Shattered Kingdoms

Actually, it didn't stop the capability of mercs to do awesome damage with bows at all. Play a non-tanking merc who wears light armor and you will still do better damage with a bow than a scout.

That would require the merc to either walk around with a second set of gear (which would be quite heavy, not to mention difficult to acquire), or wear light armor all the time, which drastically limits their effectiveness. The majority of the time you would prefer a heavy armor tank/damage dealer over a ranged light armor class.

Technically mercs don't deal any less ranged damage than before, but I just don't see them using ranged weapons except to lure now. Ranged weapons were barely used in pk by mercs ALREADY.

Unless you were walking in light armor all the time (which I already covered above makes you less useful in general), the only time a merc would be shooting with little or no penalty would be if he had just come back to life, couldn't find any good weapons except a bow, and the only armor around was mithril, and the opponents he was facing weren't heavy armor users. Alternatively, the merc could be in a situation where the enemy definitely could not reach him (through a murder hole, for example) where he coudl safely remove his armor.

Lots of "ifs" in that. I don't feel strongly enough about this to harp over it, but I just don't see mercs using bows seriously in pk.

I didn't say it wasn't without some drawbacks, obviously. But if your RP concept was a mercenary sharpshooter, it's still a possible concept to play. Not every merc has to be covered in heavy plate. Other classes still manage to make kills without heavy armor, but if you choose not to wear it, you will obviously not fill the standard merc role in the party.

This wasn't true before the change happened. There were LOTS of kills from ranged weaponry.

Cause alot of other classes that don't wear plate have compensation like pets to take the hits for them, or spells to make it as if they were wearing plate.

Sorceror = Pet + Ether
Necromaner = Tons of Pets
Warlock = Pet + Stone Skin + Ironguard + Invis
Priest = Sanc + Protection + Armor + Magical Vestments
Scout = Pet + Camo
Rogue = Scrolls + Hide + 1 Shot Backstabs
Bard = Why bother

Also I heard you can't shield block ranged attacks, is this true?

Has this only happened recently? A couple of years ago you'd see 1/20 physical damage deaths from bows or crossbows. Most of those came when the target was stuck with a snare or cabal ability.

No no Adder it's true. Ranged combat was pretty crazy, I'll send you a few logs if you hit me up on yim.

Ranged combat was pretty insane. There are material types which are as good as heavy armor but are not considered heavy material. Those materials would probably be the ones I'd aim for with my sharpshooter merc.

Mercs were insanely wicked with ranged combat before the nerf, there were plenty of skirmish logs. I have two logs of myself skirmish killing some people even after the nerf, but the accuracy penalty makes it far less desirable.

If you happen to have a full suit of energy which compares the same to adamantite though, you're in business. The religious armor isn't horrible either, it's only AC 9 though.

I hear that specing in normal crossbows isn't a bad idea, since they only recieve half the accuracy penalty, but I will tell you specing in bows and trying to hit something in a full suit of ada can be rather frustrating at times. Plan on missing 1-2 sometimes even 3 shots a round even if you have the skill mastered.

I posted two logs awhile back of me solo killing the entire MC on two different occassions with a lone merc with a siege bow adder.

One man vs 9 and he wins without ever going into the room with them is a bit rough.

Plus ranged with retreat makes it nigh impossible to stop a ranged merc. I don't see why anyone would let light armor slow them down with a merc. I'd still use them. It's not like anyone is able to touch you in melee anyway if you're even remotely paying attention.