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[The Architect]

Dwarves just can't use bows. No more than they can use greataxes.

[G-Flex]

No. The reason dwarves can't use greataxes is because they're below the minimum size. The reason dwarves can't use bows is because "bowman" (or whatever the skill is called) is a skill dwarves aren't allowed to use, and that has been blocked from use in Fortress Mode.

In other words, dwarves can't use bows precisely for the same reason they can't use whips: They're the right size to use them, you just can't get them to do so.

[The Architect]

Pardon me for not being technical enough.

They can't use bows for the same reason they can't use greataxes: their bodes aren't suited for it. Dwarves' fingers are too stubby to use bows, and they are too small in general to use greataxes. Dwarves will never be able to use either one. However with whips and blowguns, dwarves fit all of the prerequisites. They just aren't enabled yet.

I didn't feel it was necessary to explain every little detail, but I guess it was. Taken with the above you have the reasoning and the implementation.

[G-Flex]

I was talking in terms of game mechanics and not explanatory world fluff; I think that's the issue here.

Also, I'm pretty sure you *will* be able to have your dwarves use bows along with the other non-dwarfy weapons in the next version, although I could be mistaken about bows specifically. I know they aren't really intended for dwarves, at least.

[The Architect]

Well, if you're going to correct someone then you can't really tell them what their intended meaning is. Whatever you want to make "the issue here", all I said is that dwarves are intentionally not allowed to use bows or greataxes. They're intentionally disallowed from using a lot of weapons, in fact.

Whether Toady intends to make all weapons available or not doesn't change anything at all. At the moment, some weapons are considered unsuitable for dwarves because dwarves aren't physically capable of handling them. If this is disregarded in the future, fine and dandy, but bows aren't an unimplemented feature. They're a restricted weaponry just like greataxes, pikes, etc.

Annoying how specifically you have to explain a one-liner on a forum sometimes. Note to self: if you return to this post, let it go. You stayed up late, got argumentative, and wrote a lot.

[HAMMERMILL]

I dunno. I'd think something like an elf-sized longbow taller then a dwarf would be pretty clumsy for them to use. Stubby arms...

[Rowanas]

True, if anything dwarves are just too stubby to be able to pull back a longbow to the proper draw length. A shortbow would be easy to use, even by a dwarf, because it relies on a shorter draw length. Personally I think dwarves would actually prefer to use a bow because bows pull on the arms and allow dwarves to put their natural strength to good use.