Archery

From Neverend

Archery is a skill that uses a bow and arrow, or crossbow and bolt. When equipped, archery equipment is displayed on the character model, including bow, crossbow, and quiver. Visual options can disable appearance of archery equipment, ammunition loading, and ammunition firing. Some spells and items do not require a bow or quiver to be equipped, such as a bow that shoots magic projectiles, a spell that creates a bow and arrow effect when firing, an unlimited ammunition spell or item, or a plant based skill that creates a temporary bow and arrow effect. Mechanical bows and crossbows have a different animation based on firearms.

A limited number of arrows can be equipped with no quiver. A quiver provides storage, and a small bonus to firing speed.

Bows and crossbows have their own strengths and weaknesses, including firing rate, maximum range, effective range, accuracy, special effects, magic effects, strength and speed.

Maximum range is the maximum length the projectile can travel. Effective range is a certain distance where the projectile will deal the most damage if it hits the target, such as a longbow doing full damage at 75-100% distance. Accuracy, firing rate, speed and strength are complimented by player skills that can raise these values.

• Longbow, high range, high strength, high delay
• Long crossbow, high range, high strength, high delay
• Recurve bow, high range, medium strength, low delay
• Flatbow, medium range, medium strength, medium delay
• Medium crossbow, medium range, medium strength, medium delay
• Shortbow, low range, medium strength, short delay
• Short Crossbow, low range, high strength, high delay
• Composite bow, variable range, strength, and delay
• Magic bow, variable range, strength and delay
• Mechanical bow, low delay, low strength
• Mechanical crossbow, low delay, low strength

The bow counts as the attacking weapon. Ammunition will have different bonuses added to the weapon. Bonuses include:

• Add/lower speed
• Add/lower strength
• Add/lower accuracy
• Add/lower range
• Bonus to animal type
• Bonus to monster type
• Magic damage (fire, ice, lightning, water)
• Special effect (fire, water)
• Delayed damage
• Chance of bonus damage
• Poison
• Blindness
• Sleep
• Bonus against magic protection
• Bonus against enchantments
• Bonus against armor
• Bonus against magic beings
• Bonus against undead
• Bonus against werewolves
• Bonus against vampires
• Ignore magic protection
• Ignore armor protection
• Heal target
• Light particle
• Seeing eye
• Create magic creature (bird)
• Homing

In a group or formation, the leader chooses a target area for the formation to face, and can set whether to have the group fire at will (automatic for NPCs, players can choose automatic or manual fire), fire on command (all units load and wait for command to fire), or fire in volleys (all players load and fire at the same time).

An individual can choose whether to fire manually or automatically. Automatic fire is done at a target or target area, and ammunition is fired constantly at its normal rate. An adjustment bar is available for increasing firing rate (lower accuracy), or increasing accuracy (lower firing rate). Target damage is calculated for targets, while area damage does damage to objects and buildings at the point where the arrow collided.

Manual firing gives the player control of aiming, drawing, and firing in first person. The player may move the bow, hold the fire button to draw, and release the fire button to fire. For bows, holding back for too long will drain stamina, and cancel firing. Firing can be canceled manually. Ammunition loading is automatic. Manual firing relies on distance and curvature.

Ammunition uses specific calculations where needed, and abstraction when possible. For example, an arrow could have five points it needs to travel through to give the appearance of an arc, without traveling in a perfect arc. A volley of arrows may give the appearance of being specific, but is actually a rectangle object with a collision effect on impact. Low end computers can ignore arrow flight effects or visualize a general fast motion effect.

[edit] Skills

Archery skills increase accuracy at short, medium or long range, up to 90% accuracy at maximum skill. Other skills give a slight bonus to strength, rate of fire, and additional random damage. Specialized skills focus on long range, medium range, short range, and specific types of bows.

[edit] Crafting

Arrows are made of tail, shaft and head. The tail can be blank if the arrow is a special type. Arrow shafts are made with woodturning or carving. Arrowheads are made with carving or smithing, and can be made out of wood, stone or metal. When complete, the arrow has a sum of bonuses applied to the bow when fired.

The bow is made using wood or metal, and a string of hide or fiber from a tanner or weaver.

Crossbows use a combination of wood and metal, and a string of hide or fiber. A higher technology crafter can include winches, levers, and repeating mechanisms.

[edit] Firearms

Firearms use the same function as archery, but rely on the firearm skill. Firearms include cannons, hand cannons, gun blades, fireworks, rockets, pistols, and rifles. Primitive guns use explosive powders and bamboo or metal tubes. More exotic guns use steam, clockwork, electricity, and magic.

Firearm skill starts broad with powerful but less effective weapons, including primitive weapons, cannons, hand cannons and fireworks, and branches into pistols, rifles, and specialized technology.

Firearm skill increases accuracy at short, medium or long range, up to 90% accuracy at maximum skill.