Why the Bowcaster?

[acdcfanbill]

So how come bowcasters were included in Kyles arsenal (they were in DF too,werent they?)? i was searching through the features of jkii when this bowcaster thing hit me, i may not be the first to say this, but how come Kyle has one, they are a traditional Wookiee weapon, and made only by them during their 'coming of age' or something... in jk, every tusken or stupid squatter had one... how did they get to popular?

[OnlyOneCanoli]

I believe it is a modified wookie bowcaster. Modified by the sand people. With green bolts. :\ Doesn't even feel that much like Star Wars.

 

I agree, it didn't serve much purpose, at least not for me.

 

Raven, Stick to your guns. Great column.

[DeathBoLT]

this bowcastor will pack more punch; primary fire will do splash damage.

[KillerBee]

I was hoping on a shot gun type weapon persoanlly..

[Denise]

They only have so many "authentic" Star Wars weapons that aren't just a variation on the tired old blaster, so they cram the bowcaster in as one of those. That's why it's here.

[StormHammer]

Actually, I found the Bowcaster to be a useful weapon. It was highly accurate at long range, and delivered more damage than the Bryar pistol if you powered it up just slightly (i.e., so it was still a single shot). You can kill a Tusken and other enemies with one shot this way. I also used the Bowcaster to pick off the Mailocs from a distance.

 

I didn't find the wide-spread multi-shot much use, though, so they can ditch that as far as I'm concerned. But I'm pleased to see the Bowcaster make a return.

[Red_XIIII]

The real bowcaster in Starwars novels used by Chewbacca is a PRojectile based weapon eg normal arrows or arrows tiped with an explosive charge on front, also its stated sevral times only wookies can usem cause of the tremendos strengh it takcs to **** it.

heh the tusken bowcaster isnt even related and was made up for JK as its an energy based weapon, why they made it look like a crossbow is beyond me, not the right shape for a energy based weapon.

[Red_XIIII]

lol theres more meanings to that word haha

thats funny it blocked it shesh what do u do when u use a shotgun hahaha

[Guest Krayt Tion]

The bowcaster in JK was about as fun for me to fire as shooting an older-model nerf gun. I don't think I was ever comfortable with how long it took to fire off even a single blast with that thing while engaged in close-ranged combat. I feel it was a very unresponsive, clusmy weapon at close ranges. I sincerely hope it is indeed heavily modified for JK2.

[KillerBee]

I must be the only person who ever liked it..

a fully charged spread was actually very lethal.. its a great way of killing newbies

[WD_ToRMeNt]

I never liked it for MP. If make it decent of JK2, then I guess I'd use it if I had to. I don't care one bit how it fits into the SWU. Gameplay is what matters.

[Guest Kurgan]

Well it was a modified weapon, so the fact that it still looked a little like a crossbow was irrelevant. But yeah, it seems more like an attempt to just include a Star Wars looking weapon than to make one that functioned like Chewbacca's weapon.

 

In the manual I believe it says something about how the two balls on the end of the bow act as equalizing agents to aim the shots or something.

 

Btw, the Bowcaster weapon was NOT featured in the original Dark Forces.

 

Kurgan

[UberChild]

i thought the bowcaster in jk was pretty crap. In single player it was ok.. but just about any other gun was better and in multiplayer.. unless eveyone was only using them you were gonna get dicked by eveyone.. id even go so far as to say.. i was so afraid of the bowcaster, it take it on with the saber.. actually in the end i ONLY used the saber so i might be slightly biased, but it was my least liked of the guns (if i had to use one..)

[KillerBee]

hmm I always liked it.. if you got 5 bolts hitting its 300 damage.. I always found it more useful then the repeater, which was just a waste of ammo.

with a tighter spread, and a non charge up, ie it fires 5, then has a longish delay, like a shot gun type weapon, it would be good for jk2 imho.

[Guest Kurgan]

Well to be honest, it WAS great in SP, the only time I used it in MP was when I grabbed the powerboost (then it was deadly, although I would take the ST rifle first in that regard).

 

Kurgan

[KillerBee]

yeah the stormie is the power boost weapon

xbows make great ambush weapons if your quick..

[nykel007]

I never really liked the bowcaster. Hence i'll scarely use it in the game.

[SlowbieOne]

I would have to say Jedi Knight has the biggest imbalance of weapons out of any first person shooter out (correct me if I am wrong). With these newer FPS games, especially with the quake 3 engine, you have an equal chance no matter which weapon you use. I think Raven will learn from Lucasarts mistakes and make the Bowcaster a useable weapon.

