Hello jorb, loftar, etc, etc,
It's been a long time since i last played (longer still since I last posted), but recently I've been thinking about this game and why I don't play it anymore. Although this is one of my all-time favorite survival games, there are several things that needed improvement. One was the archery system, the other, the sneaking system. I have a suggestion for each of these.
Archery~
Archery needs an overhaul since I last played. It takes forever to even draw back the bow, let alone hit anything. Furthermore, if the target moves, the meter is reset. I have a suggestion for this. Let the meter fill up in about 2-3 seconds for each player, regardless of marksman, perception, targets moving, etc. Let the accuracy of the shot (whether it hits or misses) be determined by the target moving, the bow's quality, and the player's perception. Let the damage done be determined by the player's mm skill and the arrow's quality. This would let new players and players who don't have a lot of time be able to at least fire a bow (in real life, you can draw back a bow from an early age regardless of its quality, but whether you hit anything and how hard you hit it is determined by many factors).
Sneaking/stealth~
I have always thought stealth was rather useless. Sure, it helps you get away with crimes, but that's not really stealth, it's more like covering your tracks. I have a suggestion for this. When a player is walking or crawling, they are harder to spot on the screen to both animals and players alike. This is determined by the player's stealth skill and the kind and quality of clothes he's wearing (like ranger's clothes, spruce caps, etc). You would be harder to spot at night, although torches and fires make it easier to see sneaking people. However, once you started melee attacking, running, or sprinting, you would become visible straightaway. Animals would also have a chance of smelling you and thus detecting you (you become visible).
These are just suggestions, but I sincerely believe they would make this game a lot more interesting and playable. Please leave constructive suggestions or comments. If any of this has already been implemented, please tell me, as I haven't had the time to read all the forum posts between here and March 2011.
PS, what world is this (I started in world 3 and I stopped in world 5, i think)?