In Daggerfall, I was wondering if you shot the arrow at an enemy, if it had a percent chance of hitting the enemy - even if you directly aimed at them, OR if it actually hits the enemy when the arrow is shot at him, aiming directly (like Oblivion, no hit/miss)...? --Because Archery can possibly be a pain like it is in Morrowind because you would be shooting a lot of arrows to hit something at a low skill level (but i love it like that)

And also what do the skills in Archery determine, considering either speed, percent chance of hitting, or more damage, etc??

I just made an Archer yesterday, actually. I'm not sure if there is a percent chance of hitting an enemy. Maybe there is, because I shoot and they don't die. Maybe I just have poor aim?

I think that aiming in the general way of the enemy is sufficient. I have always supposed that Skill and Agility affect probability of hitting the enemy; speed affects reloading rate; type of weapon used, and possibly also strength, affect damage.
Btw, Archery totally rocks in DF. I use it with my current char to great effect. Sneaking through the dungeons and sniping enemies who do not suspect anything is very satisfactory. It is actually possible to backstab with arrows, and you can shoot through walls and closed doors. The only major drawback is the fact that many creatures cannot be hit with arrows from common material.
V

Yes, archery is entirely skill based. Point yourself in the general direction of an enemy and you'll probably have a chance of hitting them. All told, Archery rocks in DF--even in dungeons. It's really easy to get backstab attacks, as V noted. I'd say the worst thing about bows is that they will break easily.

@Vaclave: you can still hit creatures if your bow is higher quality; the arrows don't matter. Also, on that note: Cast-on-Strike enchantments ons bows in Daggerfall DO carry into the arrows they fire.

Ah, thanks for clarification. That makes Archery even more useful than I thought
V

Alright then, thanks for the info

archery is a major must-do in Daggerfall IMO.

When you meet a tough opponent in the open, just run backwards, and you can hit him with quite a number of arrows before he even reaches you

and in a dungeon -> retreat one corner, and stand by the wall. Lots of critters are unable to take the corner because they get stuck at the edge, but you can see enough of them to give them hell with ranged weaponry ( arrows and destructive spells at range )

I use archer characters, and say as long as you can see your enemy, you have a % chance of hitting them (I use the handy "mouse based view" and control setup almost exactly like Morrowind/Oblivion's systens, so accuracy is a pain for me). I wish Morrowind used the same system...

The best melee weapon for archers is hand-to-hand, because all you have to do is toggle left/right hand to switch between melee and range, not having to slog through putting bow away, equiping sword/flail/axe, and waiting for "right hand equipped" message to pop up.

Archery in DF is so well done.

I like hearing the wizz of the arrow as it nearly hits me... or does. Very nice sound.

Arrows were so heavy though. Give me destruction any day.

Ranged spells are hard to aim, though. Archery all the way. Besides, with the "create item" spell effect, you basically have infinite arrows.

Eh.. Do tell..? *heh heh* I am not familiar with this effect. Must hunt..

It's only available via the spellmaker, but Create Item is a wonderful effect. You can create various items such as armor, weapons, shields, clothing, and arrows. The weapon are always the lowest type within each category (for instance, the blunt weapon is always a mace, not a warhammer). The cool thing about the spell is that you can summon items of higher materials--I have summoned a daedric cuirass--but I don't really know what determines the quality; you often get leather or iron, the higher materials are truly rare. it's all up to your luck, level, maybe willpower, who knows.

Here's the kicker: The items are permanent. The spell has a duration, yes, but it only determines how long you have to wait before you summon another item. So make the duration as low as possible, and you can make things more often. I would assume that wasn't intended to work like that, but that's how it is! So yea, with that spell you will never run out of arrows, and you'll never be without a backup weapon (it just may be crap). Just conjure as needed.

So, that means a bound item glitch is in every TES game? And the status quo of DF? Awesome!

it's all up to your luck, level, maybe willpower, who knows.

It's luck and your level. It works the same as finding the equipment in a treasure pile.

It's also the easiest way to get silver armor. (Note that "easiest" is a relative term, not an absolute one.)

I just recently tried playing Arena for the first time and I've figured most of the important stuff out like how to equip my broad sword, view my log book, and most every thing else except one very vital part of this game. I can't swing my sword I've tried everything I can think of but my Nord just stares at what ever rat or goblin as he gets he's buttocks slapped back to Skyrim.

I've tried using the mouse to point and click, I've tried hitting the space bar, I've also tried holding certain keys like alt, and Ctrl just to see if that would fair any better. I know Arena is an older title but I'd still like to beat it and Daggerfall before the new Elder Scrolls comes out. So far I'm not looking so hot. Course getting owned by a sewer rat never looks good on ones reputation.

Hold down the right mouse button and move your mouse to swing your weapon, vertically, horizontally etc

Thanks I appreciate it a lot.

*Sniff* I miss DF, for examples like this.