DB-Forge Feature with Dave Gaider

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(Originally posted by Darien)

DB-Forge has posted another 10 questions answered by Designer Dave Gaider. Some are more interesting than others. Here's one:

10. How come characters(esp. Rangers) can dual wield two weapons but cannot place a bow in the quick weapon slot. I don't see a difference between this and using two handed weapons. This kinda takes away from the Ranger persona...
Submitted by Uther Ironspire

The fact that you can pause and change the weapons around sort of makes this not a problem, though, doesn't it? And the difficulty with putting the ranged weapon in the quick weapon slot is an engine difficulty. If you are dual-wielding, you have a weapon in your weapon hand as well as one in your shield hand. The engine was not built for the quick weapon slot to de-equip your shield hand...it only replaces what's in your weapon hand. This would result in you having a bow in one hand and a sword in the other...something that there is no animation for and which would cause a crash.
We tried working around this, but it just got too messy. The engine just wasn't made to do it...so the best way to avoid problems was to restrict the use of the quick weapon slot.

I fail to see, though, how this 'takes away' from the ranger persona. Is there something about how you play a ranger that requires you to press a button to bring out your bow rather than go into inventory? This makes you feel less like a ranger? Personally, the fact that you're sheathing two weapons and digging out your bow isn't something that's done quickly, anyway, and the fact that you can pause and do this without combat running on is a bonus as it is, I think.

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