crawl with it.

Meh, not really. Any meleer worth their salt will have disc boosted through the clouds with ranks, items, and possibly even an epic feat. All the while, they're sprinting directly at you looking to chew your face. Also, as with many debuffs, -pray and restoration remain a great way to say "your strategy is moot".

[flower]

Call shot leg is a fantastic equalizer. It stacks. And it reduces AC (by way of dex reduction). You can slow a meleer down to a crawl with it.

Meh, not really. Any meleer worth their salt will have disc boosted through the clouds with ranks, items, and possibly even an epic feat. All the while, they're sprinting directly at you looking to chew your face. Also, as with many debuffs, -pray and restoration remain a great way to say "your strategy is moot".

Not valid points. Archers can get Ab equal to meleers discipline. forcing you to to make discipline check on each single hit will have abyssmal effect on meleer. Meleer can use wards - but they are breachable. If he stops to pray, you get a time to shoot, same with scrolls. And any moment spent on doing something else than swinging on archer means that archer pins arrows into meleer.

[CoastalSurf]

To be honest, the QoL stuff for archers is a bit moot with the AI changes. Any and every suggestion i'd have had previously went out the window with the AI update. That's not a complaint, I'm loving the AI change but it hits archers hard(est). So....the crafting burden (to me) seems marginal compared to the new tactical complications.

Ideas:
Sniper Path: Reduces percentage for groups to rush you by x%
Archer Path: Opens up creation of archer only CC arrows (entangle or grease on hit for example)