I think this game has the best archery gameplay ever. : V

» Wed Jun 06, 2012 9:00 am

Among all the video games I have played (which is too many to recall and list), I think this game have the best archery game mechanics. This is most evident during the civil war campaigns when you are tasked to take over a fort. I feel like Legolas shooting soldiers right and left killing them in one shot. The only thing missing is riding a shield down stairs while shooting (i think this is in Lord of the Rings 2). I even intentionally not saved the game after my first time so I could save it in the begining of the fight.

Althought the same quest on Destruction and Conjuration character is not so exciting.

» Wed Jun 06, 2012 6:00 am

Well, it is good to see someone else enjoying the game without constant complaining

» Wed Jun 06, 2012 2:26 am

I really, really like archery with 50 percent slo-mo, sneak bonus, enchants, smithing, poisons and paralyze.

Like to see a random beheading by arrow animation, carryover from my MUD days, but I'm pretty satisfied with it compared to prior TES installments.

Hard not to be satisfied with it, but plenty of people here will try.

» Wed Jun 06, 2012 5:41 am

I could not use archery in oblivion, worthless. This game, I tried it, arrows seemed to go sorta far and did some damage so Ive used it a lot since.

» Wed Jun 06, 2012 8:33 am

The only thing that bugs me is the crosshair is auto-adjusted in a weird way or the arrow drop is just weird or something. Aiming at the center of NPCs seems to be the most reliable but it kind of takes away the fun out of placing longer range shots. And there seems to be a pretty strict limit on range, where the arrow just dissipates.

But I'd say overall archery needs the least improvement of the combat skills.

» Wed Jun 06, 2012 5:33 am

its still hard for me to get used to where they put the crosshair in relation to how the arrows arches, but otherwise its amazing zooming in and sniping people in slow mo making matrix scenes.

» Wed Jun 06, 2012 1:38 am

The only thing that bugs me is the crosshair is auto-adjusted in a weird way or the arrow drop is just weird or something. Aiming at the center of NPCs seems to be the most reliable but it kind of takes away the fun out of placing longer range shots. And there seems to be a pretty strict limit on range, where the arrow just dissipates.

But I'd say overall archery needs the least improvement of the combat skills.

Well, it DID get the most improvement out of the combat skills

» Wed Jun 06, 2012 6:54 am

Oddly enough, you don't have to account for drop or arc for the most part.

Pretty much wherever you put your crosshairs, thats where the arrow sticks.

Mind you... I have roughly 200 hrs on my original Dark Brotherhood character and have tested archery extensively.

On EXTREMELY long distances, or VERY up close shots... you have to adjust accordingly.

Pretty much, the crosshairs are the end point.

» Wed Jun 06, 2012 11:16 am

The only thing that bugs me is the crosshair is auto-adjusted in a weird way or the arrow drop is just weird or something. Aiming at the center of NPCs seems to be the most reliable but it kind of takes away the fun out of placing longer range shots. And there seems to be a pretty strict limit on range, where the arrow just dissipates.

But I'd say overall archery needs the least improvement of the combat skills.

You could try adding this in your SkyrimPrefs.ini:

[Combat]f1PArrowTiltUpAngle=0.7f3PArrowTiltUpAngle=0.7[Actor]fVisibleNavmeshMoveDist=8192.0000

The Combat-bit makes your arrows arc more realistically in flight, and fVisibleNavmeshMoveDist should help some with the them "disappearing" in mid-flight.

» Wed Jun 06, 2012 9:25 am

Oddly enough, you don't have to account for drop or arc for the most part.

Pretty much wherever you put your crosshairs, thats where the arrow sticks.

Mind you... I have roughly 200 hrs on my original Dark Brotherhood character and have tested archery extensively.

On EXTREMELY long distances, or VERY up close shots... you have to adjust accordingly.
.
Pretty much, the crosshairs are the end point.

I agree with this. I even can shoot somebody patrolling the walls anticipating where they will be when the arrow reach them. This is one of those booyah moment when I hit somebody like this. Specially the bandits on Valtheim whatever that place is called, The thug even falls on the river. Very cool,

» Tue Jun 05, 2012 9:33 pm

The arrow trajectory needed .ini tweaking to make it like in Oblivion. No more having to aim below targets at close range. In my opinion the default trajectory is a handholding feature so people can just put crosshair over target without having to think about the range that much.

