The problem is not bandaids in my opinion, it's simply heavy armor/ towershields but since most people use them, they think it's just fine .
Longbows don't do too low damage , they do much too high damage against light armor and too low damage against heavy armor.
Heavy Armor is so overtuned, that some builds are almost impossible to kill solo in a reasonable time. Towershields should imo get a strength requirement to avoid mages from using them (its simply unfair to have like 95% dmg reduction on your back). And the argument with magic damage being "too strong" is dishonest at best. There is no way footies can't just pull out a bow and fight back on kinda even footing, right?! With more range, more damage, higher attack speed and more ammunition while on a heavily armored "melee build" against a mage. Yes mages have much better utility and death hand is just stupid and should be outright deleted but the biggest problem with combat balance is players being too tanky to a point where magic damage from multiple mages is the only way to burst down some of those builds. And yes if three mages flamestrike you while overextending in group fights, you should die with 10psy.