If I'm technically able to hit a target a ridiculously long way away, will there still be damage?
I ask this because there have been a numerous times where I have been far away from an enemy and shot an arrow at it. I SAW the arrow and it looked like it reached the target, but I got no notification of "sneak attack" nor did I see a health meter.
Do I have to be close enough in-range for damage to be detected?
I wont say it's impossible I missed.
All I know is that I noticed there seems to be this drastic and suspicious drop in my "accuracy" after a set distance.
Like:
Distance of X = "pretty good accuracy."
Distance of X+1 foot = "0% accuracy"
Tried testing this on the largest, slowest, animal I can find. A Mammoth.
I was sneaking and positioned myself on a large rock. I shot an arrow at a very far distance. I Fired 10 arrows at varying levels of my crosshairs
Although the mammoth was "aware" that something was going on, NO damage or sneak attack messages were displaying.
I cut my distance in half, and suddenly the Mammoth started taking damage from my shots.
Conclusion: After a set distance. Archery DOESN'T register damage.
You know I see these kinds of posts and its like... Wow really?
lets look at it from a realistic point of view for a second. I bow hunt during hunting season. The maximum shot you want to make is on a perfectly lined up deer broadside is maybe 30 yards. Now. A yard is what 36 inches. Screw it lets us meters. 1 meter = 39 inches. So we'll say 25 meters. Any further than that and you're loosing way too much power on the shot, accuracy suffers, and more than likely you're not killing what you hit, if you hit. These aren't high powered rifles. They are a 10000 year old weapon first used by primitive man.
Now, I saw a post the other day where a guy was complaining he couldn't hit a target 200 + some meters away or something close to that. I don't remember specifics. I remember thinking at the time "Jesus what a moron. Trying to hit a target that far away." My point i guess is you should not expect to be able to hit or damage a target more that 25-30 at most 40 meters away from you. Firstly it isn't realistic, secondly, you're forgetting the physics in the game aren't exactly real world standard, and third, I don't think they intended for you to be taking shots from very far away.
I've had absolutely not issues using a bow at normal expected archery ranges and getting hits and or kills. I'm trying to be nice about it but to sum it up... you're doing it wrong.