Potential spoiler alert, if you've insisted on not watching any videos so as to ignore everything then you might want to ignore this post.


Based on one the vids that i've seen of skyrim which has featured archery (the introduction gameplay vid), am i the only one who feels that it feels lightweight and kind of a big disappointment again?

In the vid, the main character uses his shield to shield himself against an incoming arrow and the way it hits his shield is very disappointing, there's a complete lack of feel of the actual force or power the arrow might have through inertia, even the sound that it generates makes it feels very insipid and light.

I'm no archery expert but i think the arrow should/could have staggered the main char, surely an arrow fired by bigger bows will generate enough force to stagger someone behind a shield or at least produce enough of a sound effect to make it feel like its a bigger threat then having blunt 2b pencils thrown at you.

However, Todd Howard did say something about an archery mod from oblivion in a gamespot interview, i didn't really catch but i think the gist of it is that drawing an arrow has been made to feel 'harder', like genuine strength is being used, anyone got any idea or knowledge of said mod from oblivion?

i really hope archer or at least its final physical effects in the game has been made to feel stronger bothways, drawing a bow and also being hit/under cover as arrows pelt you. Think it might have been a good idea if arrows could actually stick into wooden shield, would have made archery feel better!


Opinions lads?

Here's the video in question, 3:19 into the video to be exact

http://asia.gamespot.com/the-elder-scrolls-v-skyrim/videos/the-elder-scrolls-v-skyrim-demo-introduction-gameplay-6333767

1. play the game.

2. have opinions.

Regardless of the reaction effects, Todd Howard has confirmed that archery is much more powerful in Skyrim than it was in Oblivion.

Damage numbers and animation effects are two completely different things.

Edit: Also, having just watched the video, like PerXX said I don't think the arrows are actually hitting the shield.

Edit 2: Why do you think that arrows won't stick in shields? They did in Oblivion. Why would Bethesda take a step backwards?

Todd mode. 'nuff said

God mode has no effect on sound and animations.

Pretty sure the archer in question actually misses the player. The arrow doesn't hit the shield.

A big nord warrior wouldn't stagger if an arrow bored itself into his shield, but I'd definately want some more noise and the shield shake a bit more like it did in Oblivion.

I actually liked catching arrows with my shield in Oblivion because of that effect... even though catching arrows with my shield would also kill me for unknown reasons...

It seems an on going concern on all aspects of combat, the lack of impact, I guess it's something they chose not to include this time

The arrows don't hit.

For first in Oblivion Shield Block doesn't protect you from arrows at all so in Skyrim we see good progress, for second altering block hit animation will be enough to make feel of impact so thats can be modded, about mod seems thats was one of first mods thats simply alter physics and damage of arrows but if look more on features of Skyrim archery we can see many similarities with http://tesalliance.org/forums/index.php?/files/file/514-duke-patricks-combat-archery/ and other Duke mods like NPC alert from missed shots and NPC able to miss, I hope thats really is because Duke Patricks mods greatly overhaul such aspects in Oblivion.

Not necessarily. You could rank the animation based on char max health / (arrow damage * bowquality * enemies archery ability).

But who cares at how well the player reacts to getting hit by arrows? If you get hit by arrows in TES you svck anyway. The real improvement is that an archer in Skyrim is a viable path.

Well, I'm no expert at Archery per se, but I am an expert in physics (which defines 95% of any sports, weapons, you name it). An arrow would not stagger anyone any more than a Shotgun would throw you 50 feet backwards. You either get hit by the arrow and get severely wounded, or you feel nothing.

If an arrow hits the shield or your armor, it's either deflected with almost zero impact force OR it pierces the metal (which is possible with certain arrowheads) and that won't cause much impact force either (it will impale you, rather).

Fun fact: The british Longbow was arguably the most feared ranged weapon in history until gunsmiths invented the Musket, mostly due to the arrows being able to shoot straight through steel armor and shields.

Nothing wrong with the Skyrim Archery, IMO. But maybe a little unrealistic in terms of where the arrows end up? Not sure...

There is a perk what makes arrows to stagger your opponents. Remember that this isnt full action game, it also has RPG stuff

Archery is underpowered in almost every game that comes out. There's almost never an incentive to use a bow and arrow in comparison to other more convenient weapons. Outside of giving arrows one shot kill power, it will always be more convenient to just smack people to death.

What would be nice is some archery-only quests, and even better if those quests required you to have a certain archery skill.

You forget the aztec's atlatl...those would be awesome in Skyrim.

I am just wondering how it can 'feel' lightweight if you have not played it? Of course it will look weak on a video..your not shooting an RPG and he obviously had not specced into it yet...Vanilla archery will be weak right off the bat..derp.

you havent even played it yet!

Hurray for physics!

Anytime you see something out of place in the game.........a wizard did it.

As someone that does traditional archery on a daily basis, you're pretty spot on!

The Archery in oblivion was awesome! I loved that you actually had compensate for the arrows curve in flight, its difficult to explain without turning my post into a wall of text, but everyone I talk to at my archery club who has played oblivion loves the archery. I plan on making my character in skyrim a Archer

How can you 'feel' something you've only seen.

Reviewers that have played aspects of combat have said they'felt'each impact,'felt' the speed of combat, and 'felt' how brutal each attack was. You haven't felt it, you've only seen it.

Yay. Another speculation thread about the game that none of us have played yet.

There's a perk for that. Archery is going to be much more powerful once you upgrade everything. You can stagger enemies, slow down time, do super critical damage, double your base damage, draw faster, more faster while drawn etc.

I understand the concern of the OP. I haven't played the game so cannot say for sure, I can only go off what I have read from those who have played the game as well as the footage I have seen both official and otherwise.

The way it appears to me at this time is that Skyrim improves upon Oblivion in the sense that we as player characters now 'feel' more weight and impact from our attacks, but it may be that we as PCs do not feel more impact from attacks we get from NPCs. It also seems to me that when engaing in combat with NPCs we won't always see a reaction. For example we might bash an NPC in the face with a war axe of thundering awesomeness, but if it's not a one hit kill the NPC might still have a stupid smile on it's face.

Combat has never been the Elder Scroll's strong point in terms of being highly visceral, but from what I have seen/read, Skyrim takes at least a small step in a more visceral direction.

Incidentally, your "concerns" on the game seem odd, considering you've reached a conclusion on this title from ONE video. I suggest more than one example to make your concerns more valid, especially in a game where skills can determine your effectiveness in combat.