Lower bows effectiveness on skeletons.

[JakeZKAM]

Bows are much better in terms of defending yourself and hunting mobs throughout the game but it just feels wrong that sniping skeletons from afar is much more effective than somehow getting in close and taking them down. Removing damage done to skeletons completely would be awesome as it lessens the perfect weapon feel of a bow and increases use of melee weapons.

[Stormweaver]

Bows are much better in terms of defending yourself and hunting mobs throughout the game but it just feels wrong that sniping skeletons from afar is much more effective than somehow getting in close and taking them down. Removing damage done to skeletons completely would be awesome as it lessens the perfect weapon feel of a bow and increases use of melee weapons.

Remove the only reliable way of dealing with a lone mob before getting a full set of iron armour? sure. Skeletons are the single most deadly mob in the early game, and the primary reason for wanting a bow and a supply of arrows in the first place. The changes to mobs have been to discourage combat; not make a single mob's presence as effective as a forcefield over an area.

(for what it's worth, yes they can be killed in combat. But it's also very likely you'll find yourself crippled or near death by that point, which is as good as dead if you're in a spot where mobs can spawn nearby anyways.)

[Sarudak]

Bows are simply better than melee unless you are already engaged in close combat. This makes sense. Bows are a larger resource investment because you need a constant supply of arrows.

[JakeZKAM]

However its like the punch back problem with skeletons in vanilla, it just doesn't make sense to try and beat a mob at it's own game. Ambushing them or using cover does, but sniping them just outside of their sense of perception just feels gamey. Bows are perfect for dealing with creepers, spiders, Zombies, pretty much everything other than endermen. Removing skeletons from that gives reason to either find a way around them, or find a good spot to ambush them.

[Stormweaver]

but sniping them just outside of their sense of perception just feels gamey.

I find it invokes feelings of relief and gratitude at having gather enough resources for a bow. And then feelings of hope that it dropped a couple of arrows to I stand a chance when next faced with one.

Gamey is finding a common mob completely immune to one of your weapons for no reason.

[JakeZKAM]

Maybe the arrows fly through their bones? Maybe you simply have to smash them to pieces to kill them and arrows simply don't work. Or even bows do less damage on them instead of none at all, it just feels like bows are too powerful to me and seem like the use all answer to dealing with all mobs, instead of planning ambushes or using your environment or hell even falling sand/gravel. At least if they fired back as a ranged mob instead of standing around as you fill em up with arrows it'd feel less like an ultimate solution.

Edit: Grammar and last sentence.

[peanut3k]

I'd actually find this quite interesting. While I don't think that all damage should be negated completely (lower damage instead?), I think that it makes sense that you shouldn't be able to counter just about every (non)living thing in the game with a simple bow and arrow (excluding endermen). It really seems like a universal weapon at this point. As for resource investment, it's really cheap. You kill 2-3 spiders while in a 2x1 hole, kill some chickens, and break some gravel with a stone shovel, then you instantly have the second most powerful weapon in the game, with the composite bow+broadheads being the first.
It would also further deter going out at night, trying to slaughter everything near your house and instead encourage the use of your environment to deal with mobs like skeletons. I've killed a good number of skeletons in my world, both in caves and out with nothing but stone axes and an iron sword or two. If you have trouble with skeletons in a cave, build a 2 block high wall, dig one block down, bust the bottom block at the wall, and punch the skeleton's feet until it dies.
Considering that you're supposed to be scared of fighting mobs, bows do feel overpowered at the moment.

[FlowerChild]

Point communicated. No need for further discussion.