Seriously, they are. I saw someone’s 120 video, and he had some interesting stats in it.
First off: the % of the GMS population that are archers is only 15.3% (all types mind you), or around 778000 players as I write this (not so sure on the %, but pretty sure on the number of players)
Second off: the highest GMS archer under 70 is ranked 6254. That means there are 6253 3rd job archers, or .8% of the archer population has made it that high.
Thirdly: I’m rank 4521, or level 73, around 53%. Look up the same rank for every other job, it’s warriors 91, thieves 92, mages 97.
Since I’m an archer, I can see why we’re underplayed:
A. We’re weak and wild 1st job. I had to ask for help so many times on the first KPQ stage it isn’t funny.
B. We lack flashy skills.
C. We lack party skills.
D. We aren’t cheap.
E. We don’t get to be powerful till mid 2nd job at the earliest.
F. We can’t jumpshot like sins can.
G. We level slower than other classes (or other people claim we do).
Those are a few reasons I can think of, I’m sure there’s a lot more.
Archer pride!
H. We’re less mobile than ‘Sins as a ranged character (no haste!), and our damage isn’t quite comparable even then.
Rain is flashy enough. >O I mean, I can kill someone with it just because they can’t see where they’re going when they go through an area I Rain in. XD
. . . . . . some wrong things again. Archer’s aren’t weak. They aren’t just popular enough. I can always jumpshot with my level 26 archer, so stop complaining you can’t jumpshot cuz’ it’s uncomfortable, lol.
Well, it depends on how slow you level, how hard you train, or how lazy you are. At beginning, other classes may level a lil’ faster than you, but Archers are good as all the other classes, from beginning to end.
Rangers get thrust, but I don’t think many ppl would use it though, get speed gear, it’ll be good.
Don’t complain, this game is all fair. Though I don’t see many archers. . . . , . .
EDIT: Warrior have an unfair hacking advantage in the beginning. . . . . .
@Eden: No one is complaining. The point here is that it is pretty amazing how very little people actually manage to play an archer thoroughout, and to speculate /why/ it is difficult to stick with an archer. When you get to a certain level as an (unfunded) archer, you kind of marvel at how the hell you actually made it there.
And while you claim that you can ‘jumpshot’, it just isn’t the same as Sins’, as has been explained a billion times before. I can reliably jumpshoot on my archer, (which is not uncomfortable, just not necessary, as I am about to explain) but while a Sin can jumpshoot and clear a platform that is a step above himself, it is impossible to do so with an archer’s jumpshot. An archer’s jumpshot is merely to allow them to continually move while killing, that is all. Slightly useful, but it clearly lacks the advantage that the Sins’ have.
And thrust is nothing compared to Flash Jump. Flash Jump + Haste = Highly Mobile ‘Sin, and with the unique jumpshot, a Highly Mobile Ranged Damage character. Whenever we randomly adventure as a guild, guess who are the people always left behind? The Warriors and the Archers. So why get a cumbersome tank when you can have a highly mobile damage machine?
Get speed equipment, you say? From where I’m lookin’ at it, a scrolled Dark Arund (that’s the +speed bow) with a slightly lower damage than a scrolled Marine Arund costs about a good couple of ten million more. Speed gear isn’t that easy to find and afford. ><;
How about Mana and HP costs? Take Miso Ramen, for an example. 4,750 each, for 80% (If I’m not wrong) heal of HP and MP. Mages and Warriors can begin to use these potions basically because its cheaper, and infinitely more efficient, for their huge reserves of HP and MP. But with archers, our HP and MP are neither here nor there, and to use a percentage heal potion like this during training would, well, less efficient.
I’m not saying that the game is unfair, but the way it fashions the classes, it is quite obvious to see why players who want to choose a new class have a serious bias towards the rest of ’em.
I will stop babbling now. >>;
To summarize Silsil’s extremely long post-
RANGERS ARE SPIFFEH D: IF YOU DON’T THINK SO, CC PLZ.
Snifers FTW!
:]
WHAT?! Arrow Rain/Eruption, Storm of Arrows and Snipe, FFS! D: Andandand, Hamstring makes a magical CROSSHAIR! D:
It depends on HOW you level and who’s levelling the character. >_> I have leveled my archer just as fast as I have levelled my sin when he was that level.
