Aiming from horseback

Users who are viewing this thread

barbaros

Knight at Arms
Well, I may be wrong because I didn'perform horse archery in real life but here is my suggestion. When aiming a bow from horseback, targeting reticule should make small periodic vertical movements in synchronisation with the horse's steps. Those movements can reduce to a minimum when a character reaches very high horse archery skill. A novice horse archer should not be able to stabilize his aim perfectly when the horse causes vertical vibrations in each step.

To make an engineering analogy, today's main battle tanks use sophisticated technology to stabilize its gun vertically (lock it to a target) when moving on a rough terrain. Compensating the vibrations caused by the terrain (or horse steps) is very complex job. Before this (during WW2), tanks were firing only after complete stop. I know machines need high tech to do very simple tasks (for a human) like climbing stairs or running properly. A human can do those things without technology but only after certain skill and practise level.
 
Isnt it already implimented? Just in a different way. Your accuracy is a lot worse when the horse is moving, with the 3 white reticules being far apart, while in stationary mode or on the ground they are near to pin-point accurate? I mean when you just start, your archery is so bad you can hardly hit anything standing on the ground, let alone while on a horse... Are you playing the updated version? ::razz:
 
Volkier has a point there.
And not having a realistic target bounce but rather a forced larger reticule helps nerf horseback archery which would be too powerful otherwise (player could predict horse movement)
 
Your accuracy is a lot worse when the horse is moving, with the 3 white reticules being far apart, while in stationary mode or on the ground they are near to pin-point accurate?

My suggestion was not replacing this. I suggest add the bouncing reticule on top of reduced accuracy. Thus, making horse archery a bit more difficult. Loss of accuracy due to speed of the horse may be reduced a bit to compensate if needed. I think horse archers preferred horses (steppe horses?) which cause less bouncing while running so that aiming was easier.

Well, I guess you're right. Reduced accuracy can simulate both effects.
 
But you already don't know whether your arrow is going to go up or down. Or left and right, which you would swing just as much if you are trying to aim from horseback.

Try this with a slingshot if you have access to a horse. This is probably the best 'simulation' in real life which you can have. Try in rising trot, sitting trot, forward seat, then try in canter. You would notice that whereas you would develop a technique REALLY fast to remove the up/down movement, you will need a LOT of practice to actually hit stuff which you are aiming at. And you would also notice that in forward seat, you would actually hardly feel any impact on the up/down movement, but would need practice to maintain balance and shoot at the same time, and also it is harder to control your horse without the reins in forward seat...

By the way, this would also be different with different horses, since some horses would have a 'bouncy' trot, but a comfortable canter. Thats just a statement though, not something I wish to suggest to impliment lol.
 
Hmmm... I just thought that maybe if we equip a QUIVER without a BOW, we can take the arrows outta the quiver, and stab them into the enemies with our hands ::grin: How's that sound? I always wanted to do that in real life... seems a lot more entertaining.. You can like twist the arrow left and right while you'r at it as well and hear their agonising screams echo through the silent nite.....
 
Pretend the Horses in M&B are 'Paso Fino', Horses trained in a special gait that is absolutely smooth :wink:
 
Back
Top Bottom