I’ve been playing Stonehearth for a bit now and I really like the game.
What I’d like to see is the Archer split from the Footman tree and build it’s own line. Perhaps upgrading to a crossbowman and/or a catapult master.
While I love the Footman, and he definitely serves a purpose, going through that class to unlock the Archer really slows down my play style.
Thoughts, responses, suggestions?
Am I crazy or the only one who thinks this?
You’re not the only one, don’t worry. Maybe there could even eventually be a class that uses gunpowder, like a musketeer and cannon man, both musket and cannon being built by the engineer.
On the simpler/quicker solutions side, even a direct promotion to archer from worker would be nice. Footman to knight, archer to crossbow/longbow/whatever.
The cleric promotes from the herbalist, if I remember correctly, so splitting ranged combat into its own tree as well makes sense.
Or even allowing footmen to equip some basic range gear. Give the guy a sling.
Slinger->Archer->Crossbowman maybe?
I must agree, it’s odd to think of it, the footman is a mele class with decent armor, and they give up all that armor and mele training to go to a ranged class? Using a Bow they never had experience with? For me, that just doesn’t make much sense
Though, i would say if i were to do it, i’d put the crossbowmen first, since crossbows, as far as i know, were built for untrained archers, easy to use and effective(thouch terrible loading speed) and i’m pretty sure a carpenter-made crossbow isn’t too off the real world
In a fantasy setting you mostly go from Bow->Crossbow since its more damage.
But maybe it could be “Slinger->Crossbow” and “Slinger->Archer” so it’s a split for more damage (crossbow) or longer range (archer).
Making archers universally available like Footmen might trivialize some combat, once there’s more robust targeting from high ground. Even if you reduced the initial damage, range is nothing to laugh at.
On the flip side, there’s no real prerequisite classes other than Footman which are realistically feasible to promote from. Trapper? That’s a long time to be able to craft, unless you make Trapper’s Knives buyable earlier on.
The best solution would be to lower the Footman prerequisite from 3 to 2, and lower the Archer’s initial damage output accordingly. At least, that’s my thought.
I’d think more along the lines of changing the trapper to a hunter. Allowing them to initially use slings or crossbows to hunt game (as well as trap) in specific areas, but if combat is necessary they’ll go to where the fighting is. They could then be promoted to Ranger/Marksman and lose the ability to hunt and trap, but gain perhaps a pet to fight with them. I’d put bows, long bows, recurve bows, and horse bows after the crossbow since crossbows don’t require skill to shoot. But I might be bias since I hunt and instruct traditional archery.