Crossbows vs. Longbows

[Eximius Sus]

You mean this thread?

http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/showt...light=bagpipes

That thread made me laugh. Pretty good job of making fun of this thread. I guess I should keep that in mind when getting particular about game or historical detail.

[Wrana]

Originally Posted by Eximius Sus

That thread made me laugh. Pretty good job of making fun of this thread. I guess I should keep that in mind when getting particular about game or historical detail.

On the other hand, you may just find something useful here.
And on the subject of hoburg x-bows, I'd just make them same damage, but slower to reload.
Someday I am going to read this entire thread. Surely.

[Eximius Sus]

Originally Posted by Wrana

On the other hand, you may just find something useful here.

Did you find something useful?

[chrispedersen]

Originally Posted by Wrana

On the other hand, you may just find something useful here.
And on the subject of hoburg x-bows, I'd just make them same damage, but slower to reload.
Someday I am going to read this entire thread. Surely.

Halflings, being smart, and living in a world with bigger folk, would just have regular crossbows - with 2 or 4 hoburgs manning them. At least, I enjoy the image.

[Eximius Sus]

It seems to me a crossbow is like Viagra. It lets an old bugger go on a little longer.

[Lingchih]

I don't think we have properly expounded on the actual arrowhead used. That alone could make quite a difference. A nice, aerodynamical head, or a killing head? Stone, bronze, or iron? Explosive, flaming, or conventional?

[rdonj]

Arrowheads with spinning drillbits?

[Eximius Sus]

Originally Posted by rdonj

Arrowheads with spinning drillbits?

That's silly. It's clearly known that the spiral mounting of fletchings was develop to increase the spinning penetration of arrows. Archimedes began his invention of the screw pump with a helical arrow head designed to spin it's way through bronze breastplates.

[Ragnarok-X]

I prefer longbows all the way.

[Lizardo]

A crossbow bolt is no more 'piercing' than an arrow. In fact the arrow typically has more mass and because of its length compared to cross section and fetching more flight stability.

The tip of the projectile is more important for the penetration of armor. The bows, and arrows, of Japanese Samurai were measurably superior to the English Longbow but the English arrows could penetrate both chain mail and plate armor. The Japanese arrow typically fails to penetrate chain (because Japanese knights never used it).

Composite re-curve short-bows are also very effective.

Penetration characteristics of a crossbow bolt are no different. It is simply easier to build crossbows and train crossbowmen.

Sling bullets just do not penetrate armor. They are blunt impact. You need gun powder to make a bullet effective. Slingers should though be able to carry 50 bullets and crossbow men 20 bolts.

Arquebus's were not so terribly inaccurate as to be useless, they killed or maimed what they hit and they reloaded as fast or faster than a crossbow with no strength needed. Breach loading versions were also available, just not widely so.

The use of crossbows and bows should be fatiguing, modified by strength.

What's also unsettling about shooting is the pattern of impact which tends to be all over the target area. Generally directed kinetic ammunition shouldn't stray too far to the left or right.

Missile weapons generally only penetrate at most 4". This means that shields should be very effective against most arrows/bolts and almost impossible for sling bullets.

An Arquebus will simply ignore shield and armor at effective range.

In this regard, distance should affect both accuracy and potential damage.

Bows could also be customized for the character's strength.