Crossbow as a primary

[Dreypa 98]

If I were to sum up using a crossbow as your primary weapon in one word. It would be 'ineffective'.

 

For the last few days I've been using nothing but, dropping my other primaries as soon as I have 5 bolts and find a crossbow.

RDS / Comp optics are broken on the crossbow, you will shoot about 2-3 meters higher than where you place the reticle.

ACOG seems to be the only viable optics that actually shoot where you aim.

 

Due to not being able to retrieve bolts from kills or misses , ammo is very sparce and you must choose your shots very well. Also because of this, it eliminates using the crossbow as an option for zombie removal. Ammo is far and few between to waste it on a zombie. If you were able to retrieve bolts this would be a completely different scenario.

 

For PVP, your almost guaranteed to lose a confrontation should you not get the flank / drop on your opponent or miss your first shot.

With a reload time of about 5-6 seconds, anyone with half a brain should have you dead within that time period.

Crossbow vs M4 (lol) , don't even try it unless you have the back drop on them

Crossbow vs Mosin , It's doable so long as you don't miss your first two shots.

Crossbow vs Blaze , you should win this fight regardless of your aim as long as your not completely terrible.

Crossbow vs Sks , you better make that first shot count or your dead.

Crossbow vs Shotgun , this is the only scenario where you have the true upper hand and that is due to range. 

 

What I am really getting at, even though the crossbow is mostly a one shot kill on players (two at max) , it is probably the worst choice you can make as a primary. The slow reload time gives your opponent such a large window to push and kill you. Plus the sparcity of ammo and inability to retrieve bolts makes each bolt worth there weight in gold 10x over.

 

If the reload was reduced by half (not very realistic) and bolts made retrievable it would definitely be an effective PVE & PVP primary but at this point in time, the only real use I would recommend it for is hunting. 

 

In my opinion is should be able to replace your melee slot or be stackable in a backpack like a sawn-off.  But take up more space then the sawn-off (2x4 instead of 1x4)

 

Anyone actually have a relatively positive PVP experience with the crossbow?

 

[zeroy 240]

Crossbow needs work indeed, was very obvious in Exp and now in Stable. I would say its in no way a final weapon as it is now.

Edited April 25, 2014 by zeroy99

[DemonGroover 8836]

Well i am sure that retrievable crossbow bolts are planned.

 

You didn't answer the obvious though - does it look cool or what??

[RustyWar 12]

YES!! It looks freaking awesome!!

[xalienax 621]

Yeah if they make them retrieveable and fix the sighting a bit it would be a perfectly viable weapon.

 

PLEASE PLEASE DEVS DONT MAKE THEM NERF BOLTS LIKE YOU DID IN THE MOD. The bow was awesome untill it lost its 1hk ability. without that its not longer useful at all as you just aggro or get shot in the face xD

[-Gews- 7443]

the only real use I would recommend it for is hunting.

 

Nothing wrong with that, same as in real life then.

 

In my opinion is should be able to replace your melee slot or be stackable in a backpack like a sawn-off.  But take up more space then the sawn-off (2x4 instead of 1x4)

Absolutely not.

That is, unless rifles can do the exact same.

Lemme toss up a little doodle.

Not only is the crossbow longer than the M4A1, it's also wider than the length of the M4A1. As for weight, they are about the same.

Does a crossbow have the ability to shrink itself and defy the pull of gravity?

No? Well, in that case crossbows should not be treated any differently from other weapons or items. If you can do rifle plus crossbow, you can also do rifle plus rifle... there should not be any discussion on this subject limited only to crossbows because that makes no sense.

The crossbow is 37.5" long, the limbs are 35", the bolts are 20" each and the quiver will also take up a lot of space.

The M4A1 is only 33" long (stock extended!).

The Ruger is only 37" long.

The Blaser is only 39" long.

Anyway you look at it the crossbow and accoutrements is going to take up way more space than these rifles.

[Rick1633 136]

Is the bow silent to zeds or broken like every suppressor in the damn game?  ( do zombies aggro at sound of bow up to 100m?

