Strange archery

[mitra]

Originally Posted by Grim.Reaper

I don't doubt and have never doubted that is how the developer's scripted it since that is what is happening in the game, I am questioning whether that is accurate or not. Sure, I could update the scripts myself, but that is not something I really want to do for games I buy.

I don't know the precise distance between my units, but visually seemed very close and I was on top of a hill looking down. It would seem there would be some additional advantage for that as well.

You must see the efficiency of irregulars archers in term of battle economy, also if in multiplayer is more clear: they are many for single unit and they are cheaper. With the cost of a single elite archer or horse archer I can take 9 irregular archers. When i use them in battle I never make 1 to 1 shoot but I concentrate the fire of 4-5 units on a single target (especially if unarmoured): this mean salvos of 400-500 arrows on a single target of 100-200 men. This mean at medium range a wounded can be hit also two or three times: this create three penalties: woundeds, deads, heavy arrows rain. after two or three salvos a unarmoured unit can start to blink white, causing moral penalties also to near units.
Western archers are also the only weapons to oppose to light horse archers, because these one have more arrows than foot archers and crossbowmen load too slow, so a good players can be out of range much before the crossbow is loaded. Irregular compensate with number and rapidity.

FOr make a comparison: at Crecy the english bownmen launch near a million of arrows during the battle, but the bigger part of losses was caused by close combat. At Agincourtn the arrows create chaos and woundeds but the knights dead in the initial charge were only 3.

Elite archers are yes destructives but only 50 for units and very expensives, you can take them only if your penalize your heavy infantry or heavy cavalry.

[He111]

Originally Posted by Goblin Wizard

Some facts about arrow script:
(..\data\aix\weapon\inf.g1.archer.arrow.static\inf .g1.archer.arrow.static.aix)

Each soldier has 24 HP.

Types of arrow damage:

[*] = ;const DeadDamage = 24;
[*] = ;const HardDamage = 12;
[*] = ;const LiteDamage = 4;

An example of damage probability with western bow against unarmored target:

[*] = ;                  if Distance < 5 then
[*] = ;                  begin
[*] = ;                     if CubeRes <= 9 then HPDec := DeadDamage
[*] = ;                     else
[*] = ;                     if CubeRes <= 11 then HPDec := HardDamage
[*] = ;                     else
[*] = ;                     if CubeRes <= 12 then HPDec := LiteDamage;
[*] = ;                  end

[*] = ;                  if Distance < 45 then
[*] = ;                  begin
[*] = ;                     if CubeRes <= 3 then HPDec := DeadDamage
[*] = ;                     else
[*] = ;                     if CubeRes <= 6 then HPDec := HardDamage
[*] = ;                     else
[*] = ;                     if CubeRes <= 8 then HPDec := LiteDamage;
[*] = ;                  end

[*] = ;                  if Distance < 95 then
[*] = ;                  begin
[*] = ;                     if CubeRes <= 2 then HPDec := HardDamage
[*] = ;                     else
[*] = ;                     if CubeRes <= 4 then HPDec := LiteDamage;
[*] = ;                  end

[*] = ;                  if Distance < 100 then
[*] = ;                  begin
[*] = ;                     if CubeRes <= 2 then HPDec := LiteDamage;
[*] = ;                  end

As you noticed there is no chance to kill a soldier in one shot (no possibility of dealing DeadDamage) at long range. If distance is greater that 94 meters you need 6 successful hits to kill a soldier! Even at medium range like 45 meters chance of dealing DeadDamage is very low. And all of this is against unarmored target!

Some examples of crossbow damage (xbow against 0 armor):

[*] = ;                  if Distance < 5 then
[*] = ;                  begin
[*] = ;                     if CubeRes <= 10 then HPDec := DeadDamage
[*] = ;                     else
[*] = ;                     HPDec := HardDamage;
[*] = ;                  end

[*] = ;                  if Distance < 40 then
[*] = ;                  begin
[*] = ;                     if CubeRes <= 6 then HPDec := DeadDamage
[*] = ;                     else
[*] = ;                     if CubeRes <= 7 then HPDec := HardDamage
[*] = ;                     else
[*] = ;                     if CubeRes <= 9 then HPDec := LiteDamage;
[*] = ;                  end

[*] = ;                  if Distance < 100 then
[*] = ;                  begin
[*] = ;                     if CubeRes <= 3 then HPDec := DeadDamage
[*] = ;                     else
[*] = ;                     if CubeRes <= 4 then HPDec := HardDamage
[*] = ;                     else
[*] = ;                     if CubeRes <= 6 then HPDec := LiteDamage;
[*] = ;                  end

As you can see xbow is absolutely deadly at short range. Nearly every bolt kills. Of course at long range xbow is not so deadly but still has a chance of insta kill (unarmored target).
So If you don't like dev's archery system you can easily change it yourself.

HARD CODING!!! YOU MUST BE JOKING!!! .. With nested IFs!!

You cannot be serious.

--- additional ---

Ooopss, sorry , it's a script not source code

.