Hardhead said:
I think the way most people play D&D is that anything in the D&D can be store-bought in a large enough city. I know my players assume that.
Ok, right here, we disagree. However, this isn't the thread for it, so I'm not going to comment on it any further.
Hardhead said:
I was assuming they were using some kind of enhancement bonus to get their primary stats that high. Pobably, the fighter was wearing a Belt of Giant Strength, and the Archer was wearing Gloves of Dex. Either way, it should balance out, since to make the comparison fair they should have an equally high primary stat.
True, they should have an equally high prime-stat. However, my point was that the archer spent 5100 more on magic items that you didn't factor in for the fighter. It's not a
lot of money, especially at 16th level, but it is something. The bracers and extra + were just the only things I could think of offhand that were roughly the same value.
Hardhead said:
And a Greatsword only functions within 5 feet.
The melee character has no choice but to close, the archer can close to 30' feet for extra damage or not. They're more flexible like that.
But you've already pointed that out as a disadvantage of melee fighters - that they have to be close to fight. Stating it more than once, in two different ways, doesn't make it count twice.
Hardhead said:
This is true. He could also be an Arcane Archer if he wanted as well. Still, I think the party cleric would throw two GMW's at the archer. The cleric in my group's party does.
I honestly haven't used an AA enough to comment on it, but I'd expect that there would be at least a few drawbacks to it.
Hardhead said:
At four arrows/round, he'll use 'em up in ten rounds (and be able to recover many after combat as well). I've found high-level combat doesn't last that long, to be honest.
Five arrows/round, by your example, so eight rounds.

And, by the core rules, you can't recover arrows.
Regardless, my point - and that of a few other posters, as well - is that you left out a lot of balancing factors. Such as the extra feats a melee fighter may have spent where the archer took Precise/Point-Blank/Rapid Shot, instead. And other little things. Still, I do agree that archers are a bit more powerful. One more thing - you say that with an eight person party, keeping things away isn't a problem. I imagine it's not - but the rules weren't balanced for an eight person party.