Veteran player here giving some input on archery. In Mortal Online1 it always seemed as though Archery was really just the weakest combat style available. It was almost like the Poor Mans Magic. If you couldn't afford to use magic, you used archery or you were just a fool who fell for a noob trap. Only reason to be a archer was hunting Crickets in Sard Desert for Gold or Golden Danburru or whatever their name was. Or killing Thorax... You did some decent damage if you met all the requirements such as Weakspot on the head, against a opponent not using Draconic Armor. But the skill cap for aiming a bow on a horse while the damn arrow thing moves back and forth.... and getting so low damage compared to the damage of a mage who ignores Armor completely just never made any sense. Add onto the fact that a foot archer still uses stamina to run and kite and shoot arrows and suddenly you are met with the reality that, that too is not a good play style.. You run out of stamina faster while running and shooting. And now a Foot Fighter Man with sword catches up and carves your face up like a turkey on thanksgiving.
Now you can dispute these points or try to argue against them... But it still stands that pretty much any counter argument you say still fails.. As a Mage can do the same hit and run strategy and still deal more damage and easier then you as the Archer can. Even if you don't agree with my points, i feel strongly that archers should be able to do more then just shoot a arrow lol.
My Suggestion: Archer Skills for increased damage ie: Poison Arrows lv100 add a Damage over time effect to each arrow for 20 damage over 5 seconds. Poison refreshes with each new arrow. And Stacks with lower damage ie: 1st Arrow 20 damage over 5 secs, 2nd arrow stacks with the 1st but only adds a extra 10 damage over 5 seconds and 3rd arrow 5 damage over 5 seconds ect.. So on and so on. (Still need to have poison arrows to use this skill.. Each Arrow cost +5% more stamina) Multi-Shot lv100 Shoot 2 arrows at once First shot dealing 100% and second shot dealing 75% damage. lv100 in this skill makes 1st arrow deal 150% damage and 2nd shot dealing 100% damage. (Drains a extra 15% stamina to use) Long Shot lv100 Shoot a Arrow the Longer you pull the bow back the further the arrow flies. At 25% stamina Drain, +100% damage, at 50% stamina Drain +200% damage, at 75% stamina drain +300% damage, at 100% of your stamina you deal +400% damage to target. Increase arrow range by 2x at full stamina drain. Hawk Eye Passive skill: See Further ahead adding a snipe option to archers. This would work the same way adding a scope to a gun would. +25% damage to archers who fire arrows in Hawk Eye scope mode. Fire Arrows: Similar to Poison Arrows with 1 main difference. More Burst Damage, Less Damage over time. Fire Arrows lv100 skill, Cost +10% more stamina Add 50 damage over 5 seconds 2nd fire arrows do not stack the effect and must wait 5 seconds before another fire arrow can be used.
This is just a Rough Template of Ideas. The damage and effects aren't set in stone. It's just things i thought of. I don't want this game to Ever turn into a World Of Warcraft Cooldown spell rotation type of game either. So adding the extra stamina drain prevents spam where as adding cool downs would just feel like adding a ton of burst once u are off cool downs... Then that feels like World of warcraft no thx lol.
Bow Crafting: In Mortal Online1 there was only a few Bows players used... This was the same with the shields and it is a pity we didn't have more options. I would be more then happy if we could make Bows out of Metal for example and it actually be good. Example a Ogh Bow would deal Ogh damage.
Arrow types? Shark Tooth Arrow? Crocodile Tooth Arrow? Oghnium and Cronite arrows? Shark Fin for the Feather instead of a feather?? Serrated Arrow tips to add bleed damage?
CROSSBOWS???? More damage then Bows but less dps?
Repeater Crossbows? Less burst damage then Crossbow but more dps then normal bows.
Hand Cannon? Think about it
Blow Dart Gun???
Now you can dispute these points or try to argue against them... But it still stands that pretty much any counter argument you say still fails.. As a Mage can do the same hit and run strategy and still deal more damage and easier then you as the Archer can. Even if you don't agree with my points, i feel strongly that archers should be able to do more then just shoot a arrow lol.
My Suggestion: Archer Skills for increased damage ie: Poison Arrows lv100 add a Damage over time effect to each arrow for 20 damage over 5 seconds. Poison refreshes with each new arrow. And Stacks with lower damage ie: 1st Arrow 20 damage over 5 secs, 2nd arrow stacks with the 1st but only adds a extra 10 damage over 5 seconds and 3rd arrow 5 damage over 5 seconds ect.. So on and so on. (Still need to have poison arrows to use this skill.. Each Arrow cost +5% more stamina) Multi-Shot lv100 Shoot 2 arrows at once First shot dealing 100% and second shot dealing 75% damage. lv100 in this skill makes 1st arrow deal 150% damage and 2nd shot dealing 100% damage. (Drains a extra 15% stamina to use) Long Shot lv100 Shoot a Arrow the Longer you pull the bow back the further the arrow flies. At 25% stamina Drain, +100% damage, at 50% stamina Drain +200% damage, at 75% stamina drain +300% damage, at 100% of your stamina you deal +400% damage to target. Increase arrow range by 2x at full stamina drain. Hawk Eye Passive skill: See Further ahead adding a snipe option to archers. This would work the same way adding a scope to a gun would. +25% damage to archers who fire arrows in Hawk Eye scope mode. Fire Arrows: Similar to Poison Arrows with 1 main difference. More Burst Damage, Less Damage over time. Fire Arrows lv100 skill, Cost +10% more stamina Add 50 damage over 5 seconds 2nd fire arrows do not stack the effect and must wait 5 seconds before another fire arrow can be used.
This is just a Rough Template of Ideas. The damage and effects aren't set in stone. It's just things i thought of. I don't want this game to Ever turn into a World Of Warcraft Cooldown spell rotation type of game either. So adding the extra stamina drain prevents spam where as adding cool downs would just feel like adding a ton of burst once u are off cool downs... Then that feels like World of warcraft no thx lol.
Bow Crafting: In Mortal Online1 there was only a few Bows players used... This was the same with the shields and it is a pity we didn't have more options. I would be more then happy if we could make Bows out of Metal for example and it actually be good. Example a Ogh Bow would deal Ogh damage.
Arrow types? Shark Tooth Arrow? Crocodile Tooth Arrow? Oghnium and Cronite arrows? Shark Fin for the Feather instead of a feather?? Serrated Arrow tips to add bleed damage?
CROSSBOWS???? More damage then Bows but less dps?
Repeater Crossbows? Less burst damage then Crossbow but more dps then normal bows.
Hand Cannon? Think about it
Blow Dart Gun???