Quote:
Originally Posted by Noctifer
TL;DR version: Why on earth would you use a bow in GURPS?
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Leaving aside the example, someone with a bow has the advantage at range and not in melee combat. All weapons are better in some situations that others. An archer should set themselves up in an advantageous situation that favours their advantage and disadvantages their targets.
That's how you win a fight, you fight the way you want that favours your advantages, and not the way your enemy wants to fight that favours his.
It doesn't matter how good the chap with the sword is there is nothing can do at range except get closer, that's where the archer excels, at range. He does even better if he has mates or terrain who can help keep it that way. The longer you keep a fight in your area of advantage and your enemies area of disadvantage the easier it will be for you. What's even better once you start winning that fight your advantages will often compound with the changing situation. In this case if your enemy has to close distance with you that gets harder for him if you stick with an arrow and he drops to 1/3HP or less. (if you using last gasp he'll lose APs even if you just hit for less than that).
What else can you do at range? You can run away and try again later. (again with compounding advantages this becomes easier if your target is wounded).
Ambush, harass, and run off, rinse & repeat.
It's not heroic, it's not Legolas doing melee archery, but it's slightly more realistic and will keep you archer alive for longer. If you do want to do Legolas, that's fine you can with the various cinematic options.
In reality it is harder to inflict damage at range given muscle powered weapons both in terms of accuracy and transmission of energy, but Imp is nasty so long as no one is wearing serious armour.
As it is the bows in LT are overpowered! (check out deadly spring in pyramid)
Against an unarmoured target 1d+1 Imp is going to be a very nasty wound on most realistic humans
Quote:
Originally Posted by Flyndaran
I shoot from default so must have a skill below 10, yet I simply will not miss from 6 feet unless someone is actively shoving me or I get some weird unpredictable muscle spasm. That's just my height away. That's literally right in front of me.
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Ongoing, changing combat situations measured on a second by second basis against targets that aren't just standing there (even without worrying about active defences) is not like doing stuff at leisure with nothing on the line and at an immobile target.
And even a couple of positive mods (non combat or otherwise) to that situation in GURPS terms seriously increases your chances.