[Dchil 829]

I'd bet that even with my shitty skills, especially after the update which makes walking through walls due to desync impossible (lost an axe vs B95 fight in the ship this way, blew both rounds at the hip into the walls the guy was passing through or had just passed through and died trying to load another 2 without a speed loader) , I could out gun anyone that has a crossbow with my standard setup of Sawnoff and magnum as long as i could see them before they shot.

 

If i never see them coming then it doesn't matter. I'm already dead.

[Railsplitter84 45]

I think it would be great if the crossbow became the mark of the "peaceful" player with no desire to PVP.  protection, but not offensive power

[Sutinen 635]

This game is not about balance and never will be. Yeah the crossbow is worse than guns, so don't pick it up then.

[So Sexy 259]

Crosbow sucked in the mod compared to rifles, it will suck in the SA too.

[pillock 850]

It's not worse than the .22, surely?

 

That thing is slightly less dangerous than an air rifle.

[Dreypa 98]

It's not worse than the .22, surely?

 

That thing is slightly less dangerous than an air rifle.

 

Well if your a ninja its definitely more deadly then an .22 , but in a full out gunfight. Your surely boned without support. 2v1's , lol better have a sidearm.

[Rick1633 136]

Can anyone state if firing crossbow aggros zeds like the suppressors?

[Dreypa 98]

Can anyone state if firing crossbow aggros zeds like the suppressors?

 

It does, but a very small radius of aggro in comparison.

Edited April 25, 2014 by Dreypa

[-Gews- 7443]

I mean, just think about the uses of a crossbow for a minute...

○ Range:

Rifle has about 5-10x the effective range

○ Damage:

Meh, either will kill

○ Rate of fire:

Rifle, far faster

○ Accuracy:

Rifle, much more accurate

○ Capacity:

Rifle, much more, even the Blaser

○ Carrying:

Rifle, the crossbow is larger and in real life you would not carry a crossbow around everywhere both cocked and loaded, so that's another minus

○ Reloading:

Rifle, faster and not stuck standing in place with your foot in a stirrup

○ Sound:

Crossbow

○ Ammo:

Tie IMO, you can't simply "craft" bolts and broadheads will get wrecked and dulled, and you may not even recover the bolts. Rifles are more common than crossbows so you're more likely to find ammo, and more of it, and it's easier to carry cartridges with you than it is bolts.

So the only real advantage to using a crossbow is the sound. That's it...

And sound only matters to bandits several hundred meters off, or zombies, because at 90-100 decibels, your targets will easily hear your crossbow, and realize bolts are being shot at them or even see the bolts, and at the short crossbow ranges you'll be screwed if they have rifles because while you're attempting to reload or run away, BANG, "You are dead".

The lower sound will be good if and when dozens of zombies are summoned from all over town at the report of a gun... but until then it's not much advantage at all. It only prevents sneaky bandits hearing you from the next town over, but if you're only dealing with zombies, so would a fire axe...

Kind of sucks for the crossbow fans but that's just life, without deadly, numerous and perceptive zombies the weapon isn't and will never be near equal to the firearms. That is, unless they give it crazy things like shrinking properties, massive damage, rifle-velocity bolts, etc, in which case it's not a representation of a crossbow but just a rifle with a crossbow skin.

[Murlough 192]

I mean, just think about the uses of a crossbow for a minute...

○ Range:

Rifle has about 5-10x the effective range

○ Damage:

Meh, either will kill

○ Rate of fire:

Rifle, far faster

○ Accuracy:

Rifle, much more accurate

○ Capacity:

Rifle, much more, even the Blaser

○ Carrying:

Rifle, the crossbow is larger and in real life you would not carry a crossbow around everywhere both cocked and loaded, so that's another minus

○ Reloading:

Rifle, faster and not stuck standing in place with your foot in a stirrup

○ Sound:

Crossbow

○ Ammo:

Tie IMO, you can't simply "craft" bolts and broadheads will get wrecked and dulled, and you may not even recover the bolts. Rifles are more common than crossbows so you're more likely to find ammo, and more of it, and it's easier to carry cartridges with you than it is bolts.

So the only real advantage to using a crossbow is the sound. That's it...

