Some stuff on stuff

[Choinski, Burton]

||So basically it boils down to a certain EL giving you a certain rate at
||a certain accuracy. It's nice to see some 'hands-on' numbers.  So, 5-6
||arrows/30 seconds corresponds nicely with the 12/minute given.  That
||would mean one reload phase, one shooting phase.

If I had to honestly classify myself, I would be at the EL0, perhaps EL1
range on archery.  My speed was also heavily affected by where my arrows
were...if I staked my arrows in the ground in front of me (or had my quiver
held so the arrows were vertical), I could probably get off 7 (and this is
with minimal aim time -- just pull, point and let go).  Due to my height, my
draw length is very large, hence I have long arrows.  If had to pull over
the shoulder, the extra time to root around and draw cuts this to about 4 or
5.

||How far away would the
||target be in your setup? Could you go faster if the target was closer,
||or is there a limit to how fast you can actually pull the arrows out of
||the quiver, so to speak? Could you reach 1/phase if the target was point
||blank, is what I really want to know.

Running it over in my mind, it takes about 1-2 seconds to draw the arrow and
set the nock, another second to pull back and point in the general direction
of the target, and it would take about another 1 second to release and
recover.  This takes no aiming into account and is pretty much only good for
arrow storms, and even then this only gets me into the 3 shots per 4 phases
realm.  Adding only 2 seconds for aiming gets me to the good-ol' 2 shots per
turn (1/2 phases).  I have seen the best archers of the Eastern Kingdom
(SCA) draw and fire quite fast, and they may approach 1 per phase, but again
that would be pure arrow-storm tactics.

Target distance matters if you have to check for effect -- at the 20 yard
distance for the speed shot the target is stationary and we don't have to
check for other "attackers".

(Side note: I'm trying to figure some sort of arrow storm rule to use.  At
one point some characters were hiding behind rocks while enemy archers were
attacking.  I think I just had the enemy archers use the -20 table for the
lofting shots, but that was fast and loose, not good enough for a general
rule section)

||Those would have a max rate of 30/8=3.75 sec/shot, so 3 shots per turn.
||That would be a bit difficult to play.

Since the ROF between me (EL0-1) vs. the best of the best of the SCA (EL6?
7? 8?) is so close, for simplicity sake best to chuck any sort of formula
and just go with a standard, perhaps allowing an extra shot now and then.
     -- Burton

Burton Choinski
Principle Software Engineer, Quality Engineering
email: burton.choinski at matrixone.com

phone: 978-322-2135
fax  : 978-452-5764

MatrixOne, Inc.
Two Executive Drive
Chelmsford, Ma 01824
www.matrixone.com

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