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Ok, so it seems to me that Improved Precise Shot was removed because Careful Targeting, Exact Targeting, and Pinpoint Targeting replaced what it did. Now wouldn't it make sense to redefine the -4 for firing into melee as a cover or concealment bonus and allow the new feats to overcome this also instead of precise shot? Thus you could get rid of the Precise Shot Feat also. After all it is effectively cover right? The Precise Shot is seeming like a old unnecessary holdover from an outdated system.
Thoughts?
I strongly disagree.
Precise shot is not a combat feat, so it can be used in combination with a combat feat, like pinpoint targeting.
Precise shot is concern for your allies, as in not hitting them when you fire into melee.
pinpoint targeting is finding ways to ignore the cover penalties. You can shoot thru an obstacle (like a paper wall screen or even another individual) to hit your target.
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Ah, heck, you could just do it like we did in the old days. If you were foolish enough to shoot into melee, you had a pretty good chance of hitting your allies instead of your opponent.
Players dreaded hearing the words, "I'm firing my crossbow!" The result was often a crossbow bolt in the posterior. Remember, there is no fire so accurate as friendly fire!
D&D 3.x made things much easy by removing the chances of hitting an ally, compensated by the -4 penalty for shooting into melee. If the target also has someone or something providing cover, that is in addition to that penalty. So, you could try to thread an arrow between your comrades to shoot the baddie with which they're engaged, and the worst result was that you'd miss. That's sure a lot kinder than puncturing your buddies!
Precise Shot is a very cool feat for that reason. It would be even more valuable if friendly fire rules were used instead of a simple penalty - no chance of hitting an ally.