Flight Time versus Rate of Fire

To all of the archers out there: Which do you consider more important when choosing a bow, and why? Or does it even matter all that much? A quick search didn't really net me any useful opinions on this subject, and I'm too tired to dig through posts for an hour or more.

RoF is much, much more important. Flight time doesn't matter unless a target is actively strafing, and even then, you can overcome a bad Flight Time bow with something like Read the Wind or Favourable Winds, which makes dodging arrows almost impossible.

RoF is what directly affects your damage output, and lets you maximise your returns from preps, enchantments and other damage buffs. Stick with a flatbow or a short bow, anything else and you're sacrificing way too much DPS for very little in return.

can you quickly switch between bows? a good example is Sacred you have 5 slots to which you can assign diff weapons and when they are neede it takes a second to switch.

A ranger may want to hang back a little, stay out of range of casters...etc and then he may decide to go in and mix it up. I was thinking of having both types and mainly using the short bow since i also agree ROF is far more important.

You have 4 weapon slots, so yes you can quick switch your weapons. They are tied to your "Fx" keys. (x= 1-4)

As far as bow preference? I looked at it from both angles the first time I played. Either way, Pharalon's choices came out tops in my book as well. Whether by rate of fire or flight time, those two had the edge on the others in their range classes. They are also the bows I always run with. The only reason I carry a long bow in start up is to hold me until I find my flatbow to run with as a starter and then go searching for a comparable short bow for close in. I have always run that way by preference.