Special Attack for Archery (with a poll)

Friends, acquaintances, say hi to buddies, enemies, random people I don't know, others, purple man, I would like to pose a question to all of you.

I know many if not most, will likely abstain from mastering the art of the bow and arrow, or the crossbow and bolt but to a patient and bored few, becoming a grandmaster archer is like a cross between e-cialis e-viagra and just plain old E for the ultimate e-peen enlargement cocktail.

In short, some of us think that Archery is the shiz diz of the biz niz.

For the benefit of those few moral and upstanding players I recommend adding the following:

Special attack:

Two handed Archery weapons (all of them ) to have a chance to inflict bleed, causing a 5hp loss every 3 seconds over 15-20 seconds unless healed.

Now, before you start your jibber jabbering about how Archery was enhanced with the 'shoot-on-the-run" update which allows you to stop for 0.2 seconds in order to shoot (after the timer restarts) let me say this:

Archery is still at best a compliment to another weapon skill and even for PvM purposes would not cut it as the only weapon skill, especially with higher end mobs.

A lone archer would find it hard to survive the harsh and dangerous world of Britannia without our intervention.

Please Vote yes on article 420 and let the archer have his glory.

That is all,

Cheers

Archery already received a nice buff and can almost fire while moving, if you pause at all it shoots now. Any special attack for archery should be for PVM only. Yee hath been warned.

Yeah I mentioned that in the post, but even with the shoot on the run thing it is vastly under-powered compared to the other weapon skills.

For PvM only could work but how cool would it be to have a real sniper on the shard, an archery only PvPer? Could be tasty.

I appreciate the update to Archery as it at least makes it useable. It was a complete waste prior to that patch.
Now that it at least functions, the only glaring problem is that it simply does not hold up as a primary attack. Every other combat skill has a special move and based on that clear and simple fact, Archery should as well.

I can't rightly say what it should be, but ideas abound and the limit is only what can be done in the code. The ability to briefly stun someone (maybe 2s instead of 4 like fencing) or as I have heard suggested, the chance for a piercing shot that ignores armor rating, with the same 1/4 chance (at GM) that other weapons get, would be ideal. I personally think that the piercing shot is the best option.

Anyone who thinks Archery is already powerful enough is simply speculating. I don't see a single PvPer out there rocking archery on a regular basis. I know there was a slight bump in Archer activity after that patch, but where are they now?

Event whores, rocking great damage over time on Champs, Bosses and Special Mobs, that is all. Oh, and Morrowin rocks a CTF every now and then, but wouldn't likely hold much water vs any other combat oriented character in a 1v1.

As was stated by the OP, at best it is a compliment to an existing template, that is all.

Even something like "bulls-eye" a shot that causes maximum damage instead of rolling for damage.

A bleeding should be applied to all weapons if you go that route. However a GM archer with low chance (low 5-15%) at a critical hit (like para blow/concus) - not death but perhaps +25-50% dmg.

I like concept overall.

I like the skill+archery bonuses brought up in a previous archery thread. A slowing shot would be cool.

For PvM only: Dazing hit

Dazed enemies are temporarily easier to hit, and sometimes forget who they are attacking. (inspired by outside sources )

Actually the temporarily easier to hit can be PvE

A pvp archer is at a clear disadvantage due to only 2 handed weapons available, chugging a pot guarantees the enemy time to heal before a shot can be fired again.

archery was for pvp support, not meant as a dominant combat skill vs a swinging wep. The special move for archery is distance attack, I think it should be left alone

Please show where archery was implemented for pvp support, maybe because it sucked from the get go it was forced into that slot. Range is not a special ability as it is somewhat balanced due to attack speed, pause to shoot and ammunition. Archery was improved on but I still think what hampers it is flexibility.

Well I think we can all agree that the aim of the shard is to perfect UO and that archery still has a lot of room to be perfected.

I'm a fan of this idea. The exact ability can be debated in length, I'm sure.

Even if the design was for Archery to be a PvP support skill, are there many (or any) people that use it as such?

Technically speaking, Magery is a support skill, not Archery. Archery is found...get this...under Combat Skills, in the Skill Scroll. Magery is found under Miscellaneous and as such, was clearly designed as a supplemental skill, NOT a combat skill (like Archery).

No one is suggesting that Archery be 'dominant', as that is completely the opposite of the shard goal of balance.

As a player that loves archery, this would be a great thing is implemented, my suggestion is a special along the lines of "steady shot" chance for crit or +dmg%

Just my two cents

I recall that at one point there was a bow/xbow critical hit - both on PvM and PvP. How it was scaled, I have no idea. It wasnt a kill shot rather a bonus dmg modifier.

A thought is to "scale" archery 90/95/100 with a 5/10/15% chance of a critical hit where it causes 25-50% more dmg.
Example - hit 12, critical +3/6.

Curious on thoughts or those that recall the critical hit with bows.

I believe the "critical shot" that's being referred to in this thread was officially known as "Armor Ignore" which was one of the 2 special abilities that a handful of bow types were given with the release of Age of Shadows. All this ability did was ignore the targets resistances (physical, fire, cold, poison, energy) which caused the attack to do full damage, however the the total damage I believe was reduced down to 90% of its maximum potential as well.

Making Archery better will improve PvP because it will add a new element to the mix which most will be unaccustomed to. It does't and should be stronger than other combat skills, it can even remain weaker than the main three. But improving it to at least come close to the other combat skills will make PvE more fun!

Armor ignore with %90 cap on damage sounds like a pretty ideal Special Hit, with the %25 chance at GM like other skills.