bow and arrows

[Freckelz 9]

Crossbow my friend... go ahead and give it a try... you'll understand after your first shot why no one uses them unless its their only option. Your in an apocolypse man... you've got swarms of zombies all around you... and your weapon of choice... a bow that takes 20 seconds to reload aim and fire... or a 30 round ak... yeah......lol

[Zera_Grey 28]

just add bows as weapons no need to craft them.

EDIT: hunting bows exist just make the bow a weapon for civilian spawns.

Edited July 18, 2012 by Zera_Grey

[Ophidion 11]

Using guns is pretty simple. Fixing guns is complicated, so is making or modifying them. Point and shoot, reload when empty, easy.

Fixing cars is a lot simpler than most people think, all you need to do is find out what's broken and replace it.

You're not rebuilding parts from scratch, you're just swaping a broken part for a working one. If you can follow a set of instructions to assemble a home appliance you can fix a car.

Carving a wooden bow from scratch is very complicated and more of an art than a science

You need to pick the right wood. It needs to be the right size and shape, it needs to not have flaws or knots.

You need to know how to treat it so it bends and flexes properly, It needs to be able to store the energy of a draw without snapping or deforming.

If you're making a compound bow you need to know how to work with non-wood materials like bone or metals.

If you're not making a compound bow its effective range is going to be 30-50m, and that's if you're an ace shot. A compound bow MAY get your effective range to 100m.

Or you can go to the local sporting goods store and grab a compound pulley bow that would put anything you could make out of a piece of wood to shame.

And right next to it you could find some really awesome fiberglass or carbon composite arrows and serrated steel arrow heads with extremely durable synthetic fletching.

Your call...

You've clearly never fired, and/or maintained/fixed a gun before.

Give a gun to someone, 95% says they don't know how to turn the safety off. And if you ask them what it fires, they'll say a bullet. If you ask what type, they'll ask, "There's more than one type?." A lot of the time, people just assume it's pointing and aiming. While knowing the proper way the mechanics of the gun function, it's also important to know how the bullet works. People don't account in that the bullet fired will hit the ground pretty much as the same time if you were to drop a bullet at the same height. Wind after long distances isn't accounted for for sniping.

It's not common knowledge to maintain a gun. It has to be taken care of after use, oiled, taken apart, stored correctly. An M1911 that's been sitting in the dirt for a long ass time isn't going to be as effective as an AK-47 who's chambers are so thick you can fire it after dunking it under sand and water.

Although, I do agree with you in that crafting (let alone using) bows is in fact an art. It is very difficult, and it takes percision of the finest quality, something that the game just can't support properly.

In reality, this game wouldn't just have shoot and reload. It would have conditions that would have to be maintained, almost like a Fallout feel. The game is in alpha, and a lot of things that would make sense to have are sadly just not supported by the game's engine. Wait until further developtment, or until Arma 3 is out.

Edited July 18, 2012 by Ophidion

[heretic (DayZ) 76]

I'm an archer. I shoot a modern recurve bow 3 times a week (weather permitting) with my local archery club.

Many of our members shoot at ranges of up to 120 yds and achieve consistent 6 out of 6 carbon/aluminium arrows on target at this range within a couple of minutes. Although achievable ranges are greater, they are normally only shot in a clout competition, where the archers fire at a flag planted up to 180 yds away. A technique that is really only suitable for massed volleys... i.e. think Agincourt!

The longbow archers at the club have even greater range, but decreasing accuracy. Again they are more suited to shooting in volleys rather than at point targets.

One of my fellow archers has built 3 bows of different designs (shortbow, longbow, pyramid bow) over the last couple of months without prior training or experience. None of them are perfect, but at ranges of up to 50-60 yards he is quite accurate with them. However he is capable of shooting the longbow at far greater ranges, but again, with decreasing accuracy.

Improvised bows are simple to make. But they may not last long and may not be very powerful.

Good improvised bows are more difficult to make. But can last a lot longer and can be much more powerful.

Arrows are also relatively easy to improvise with little knowhow. Good arrows are again, more difficult to improvise.

Additionally, a bow and arrow can be shot by a beginner at ranges of up to 30-40 yards with little experience. I have seen children and adult first timers achieve this within a single 2.5 hour session. To be effective at longer ranges does require more skill and experience.

This is no different to learning to shoot/maintain any other weapon. Either in game or in real life.

You may have guessed. Yes! I like bows and arrows. I do also have quite a bit of real life experience on the range with shooting a variety of firearms. I also live in the UK where firearms are far more difficult to come by than for example, the USA.

Given those circumstances, I can assure you that my bow has a definite place in my survival armory and would do even if I carried a firearm.

Edited July 18, 2012 by heretic

[Zeromentor 169]

I'm an archer. I shoot a modern recurve bow 3 times a week (weather permitting) with my local archery club.

Many of our members shoot at ranges of up to 120 yds and achieve consistent 6 out of 6 carbon/aluminium arrows on target at this range within a couple of minutes. Although achievable ranges are greater, they are normally only shot in a clout competition, where the archers fire at a flag planted up to 180 yds away. A technique that is really only suitable for massed volleys... i.e. think Agincourt!

