Is it safe to say that crossbows > bows? : V

» Sat Nov 17, 2012 9:21 am

Mostly curious if you think that the best crossbow is better than the best bow (With enchants/smithing/exploding bolts factored in)? How much better?

Thanks

» Sat Nov 17, 2012 3:47 pm

I still prefer bows. Crossbows are cool at first, but nothing beats my Ebony bow.

» Sat Nov 17, 2012 4:56 pm

Pretty sure a Daedric one does. Really just talking statistically, not preference.

» Sat Nov 17, 2012 4:28 pm

Just realized I was misreading the speed attribute on bows (ebony is faster than daedric...etc.). So crossbows are faster and more powerful than bows? Man =/

» Sat Nov 17, 2012 12:26 pm

My fully upgraded Daedric bow does a tad bit more damage than my upgraded crossbow.

Crossbows are pretty cool but I'll never ditch my beloved bow.

» Sat Nov 17, 2012 7:44 pm

Crossbows are slower... slightly. Not much, but it's noticeable.
Crossbows are stronger. The Dwarven Crossbow beats the Dragonbone bow in damage. (Or at least in my experience they do, some people say the bows are stronger.)
Crossbows are more elemental. With dual enchanting and special bolts you can have all three elements in one shot.
Crossbows are louder... to you. The sound doesn't actually affect sneaking.

Crossbows are legion. (Couldn't resist. :tongue:

)

» Sat Nov 17, 2012 10:01 am

Yep.. That sounds like a Bethesda game to me.. If we were in fact talking about a lack of equality in terms of weapons..

If bethesda is infact making the next Stalker game... I expect it to be ruined since Stalker had no best armor or best weapon..

» Sat Nov 17, 2012 4:07 pm

Crossbows are legion. (Couldn't resist. :tongue:

)

For they are many. :devil:

» Sat Nov 17, 2012 6:52 am

I find bows have better range. I tend to use crossbows at close/medium range, and switch out to a regular bow for longer shots.

» Sat Nov 17, 2012 1:15 pm

Gotta say my supped up dwarven bow outclassed everything. Bows might fire a bit faster, I only need one shot with the crossbow. Just amazing weapons

» Sat Nov 17, 2012 9:09 pm

I've had some shots at long range that hit with a bow but don't with xbow.

» Sat Nov 17, 2012 2:55 pm

I prefer bows better because crossbows are sort of too mechanical for a fantasy world in my opinion.

» Sat Nov 17, 2012 4:04 pm

I prefer bows for several reasons:

You can sprint/roll IMMEDIATELY after a shot (the crossbow forces you to reload just after shooting, making stealthy plays much more difficult)
More elegant and silent (just aesthetics, I know...)
Longer range and (according to me) a more smooth arc at longer ranges
Arrows actually stick into bodies crossbow bolts seem to always stop 2 inches short of the victim (also, the bolts are like 3 inches long and look silly)
A quiver looks better than a small pouch magically floating half a foot behind my character's back...

That said, I still think crossbows are good in some cases:

Increased stagger chance and damage
Good for characters that don't intend to stay hidden after the first shot (read above)

Although some of my reasons were purely aesthetical, I still think I made my point. There are advantages and disadvantages to both. And as always, you should play with the one you feel most comfortable with

» Sat Nov 17, 2012 1:10 pm

ive got a daedric bow crafted to legendary with fire enchant,and i crafted the first crossbow the same way.
the bow just has the edge for me,but i assume you find better crossbows as you go on so i await those with interest.
the svckheads ive met up with so far have no chance, they dont see or hear me they just get dead (err..or deader i suppose!)
cant wait to see what the modders do with this.cheers

» Sat Nov 17, 2012 5:43 am

Depends. For me- Warrior - Crossbow
Stealth - Bow

» Sat Nov 17, 2012 1:59 pm

With the ability to have 100% stagger... And that long range is horribly implemented into skyrim... I would have to say that Cross bows are the better weapon.. But people use what they want to use.

» Sat Nov 17, 2012 9:04 pm

Let's look at it this way, the fully buffed VL form is stupendously powerful, so the DG side needs something to offer that is just as powerful. Hence the fully upgraded crossbow.

» Sat Nov 17, 2012 7:16 am

I find the bow is more versatile, I can use it at almost any range. At close- mid ranges I find the Crossbow to be a little to bulky and the reload time takes too long, where as with a bow I can normally just Snap-Shoot, Snap-Shoot ,Snap-Shoot repeatedly until all the bad guys are dead.

» Sat Nov 17, 2012 5:54 pm

Crossbows are slower... slightly. Not much, but it's noticeable.
Crossbows are stronger. The Dwarven Crossbow beats the Dragonbone bow in damage. (Or at least in my experience they do, some people say the bows are stronger.)
Crossbows are more elemental. With dual enchanting and special bolts you can have all three elements in one shot.
Crossbows are louder... to you. The sound doesn't actually affect sneaking.

Crossbows are legion. (Couldn't resist. :tongue:

)

Reading the first part of every sentence I am suddenly reminded of Daft Punk

» Sat Nov 17, 2012 6:05 pm

I find the drop off at long distance for Crossbows is worse than Bows, I can hit anything I can see or zoom in on with a bow but for some reason the xbox can't no matter how many times you try and adjust your aim.

» Sat Nov 17, 2012 5:35 am

Crossbows = higher Damage?

If you like numbers :confused:

Lets do the math (a moderate charater + equipment, no special ammunition and enchantments on bow/crossbow)
100 Skill + 5/5 Perk + Legendary smithing + a 40% archery boost from equipment

Best Crossbow + ammunition (enhanced dwarven + dwarven bolt)
(22 + 10) * (1 + 0,5 * 100 / 100) * (1 + 1) * (1 + 0,4) + 14 bolt
= 148 (+ 50% ignore armor)

Best Bow + ammunition (dragon + dragon arrow)
(20 + 10) * (1 + 0,5 * 100 / 100) * (1 + 1) * (1 + 0,4) + 25 arrow
= 151

conclusion:
unarmored target = bow
armored target : crossbow

» Sat Nov 17, 2012 6:34 pm

Crossbows are slower... slightly. Not much, but it's noticeable.

Debatable. Every time i went up against a bow, i could reload and fire off before they could draw half way.

I prefer bows better because crossbows are sort of too mechanical for a fantasy world in my opinion.

There is more mechanics going into the saw mills, carriages, gates, doors, locks then a crossbow. Its basically like a normal bow, but a "trap" to hold the string at full draw.

» Sat Nov 17, 2012 6:44 pm

in my opinion, the crossbow, though i carry and use both. the crossbow can be fired without drawing it and can be sprinted with while being able to fire, especially at lower levels deals INSANE amounts of damage compared to the bow(sometimes up to double the damage), but unless you have the quick draw perk its much less viable to use short range than a good bow, so you need to switch to a diffrent weapon. i generally walk with a crossbow, get the first shot off, and the situation decides what i continue with. also, crossbow bolts seem to be much faster than arrows, so its also better for last second takeouts.