Curse

Lishy · Jun 21, 2011, 04:47 PM // 16:47

Just out of curiosity, but does anyone here ever still use Hornbows? In this day and age of the game, they seem like they fire too slow, with an arrow speed too slow. Does the base 10% armor penetration justify it over a recurve bow or a short bow?

What do you think? It may have some use with Read the Wind, as well as the fast bow skills like Penetrating attack. But ANET nerfed a majority of those, and now let's face it: Bows suck in the offense these days, and they seem to have shifted to a more supportive role in PvE (Though even those pale against mesmers ???)

With bows lacking in the offensive department these days, does anyone still use hornbows?

kedde · Jun 21, 2011, 05:58 PM // 17:58

Hornbows are terrible.

Swingline · Jun 21, 2011, 06:15 PM // 18:15

Hornbows are far inferior compared to other bows. The attack rate is very slow and so are the arrows. Even the 10% armor pen doesn't hardly do anything in terms of dps compared to faster bows. Not to mention the range on them is also not so great.

Dot Rotten · Jun 21, 2011, 06:57 PM // 18:57

Did anybody really use hornbows in the beginning anyway?

Coast · Jun 21, 2011, 07:06 PM // 19:06

r spike, thats it

Hott Bill · Jun 21, 2011, 07:42 PM // 19:42

I started playing 6 years ago, still haven't used a hornbow

Xiaquin · Jun 21, 2011, 08:20 PM // 20:20

The attack interval is not a factor when used with attack skills. Vanilla attacks make it the worst choice. Same range as a recurve and same flight time as longbow and shortbow. If you're constantly on attack skills it sounds like a fine choice, though I've never uniquely used one. I think it would be fine with SA/PA spam.

Lishy · Jun 21, 2011, 10:24 PM // 22:24

Thank you, Xiaquin!

Semi-offtopic, but shortbows are bad? This is news to me. I always assumed they were the fastest bows since they had the shortest range? Could you clarify to me whether they're actually decent or not?

gremlin · Jun 21, 2011, 11:11 PM // 23:11

Don't use them a lot but have a few just in case I feel the need.

Usually its flat recurve and shortbows.

Still hoping for a rethink on bow stats as well as the ranger generally because I don't believe a game company should ever draw a line under something and never look at it again.

If a character class skill or weapon isn't used for obvious reasons then they should at least take a look at it.

Bow speed should be linked to range not bow type as it takes about the same time to draw a bow and release it.
The faster the arrow moves the greater the range you get and this roughly equates to using a more powerful bow.

So bow power and limb speed either from compound construction or recurve design means faster arrows and greater range.
Any bow can be fired in a high arc to get more range and lose a little in accuracy, so having a high arc from a flatbow but giving them a faster firing speed is a little silly.
There is little logic atm in gw to rate of fire, range and speed, what there is has been done to balance out the various bows but its been done in a strange way.

If they don't get input from an experienced archer for bow mechanics in gw2 I shall be very disappointed in them.

Chthon · Jun 22, 2011, 04:10 AM // 04:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by Xiaquin

The attack interval is not a factor when used with attack skills. Vanilla attacks make it the worst choice. Same range as a recurve and same flight time as longbow and shortbow. If you're constantly on attack skills it sounds like a fine choice, though I've never uniquely used one. I think it would be fine with SA/PA spam.

That's not entirely correct. The only skills where attack interval does not matter or the few fixed-activation-time attack skills like Penetrating/Sundering, Needling, etc. Attack skills with no activation time listed (which is most of them) use your weapon's normal attack interval.

cataphract · Jun 27, 2011, 01:24 PM // 13:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lishy

Thank you, Xiaquin!

Semi-offtopic, but shortbows are bad? This is news to me. I always assumed they were the fastest bows since they had the shortest range? Could you clarify to me whether they're actually decent or not?

Check this article out.

I've never used Hornbows and Flatbows. One is too slow and the other is easy to dodge. My personal preferences are Longbow, Shortbow and Recurve.

Lishy · Jun 27, 2011, 03:34 PM // 15:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by cataphract

Check this article out.

The problem that still confuses me is that although shortbows fire more, they have a higher arc and flight time. So it becomes the question: Which deals more damage in the end?

Essence Snow · Jun 27, 2011, 04:03 PM // 16:03

Hornbows are not used for the same reason sundering mods aren't used.

Flatbows are my fav for pulling as the extended flighttime allows for more aggro control options.

MisterB · Jun 27, 2011, 04:34 PM // 16:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lishy

The problem that still confuses me is that although shortbows fire more, they have a higher arc and flight time. So it becomes the question: Which deals more damage in the end?

Shortbows will give you the most damage per second at shortbow range. You can see in the chart that the decreased flight time of the recurve does not equal the decreased attack interval of the shortbow.

Chthon · Jun 27, 2011, 04:58 PM // 16:58

My issue with shortbows has always been that it offers very little advantage over flatbow + stand in shortbow range (At that distance, the arc difference does not matter very much.), whilst the flatbow-qua-shortbow can also be used as a flatbow.