Meagon
Archery would be a step back in technology. What is the point of that when we already have the technology of guns. Archery would be even weaker and have less interest/importance than range already does.
Well:
1) archery is a nowadays sport (and way to hunt, if you like to) not medieval only
(combat bow, precision, sport)
2) swords can be considered "a step back in technology" too, when you can craft pistols and a couple of uzies for close combat. ;)
(on the contrary, daggers are not, as you already have "ka-bars", "bowies" and combat knives ;))
3) I also feel the lack of bows and arrows :(.....
4) maybe (suggestion), to be preferred as ranged weapon, the bow may act as a "silent snipe weapon" with sort of "time bonus" on mobs: they react with delay (or can't react at all, at high ranged skill levels), randomly, as it's harder to find where the arrow comes from, not having the noise of a rifle/pistol, adding a slow-movement malus also, if hit.
5) from the developing POV: it's "just to add bows/arrows pictures" (and, ok, to make arrows/bows craftable and so on) but at last is nearly the same as adding a new rifle, pistol or any other ranged weapon (just suppress the noise ;)) with the same logic.
Hope we can see some bows (even tech ones!!! compound bows :)) in Atys.