And sound only matters to bandits several hundred meters off, or zombies, because at 90-100 decibels, your targets will easily hear your crossbow, and realize bolts are being shot at them or even see the bolts, and at the short crossbow ranges you'll be screwed if they have rifles because while you're attempting to reload or run away, BANG, "You are dead".

The lower sound will be good if and when dozens of zombies are summoned from all over town at the report of a gun... but until then it's not much advantage at all. It only prevents sneaky bandits hearing you from the next town over, but if you're only dealing with zombies, so would a fire axe...

Kind of sucks for the crossbow fans but that's just life, without deadly, numerous and perceptive zombies the weapon isn't and will never be near equal to the firearms. That is, unless they give it crazy things like shrinking properties, massive damage, rifle-velocity bolts, etc, in which case it's not a representation of a crossbow but just a rifle with a crossbow skin.

COD EXPLOSIVE TRI-BOLT ATTACHMENT!!!

[irishroy 1347]

Crossbow vs Blaze , you should win this fight regardless of your aim as long as your not completely terrible.

 

How do you dare to say this!?

 

the B95 reloads pretty fast with a snaploader, and the dmg is the same as the Mosin, soo.... 3:]

[JKS-Alex 79]

My ACOG on crossbow is bugged too, it shoot 2/3 mt higher  :(

 

BTW there's a "why" armies are using gun and rifles from 2 centuries and not crossbows 

Edited April 25, 2014 by JKS-Alex

[Dreypa 98]

How do you dare to say this!?

 

the B95 reloads pretty fast with a snaploader, and the dmg is the same as the Mosin, soo.... 3:]

 

Lol I've survived 4 B95 shots before, never 4 mosin. And 9/10 times when I encounter a blaze user they fire from the hip and miss both shots. Rarely does someone with any competency main carry a blaze , usually its only used until they get a Sks / M4 / Mosin.

[irishroy 1347]

Lol I've survived 4 B95 shots before, never 4 mosin. And 9/10 times when I encounter a blaze user they fire from the hip and miss both shots. Rarely does someone with any competency main carry a blaze , usually its only used until they get a Sks / M4 / Mosin.

I carry it, because I want a firearm, but don't want to look dangerous.

Also, I've seen people killing others with 1-3 shots.

[JKS-Alex 79]

I've used loads of time both mosin and blaze. The difference beetween them it's simple and it's the range. the mosin is effective also at 800 mt while the blaze lose some power cause have a shorter range after 300+ mt so if the target is < 300 mt you will suffer the same damage from blaze or mosin but from a long distance (and i must say the balze is pretty accurate also without optics) you will still kill a zed but the damage dealt to a player is considerably less. BTW there's also to say that blaze has 2 fast shot vs the low reload speed of the mosin and when you are fighting into a city it's a very good weapon.

Player who shot from hips are usually just in regular servers and they not even hit a bear running towards them with a M4 and a 60 rnd magazine, for accuracy need to aim   :D

Edited April 25, 2014 by JKS-Alex

[Frothyboot18 46]

As long as the person youre shooting doesnt see you, then you have an advantage... I shot a guy at neaf and he didnt know i was there, less than 10m and it took two shots to the body... I was upstairs and he was down stairs, first shot he ran around and closed the main door, probably thought he got shot from the outside, he guarded the door like waiting for someone to enter, second shot killed him... The crossbow combined with the new silent footsteps makes a great assassin weapon... But you better have a back up gun...

[gibonez 3633]

As long as the crossbow is never ever ever preferable or advantageous compared to a gun I am all for this.

 

A crossbow is a terrible weapon that has little to no power it has no advantage over firearms and that should reflect in game.

[Dchil 829]

As long as the crossbow is never ever ever preferable or advantageous compared to a gun I am all for this.

 

A crossbow is a terrible weapon that has little to no power it has no advantage over firearms and that should reflect in game.

It should be situational.

 

In a real apocalypse i'm going to be more comfortable firing a crossbow when i'm surrounded by zeds that haven't aggroed than any non-suppressed firearm. Then again that isn't going to be a comfortable situation.