Greetings and Salutations. Well, someone brought this to my attention so I'll try to respond. I may not have a lot of useful additions, but I'll do my best.
First, my personal thoughts. It was written with the thought in mind to make people want to play archers, and not totally eclipse men of arms with a psychic who could do everything they could do
plus all these extra psionics making the other ones pointless. They still get psionics, and can sneak their ranged weapon anywhere they want (even if weapons aren't allowed). Some like the balance, some don't, can't make everyone happy (though I have to say I like how often this class gets discussed, good or bad, just that it keeps coming back up). It could fit well as is depending on group on setting. In a high powered group it would need something to help it, but in could fit easily enough in a low powered game, even in a Rifts game where M.D.C. is rare (some people still run it that way).
Don't forget to include the factors of the Hand to Hand bonuses and the Archery Proficiencies in the article to the Psi-Archer. Use of those two factors can do most of what Syndicate suggested (at least at higher levels) including Multiple Arrows, Power Arrow, increased range, armor penetration, bonuses to strike, and various other bonuses. I think a lot of people sell a Psi-Archer short by not factoring in all the bonuses they can do with those arrows.
Something new, this came up in a previous thread and I mentioned had I thought about it at the time I may have made one different change. I haven't ever tested this out, but I would have likely included an ability to the Psi-Bow. Any Psi-Arrow fired from the Psi-Bow costs half as much I.S.P. (minimum 1). This gives added motivation to use the Psi-Bow, but I don't think would be totally unbalancing or break the game/class.
I.S.P. levels ... well, this is a matter of taste. Many feel they need more I.S.P., so if someone feels it needs more I.S.P. I'd suggest using 2D4x10 plus M.E., plus 10 per level. This would be in place of the current I.S.P. pool, not in addition to. That's just a general suggestion (it's the I.S.P. pool I'd have used if I wanted to make them more powerful psychics, which I voted for going the lower power side).
Syndicate mentioned skills, for Rifts that's a pretty good point. The class was designed for Palladium Fantasy, and PF O.C.C. tend to get less skills than Rifts. So if playing in Rifts, I have nothing wrong with adding in the skills he suggested. For Rifts (I don't feel as necessary in PF) I particularly endorse the Prowl suggestion because it fits the class, while the others are fine (I neither endorse nor have an issue with).
I agree with Rider about including other powers to the arrows. That's the ability of the Yhabbayar (sp?), but that would make a pretty cool combo now that he mentioned it. With that aside, if someone was determined to do it and not by a Yhabbayar, then I'd strongly suggest it at least costs two to three times the normal I.S.P. cost (getting it at an advantage like that should not be cheap!).
For more powerful arrows/damage increase, I'll state I know kevarin (another poster on these boards) has already posted a table like that based on level. I can't remember where he posted it, but he posts often enough in the Rifts forum (and often mentions the Psi-Archer in some variation or new O.C.C. he's done, man I love that guy, my best publicist
). So if you want other ideas, variations, or things like that, you may want to contact him or look at some of the things he's done. Actually ... it might be here (as well as other places):
viewtopic.php?f=4&t=98929&start=44 (I started it on post 44 where I make a response to the first comment of it, though if you want to read on the other articles remove the "&start=44" from the link).
Another post in the PF Forum, with not much in the way of suggestions until the end (though that's because most people there liked it):
viewtopic.php?f=5&t=106889All right, hopefully some of that helps. I've done my best to provide anything of use (whether it be pro or con against the work, I've tried to hide nothing). Thank you for your time and patience, please have a nice day. Farewell and safe journeys to one and all.
P.S. Rogue Scientist (from what I've seen) doesn't like the way Palladium has done psychics. From what I've seen so far, he probably wouldn't like the Psi-Archer, admittedly.