Wooden Bows : V - Skyrim

» Mon Dec 20, 2010 12:14 pm

But how do you think that http://tedlington.files.wordpress.com/2009/12/crossbow.jpg works, then? Basically, the thicker the metal/material, the less willing it is to bend. As long as it isn't bent too far, the material will return to their original shapes. An excellent example are springs. They're made of metal, and they are made to return to their original shapes. Besides, you repair the bows, and maybe then you replace or adjust the material again. Who knows... Also, any longbow made of wood will also bend towards the string over time.

Springs have an issue with losing shape. Often springs are replaced. And metal is safe usually if it isn't bent too far, but a bow would be bent too far.

» Mon Dec 20, 2010 4:56 am

I always thought of glass bows being made out of "magical" glass. You know, kind of like the old 80's green Dew bottles? :biggrin:

I agree though, and I hope to see a more creative variety of wooden type bows. Glass arrows would at least make more sense to me. Especially if they decided to shatter inside flesh, once they hit bone.

I guess I wouldn't oppose of a bow being made out of something way more ridiculous than glass, like say.. a bow made entirely of blinking eyeballs.

» Mon Dec 20, 2010 6:51 am

3. (Don't hurt me) A beginner bow cant be made of yew, you need lvl 40 ranged to use it... (Ok, who gets that?)

I get it! Rs ftw? Anyway, i really think these bows can be made out of metal. The only one that's 100% metal is daedric, and daedric is like magical material from oblivion, it can do whatever it wants, and do it effectively. I view glass as a flexible, light, material that's also very durable and powerful, so i don't see why it can't be a bow.

» Mon Dec 20, 2010 7:03 am

Springs have an issue with losing shape. Often springs are replaced. And metal is safe usually if it isn't bent too far, but a bow would be bent too far.

That's why you repair bows; you replace the metal rod inside. In any case, that's the only reason I can come up with to justify this "interesting" naming system they used for bows. As an archer, I am (rightfully) shocked by this...

» Mon Dec 20, 2010 2:54 am

Something that irked me in Oblivion (and Daggerfall, and morrowind to some extent.. really every game) is that all the bows are either made of metal or volcanic glass (glass, ebony) it doesn't really make any sense, and I think a variety of wooden/bone bows would be cooler.

For instance, your basic "beginner bow" could be made of yew, elk bone with tendon string, whereas the higher echelons could be engraved Mammoth Ivory bows or Argonian Black-Wood bows and stuff of that sort. Daedric bows could just be made of Harrada or some sort of deformed tree that grows on the surface of Oblivion, either that or just a really high quality bow with a daedra bound to it.

It just didn't make any sense that bows were made of metal and glass just so they could match the other weapons, IMO wooden bows would be a lot better and more creative.

Awesome idea! I don't think they should be entirely made of wood though, but at least the functional parts. It would be weird to go from glass and ebony in the previous games to all wooden bows. Maybe make the glass and ebony bows just have embellishments that make them more valuable and add some visual flair.

That being said, I believe you are correct in your theory that the intensive flexural modulus ratio, along with the modulus of elasticity of substances such as glass and ebony would create an extremely high weibull modulus that would effectively preclude them from being used in an application requiring such tensile strength. They did look kinda cool though...