I liked archery more in Oblivion (of course modded so arrows did more damage, and with slower backwards movement speed). Somehow I think the arrows and bows behaved better in that game.

» Tue Jun 05, 2012 11:37 pm

I love using my bow and arrow. The only problem is I hate it when I don't pull the arrow back far enough during the heat of the battle and it shoots like 2 feet in front of me.

» Wed Jun 06, 2012 5:35 am

You could try adding this in your SkyrimPrefs.ini:

[Combat]f1PArrowTiltUpAngle=0.7f3PArrowTiltUpAngle=0.7[Actor]fVisibleNavmeshMoveDist=8192.0000

The Combat-bit makes your arrows arc more realistically in flight, and fVisibleNavmeshMoveDist should help some with the them "disappearing" in mid-flight.

Thanks, will try this out.

» Wed Jun 06, 2012 12:38 pm

I love using my bow and arrow. The only problem is I hate it when I don't pull the arrow back far enough during the heat of the battle and it shoots like 2 feet in front of me.

That's a feature I like, personally. You can draw a real bow varying amounts too. And a bow isn't a melee weapon anyway; if you don't have time to draw the bow, the enemy is probably too close.

Speaking of drawing bows, I like how there's no "best" bow in the game. The more expensive bows tend to be slower to draw, but do more damage, while the humble hunting bow can get around 1.5 shots off in the same time it takes you to shoot an arrow with a daedric bow.

» Wed Jun 06, 2012 12:33 am

I don`t use cross hairs. Much better visually aiming and shooting, not easy, but better. Interestingly, I always feel I have to adjust for wind and elevation...

» Wed Jun 06, 2012 5:58 am

I also like it but it seems I either kill them in one shot or it takes 5-10 arrows

» Wed Jun 06, 2012 1:59 am

After a little ini change, yes I like it very much.

» Wed Jun 06, 2012 1:58 am

I enjoy the very long shots (150 yrds +) the most. Oh, and beating someone stupid with my bow while my follower tanks.

» Tue Jun 05, 2012 9:40 pm

I love the archery! :banana:

» Wed Jun 06, 2012 11:19 am

It's good, but Mount and Blade has better archery gameplay.

» Wed Jun 06, 2012 6:04 am

Pulling off really long shots with the bow, you cant beat that orgismic moment imo :tops:

I also love the tweak for getting the arrows to fly out from the centre of the aiming rectangle , rather than the vanilla way they fire just a bit higher. I've been using it for a long while now & it makes a bif difference for me personaly, but everyone is different.

Here is the video i watched on youtube explaining how it works & what files to change: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMMTJta_fPs

» Wed Jun 06, 2012 10:22 am

Redguard stamina regen is nice in those "duck hunt" sections! Constant slow-motion.

Getting a hit on a moving target at long range is very nice. It's always a challenge.

I imagine that the crosshair is in fact out at the maximum normal range of the bow. Then I visualize the arc the arrow will take between me and that point. When they are close, you have to aim down, when they are very far, you aim up. When they are at medium-long you aim straight. Generally you are trying to hit in the middle of the body like they teach cops to do.

» Wed Jun 06, 2012 8:08 am

That's a feature I like, personally. You can draw a real bow varying amounts too. And a bow isn't a melee weapon anyway; if you don't have time to draw the bow, the enemy is probably too close. Speaking of drawing bows, I like how there's no "best" bow in the game. The more expensive bows tend to be slower to draw, but do more damage, while the humble hunting bow can get around 1.5 shots off in the same time it takes you to shoot an arrow with a daedric bow.

Indeed.

Which makes the bound bow the best bow in the game, because it's weightless, and draws faster than the daedric bow by miles and miles and miles.

» Wed Jun 06, 2012 11:27 am

Which makes the bound bow the best bow in the game, because it's weightless, and draws faster than the daedric bow by miles and miles and miles.

It does have a few downsides: It's an Adept level spell, and costs a significant amount of magicka to cast unless you're a mage. It can't be enchanted or improved. And it'll obviously get unsummoned at some point. Hopefully not at an inconvenient one.

» Wed Jun 06, 2012 12:58 am

It's good, but Mount and Blade has better archery gameplay.

agreed. i wish more people would play that game to get a feeling of how medieval combat should really be like. skyrim is ok but pales in comparison.