The longbow archers at the club have even greater range, but decreasing accuracy. Again they are more suited to shooting in volleys rather than at point targets.

One of my fellow archers has built 3 bows of different designs (shortbow, longbow, pyramid bow) over the last couple of months without prior training or experience. None of them are perfect, but at ranges of up to 50-60 yards he is quite accurate with them. However he is capable of shooting the longbow at far greater ranges, but again, with decreasing accuracy.

Improvised bows are simple to make. But they may not last long and may not be very powerful.

Good improvised bows are more difficult to make. But can last a lot longer and can be much more powerful.

Arrows are also relatively easy to improvise with little knowhow. Good arrows are again, more difficult to improvise.

Additionally, a bow and arrow can be shot by a beginner at ranges of up to 30-40 yards with little experience. I have seen children and adult first timers achieve this within a single 2.5 hour session. To be effective at longer ranges does require more skill and experience.

This is no different to learning to shoot/maintain any other weapon. Either in game or in real life.

You may have guessed. Yes! I like bows and arrows. I do also have quite a bit of real life experience on the range with shooting a variety of firearms. I also live in the UK where firearms are far more difficult to come by than for example, the USA.

Given those circumstances, I can assure you that my bow has an assured place in my survival armory.

In real life your area (not being the USA) would be more accomodating for a bow. You wouldn't have a luxery of plentiful ammunition or firearms. As I am in the southern USA, we have no problems getting weapons or their ammunition, legally or otherwise. In my experience, which is obviously different from yours, most people outside of trainers and professionals, can not hit a target with any reliability with a bow, unless is it a very modern, compound bow with some kind of built on sights. These things are not something you could build using a knife, a string and a piece of wood cut off a tree. But those same untrained people can easily figure out that Magazine goes into Magazine Well, safety off and sights to target. They usually aren't very dangerous unless you are a mound of dirt, and so I wouldn't fear many people as they fire at me (the sound WOULD make me flinch, however, and my heart would jump, sure).

As this is a survival situation, a bow would be better for hunting game, being more silent, easier to find or rebuild the ammunition (arrows) than a rifle or pistol. But for killing people and generally protecting yourself from this game's style of zombie, I'd much rather have a rifle.

And I don't think more than a handful of people per county in the USA can build a working bow with a knife and string. So ingame, seeing a modern compound bow is possible as a crossbow skin or something. But handcrafting a bow? Not likely. And I don't support it.

[Quaby 93]

But every one knows how to use guns and fix cars?

Guns are a helluva lot simpler than bows. Any idiot can pick up a gun and fire at someone and be somewhat effective, but bows take awhile to get good at. Also...

Make your own bow? Or go to dick's and grab 30 high-quality arrows with steel broadheads and a much better bow....?

[Quaby 93]

You've clearly never fired, and/or maintained/fixed a gun before.

Give a gun to someone, 95% says they don't know how to turn the safety off. And if you ask them what it fires, they'll say a bullet. If you ask what type, they'll ask, "There's more than one type?." A lot of the time, people just assume it's pointing and aiming. While knowing the proper way the mechanics of the gun function, it's also important to know how the bullet works. People don't account in that the bullet fired will hit the ground pretty much as the same time if you were to drop a bullet at the same height. Wind after long distances isn't accounted for for sniping.

It's not common knowledge to maintain a gun. It has to be taken care of after use, oiled, taken apart, stored correctly. An M1911 that's been sitting in the dirt for a long ass time isn't going to be as effective as an AK-47 who's chambers are so thick you can fire it after dunking it under sand and water.

Although, I do agree with you in that crafting (let alone using) bows is in fact an art. It is very difficult, and it takes percision of the finest quality, something that the game just can't support properly.

In reality, this game wouldn't just have shoot and reload. It would have conditions that would have to be maintained, almost like a Fallout feel. The game is in alpha, and a lot of things that would make sense to have are sadly just not supported by the game's engine. Wait until further developtment, or until Arma 3 is out.

You obviously don't live in the USA....

Hand a rich brit kid a gun, that will be true. Any american, no. Pretty much everyone who owns a gun knows how to fix the one they own. It's like fixing the brake pads on your car or giving it an oil change.

[ibux (DayZ) 22]

Guns are a helluva lot simpler than bows. Any idiot can pick up a gun and fire at someone and be somewhat effective, but bows take awhile to get good at. Also...

Make your own bow? Or go to dick's and grab 30 high-quality arrows with steel broadheads and a much better bow....?

yes 30 high- quality arrows should be a drop also, giving more damage then self made arrows.

[ibux (DayZ) 22]

Crossbow my friend... go ahead and give it a try... you'll understand after your first shot why no one uses them unless its their only option. Your in an apocolypse man... you've got swarms of zombies all around you... and your weapon of choice... a bow that takes 20 seconds to reload aim and fire... or a 30 round ak... yeah......lol

What if your in the city and there is 20 bandits there just waiting for some one to give away their location?

