In all the games I’ve played (one exception being Half-Life, but that’s different) I really don’t like using crossbows and avoid doing so at all costs. I don’t really know why that is, but to me they don’t seem to fit the setting of games like Elder Scrolls or Gothic. I love using regular bows, however. Maybe crossbows feel too modern for me? I don’t really know anything about medieval weapons or when they were invented.
What about you? How do you feel about crossbows in these types of games or do you have a similar weird thing you just don’t like and refuse to do in video games?
My mind also raced to Age of Empires 2. I love crossbows and arbalester, especially the Britons. Just a big ball of units sending a clear message across the map: stay away!
I really didn’t like that crossbows were a direct upgrade to the archer unit line. At least Britons still had the longbowmen.
I much prefere the AoE4 aproach where archers and crowsbowmen are different unit lines.
It seems to be historically accurate at least: Wiki:
“The crossbow superseded hand bows in many European armies during the 12th century, except in England, where the longbow was more popular”
That said, I can understand your point. Aoe is not (and doesn’t need to be) historically accurate. How is it integrated in AoE4?