The trouble with bows

Ageless · June 2018

While in the field, I come across some enemies I want to snipe with my bow. So I masterfully aim at the most dangerous of the group, pull back on the arrow, then let it fly... only for it to hit the small spider to the left of my feet, which was apparently too dangerous and too close for comfort, so I instinctively had to kill it first!

Why won't arrows fly true to the person we aim it at? How many times have I had it that I let go of my arrow, only to see it fly off to kill some small critter on the left or right of me, not at the enemy I am aiming at? If I want to kill small animals like that, I will aim at them.

Is there any way to disable this auto-aim?

rumple9 · June 2018

Bows really need sorting out in this game

TequilaFire · June 2018

That happens with a lot of skills, I can't tell you how many times I've nuked a spider instead of the enemy I was aiming at.
I figured all those level 1 creatures are ZOS way of trolling.

srfrogg23 · June 2018

Not just with bows. The soft lock targeting system takes offense to all sorts of bugs and vermin no matter what weapon you’re using, lol. Naturally, spiders take priority over bandits. They’re creepy. Too many legs and eyes oO,_,Oo

Ageless · June 2018

Ah thanks, I'll feel less uncertain then from now on.

cyclonus11 · June 2018

It seems it got worse with Summerset - like they intentionally put varmints right in front of all groups of mobs just to troll everyone.

MaleAmazon · June 2018

Use tab?

(I dont really know but I havent had this problem in PvP and I snipe like all the time with target brackets on player)

Core · June 2018

Hmm, bind "Clear Preferred Enemy Target" and use before attack or as combo bind prior to attacks, or does using Cycle Preferred Enemy Target (TAB) help?

Rain_Greyraven · June 2018

I would just be happy to not always and forever shoot an invisible bow, and maybe actually have it show up again when I equip it.

Ageless · June 2018

Core wrote: »

Hmm, bind "Clear Preferred Enemy Target" and use before attack or as combo bind prior to attacks, or does using Cycle Preferred Enemy Target (TAB) help?

Thanks for that. Neither was bound, so I've put them on [ and ]
Cycle works better than Clear though. At least Cycle super-highlights the target I want to snipe.

phaneub17_ESO · June 2018

Whats funny is they do keep a record of all the stuff we attack and the amount of erroneous hits to Spider, Rodent, Squirrel they probably laughing their heads off at us.

munster1404 · June 2018

Polearms and Ranged weapons such as bows and crossbows have always been my favourite.

shadowwraith666 · June 2018

happens on consoles as well, it seems the tiny critters have a higher targeting priority than the target your trying to hit with a ranged attack from a distance.

Core · June 2018

@Ageless, welcome!

@phaneub17_ESO, Yeah, i would too, but then my humor runs towards wry.

Ackwalan · June 2018

I really hate the targeting in this game. Unless you tab target, your shot will go to the mob with the highest % HP. Not the most HP, the highest % of HP. So if you are fighting a boss with 1 million HP and have him down to 25% and a silly rabbit happens to bounce by with 110 HP (but at 100%), your shot will hit that rabbit. It was almost funny 4 years ago to see your ULT go off target, but now it is just sloppy target mechanics.

Core · June 2018

@Ackwalan, Was that rabbit glowing, lol.

Maybe if non-hostiles can be toggled on/off like friendly-fire can be (i.e. Domesticated animals, Wild prey, Fish, Insects, Peaceful creatures, etc.)

DanteYoda · June 2018

I do that all the time with mage skills too... Its because the cross hair is so weirdly in some odd spot.. sometimes my stam characters stop attacking and realize my stupid uncoordinated cross hair isnt on the monster..

Why the could just put the cross hair in the right spot..

Kikke · June 2018

You can move the camera, which again moves the crosshair

hope this helps

StormcloaksXBL · June 2018

I've wasted ultimates on these little buggers before.

kendellking_chaosb14_ESO · June 2018

Easy fix make bugs only targetable by light only that way a full heavy is not wasted as I believe you can’t get resources back from Heavy Attacks on bugs.

Jameliel · June 2018

We should have NPC skills where arrows go through and around everything like laser guided missles.

ArchMikem · June 2018

You haven't seen anything until you cast an Ultimate on a Skeever.

Lightspeedflashb14_ESO · June 2018

rumple9 wrote: »

Bows really need sorting out in this game

Been sorted. https://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/en/discussion/381498/everything-needed-to-know-about-bow-bow-in-pve/p1

Voxicity · June 2018

That's what tab targeting is for

thestud2012 · June 2018

ArchMikem wrote: »

You haven't seen anything until you cast an Ultimate on a Skeever.

I do that with Onslaught for a laugh. Especially against 1HP spiders. Thwamp, ching, thwamp, ching, thwamp!

OrdoHermetica · June 2018

It's not just bows. If I had a drake for every time I Crit Rushed a rat, I'd be very rich indeed.

Androconium · June 2018

Ageless wrote: »

While in the field, I come across some enemies I want to snipe with my bow. So I masterfully aim at the most dangerous of the group, pull back on the arrow, then let it fly... only for it to hit the small spider to the left of my feet, which was apparently too dangerous and too close for comfort, so I instinctively had to kill it first!

Why won't arrows fly true to the person we aim it at? How many times have I had it that I let go of my arrow, only to see it fly off to kill some small critter on the left or right of me, not at the enemy I am aiming at? If I want to kill small animals like that, I will aim at them.

Is there any way to disable this auto-aim?

That's why all those critters are there. Spiders, snakes, scuttlers etc. They're all there to make you miss.
It's a lazy development technique by those who think that this creates 'challenging' gameplay.