Quote Originally Posted by Lavos
Puzz, if you wouldn't look at everything so black, you'd notice that new archery system (with its flaws of course) is more advanced, than old one. Hitting other than main primary target is still here. Xbows deployed behind some unit will shoot in weird high arch and do little, arrows have bonus shooting in flanks, and even bonus shooting into right side of units that have shield.
Ranged units are less valued not because they don't kill. Their kill ratio is now much higher than before. There is couple of new problems now. They cost a lot (main reason; no need to upgrade foot and cav!), instead of taking lbows or pavise xbows you can take very effective horses or spears-pikes. Also, previously, it was enough that lbows killed four knights from one group, that was enough for that group to rout faster when engaged with other knights. And finally, in mtw it was main job of archer units to force opponent to attack. Defending player had advantage, now its different its more an advantage for who attacks.
The archery system is not more advanced in the new engine. That's a misconception that's being perpetrated. Everything you mentioned and more happens in the old engine except the "weird trajectories". Also, the dynamic balance between attack and defense that existed in the original STW game has deteriorated. You're right that defender had an advantage in MTW, and then it switched around to attacker having the advantage in RTW.

You're own initial post points out a problem in the new engine, and then you claimed it existed in the old engine. Well, it doesn't.