Bows and Arrows in video games

[Nieroshai]

How many people have actually shot a bow on here? No they are not completely silent. And remember, arrows are designed to bleed out the target by cutting through its major arteries. An "insta-kill" with a bow is a rare phenomena. Go hunting with a bow and you know what I mean. So if one did try to stealthily take out enemies with a bow an arrow more than likely the first guy you hit would have enough time to set off an alarm/alert others before he bleeds out. Unless of-course, you magically hit him in the head.

Sorry to be nit-picky but its not called a silencer, its called a suppressor, because it doesn't completely "silence" the weapon.

OT

Stronghold Crusader.. Can never have enough Archers... Especially if you give them braziers.

1. "Twang" is far more quiet than BANG!"
2. Hunters use bows because they are silent, and swear by them. There are even attachments to the bowstring that disturb the air and soften the sound. Sure, someone will hear something, but it will take them a while to realize what, and from where.
I have a feeling the distinction between "I've held a bow before" and "I've hunted with a bow before" is lost on a significant number of posters. The archery range isn't a perfect example of what a bow is or does. If you (Escapists at large) hunt, I apologize for not knowing, but then how do you believe what you do and still bag game?

With silenced weapons in general, you fire them out of earshot, and if you're in a stealth situation, you're only going to take out a lone target anyway.

You are right on the no insta-kill thing, it's not inconceivable to be shot in the head however, as arrows do have a decent chance to penetrate the skull if you can manage the shot. As for "magically," someone trained with a bow has as much of a chance hitting a bullseye as a rifleman with iron sights, albeit with more need to compensate for drop and windage. I can't imagine a head being any harder than an apple-sized circle, unless it's moving.

 

[freaper]

I liked Skyrim's, though the arrow trajectory wasn't really "correct".

Age of Chivalry: Medieval Warfare did a pretty good job too.

 

[SerithVC]

D&D and Pathfinder are the best when it comes to the use of bows. As much as i hate to admit it, skyrim probably has the best video game mechanics for the bow. But if you all want a game where you can make a free roam world and pick what monsters populate it, how the towns are, what the quests are and all that stuff, i highly recommend D&D 3.5 and/or Pathfnder. D&D 4E is really only good if you want the equivalant of easy mode in video games (unless your like me and wide out a party with 2 traps and 10 kobolds which are lvl 1 creatures with 1 hp since they were minions).

 

[Alcamonic]

In Fable: The lost chapters using a bow with magical arrows are not only super good, it makes all bosses trivial.

Want 8 arrows firing a once? Now you can!

 

[ZippyDSMlee]

I miss the tech bow from Turok 1-3

 

[Jfswift]

Demon/ Dark souls use a pretty good bow system. Its extremely useful in many situations.

 

[VeneratedWulfen93]

An english yew longbow has like a stupid measurement for how hard it shoots arrows. I don't what the measurement is called but I think it relates to the force the dart is cast at. If I remember what I was told about the english longbow its that it is 4 or 5 times more powerful than the bows used in the Olympics.

I have experience with archery and even the safe arrows I used landed with a heavy thunk into the target. An arrow in the head would easily instantly kill someone.

However as practical weapon if I were to improve a bit more on my archery and ever needed to use one against another human I would use two things. Barbed/hooked arrows and poison. Simply because an arrow doesn't hit with the same force as a bullet and will not make an exit wound If I wanted to kill who I was shooting at my arrow would be barbed so it would tear the wound/ insides if it was removed and it would have a toxin of some sort coating the tip. For non lethal, the same really only i'd drop the barbed arrows and use a non-lethal poison that can incapacitate someone.

In video games the fact that an arrow can be pulled from a wound has never been used and I would love to see that feature implemented. I love Far Cry 3's archery and Skyrim's archery. Dark Souls has cool bows but they aren't very practical. Like the Dragonslayer Greatbow that fires spears.

 

[Vern]

I'll have to go back to the first FPS bow that I can remember, Turok's Tek-Bow. Yeah, the first Turok, on N64. It's still a fun game, and it had a pretty impressive arsenal of weapons. From a regular wooden bow, upgraded to the Tek-Bow that fired explosive arrows, through pump and automatic shotguns with regular and exploding shells, an assault rifle, plasma weapons, one of the most satisfying mini-guns I've ever used, up to a weapon that essentially fired thermonuclear explosions. Turok 2 had a pretty impressive arsenal, as did Turok: Evolution. The series had real promise, it's a shame it was pissed away, and it died as a crap modern shooter clone.

The initial premise was great: Turok: Dinosaur Hunter. It's a guy who kills dinosaurs and the evil people trying to control them and enhance them with cybernetics. Fighting a Velociraptor with a plasma gun for an arm, or a T-Rex with a laser eye, or a Triceratops with multi-pod rocket launchers is fun.

 

[Strazdas]

A modern bow and arrow can be very effective. Problem is, one needs far more training than with firearms.
this is no new phenomenon, many games have bows. and i dont mind.

 

[Dandark]

I play a mount and blade expansion mod called Prophesy of Pendor.
I thought bows were terrible in that mod, then I saw the Noldor......

I usaully like bows and arrows well enough but games don't always implement them too well. Mount and blade did a pretty decent job of it like they did for most things, I get really annoyed at bows being damn near useless in games compared to using ranged magic instead.

I know that they are usually supposed to be used by the stealthy assassin/thief/rouge but it would be great if games started making more warrior focused bows, even if they resort to using crossbows. Anyone here read the Berserk manga? You know the crossbow guts uses? GIMME SOME OF DAT!

 

[Tamrin]

I will say I felt the bow in Far Cry 3 could have been better. The normal arrows to be specific. Normal arrows were a bit underpowered and a total ***** to find if you miss and go looking to pick them up. The explosive and pyro arrows were fun as hell and no problem.

 

[Elementary - Dear Watson]

There needs to be a game based on this man... and then that will have the best use lf a bow in a game!!