TERA Online Archer Class FAQ

TERA Online Archer Class FAQ

Q: Do archers use actual material arrows or energy arrows? Did using material arrows present a supply issue during battles? Since they seem to have no bowstrings, what is the exact use of the archer’s bow?

A: Players (and elite NPC archers) shoot energy arrows. That’s mostly a gameplay decision-we don’t want to burden you with inventory management for those arrows, and running out of ammo is never fun. But ordinary NPC archers use regular arrows, and presumably every archer starts by learning traditional techniques. After all, it’s hard to imagine the bow developing without the arrow!

Q: Can archers execute any attacks while on the move or are they forced to stop moving to cast or fire?

A: There’s a brief pause while they set their feet to shoot, but it’s often over in the blink of an eye. Some of the high-level archer skills even allow them to charge up big attacks while they’re on the move.

Q: How have archers been able to develop such high defenses despite only wearing leather armor? Will their defenses be balanced with their high single-target damage?

A: An archer has three main defenses: their traps, their mobility, and their high damage output (“the best defense is a good offense”). Those defenses are tactical, not part of the armor they wear. And that’s part of the balance-if an archer fails tactically, those defenses (traps, mobility, offense) don’t save him.

Q: The Multishot skill has evolved a few times. Is it going to change again and will it be made to be useful against single targets?

A: By its very nature, Multishot is designed for multiple enemies, but if you want a skill that will shoot a hojillion arrows into a single target, Rapid Fire is what you’re looking for.

Q: What is the maximum range an archer can reach right now, including glyphs and other equipment?

A: That sort of theorycrafting will have to wait until we’re closer to release, but the short answer is: max range is longer than your enemies would prefer, but probably shorter than you’d prefer. That’s part of the game’s overall aesthetic; we want everyone moving around and thinking tactically. Standing on a hill and plinking away at bad guys a quarter-mile away is effective, but it stops being fun pretty quick.

Q: Are the current class attributes and statistics final or is there still room for balancing?

A: Getting the balance right-actually lots of different “balances”-is key to getting the game right, so it’s under constant scrutiny.

Q: Does the location where attacks hit on a target have a gameplay effect?

A: Not on ordinary bad guys.

Q: Will Archer traps be visible to opponents in PvP and can party members set them off accidentally?

A: We’re going to talk about PvP more when we get closer to launch.

Q: Which classes pose the biggest challenge to archers?

A: It’s not a specific class so much as it’s a specific style of play-if you can overload an archer’s attention and give the archer so much to worry about that the archer can’t execute her strategy, then you’re well on your way to victory. (Military strategists call that “getting inside the OODA loop.”) That’s true whether the enemy is a PvE foe or another player.

Q: Is the archer better for single-target damage compared to the sorcerer?

A: They’re awfully close. I’d give it to the archer by a nose, but positioning, trap use, and all the mojo coming from the bad guy could swing it either way.

Q: Do the different races have different close range archer skills given their various sizes?

A: The skills function the same, but (for example) a baraka’s Breakaway Bolt looks different than a castanic’s.

Q: What is the activation range of the archer’s traps? Can more than one trap affect a single target? Can the effect of archer traps be resisted?

A: Activation range? Lemme see what the label here says…can’t quite read it…[BOOM!]…, …a little help here?…Well, I’m still alive to answer questions. Does that mean I resisted it?

Q: Do archer attacks penetrate targets allowing them to hit other targets?

A: If you need to shoot through someone to hit someone behind them, have you thought about moving somewhere else? Or using Rain of Arrows or similar skills that drop death from above?

Q: Is there a limit on how many targets an archer skill area-of-effect attack can hit?

A: Just the size of the area and your ability to lure them into the kill zone. If you can pack ’em in there, they’ll all say, “Owie.”

Q: Are there situations where a party might want to choose an archer over a sorcerer if there’s only one spot for a ranged class?

A: Only in the realm of player familiarity and personal preference. There aren’t encounters that are inherently more or less difficult with archers-distinctions, maybe, but not huge differences.

Q: Does taking damage stop your movement upon being hit? If so, does this mean that archer area-of-effect skills double as “damaging shields” that prevent enemies from getting too close?

A: No, taking damage doesn’t stop your movement. I often die while running at a full sprint! Many attacks-both player and monster-have a knockdown chance built in, though. That’ll put a crimp in your 100-meter-dash time.

Q: Does the damage of archer skills increase steadily or level off at higher ranks?

A: It’s a steady increase, but that doesn’t mean it’s a constant increase-for the archer or any other class. Suffice it to say that damage-output curves deserve a dissertation all their own.

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