Bow & Arrow - Minor amends that are seriously needed.

[rickyriot 1009]

I have been trying to use the bow and arrow instead of a gun but there are two serious problems with doing this.

 

1) You cannot undraw the bow once it has been drawn back.

 

This means you have to either fire off the arrow, change stance, or change weapon just to get the bow back to it's default (undrawn) state. This stops the bow from being anything other than a static weapon.

 

2) You cannot move when the bow is drawn back. 

 

You can with a gun, so why not a bow? Combined with problem #1 it means you can't use the bow and arrow as an offensive weapon (or follow an animal). 

 

 

Obviously the bow and arrow are still in development, so I'll put aside it's "quirky nature" as being part of that process, however if you intend people to use them seriously the ability to move while the bow is drawn back and the ability to undraw the bow when it's drawn are necessary.

 

While I don't have any understanding of the implementation, I cannot see there being a huge overhead in implementing them, and doing so would improve the use of the bow no end. Neither of these abilities would impact on the reality or immersion, if anything it would add to it.

 

Thanks in advance.

 

[cheeseburger8 80]

Why does it have to be Ashwood only? Other wood would work.

[VermillionX 78]

Why does it have to be Ashwood only? Other wood would work.

Not really.

Ash is a Hardwood tree with some of the best elasticity. In real life, it's primarily used to make Bows, Tool Handles and Baseball Bats.

You couldn't do that with Birch or Pine, it would just snap.

[rickyriot 1009]

You see I don't mind it being an ashwood tree, if only for the reason that it's quite rare (well, not rare, but if you are looking for one, there's never one near you!) and it makes the crafting of the bow and the fishing rod that little bit more awkward.

 

The lack of movement when you have the bow drawn is a particular annoyance. I want to use it while stalking (zombies) round towns, but as it is you can't. All you can do is spot a zombie, then draw, then fire. Ideally I am sure we all want the same abilities as the gun;walk while iron-sighted which in the case of the bow this would be drawn, and the ability to raise and lower the iron sights at will without firing off a round which in the case of the bow, to draw and undraw without firing an arrow.

 

This is not an issue for the crossbow of course as it's set permanently drawn. 

[Judopunch 523]

You see I don't mind it being an ashwood tree, if only for the reason that it's quite rare (well, not rare, but if you are looking for one, there's never one near you!) and it makes the crafting of the bow and the fishing rod that little bit more awkward.

 

The lack of movement when you have the bow drawn is a particular annoyance. I want to use it while stalking (zombies) round towns, but as it is you can't. All you can do is spot a zombie, then draw, then fire. Ideally I am sure we all want the same abilities as the gun;walk while iron-sighted which in the case of the bow this would be drawn, and the ability to raise and lower the iron sights at will without firing off a round which in the case of the bow, to draw and undraw without firing an arrow.

 

This is not an issue for the crossbow of course as it's set permanently drawn. 

Actually they are just about everywhere. The problems is when you would want a bow you probably do not have an Ax, removing that requirement, and increasing the range of the weapon, would do a lot for its usability. As it is I generally find several guns before I would think about using a bow, for all the reasons listed by the OP.

[rickyriot 1009]

Actually they are just about everywhere. 

 

I thought the very same, but actually they are not as easy to find as you'd think. Obviously this is contextual based on the area the map you are; for example on the East coast there are tons, but move to the forests of the North West and they are not that common.

[Judopunch 523]

I thought the very same, but actually they are not as easy to find as you'd think. Obviously this is contextual based on the area the map you are; for example on the East coast there are tons, but move to the forests of the North West and they are not that common.

Maby the far NorthWest. But if you did not know there are two models for the tree. The small one and the large one. They are relatively common even towards the middle of the map. Yet again the two biggest issues effecting the bow are its range and the fact that you need an ax to get the stick. You will most often have a gun before you will need a bow.

[threedogification 41]

For me, the bow is a good side arm if you put it in your backpack. I was in a pinch being chased by a bandit and my blaze was out of ammo so I pulled my bow and drew it and pointed at the door. He ran into the room unsuspecting and got an arrow to the chest. He died instantly.

[Chaingunfighter 917]

Hopefully we'll get a compound bow at some point, just like a manufactured fishing rod, so that we still have the option to use looted variants. (Rarer though... To the point that crafting a bow shouldn't be a waste of time but still be difficult enough so that it's not a "free ranged weapon")

But yes, cancelling the draw and moving whilst drawn would be great.

[veteranninja 73]

They add a compound crossbow, why they are not adding a compound bow..

[rickyriot 1009]

Maby the far NorthWest. But if you did not know there are two models for the tree. The small one and the large one. They are relatively common even towards the middle of the map. Yet again the two biggest issues effecting the bow are its range and the fact that you need an ax to get the stick. You will most often have a gun before you will need a bow.

 

From experience I have only ever gotten sticks from the large grey trunk ones, and trust me I've found myself cutting down tons of trees in an attempt to get it from others!

 

I think the issue regarding getting a gun before a bow, considering that rope is generally available and if you are on the East Coast the Ashwood trees are plentiful, then with a bit of a tweaking of the loot table - and I'd prefer to see much fewer guns in circulation although that is an issue due to server hopping with your loot - then that balance between crafted and militarised weapons could make the bow the "go-to" weapon of the fresh spawn.

 

For me, the bow is a good side arm if you put it in your backpack. I was in a pinch being chased by a bandit and my blaze was out of ammo so I pulled my bow and drew it and pointed at the door. He ran into the room unsuspecting and got an arrow to the chest. He died instantly.

 

The bow can be used with a decent level of effect, the huge disadvantage in using them as an offensive weapon is the two laid out in my first post.

 

 

But yes, cancelling the draw and moving whilst drawn would be great.

 

Not just great, but essential, imo, if we are to make the bow anything other than a toy for trying to take out cows when you are bored.

[Chaingunfighter 917]

Not just great, but essential, imo, if we are to make the bow anything other than a toy for trying to take out cows when you are bored.

Well - in the same sense, yes, I do think it's something that is necessary to have in the game at some point.

 

The bow is still a surprisingly capable weapon at this stage - 1 hit kill and extremely silent, and it's also more accurate than the crossbow for some reason (a compound bow could be, maybe, but I really cannot believe that a bow thrown together with some ashwood sticks and rope is going to be more effective than a well-machined hunting crossbow.)

 

Like I said - bows and crossbows need to be powerful enough so that they're capable weapons and make a decent choice for some valid playstyles, to the point that they're situational and not end-all weapons but they're also a reasonable alternative to firearms in some cases. (Majority of people should still be using guns and/or melee weapons, albeit with less ammunition and more diversity than just AKM and firefighter axe)

[cheeseburger8 80]

Not really.

Ash is a Hardwood tree with some of the best elasticity. In real life, it's primarily used to make Bows, Tool Handles and Baseball Bats.

You couldn't do that with Birch or Pine, it would just snap.

 

Oh. Okay, then.

 

Well, this is awkward...