Hi,

This is a bug that seems to have been around since launch, yet remains un-addressed by Bethesda so far. I wonder if it's starting to annoy others as much as it does me.

Basically, I can be crouching (hidden) behind an object, or simply on a platform / bridge overlooking my target below. I aim my bow, loose an arrow bang on target and I even get the kill cam start for a second or two before it suddenly cuts. My arrow, that visually EASILY cleared whatever the obstacle was, has either bounced off nothing, or is stuck in the item (if it's a wooden platform for example) but NOT near to where I loosed from.

It's like I loose the arrow from the centre of my bow - which has direct line of sight to the target - but it's actually shot from the very bottom of the bow, which would be obstructed by what I'm hiding behind if the arrow shot from there - which it doesn't of course.

Now, the game its self obviously thinks something is wrong here too as the new(ish) kill cams introduced for Bows starts to play as if I've just killed the target - which I should have - then cancels when the target suddenly becomes alerted to me.

I know sneaking can get over-powered, that's why I only take enough perks to get the 3x sneak damage with bows and that's it. However this bug STILL totally breaks my sneaky character. On this play through I'm currently in Valtheim Towers doing a mission. I've climbed my way up to the first tower, and from this vantage point can easily snipe the bandits on the other side of the river. Well I COULD if this darn bug didn't keep happening all the bloody time.

I know we can stand, loose and arrow, and as long as we're hidden before the arrow hits still get a sneak kill. However, as soon as I stand up I'm seen, and why should I have to stand up to work around a game bug I've been working around since day 1? Really, it is a pain in the bum.

It's worse early game (I recently restarted) as once discovered there's no hiding again. Also I'm very soft and squishy so HAVE to stay hidden to live as many foes currently one or two shot me easily.

I'm playing on PC, I have the Unofficial Patch installed over the base 1.6 but, while great, this isn't one of the things it addresses. Is this bug present on the XBox and PS3 versions also?

I really hope Beth address this one soon as it totally destroys the tactic of obtaining the high-ground in many situations as the platform your standing on totally blocks you loosing arrows while hidden.

If anyone knows of any mods that might address this, please enllighten me!

Cheers,

Scoob.

Basically, everything has an invisible hit box larger than the item/object/person. It's not a bug.

No, but that doesn't make it annoying as hell.

And it only affects spells and bows that I've seen. I can jump onto where it's supposedly at, but I cannot shoot through it. I'm standing flat on the wall that I'm hitting with my stupid arrows because the magical barrier stops my arrows, but not my character itself?

I respectfully disagree Xarathox. If there's nothing in the way then my arrow should not hit something not on its flight path.

It's a crouch bug. If I stand up I can make my arrow pass VERY near to the object yet it flies past perfectly - so the hit box is fine. When I crouch my arrow looks like it's launched from the centre of the bow - that's just the animation however - when it becomes a free-flying object after the animation plays it spawns from lower down - not much lower, but enough to hit the obstruction. Interestingly, I can get into a position and loose a shot perfectly, then if I **do not move at all** but use my zoom-with-bow skill it will hit the obstruction again. This suggests that the act of zooming in somehow exaggerates the offset from which the arrow is launched.

I'm well aware some objects consist of a curved surface but the hit box is largely rectangular - that's a separate issue, though still annoying. I can see why it's done to keep performance good however. This is a crouch issue where the arrow launches from the wrong place after the loose animation is played. It's not far out, but it's often enough that I start to slip off the ledge / bridge or whatever when I get far enough out to avoid it. Zooming (which I always do as soon as I can) makes things a lot worse - in fact, I'd go as far to say that I can largely live with it until I get the zoom perk. Zooming while standing however seems fine - apart from the odd rectangular hit box for curved surface issues...but that's not what I'm referring to here.

I say bug!

Scoob.

I was at the Towers the other day, cleared the bandits out, saw a random deer that was running a specific path back and forth near the waterfall. Decided to increase my Archery by shooting the bugger, except 3 times in a row the killcam triggered and my arrows pinged off the bridge near my feet. I was crouching for one or two shots, but I know for at least one I was standing and the same thing happened. Eventually the deer vanished while I was raging over hitting random invisible walls.

I hate the killcams, they seem to make the issue w/ hitting invisible walls worse than it was before. Even when I know my arrow should hit, sometimes the killcam activates and my arrow veers way off-course or smacks into the ground at my feet. I really wish we could turn it off; even when it doesn't fudge the aim for my arrows and spells, it's annoying when it triggers like ten times in a row while you're just killing random foxes and Mudcrabs.

I hate this. I get this problem a lot.

Another annoying thing that I cannot stand when using the bow and arrow; Shooting someone from a distance, while hidden, and the person/target jets to the side and dodges the arrow. The targets usually do not even see the arrow, as their backs are turned, yet they are able to dodge it like they where out of the matrix or something.

Happens to me all the time. I am lucky though usually the enemy doesn't notice the misfire.

So glad I am not the only one who gets this problem, it really is so annoying...

It's like, no no, game, please do alert the whole damn base to my presence, I levelled up my sneak and archery for the hell of it after all... >_>

Meh, I learned to accept it and just find a new angle to fire the arrow.

This is correct.

Edit* You have to move closer to the edge to get the shot to 'miss' this invisible box. Your perception of where your shooting is not in-line with your characters head...it has to be cleared from your bow in order to not hit the hit box.

Stop being a milk-drinker and fire a lobbing shot over the obstacle.

semi-kidding