No bow just arrows

[Viadis]

This topic has been approached many times I am well aware but I don't care so much about the bows as I do the Arrows. Bows are easy, twigs and rope, maybe some jewels or something but that's not the point. The arrows how ever can be quite different. You could have the easiest arrow to make just be a stick and a peice of flint but it wouldn't do much and have maybe a 50% chance to hit. If it doesn't hit it could just look like it bounced off of the monster. How ever if you combined a hound tooth, twigs, and a feather you get a better arrow. And different feathers could have different affects like the redbird arrow has a higher hit chance but the crow arrow does more damage. You could even cover the hound teeth in gold and have golden hound tooth arrows that could maybe be enchanted instead of enchanting bows?

[Ora]

While I would like to see a bow in the game, I think with the way the game is right now and the direction Kevin wants it to go, it would make hunting birds and rabbits far too easy. It would also make gobblers and krampus a ton easier to deal with. The whole point of them running away is to make them a pain in the neck to kill. If you can suddenly strike from range as easily as a bow would let you, then there's no point.

[mobius187]

This topic has been approached many times I am well aware but I don't care so much about the bows as I do the Arrows. Bows are easy, twigs and rope, maybe some jewels or something but that's not the point.

As you've already surmised, the bow and arrow are a popular suggestion on the forums and various players have discussed it. I'm one of the people who supports adding this ranged weapon to the game. The most commonly suggested crafting formulas are:

String + Sticks = Bow

Flint + Stick + Feather = Arrow

Now, first off, "String" is another crafting suggestion based on the idea that players should be able to refine Silk into String, just like how you can already refine Grass into Rope. Also another player suggested that the Sticks, used for the bow, should instead be replaced with a "Yew Stick", but whether that comes from a new (yew) tree or sapling is open to debate.

The arrows how ever can be quite different. You could have the easiest arrow to make just be a stick and a peice of flint but it wouldn't do much and have maybe a 50% chance to hit. If it doesn't hit it could just look like it bounced off of the monster. How ever if you combined a hound tooth, twigs, and a feather you get a better arrow.

Flint and Hounds Tooth are two types of "arrow head" that have been suggested, with the second being deadlier than the first. I'm of the opinion however that arrows either fire successfully and hit a target (and are removed/destroyed) or misfire and drop to the ground. I don't think any creature in the game has a thick enough exterior to cause arrows to bounce off of it. I also think all arrows need feathers to make them aerodynamic (and cool).

One further suggestion is that the hit/misfire is based on requiring the player to click and hold the RMB on their desired target. This causes the character to pull back the drawstring and, on releasing the RMB, firing the arrow. If the player helf the RMB long enough then the arrow will have enough force to hit the target, otherwise it falls short or just drops to the ground (to be picked up later). This suggestion is to prevent the player from "arrow spamming".

And different feathers could have different affects like the redbird arrow has a higher hit chance but the crow arrow does more damage. You could even cover the hound teeth in gold and have golden hound tooth arrows that could maybe be enchanted instead of enchanting bows?

I don't think feathers should have any impact on the arrows. Then again, I'm also against most "magic" ideas, so you can take my opinion for what it's worth.

[MilleniumCount]

I think a bow would be a fitting addition to the don't starve armory. If you think of bow and arrows need two separate inventory slots, arrows need flint for crafting and no 100% hit potential I don't think it would be overpowered if the arrows aren't to easy to recover after shooting them into something. You only have to make it so that the player thinks twice if he risks to loose one of his arrows to kill a jackalope or keep them to fight back the dogs.

[mobius187]

If you think of bow and arrows need two separate inventory slots

Yes, and it's open to debate whether arrows should stack to 20 or 40. My opinion is it should be 20 arrows per stack. Not to mention the bow should have a durability rating whenever it's fired, successfully or not.

arrows need flint for crafting

Yup, or the more exotic "hound tooth", and let's not forget the feathers. A player suggested that maybe arrows used red feather, to counterbalance the blow dart's use of black feathers. I would tend to agree, so only 50% of feathers are useful to you for arrows.

and no 100% hit potential I don't think it would be overpowered if the arrows aren't to easy to recover after shooting them into something.

Well anything is possible, but I support either misfiring and being able to recover an arrow, or hitting a target and not being able to get your arrow back.

You only have to make it so that the player thinks twice if he risks to loose one of his arrows to kill a jackalope or keep them to fight back the dogs.

Yup. Another factor here is how hard it would be to acquire the bow and arrows. In past suggestions we've racked it up to 5 unlocks by making it a tier-2 invention (requires Alchemy Engine, which requires Cut Stone... +2 unlocks), having it need String (+1 unlock), and then the fact that both items use different crafting formulas means they're two different inventions... you have to unlock both the Bow and the Arrow (+2 unlocks).

For anyone who thinks that's silly, may I remind you that you can unlock the Bee Mine before unlocking Wooden Boards or the Bug Net, but without those two unlocks the Bee Mine is impossible to create. Just like how the Bow is useless without the Arrow, and vice versa.

[ButtercupSaiyan]

I like the idea of a use for Hound's Tooth besides Research.

[Reshy]

Why not?

[mobius187]

I like the idea of a use for Hound's Tooth besides Research.

Don't forget about the Dapper Vest! You may mock it now... but wait until the Sanity meter is added. Then you'll want one.

[Viadis]

I like the idea of them going a bit and falling if you miss makes it a bit harder if you miss to try and pick it back up. I do think a stronger version of the arrows would be better than a strobger bow maybe that's just me. I've read some one mention guns so maybe explosive arrows? I think maybe a quiver could hold 40 arrows or else you could just hold 5 perstack in your inventory?

[Ora]

Don't forget about the Dapper Vest! You may mock it now... but wait until the Sanity meter is added. Then you'll want one.

Am I the only one who feels like masquerading around in "civilized" attire in the name of staying sane already makes you character look... insane?

[mobius187]

Am I the only one who feels like masquerading around in "civilized" attire in the name of staying sane already makes you character look... insane?

Don't forget your top hat!