I have found the ini setting that was limiting the max range for archery. I'm guessing this is something to do with the pathfinding system for actors but it also effects if arrows and magic do damage from outside that range. The default value of 4096 was too low for me. I think actors are rendered at around 12000 with fActorLODMax=15(ultra setting). I'm not sure if setting this value higher will cause any problems. If anyone would like to test and let me know if they see any problems with pathfinding or anything.


skyrim.ini

[Actor]fVisibleNavmeshMoveDist=12288.0000

PS: This doesn't seem to have caused any problems with the pathfinding or anything else in general, and it is working for everyone who has tested it.

Going to try this out now!

I will be trying this at the earliest time available. Thanks for sharing this. I hope its the real deal! I have been wondering if I really miss on some shots or if its this strange limit...

I just tested this out in Whiterun. I stood by the inn trying to shoot the guard at the front gate but could never hit him. After adding this tweak though, I could hit him so I think this works!

Just tried this out and it worked like a charm. Thanks a ton!

It definitely works in increasing the archer range. I saved in the same spot and tried to shoot someone without this tweak, and I could never hit him. I added this tweak, loaded the save, shot and hit my target. However, if I try to hit a very, very far away target (as in they just appear in the max draw distance) I can't hit it no matter what number I put there. I guess it's kind of unrealistic anyway to hit something that far...

Hm, I would like to try it too but I don't find the value in my "Skyrim.ini" (I looked into SkyrimPrefs.ini too).

There is no "[Actor]" and no "fVisibleNavmeshMoveDist" ...

May be I have to add it by myself? (It's in "my docs>my games>skyrim" folder, right?)

Yes. Just add it to the bottom of the skyrim.ini.

Ok, just tried, it works for me!!!

Thanks a lot.

Edit: don't know if it's "normal" but the guard I shooted from max distance vision spotted me and came to fight me... lol (I was near the giant camp next to whiterun.) as I never shooted successfully a guard from this distance, I can't say if it's normal or if there is a little problem... (I precise I was sneaking).

You can check if a NPC is in range with player.getDistance [actorID] (get the actor ID by clicking on them with the console up). I doubt you would ever want to shoot at something more then 12000 game units away during normal play. You can, however, set the value higher. I have been testing with 16384.

I am so trying this. I hate when I can see the arrow hitting ground right where an enemy is but not hitting the enemy (sometimes even going through them!). I'm a huge longbow sniper in this game and so that kind of distance limiting really breaks my play style.

Awesome, works for me! Thanks!

Do mine eyes deceiveth? If this works you've not only found the holy grail but have re-awaken the game for me. Trying this with the fervor of the titans!

IT WORKED!! For real this time it worked!! Thank Talos, I love you so much right now!

So you say I should add this:

[Actor]
fVisibleNavmeshMoveDist=12288.0000

In the bottom of the Skyrim_default.ini file?

I just did, but was still not able to hit giants or mammoths.

never mess with the default

The skyrim.ini file you need to edit is in your documents folder C:\Users\\Documents\My Games\Skyrim.


Does this fix replace the other

f1PArrowTiltUpAngle=0.0
f3PArrowTiltUpAngle=0.0

fix? or should they work together?


Greetz,

@lantis

I simply can't believe it worked

We are happy now SBag, right?

Works

I have tested if very briefly and I am able to hit guards and mammoths without them noticing me.

They do different things: this one fixes the range limit of the arrow and the one you mentioned changes the angle (like in Oblivion, you have to aim above the target). You can use both if you want.

OP, thanks for that, worked first time instantly.

Cheers.

Just bumping as no one should miss this

Bump it up so every Archer and Mage see this....

Bump what? A fix for nothing that is there to be fixed? The fix in the first thread does nothing but corrupt the archery mechanics, and this fix over here does nothing but to corrupt the pathfinding and your savegames. I'd spend the whole afternoon to try things out and made a video of my find. There is absolutely nothing wrong with archery in Skyrim...it does exactly what it is supposed to...you just need aiming skills to actually hit something. I've made a video to proof what I'm saying, uploading to Youtube right now.

I've tested this on Mammoth, Guards, Wolfs, Trolls and even Rabbits on any range between point zero and more then 12.000 GU...with the benefit that I'm such a badass sniper now, I'll mostly instantly hit everything from a far. I've even managed to hit the Whiterun Tower Guard from the giant camp west of Whiterun.

Didn't you guys know that there was a very realistic archery mod in Oblivion that got integrated into Skyrim?

Auto-Aim generation...spoiled by COD and CS with integrated auto aim and huge hitboxes from point zero range...learn to aim in games like Red Orchestra I, Arma II and Battlefield and then return to Skyrim testing your skills again...

You have no idea what you're talking about. This the prior tweek you referenced changed the game to make the aiming more realistic. You have to actually account for the drop off at medium range. The vanilla way is point, click, kill at medium and close range. That's far from reality.