Crossbows are pointless: either make them stronger or remove them altogether

[MTaranto]

Not even on quests where you need to shoot things?

Well, I might have used when I was forced to..

 

[waltc]

They are not useless. Amazing for fights when you have flyers. Also really good underwater.

I've always used them with harpies, griffins--any flier, as you say. They work great underwater, where swords don't function at all. Used them on my first play back in 2015, in fact. Sweet! Very enjoyable, especially when you can slow down the action of the flyers and fire away--makes it hard to miss. Parks right on your back, out of the way until you need it.

 

[A.P.P.]

To OP:

Yes, and No:

Yes, they are cumbersome to use and slow to react, and can find no meaningful use as TRUE damage dealers.

No, because they are absolutely indispensable when facing underwater creatures, and, to a lesser extent -- flyers.

=================
MY solution:
=================

Make them more reactive and responsive. AND accurate.
Increase damage slightly.
Problem solved, easy as that!

note: By "reactive" and "responsive" I mean that it should take LESS TIME to draw / sheathe them, AND to fire & reload them.
Basically, increase the animation speeds of EVERY ACTION THAT INVOLVES THE CROSSBOW !!
It's annoying, really: Geralt is supposed to be a super-strong and super-quick mutant with insane reaction speeds,
yet his rate of fire and skill at usage of a Crossbow is actually worse than that of common untrained highway bandits!


So... Whaddya guys think?

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[CayoteM]

Agreed. I only use it underwater. But I think it's not pointless. It has to be stronger or something like that. Maybe they should add a shield-piercing arrow, etc.

 

[A.P.P.]

.

Maybe they should add a shield-piercing arrow, etc.

.

Now THAT'S a great idea!

.

 

[locksoft]

Well, they're useful underwater.

 

[iharley.quinn]

Yeah, I found it odd crossbows weren't very strong, I like using the witcher powers anyway. It's good for underwater though. I haven't tried an explosive bolt though. Maybe it does more damage.

 

[Waalex11]

Gotta admit I mainly just use them if I have to.
Never to keep distance, but mostly to shoot down flying enemies or underwater.

It is lame that we don't have many options, let alone only 2 witcher crossbows.
Witcher crossbows for every main gear would be awesome.

 

[_KejN_]

If players generally like them, they should be kept, why not. But in my personal opinion they do not fit the witcher and I don't use them. They are match for the witcher like war hammer for the rogue or wand for the barbarian.

 

[James_harkness]

I'd rather go back to TW2 daggers, at least those dealt damage. Crossbows do look cool, but there's 0 point in their existence besides as a means of defense underwater or sailing (just let us use the swords instead, really). TW3 gameplay mechanics prove right that quote from the Polish show: "there is nothing better than a sword".

i enjoy playing with the crossbows

 

[SigilFey]

Honestly, I never focused on it. In all the playthroughs I did, I invariably used the crossbow to knock the occasional flying creature out of the air. Aaaaaand...that was about it.

If they are made stronger, I think it should be very, very situational or limited. On the whole, I wouldn't mind it just being a TW3 thing.