Archers!

[clayton ballentine]

Why can archers shoot thru walls? I meen this is so unreal!

[Sir Chauncy]

It probably has quite a bit to do with collision detection and the way that the arrows are not actually "there". They have a beautifil animation and the graphics are there, but the arrows themselves do not actually hit anyone:

the animation plays, the arrows rain down, but the unit being attacked just has its casualities worked out totally at random.

As a result I would say it is because the graphics engine that runs the game thinks that the arrows are ineffect the same as the fog or smoke effects and left them go though the walls.

I should point out that I have no evidence to back this up, but I have no idea otherwise.

As for unrealistic: it is a game, you really cannot conquer the whole of Europe in a couple of days!

[antisocialmunky]

In MTW and STW the arrows did have collision detection. They ran into walls and trees. That and people because you could dodge arrows by moving as arhcers never led and you could block x-bows with peasant meatshields.