Crossbows. Yay or nay?

[GuyNwah]

Crossbows for use against armor were heavy, if still handheld, weapons, like the arbalists' bows in TW2. You need tremendous draw force to do much worse than tickle an enemy wearing plate, and a substantial instrument to store and release that force. To use it in battle, you need supply and support. This kind of weapon is not something a witcher who travels light would use.

A hunter's crossbow capable of bringing down soft targets, being drawn and fired from horseback, carried over long distances, etc. is a weapon of very different qualities.

 

[BroccoliSouP]

Duh..27 pages and still going. Looks like that CDPR putted that crossbow intentionally on Geralts back just so we have something to discuss till E3.

 

[wichat]

Duh..27 pages and still going. Looks like that CDPR putted that crossbow intentionally on Geralts back just so we have something to discuss till E3.

Or have a poll result for probe our possible & imposssible feedbacks, who knows
.... They know us very well!

 

[karoleq11]

Well if it's true then I lost my faith in CD PROJEKT. In books it was clearly stated that Geralt never used crossbows and any ranged weapons. Even if it is only for hunting it would still destroy my immersion.

 

[Sagitarii]

Video about crossbows (and bows) for my polish comrades. (from 11:40 about crossbow)

Few points to make:
- Normal crossbow had a range up to 40m (on armored targets) or up to 100m on unarmored. Heavy crossbow (18kg of weight) even 200m on armoured.
- While the longbow had a arrow speed of 40m/s, composite reflex bow up to 70m/s - normal crossbows made bolts travel up to 90m/s.

So, judging by the size of Geralt's crossbow, it could pierce armor maybe 20-30m - if at all.

 

[Tarathelion]

Well if it's true then I lost my faith in CD PROJEKT. In books it was clearly stated that Geralt never used crossbows and any ranged weapons. Even if it is only for hunting it would still destroy my immersion.

Books don't state such things, Geralt using crossbows is not against lore.

 

[BroccoliSouP]

Well if it's true then I lost my faith in CD PROJEKT. In books it was clearly stated that Geralt never used crossbows and any ranged weapons. Even if it is only for hunting it would still destroy my immersion.

Really hard to tell. Keeping Geralt as much as possible from the books is one thing but on the other hand if it would help in terms of gameplay it is not such a big change to say no to it. Also you don´t have to use it. It would be problem in my eyes only in case if it would be combat weapon which would be big nonsense.

 

[Sagitarii]

Even if it is only for hunting it would still destroy my immersion.

MUH IMMERSION.

You probably wouldn't have to use it at all. Just like bombs and traps in W2.

 

[shawn_kh]

It's funny how people, who say having a crossbow or a bow in the game wouldn't effect the gameplay much, forget that if you have a long ranged weapon then there should be a skill tree for long range weapons or archery where you have to spend skill points on. This point alone changes the whole strategic approach to the game itself. When you spend skill points on archery over swords, then you are going to use crossbow more often which is against Geralt's pre-defined character. Plus players should have the opportunity to spend orens or money to get better and better crossbows, apply runes to them to upgrade them, and so on. When you've spent money on a good crossbow and upgraded it, you are going to use it whenever you can and again it collides with Geralt's predefined charcter.
Now tell me how does it not change the game ?

 

[Tarathelion]

Up, Witcher 3 will still have 3 main character progression trees: swordsmanship, alchemy and signs. so no archery tree. Even if it would be there it would be still optional. Anyway, your point is invalid

 

[shasiu]

On bombs or throwing knives you spend points too? Did you understood what it's matter? We DON'T want crossbow as independent weapon...

 

[Sagitarii]

It's funny how people, who say having a crossbow or a bow in the game wouldn't effect the gameplay much, forget that if you have a long ranged weapon then there should be a skill tree for long range weapons or archery where you have to spend skill points on. This point alone changes the whole strategic approach to the game itself. When you spend skill points on archery over swords, then you are going to use crossbow more often which is against Geralt's pre-defined character. Plus players should have the opportunity to spend orens or money to get better and better crossbows, apply runes to them to upgrade them, and so on. When you've spent money on a good crossbow and upgraded it, you are going to use it whenever you can and again it collides with Geralt's predefined charcter.
Now tell me how does it not change the game ?

