Having problems with foot-archers

[Innocence]

I need some help with archers. I'm having these two specific problems in the arena:

1) When I play foot-archer against foot-soldier, I only get to fire about 4-5 arrows before the soldier gets close and hack me to pieces. I try backing up while firing but to no avail.

2) When the AI has foot-archer and I'm a foot-soldier I experience exactly the opposite problem: I'm unable to get close enough before I get shot to pieces. I've try zig-zagging, jumping and going straight for the archer but always end up dead. Even when I do get close enough to hit the archer, the AI is able to walk equally fast backwards while firing arrows, leaving me looking like a porcupine within seconds.

It seems to me the AI foot-soldiers move faster, and AI foot-archers both move and fire faster than I. Did I miss the "Run-button" or "Maxim-bow Mode" somewhere?

So obviously I'm doing somehing wrong. Anyone here who can tell me what it is?

 

[Magraev]

Without around 3-4 points in athletics you'll never catch the better fighters in the arena on foot. You have to try and corner them, and then make the most of it when you get the chance.

as an archer it's a good idea to save an arrow for just when the enemy soldier tries to strike you - this gives you space to get away and ready another.

 

[Ingolifs]

Also, if you can get it in their face, you reduce your risks. headshots are fairly easy up close. just aim above the head.

 

[JohnathanStrange]

In the arena, if you've been fighting awhile, you're probably facing champion fighters so they're fast on foot and good with a bow. You've already noticed that.

You're going to be hard-pressed when you're a foot archer in the arena unless you've already significantly developed your Athletics (which makes you faster on foot), Agility (weapon speed), and Archery levels.

I can't see a sure way out of that at all. In the arena, if your relevant skill levels are low, you shoot too slowly and inaccurately, and you move too slowly. In the arena, once the enemy footman closes, you're mostly doomed although there's the chance that you've hit him enough for one last head shot to take him out when he lowers his shield for his attack.

I often target infantry first because they're harder to maneuver away from. I try to target whoever's being attacked by a team-mate in order to pile on the hits (and reduce the # of guys who could attack me), if a horse is free and nearby I take it. I try to stay on the edges of the arena.

As a shieldless footman in the arena, you're in trouble against archers unless you're already agile and athletic. The dodging and weaving the AI does when the situation is reversed rarely works for me (it does better now but not when I was low level) and trying to get within weapon range generally resulted in my finding myself standing in the Zendar marketplace minus 10 denars and holding a "Go Celtics!" banner.

I don't see a good way for low-level shieldless footman to consistently win against champion foot archers. The best I can do is to approach when the archer is distracted and hope for the best. Of course, you can try to survive by hiding in a corner of the arena but that's...unheroic.

You can give commands to teammates in the arena but you can't order an attack on a specific opponent nor can you get a shield from your allies. You could order them to dismount - assuming they have horses - and take one of their horses. Being on horseback usually helps in the attack and taking a teammate's horse may be the single most effective tactic in the arena - but not necessarily in your favor as your teammates are distracted a bit and may be killed quickly.

 

[Crispy Pigeon]

I find I have exactly the same problem as Innocence in the Arena. It's extremely unfair and frustrating to say the least.

 

[Caius]

Then don't play in the arena? It's a waste of time in my opinion. You have to fight with weapons your character isn't built to fight with, and you make at tops what 380 denars for a fight? I can make that much off one piece of loot against 5 river pirates at a low level.

 

[Wanderer]

Then don't play in the arena? It's a waste of time in my opinion. You have to fight with weapons your character isn't built to fight with, and you make at tops what 380 denars for a fight? I can make that much off one piece of loot against 5 river pirates at a low level.

I've found the best use for the arena is to build up skills and xp while not risking your own butt, your own horse, and getting better equipment for the fight then you can usually purchase at that point.

I don't find it to be a good way to make money, but to make xp and get a few levels under your belt before tackling the 'real world'.

 

[JohnathanStrange]

Then don't play in the arena?

Yes, a simple solution! I was overthinking it.

I'm reminded of the old story about the man who goes to his doctor and says It hurts when I lift my arm like this and the doctor tells him So? Don't lift your arm like that!

 

[Caius]

Crossbow + level 2 + 5 river pirates = money for me.

If you have any sort of aim with a bow or use a crossbow since it's amazingly easy to use then you can take out 5 river pirates like nothing. Ride your saddle horse onto a hill dismount and prepare for the headshots.

 

[JohnathanStrange]

I've no doubt that's true - but this thread is about the arena and being on foot as an archer or fighting against an archer. In the arena.

 

[Ingolifs]

I'm surprised at how much harder the tournament's gotten. I've encountered one of those super bowmen. I had a sword and a shield, which didn't make the slightest bit of difference, because the archer would knock off 50 health from my shield with each hyper-accurate shot. It got in range to strike but missed because the archer was doing some funny strafing thing, and then the archer ran away, shooting incredibly aimed arrows while moving.

Also, some guy with a couched lance charged me while I was on horseback and got something like 160 damage on my horse. I don't know how he managed to achieve that when the best i've ever achieved while riding strait ahead, waiting for my lance to couch and timing the thrust perfectly into the other guys chest is about 8 damage.

 

[Cleitan]

A couched lance damage is always a huge number..... a couched lance will never do 8 damage

 

[Ingolifs]

Most often my lance does zero damage in the arena.

 

[dadarkman]

A couched lance damage is always a huge number..... a couched lance will never do 8 damage

Not wenn both on horse and you hit him from the side when he is just slower as you are...

 

[Innocence]

I don't see a good way for low-level shieldless footman to consistently win against champion foot archers.

Ok... well at least I guess that means I don't simply suck, since everyone else is having the same problems as I (at low level)

You could order them to dismount...take one of their horses

Ah, now that's a nice idea! So far my only hope of survival was to finish off an enemy rider and take his horse - from horseback the arena is usually fairly easy.

The reason I play the arena is I'm having a hard time finding those river pirates. Often takes 5 minutes to find a party, so on a "money pr. time unit" scale I find the arena more profitable... unless I run into the archer vs. footman problem of course

 

[DaLagga]

If you follow the river in the zendar side toward the ocean, you will notice a tree a little ways down...river pirates spawn here. But you'll have to kill a group, and then run to that spot quickly, or you'll miss the respawn, which usually takes like....4-6 game hours...or 10-15sec real time.

 

[Innocence]

Ah nice!

Unfortunately I hit level 6 just before I was going for the spawn point and the game quit

Fortunately I own a credit card and was able to get the game going again in about 10 minutes

Anyway, thanks for the tip - much less idle time now, and much more money

 

[Worbah]

Most often my lance does zero damage in the arena.

Are you sure? don't press the attack button, just ride fast and the lance automatically gets couched and points to the direction you are going to.

 

[Innocence]

Yea, that does sound strange. The lance is the single most effective melee weapon to me, in the arena as well as real combat. Sometimes it's difficult to sense where you're aiming, but I believe it a way that's a good thing - if you had a crosshair it'd probably be too easy.

 

[sampangolin]

I don't know how he managed to achieve that when the best i've ever achieved while riding strait ahead, waiting for my lance to couch and timing the thrust perfectly into the other guys chest is about 8 damage.

I think your problem is that you are thrusting not couching. With couching there is no thrust. You just get up some speed and he will hold it out in front of him, then you just run into one of the guys lance first, this will almost always do plenty of damage