[Guest Kurgan]

Well the *engine* has nothing to do with the weapons balance.

 

Personally, I think most people seem to have this thing for Quake 1 having one of the undisputed "worst weapon balances of an FPS game."

 

JK had so many weapons and powers that you could use to dominate, I don't see it as really being "unbalanced" unless your definition of balance is different from mine. Now if you just meant that the fist can't beat the concussion rifle (most of the time) then maybe you have a point somewhere... ; ) (but that would make a lot of games unbalanced, including Quake3).

 

I have heard two types of "balance" out there. One is where all weapons have situations where they are good, but no weapon is "best" in all situations. And the other is where no one weapon is able to dominate all by itself (assuming everyone has equal skill).

 

Now if you combine those, then I think JK was just as balanced as plenty of other games. MotS as well (perhaps even more so).

 

When I think "unbalanced" I think of one weapon always dominating and thus no reason to use the others in MP. JK wasn't like that.

 

Kurgan

 

[ August 27, 2001: Message edited by: Kurgan ]

[Syndrix]

Posted by Kurgan

When I think "unbalanced" I think of one weapon always dominating and thus no reason to use the others in MP. JK wasn't like that.

 

Since when...

[wikedjedi]

well, since it is gonna have a good sp story, unlike q3a and ut(which are made for mp mainly and have balance weapons) i think they wont have balance weapons, but thats what i think

wiked

[SlowbieOne]

I don't know if you are talking about the same game Kurgan. Since when didn't the concussion rifle completely dominate everything else in JK?

[KillerBee]

half of jks problems are the levels..

 

You could build a level where the stormie rifle, the rail, sequencers, and the conky all have uses.., a stormies in a small tunnel thats magsealed is more deadly then a conky in Tightish corridoors the rail is very useful.. and in wide spaces conkys rule..

oasis is all wide open spaces.. why people default to the conky and the odd mine. well thats nf.

FF is a different matter, rails already got uses, rails are very effective if you know how. specially v lighties.. many lighties will let you keep rails thinking them as not a problem, a rapid grip rail can total em.

(Course the best lighties even pull your bryar)

They are also good as area suppresents, pepper the top of the surge pipe in oasis with a few conky rounds, then a few rail rounds has been known to mess peoples timing up, thinking youve stopped shelling em.. tho its only been useful once or twice.. it saves on conky ammo and if anyone is foolish enough to follow you, a rail spoils their day, I don't think there was an elite who I haven't rail killed, atleast when I used to play a lot.. prolly got a lot of newer elites come up.

Mines can be effective as a shock weapon.. people often forget about them, knowing seeing usually counteracts them.. but its only good for one or 2 kills a game..

 

Kurgan:

"I have heard two types of "balance" out there. One is where all weapons have situations where they are good, but no weapon is "best" in all situations. And the other is where no one weapon is able to dominate all by itself (assuming everyone has equal skill)."

 

the first one isnt really balanced, seeing maps rarely have every type of combat type..

and if you did you would have only about 5 guns..

 

Q3s guns are balanced like this.. but rockets are still over used.. its just 2 new weapons have muscled in a little.. the rail and lg..

the rest can all kill but so can any weapon in jk.. they arent often picked by choice..

the LG deals out 160 damage/s up close, or medium with good aim it beats the SG, or PG.

The Rail for range or point blank deals death at range better then anything, and with decent timing the RL is useful at all ranges. The grens far to specific in role. the BFGs rarely used.

The mgs the only other used weapon, and thats for finishing off poeple who have been railed..

Unreals are balanced in the second way.. and well certain weapons stick out from the mob. as most useful..

I still reckon any game claiming perfect balance need shooting.. and I would rather have 4/5 well balanced weapons, seeing force powers act as weapons to..

which is why jks 4 force usable weapons (the sabre is included..) are fine for jk.. you would have too much to do if you had 10 decent guns..

well fine for ff jk..

but nf jk, well it sucks on oasis or ji to be frank.

[Vader's Apprentice]

At least it could get to yer darn stormie in one shot unlike the Stormtrooper gun, and anyway the damn thing in SW4 fired red stuff out at troops, it didn't even look like the movie one - it's not modified - its a cheap send-up.

[acdcfanbill]

did chewy use his bowcaster before RotJ? i remimber a poster shotof han firing, and chewie standing there, but i dont remmber him firing in sw4, maybe he did i dunno....