Re: archery commentary

[Wright Frazier <khelek@ns1.cioe.com>]

> Hello,
> 
> I just read the many posts on archery, and wanted to make a few 
> comments.  There were a lot of messages, if I missed your comments or 
> suggestions...oops in advance.
> 
> Some Comments...
> 
> There has been a lot of discussion regarding bow range extension.  On 
> the one hand, I do like Johns idea of baseing it on the archers bow 
> skill.  However, noone has mentioned that the addition of the Keiron 
> Great bow last saturday has already increased bow ranges by 225% (160 to 
> 360).  I would like to see what effects there are on the game from more 
> than than doubling the bow range before we try to add a skill option 
> boosting it by up to 450%.

It hasn't changed a damn thing from what I can see.

> 
> I has been stated that a chart based range system would be more 
> time-consuming than a skill based one.  Having played Role Master (often 
> refered to as Chart Master because it has tables such as the one 
> proposed), I can say from experience that the chart based system is 
> always slower.  My advice is don't set a prescedent for charts.  AQ 
> currently has only 3 charts, it's one of the great things about AQ.

Next, this "chart" arguement is not a valid one, _IF_ I did put in a 
chart it would be part of the current weapon chart that already exists.
Either by flat out saying what S/M/L ranges are, or listing one of
the ranges and letting it be known that M and L are found by
multiplying x by y.  Simple.  

Further it is no more of a complication that currently exists in AQ with
people having to look up various damages...oh wait..they already know
the damage of their weapon...just as they'd know the range of
their weapon.  As for GM's, I'll gladly make each of you a copy of
the GM cheat sheets I have if you'd like.  

Also there are far more than 3 tables, Rick..I have 3 pages of really
reduced stuff.

> Steve made reference to XP cost for bow skill, and later down graded his 
> estimate stating bow skill is 180.  However, both figures were correct, 
> as there are now multiple bows with varying costs due to differing 
> damage.  Steves first calc was correct for the Kieron Great Bow which is 
> base cost 300.

About the Kieron Bow, Liston Bow, Grahmshire bow, I've been playing
steadily for 2 months in geleia now, and one of my characters has  been
trying to find one of these weapons, and I've failed.  Look at the
weapons list I handed out, they are _RARE_.  Not something given
out on the fly or casually bought.

The only ones seen have been in the hands of actors, or in one case
with a single Liston Crossbow, it was exhorbitantly priced.

Again, these are uncommon and expensive weapons.  They take a GREAT deal
of time to make and are not something that you find sitting around
in a weapons shop.  The Kieron Bow and Grahmshire bow each take years
to properly cure the wood, and the Liston bow takes steel to make.
The Geleian long bow while more common, has no increase in damage
caused, and is still considerably more expensive than the standard
bow or crossbow.

> 
> 
> A nit I forgot to pick on saturday...
> Should we consider modifying the base cost of missile weapons to reflect 
> superiority of range as well as strict damage?
> 

I don't see the need for the range to play a factor in xp cost, and
damage already does as per the standard formula.

Wright