We know NOTHING about it. REDs probably won't give us an answer to this until E3. So withhold your judgment.

Did traps and bombs have a skill tree and upgrades in W2? No. Did they affect gameplay much? Not really. And crossbow most likely will be a secondary weapon, just like daggers, bombs and so on.

 

[shawn_kh]

Up, Witcher 3 will still have 3 main character progression trees: swordsmanship, alchemy and signs. so no archery tree. Even if it would be there it would be still optional. Anyway, your point is invalid

then what's the point of having a crossbow in the game when there are no skill trees for it ?
Either implement it correctly with skill tree and wide variety of crossbows to purchase like most RPGs, or don't implement it. It's that simple.

 

[sidspyker]

It's funny how people, who say having a crossbow or a bow in the game wouldn't effect the gameplay much, forget that if you have a long ranged weapon then there should be a skill tree for long range weapons or archery where you have to spend skill points on. This point alone changes the whole strategic approach to the game itself. When you spend skill points on archery over swords, then you are going to use crossbow more often which is against Geralt's pre-defined character. Plus players should have the opportunity to spend orens or money to get better and better crossbows, apply runes to them to upgrade them, and so on. When you've spent money on a good crossbow and upgraded it, you are going to use it whenever you can and again it collides with Geralt's predefined charcter.
Now tell me how does it not change the game ?

The Witcher 2 - You can play as a swordsman, you can play as a drugged up swordsman, you can play as a powerful mage(even though signs are supposed to be pretty weak), you can just throw bombs all the time.
I've played as all of those, after farming for quite some time I had enough money and ingredients so I sold what I didn't need and made a lot of bombs, then I didn't even have to touch a sword just throw bombs until everything dies. Played the whole game like that and it worked just fine so no it wouldn't 'change' anything that already hasn't.

In the end they're different mediums, books and videogames. I don't want 100% lore nor do I don't want 100% notlore, I want a good balance and a good game.

 

[Tarathelion]

then what's the point of having a crossbow in the game when there are no skill trees for it ?
Either implement it correctly with skill tree and wide variety of crossbows to purchase like most RPGs, or don't implement it. It's that simple.

No its not. Who said crossbows are gonna be equal to swords? All we now is that there is one. It can be used as a additional weapon similar to what, daggers were used for. They didn't need any special advancement path. Besides we don't know if crossbow will be a viable weapon in combat. It may serve only as a tool for hunting game. In combat it may not be effective at all. For example, lack of silver bolts against monsters would render them useless. Long reload would mean there is no point using it outside hunting as enemies would close down on you fairly quickly.

 

[wichat]

.... like most RPGs, ...

:scold:

That is the question: Be or not to be another one of those most RPG's....

 

[Cipher-Six]

No thanks on crossbows, I love archery in games but I have no desire to use any kind of bow in The Witcher 3. I will give it a try though, but I really am content to just using my swords and signs.

 

[ReptilePZ]

... You guys do realise you're using the fact that the combat system in The Witcher 2 could be exploited (i.e. it was somewhat broken already) as a way to prove your point of the balance in the combat system being unaffected by introducing even more options that encourage the player to stay away from melee even further, right?

 

[BroccoliSouP]

On bombs or throwing knives you spend points too? Did you understood what it's matter? We DON'T want crossbow as independent weapon...

Actually I didn´t use knives at all and they didn´t make sense same as crossbow wouldn´t(in fight). But I don´t care that much. On the other hand bombs are very creative and clever addition to game so why not.

 

[Pedrolago]

To the people saying he did not throw knives in the books:
You're right he didn't, but theres just enough info to make it plausible, (he hits a rat with a fork in full darkness in The Lesser Evil story) same with bombs, the fact witchers are good at alchemy and that they would have to destroy nests, makes them plausible as well, and from a gameplay point of view I think they added a lot to the combat without compromising Geralt's look