This might get moved to a more appropriate forum but I'll start it here.

It happens I know a fair bit about bows and a discussion I had with someone recently made me realise that the idea that women (i.e. panthers) can only wield short bows due to strenght is wholey false.

What matters with a bow is the draw strength and length. Therefore it's more a case that a man can't draw a short bow properly ( if you overdraw a bow it snaps ) than a women can't draw a long bow.

A short bow is as least, sometimes more, powerfull than a longbow. This is because they have to be composite bows in order for them to be able to be drawn ( the short the bow, the greater the arc of the bow at full draw and therefore the closer it is a breaking, composition structures are therefore needed on shorter bows to have sufficient strength ).

HIYA KAT!!! <---- my wonderful sister

I would have to agree with Kat on this discussion, although we are going to have replies on the "BUT IT SAYS IN THE BOOKS...."

If you do take the large size of the Males VS the Females on Gor and if some of you guys or gals are Hunters in RL you will see that she is correct that a smaller bow would break easier that being said, I would like to point out that these small details are greatly overlooked by folks who roll with the punches and just try to have fun and continue with RP, I know that most of us don't say anything out Men who carry large axes when they are not northern, and all of the outfits that are provided to us in SL by our wonderful builders are not exactly how they are described in the books (ie men wore tunics, FW didnt even show their shoes or hands or hair, slaves were naked or wore camisks unless dancing, and panthers werent always so clad) so I think that complaining over small details to hold up RP is a bit.....sad
it makes me a sad panda when it happens

just something to think about *shrugs*

Rai

OH ALSO: can we try to also help to influence people that while yes it is a fast way to keep people from standing back up with a weapon and shooting BUT come on guys and gals can we really break a solid hard and yes flexible bow that bends when we shoot them and break it over our knees in one motion? go out and find yourself a bow and try it in RL ....the point of things in our RP is to try and think realistically.....

I agree 100%, I groan inwardly when I see that emote. Personally.. I keep the bow.. it's a spare then

I got into an argument with a mod at Zamora once because my bow has teeth on it and a panther girl emoted breaking it over her knee, which she wouldnt be able to do, and I said ((You were just injured, look at my bow)) and she wouldnt even acknowledge the injury. Finaly a mod was called and he said okay your bow is not broken, which was not the point. Oh well maybe if I list that on my limits page it will supercede all other rules... Rolls her eyes...

HIYA MISTY

and I am sorry to hear about that Lame part of your RP and the Lame mod that really didn't want to take the time to deal with a realistic view on your items, so I think next time that happens i'll just take out my bag of prim potato chips and smack them on the head instead of my bow and tell them "hey, they are from Ar...they are called sulchips..helllooooo morons!" *rolls her eyes and giggles*

I think, and let me try to shed some light on the issue, is not that women can't necessarily wield only a shortbow, but that all Goreans have difficultly in wielding the Peasant Longbow. There were several men among the Rencers who couldn't string Tarl's bow. I think the issue becomes, because the Peasant Longbow is the only longbow mentioned in the books that it becomes an issue.

Sacha is correct. Longbows were a rarity. The only reason you really hear of them is becuase of Tarl. The rencers would have had them somewhat commonly but aside from that it would be found rarely in other places especially the Northern Forests.

This is why I pushed crossbows in Port Kar to place emphasis on reality in RP. The number one most common bow was the crossbow. At least as far as cities went. The descriptions of bows in various geographical locations is there so if its realistic examples you wish to be able to refer to its all there.

VERY unlikely panthers would have anything other than a longbow of some sort. They're easier to make and much more practical than a cross bow. Their draw rate would be in the order of 80 probably ( as against most likely near 200lbs for Tarls bow). Both are deadly and the only benefit Tarls would have is range ( but then accuracy is an issue then as 200lb bows tend to be used for volley/massed fire at longer ranges, 80lb bows are for hunting usually.). A 80lb bow would kill a man no problems.

I would disagree. I think it very rare a panther would have anything but a SHORT bow, because they are very easy to make (longbows are NOT easier to make, for one because you have to find a suitable length of unblemished wood, something much easier to do if the bow is shorter. I think you are thinking of a COMPOUND shortbow, or a recurve bow, neither of which a panther would know how to make. We are talking about shortbows as in "I found this stick, I kinda shaped it a bit, and stuck an animal gut string on it."), do not require near as much material, are easy to run and move with, and are easy to use in confined spaces like between trees. A "Longbow" is nearly the height of a man, and a bitch to move and run with. If a panther wants to stay hidden, and wants to be able to hunt through the trees, shortbow is the way to go.

Glancing at a few sights online I will toss in my two cents on bows.

The self bow is basically a single piece of wood and the weakest. Period. Long or short it was weaker.
The composite bow was made with different materials and was a stronger weapon. This being the case it is a matter of the skill of the bowyer whether it is long or short. Trick I think I am hearing is we are comparing the short horseman's bow to the monstrous english longbow. Where to the medium bows used by other people fit in? Say the north american bow? It wasn't as tall as the weilder and it wasn't tiny either. But it could kill you. And it was a hunting weapon. Made with found materials.
So a panther could have a good bow. If her tribe had someone that developed the skills to make them.