Archery Update Design Plans

[Maerit]

For your viewing pleasure:



These are just 4x hand crossbows with ebladed bolts.

Don't use ebladed bolts they have a reduced flare rate apparently. Try it with some flaring fletchings on crafted bolts!

[Fortybox]

For your viewing pleasure:



These are just 4x hand crossbows with ebladed bolts.

So you moved away from long bow? Seems like everyone is going to do crossbow now.

[BriarFox]

Don't use ebladed bolts they have a reduced flare rate apparently. Try it with some flaring fletchings on crafted bolts!

Yeah. It’s easier to eblade though.

[BriarFox]

So you moved away from long bow? Seems like everyone is going to do crossbow now.

No, my STR is high enough that I can aim a longbow in 3 seconds. If I couldn’t, then I’d switch to crossbows. I’m playing with these hand crossbows for fun.

[Donquix]

OTF so squishy though, constructs aside. Go do rift now, make sure to 10 strike the cerebralites they like that!

[Maerit]

Well, if you're a sniper crossbows seem to make more sense for rangers with 608 since you can still COCK the weapon while in cast RT (3s hard RT), then fire the weapon for 2s after the cast + cock RT ends which ends up being faster than a longbow. And you're getting the +30 AS w/ aiming bonus, so you're more likely to hit them in the eye and get a quick kill. If you're killing the target in 2 shots or less, heavy crossbow when opening with a spell is faster. (3s cast RT + 2s Fire + 5s fire) = 10s vs (3s cast RT + 4s fire RT + 4s fire RT) = 11s. Once it takes longer than 2 shots to kill your target, or if you're staying in a room hiding for multiple critters, then you'll get faster attacks with a longbow for the cost of 30AS. For sniping, I think the crossbow is just better since you're not particularly worried about your defense and 30AS can make up for the slower RT by killing a target in potentially fewer shots.

From the open, I'd stick to a longbow for the DS advantages and the fact that you can fire the weapon in 3s RT with enough STR bonus while aiming.

My rogue has been enjoying the crossbow using the tactic to cock the weapon after searching an empty room, and I also appreciate the CMAN changes allowing me to learn more ranks of CMAN without level requirements. Having 4/5 shadow mastery, 1/2 combat mobility and 1/2 shadow dance by level 20 makes it really easy to start sniping effectively early on. By level 30 you can have max shadow mastery & combat mobility, so if you do get caught out of stealth kneeling you stand up immediately & can re-hide in 1s RT.

And since you're not using a lot of active CMANs, all your stamina can be devoted to quick strike.

[Elgrim]

Having 4/5 shadow mastery, 1/2 combat mobility and 1/2 shadow dance by level 20 makes it really easy to start sniping effectively early on.

Problem with that is Shadow Dance takes Shadow Mastery 5 as a requirement. So you are into that skill for 30 pts as a rogue before you can start worrying about Sdance.

[Donquix]

Problem with that is Shadow Dance takes Shadow Mastery 5 as a requirement. So you are into that skill for 30 pts as a rogue before you can start worrying about Sdance.

yeah 34 points necessary to get perma sdance, but because of the OTHER change with cmans recently you can do that at any level now which is awesome. before you couldn't max shadow mastery at all until level 30 due to the can't-spend-more-points-on-single-skill-than-your-level constraint. which was always pretty dumb given that active cmans are always bad, but literally fucking useless until you have at least 3 ranks. So if you're foregoing picking you can pretty feasibly double cman till 16 which gives you 34 for full smas and rank 1 dance. you could dial back after that depending on priority but perma shadow mastery passive and 1 second hide is so so nice.

[Maerit]

Problem with that is Shadow Dance takes Shadow Mastery 5 as a requirement. So you are into that skill for 30 pts as a rogue before you can start worrying about Sdance.

That's a good call. Dropped my mobility for now, and will pick it back up. Have 5/5 smastery and 1/2 sdance @ level 17 and will have 1/2 mobility at 18 for those times when I get spotted (like that ever happens)

[gilchristr]

"And since you're not using a lot of active CMANs, all your stamina can be devoted to quick strike. "

This! Not standing there for 3 seconds with your dick in your hand following a "setup" CMAN, plus all stamina saved for quick strike, winning...