How a bow should feel

Wicked Feedback
1

this is not about bow damage, viability, or the recent falloff changes

this is about how playing a bow feels

what bow combat should feel like (at its best)

  1. dodge, swerve, parry, position
  2. draw right until the last moment
  3. THUNK
  4. big damage / kill
  5. dash out, reposition

that’s a high risk, high reward loop
each shot matters

what bow combat often feels like right now

  • stand still and spam normal attacks like a turret
  • occasional big rune
  • some dash attack / run attack acrobatics

the core issue is the normal attack

most arrows:

  • travel slowly
  • hit for low damage
  • give weak feedback (“plink”)

so the gameplay becomes:
spam stamina, shoot many arrows, death by tickles

it works, but it feels kind of pointless

there’s also a fantasy mismatch

the rest of combat feels grounded, the metal hitting flesh/bone feels real, even if stylised
weapons have weight and intent

but arrows often behave like:

  • slow homing projectiles
  • floating air slugs
  • exaggerated arcs
  • mini explosives

they don’t feel like arrows

and that matters, because arrows should feel:
fast, lethal, decisive

right now, even when they kill, they don’t feel lethal

i would bet one of my hats this undermines the archer fantasy for a lot of players

even heavy bows don’t fully fix this

bows with charge, like longbows, still don’t really deliver that satisfying hit on normal attacks, even at optimal range

so the fantasy breaks:

i’m not landing decisive shots
i’m just applying ranged attrition

suggestion

make normal bow attacks matter:

  • longer wind up
  • much faster arrows
  • high damage at optimal range, comparable to 2h weapons
  • strong impact feedback, THUNK
  • keep heavy falloff at long range

result

bow gameplay becomes:

  • deliberate
  • timing based
  • risky but rewarding

you get moments where you release a shot just before an enemy lands a hit and get a huge payoff

instead of standing still and plinking until something dies

side effect

if base attacks are stronger:

  • rune damage can come down
  • runes become more about utility, aoe, stagger, repositioning

clarification

not talking about quivers, that’s a separate system entirely

summary

right now:
many weak arrows, plink gameplay

proposed:
fewer meaningful shots, THUNK gameplay

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