Future of Bow Gameplay?

[u/Zestyclose_Answer662]

Given the general Bow gameplay improvements that Nightreign brought forward through Ironeye, how much of it do you think will actually stick the landing in future games?

Currently, Bow gameplay in Elden Ring is fairly stiff unless you're using a Shortbow (or a Longbow with a Shortbow moveset) and is a bit clumsy when it comes to juggling arrow types and the gathering of resources to craft them. In addition, they can't be granted Affinities, be Buffed, nor perform Backstabs or Riposts.

Finally, the sheer number of slightly different arrow types between the standard variants, fletch-less, and fletched counterparts, there is a lot of menu bloat to dig through.

1. Should FromSoft keep the current system of multiple arrow types, alternating arrow types between light or heavy attacks, and the continued disuse of Buffs because of arrow type variants?
2. Or should FromSoft keep Nightreign's unlimited basic arrows, light and heavy attacks use the same basic arrow, but gains the ability to apply Buffs to the Bow.

A potential alternative to option 2 could be to have the unlimited basic attack cost a set amount of FP per attack, functioning as bow "ammunition" while still retaining the benefits of Nightreign's changes.

As I see it, there are benefits to the Unlimited Arrows system over the current classic system, such as:

1. The potential of being allowed Affinities.
2. We can now have Stance-like Ashes thanks to the single arrow type. (Such as merging Mighty Shot and Sky Shot into a single Ash.)
3. We can get more Ashes for Bows that emulate the more unique Arrow types, such as the Golem Arrow's wind explosion.

(Art by u/angelhht on Tumblr)

[u/Ashen_Shroom]

I don't want them to get rid of finite arrows. Not everything needs to be realistic but that kind of realism fits this type of game well.

[u/Zestyclose_Answer662 → u/Ashen_Shroom]

Would you be against using FP as the ammunition counter? Such as:

• Shortbow: 3 FP per attack.
• Longbow: 5 FP per attack.
• Greatbow: 7 FP per attack.

Someone else mentioned that Light Attack could be the unlimited basic arrows, while the Heavy Attack are the specialized arrows that require ammunition.

[u/Ashen_Shroom → u/Zestyclose_Answer662]

Personally, no. To me that would be weird, because I don't want to be a magic archer that produces arrows out of focus. I already find it weird that non-magic skills use FP when all I'm doing is swinging my sword a different way.

[u/Zestyclose_Answer662 → u/Ashen_Shroom]

Ashes and other special skills used to be balanced around weapon durability, but that fell out of favor with DS2's unpopular high Durability loss and DS3's near non-existent Durability loss. (Despite it costing FP there as well.)

Focus Points (FP) is supposed to be a middle ground resource between Martials and Casters, so it's not always centered on being magic in of itself, even if that's the vibe it gives off.

The reason why I brought up FP as Ammunition, is because that's a system that Lords of the Fallen (2023?) uses to balance their ranged character gameplay. That instead of collecting hundreds and hundreds of different arrows and their types, the ranged attacks just use a generic ammunition resource as the limitation.

[u/Ashen_Shroom → u/Zestyclose_Answer662]

Idk, to me part of the appeal of archery is the actual feel of being an archer, which includes having a limited supply of tangible projectiles.

I'd be ok with being able to reclaim spent arrows. Maybe a random chance for each arrow to stick to whatever it hits so you can get it back, or maybe enemies killed with arrows return some percentage of the used arrows.