Archery Animations?

I am a novice archer IRL and I was playing CoH last night and I had a bit of an epiphany. I've always liked the archery powerset, but ever since power customization became available it has never looked right. I figured out why...

Other than the default bow models none of the bows flex properly when drawn or released. In fact they don't flex at all. This goes completely against the physics involved with these bow designs. Not that it effects gameplay in anyway it just really detracts from the immersion factor of the game. The English Long Bow, the Mongolian Horseman's Bow, and even the modern Compound Bow all have limbs that should flex considerably when drawn.

It is ashamed that these bows visually don't work. They do such a good job with everything else in the game animation wise. Its just screams broken whenever I see a toon with a bow that doesn't operate properly.

That is all. What do you think?

Well first, if that bothers you, wait till you see the Vanguard bow.. beautiful to look at it but makes you wonder what the hell the string is exactly attached to heh.

Secondly, it doesn't really bother me all that much overall, mostly because the more animation/graphics, the more lag/draw time. The Mongolian bow doesn't have "that" much bend to it in reality but the other bows should I suppose. However, typically I am concentrating on other aspects rather than those little details, and normally those details bug me as well.. *looks down at his hands* dear god I have no fingers... why don't I have fingers? Zombies get fingers.. but I don't?

I have seen the vangard bow and I left it out because it is a 2D energy construct with a string attached... Huh? Anyway it's not like it would bog the game down and create lag. Look at the energy blast powers and all of the little particle effects when you cast them. There is clearly not as much going on with archery.

IRL the mongolian bow does move when it is drawn. It is to a lesser degree when compared to the english long bow but it is still obvious. There is already a lot of tension on the limbs, if you de-string it is hardly recognizable. Regardless it absolutely does not remain rigid as if it were made of stone.

The point of my thread isn't to say archery or CoH sucks. It doesn't. IMHO it just feels like that part of the animation is incomplete.

Animated flexing bows with a nice snap would be great for the set-- certainly making it feel more visceral. I'd also love to be able to change the color of the arrows, or make them into Talsorian/Vanguard energy bolts (where energy = mono-molecular lethal blades).

I'm more amazed by how on the female models it's possible to draw the string and arrow through the torso of your character model.

It's the end. But the moment has been prepared for ...

My gun moll AR/Kin character, Molly Dynamite, has a Tommy gun that shoots fire. Non-flexing bows are the least of my concerns