Crossbows

[shubla]

Add crossbows.
They would be kind of like bows, except you could fire them almost instantly. They would be pre loaded before shot (this would take some time depending on your strength)

[Zeler]

Sounds scary in PvP.

[shubla]

Sounds scary in PvP.

That's the idea.

[Zeler]

Yeah let's bring back old bows in stronger form

1. Insta oneshot someone with crossbow
2. Switch to sword/b12
3. Finish KOd enemy
4. ???
5. Profit

[shubla]

Yeah let's bring back old bows in stronger form

1. Insta oneshot someone with crossbow
2. Switch to sword/b12
3. Finish KOd enemy
4. ???
5. Profit

So your first assumption is that crossbows would KO by one shot?
That was not the idea.

[Glorthan]

Yeah let's bring back old bows in stronger form

1. Insta oneshot someone with crossbow
2. Switch to sword/b12
3. Finish KOd enemy
4. ???
5. Profit

Equipping items should give you some sort of temporary debuff, be that ranged or melee weapons, anyway.

The existing weapons switching is already just as much a theoretical issue as this is (b12 switching on cleave/chop).

[Zeler]

All in all I like the idea of a crossbow, but am afraid of balancing. After all it should be more powerful than a bow. I think that maybe after a shot it should be unequipable, and you could only switch it for another weapon when its loaded?

[shubla]

All in all I like the idea of a crossbow, but am afraid of balancing. After all it should be more powerful than a bow. I think that maybe after a shot it should be unequipable, and you could only switch it for another weapon when its loaded?

You could fire it as many times as you want.
But as I said, loading it would take lot of time.
It could also take bunch of size on inventory. Also in inventory it would always have to be unloaded.
So when you equip it you would have to load it. And as long as its in your hands, its loaded. until you shoot. Then it would have to be loaded again.

[Frostburn]

I am hesitant to introduce crossbows into the game as they were are hard to balance.

Historically, individual longbowman is more powerful than a crossbowman as they are more accurate and have better range and Crossbowman also has vastly longer reloading. But the common man is able to use a crossbow while in comparison it requires a longbow many years of training and conditioning of the body before one proficiently use a longbow. A death on the archer side has a greater impact than if some common crossbow death. This translate to crossbow being weaker (but more armor piercing). My fear is that the requirement for crossbow is less of the longbow for shooting effectiveness but easier for lower tier character.



The alternative take for crossbow, like this suggestion post is made, is that is they deal more damage and can armor pierce but takes too long to reload. This puts the crossbow in a balance seesaw though. The first barrage of crossbow will instant kill, not because of crossbow bolt can one shot, but loaded crossbow armored in hand slots can create first strike barrage and many crossbow will focus fire on some troops making a guarantee death scenario.
Someone suggest making weapon switch unavailable if crossbow is not reloaded first. However, my opinion is the suggestion is not sound. It is only for the sake of balance since it doesn't make sense realistic or mechanic wise. Do crossbow has glue stuck on the handle of the weapon? It also makes that the weapon is viable for only martyrs since the crossbow would be useless otherwise due to long reload, and sticky handles, making them sitting duck for melee.