Is it bad to get archery at the beginning?

[rasu11]

If yes: why? when should i get any kind of combat?

[Holya]

For hunting, until you're somewhat experienced I'd strongly recommend using marksman, rather than melee/unarmed.
Slings hit much fast but not for much, whereas bows hit hard but slowly.
I'd recommend using a sling until your marksman is 50-60.
Also note that the marksman level used by a sling is equal to its Q*2, e.g. a sling of quality 13 wouldn't benefit from a marksman level higher than 26.
Bows cap in a similar way, but the formula is slightly different with the introduction of arrows, check the wiki for more info.

Simple question thread: viewtopic.php?f=2&t=22391

[AnnaC]

The main drawback for getting Archery early is that it's effectively worthless until you can produce decent quality goods to craft the weapon and ammuniation, and have the skills to use it. Personally I think it's not worthwhile until 80-100 marksmanship skill, and q40+ bow and arrows.

You should gradually invest in Unarmed Combat incremental skill, regardless of if you're going to be a warrior or not, for basic self-defense needs, and Marksmanship incremental for hunting (as hunting and foraging are your primary economic niches early on). Depending on how early your are, you want to balance this with survival and exploration development as well, and any other basic skill growths (carpentry mainly).

Holya basically covered the specifics for the mechanics.

[rasu11]

Thanks for the answers guys.