And I still have trouble finding cheap bow scrolls. :'(
job ranking 2244
speed 129%
jump 115%
OOOOH! SoA. That’s an awesome ranger skill. As I call it, Arrow machinegun
Too bad its fourth job 
SoA > All multihitters. Btw, WHO NEEDS MOBILIY MMMM? Furthest range, yes higher than sins, in fourth job theres a higher mastery skill that raises your range even more
While a sin can go on with his jump, which takes time between each attack, you stand there with SoA, Ksing his/her little ass off ;O If I remember at max its like 3 arrows every .5 seconds for like 20MP/Second? Combine it with soul arrow, some pots, hyper body, and you could probbaly send a good 200-300 arrows before your MP runs out. In short, Archers own, but level 10-40ish is tough. After that comes the fun stuff 
Yeah, there are so few Archers on MapleStory. I am only level 103, and my bowman ranking is 780. Meaning, there are 779 people on / above level 103, which is kind of a low number. My friend is a level 104 Mage, and yet her Magician ranking is 3111. Compare them!
SoA > All multihitters. Btw, WHO NEEDS MOBILIY MMMM? Furthest range, yes higher than sins, in fourth job theres a higher mastery skill that raises your range even more
While a sin can go on with his jump, which takes time between each attack, you stand there with SoA, Ksing his/her little ass off ;O If I remember at max its like 3 arrows every .5 seconds for like 20MP/Second? Combine it with soul arrow, some pots, hyper body, and you could probbaly send a good 200-300 arrows before your MP runs out. In short, Archers own, but level 10-40ish is tough. After that comes the fun stuff 
“
I heard it cost MP per arrow. ._.
Ok, time to reply. In response to the “archers can’t jumpshoot” being false, read it again. “We can’t jumpshot like sins can.” Jump shoot with haste sometime, you’ll notice the arrow comes from the same spot as you were standing, not at the top of the jump like sins.
And for the leveling thing, true, depends on the player.
There’s a new hack that lets you steal the stat boosts of everyone in the map and double its duration.
SoA > All multihitters. Btw, WHO NEEDS MOBILIY MMMM? Furthest range, yes higher than sins, in fourth job theres a higher mastery skill that raises your range even more
While a sin can go on with his jump, which takes time between each attack, you stand there with SoA, Ksing his/her little ass off ;O If I remember at max its like 3 arrows every .5 seconds for like 20MP/Second? Combine it with soul arrow, some pots, hyper body, and you could probbaly send a good 200-300 arrows before your MP runs out. In short, Archers own, but level 10-40ish is tough. After that comes the fun stuff 
“
I heard it cost MP per arrow. ._.”
9 MP per arrow at skill level 30, and you can’t use pots while channeling it. But Critical Shot and Critical Hope (aka Sharp Eyes) work with it!
And while you claim that you can ‘jumpshot’, it just isn’t the same as Sins’, as has been explained a billion times before. I can reliably jumpshoot on my archer, (which is not uncomfortable, just not necessary, as I am about to explain) but while a Sin can jumpshoot and clear a platform that is a step above himself, it is impossible to do so with an archer’s jumpshot. An archer’s jumpshot is merely to allow them to continually move while killing, that is all. Slightly useful, but it clearly lacks the advantage that the Sins’ have.
And thrust is nothing compared to Flash Jump. Flash Jump + Haste = Highly Mobile ‘Sin, and with the unique jumpshot, a Highly Mobile Ranged Damage character. Whenever we randomly adventure as a guild, guess who are the people always left behind? The Warriors and the Archers. So why get a cumbersome tank when you can have a highly mobile damage machine?
Get speed equipment, you say? From where I’m lookin’ at it, a scrolled Dark Arund (that’s the +speed bow) with a slightly lower damage than a scrolled Marine Arund costs about a good couple of ten million more. Speed gear isn’t that easy to find and afford. ><;
How about Mana and HP costs? Take Miso Ramen, for an example. 4,750 each, for 80% (If I’m not wrong) heal of HP and MP. Mages and Warriors can begin to use these potions basically because its cheaper, and infinitely more efficient, for their huge reserves of HP and MP. But with archers, our HP and MP are neither here nor there, and to use a percentage heal potion like this during training would, well, less efficient.
I’m not saying that the game is unfair, but the way it fashions the classes, it is quite obvious to see why players who want to choose a new class have a serious bias towards the rest of ’em.
I will stop babbling now. >>;”
But in the end
whether to a significant extent or not archers get the whole package
range, power, speed, accuracy, avoid, and decent of hp and mp
they may not excel in one area but they sure do get a bit of everything
INCLUDING some of the tightest weapons and clothes/ nx weapons and clothes in the game
in addition the 4th job will easily kick all the other’s ass
a second mastery?
+26 WATK?
Hurricane?
Critical buff?
soul arrow?
those alone (together) will be unstoppable
high accuracy AND snipe?
another incredible combo
archer may not excel but when it comes down to it (later in the game, at least) they’re beast