[Lorebot 2]

You've clearly never fired, and/or maintained/fixed a gun before.

Give a gun to someone, 95% says they don't know how to turn the safety off. And if you ask them what it fires, they'll say a bullet. If you ask what type, they'll ask, "There's more than one type?." A lot of the time, people just assume it's pointing and aiming. While knowing the proper way the mechanics of the gun function, it's also important to know how the bullet works. People don't account in that the bullet fired will hit the ground pretty much as the same time if you were to drop a bullet at the same height. Wind after long distances isn't accounted for for sniping.

It's not common knowledge to maintain a gun. It has to be taken care of after use, oiled, taken apart, stored correctly. An M1911 that's been sitting in the dirt for a long ass time isn't going to be as effective as an AK-47 who's chambers are so thick you can fire it after dunking it under sand and water.

Although, I do agree with you in that crafting (let alone using) bows is in fact an art. It is very difficult, and it takes percision of the finest quality, something that the game just can't support properly.

In reality, this game wouldn't just have shoot and reload. It would have conditions that would have to be maintained, almost like a Fallout feel. The game is in alpha, and a lot of things that would make sense to have are sadly just not supported by the game's engine. Wait until further developtment, or until Arma 3 is out.

Uh, I own 4 firearms. An M1911A, a .357 revolver, an M14 and a double barrel shotgun. I inherited them from my father and before owning them I had never cleaned or maintained a gun. I hadn't fired a weapon since I was 18, more than a decade prior. It took me about 2 minutes to tear down the 1911 with no prior experience, another hour to clean it and reassemble it, and an hour after that I was at a local firing range target shooting with it. No training, no tips, no handholding. I was still able to hit a target reliably around 50m within the first 10mins.

I also inherited his 80lb pull composite compound pulley bow. It's not very fancy, no sights, no bells or wistles. I took that bow to a local archery range to give it a try, after an hour of practice with some tips and training provided by the range employees I could reliably hit a target at about 30m. I've since had the bow modified with a set of sights and my accuracy has improved greatly, but it still requires far more expertise and effort than using the 1911.

I'll admit I'm probably smarter than most people, and I'm experienced with mechanical operation and repair so I had a bit of an advantage over your average person. But if you think about it...your not playing an 'average person' you're playing a 'Survivor'...average people became Zombies...'Survivors' are the ones that were smart or lucky enough to not get infected.

[L0G!N (DayZ) 149]

Forgot to add that i do think a bow has a place in this game, it's different from a crossbow similar to how an M14-16 (not entirely sure which) is different from an AK ... while i do not think people should be able to just make one with a stick and a string (ala minecraft) adding bows to civilian spawns and f/e barns would make a lot of sense. I think there would even be room for adding some different pointed arrows for bows, the more commen civilian metal tip, and the general purpose hunting tip (with 4 blades). Perhaps making 'fire arrows' if you have some rags and gasoline, or simply have 'signal arrows' drop.

[ibux (DayZ) 22]

Uh, I own 4 firearms. An M1911A, a .357 revolver, an M14 and a double barrel shotgun. I inherited them from my father and before owning them I had never cleaned or maintained a gun. I hadn't fired a weapon since I was 18, more than a decade prior. It took me about 2 minutes to tear down the 1911 with no prior experience, another hour to clean it and reassemble it, and an hour after that I was at a local firing range target shooting with it. No training, no tips, no handholding. I was still able to hit a target reliably around 50m within the first 10mins.

I also inherited his 80lb pull composite compound pulley bow. It's not very fancy, no sights, no bells or wistles. I took that bow to a local archery range to give it a try, after an hour of practice with some tips and training provided by the range employees I could reliably hit a target at about 30m. I've since had the bow modified with a set of sights and my accuracy has improved greatly, but it still requires far more expertise and effort than using the 1911.

I'll admit I'm probably smarter than most people, and I'm experienced with mechanical operation and repair so I had a bit of an advantage over your average person. But if you think about it...your not playing an 'average person' you're playing a 'Survivor'...average people became Zombies...'Survivors' are the ones that were smart or lucky enough to not get infected.

i tought they were immune?

[Pathfinder (DayZ) 47]

Whats wrong with a crossbow? Its already in the game.

[Carlc4 0]

Love the bow and arrow idea, making the arrows might be overdoing it a bit.

[ibux (DayZ) 22]

Whats wrong with a crossbow? Its already in the game.

its fine, just needs to be added a quiver to it or some thing.

[L0G!N (DayZ) 149]

Whats wrong with a crossbow? Its already in the game.

So why is it not strange that there are 3 different pistols, 3 submachine guns, a ton of automatic riffles, etc in the game, but when it comes to bows, just having a crossbow should be enough?!

[Lucereflame 0]

Also a Bow would have allot faster Reloading speed then the Crossbow. Though i would add the longer you aim/draw the bow the farther the arrow will go, and the better the accuracy.

[giiwedin@live.com 32]

LOL

[killashrub324815@gmail.com 18]

Make arrows stackable. Give us Bows.