for every player that enjoys being HX, I am sorry for suggesting to completely change your class. However I feel like some change would be great.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cavalry_tactics#Tactics_of_heavy_cavalry_using_ranged_weapons
As mentioned earlier, heavy cavalry with lances were always supported by ranged combat units. They could be heavily armoured archers, like cataphracts or clibanarii with bows, advancing together with the charging cavalry. This bow-armed cavalry could loose their arrows as they advanced in the early stages of their charge with the intention of weakening and demoralizing the enemy formation prior to the moment of shock, possibly in shower shooting style. While the enemy was usually capable of countering with equal measures of ranged combat, the horse archers often wore protective equipment, so the changeover from light to heavy cavalry is not always clear and it seems in cases they formed the second charging rank. A similar tactic of heavy skirmishers developed in Late Medieval Europe, employing the easier to handle crossbow. Frontal assaults of heavy cavalry became considered ineffective against formations of spearmen or pikemen combined with crossbowmen or longbow archers. Most of the cavalry men wore armor that could be penetrated by contemporary crossbows at close ranges, although this didn't necessarily result in a fatal injury. It resulted in the development of new cavalry tactics whereby knights and mounted mercenaries deployed in deep triangular wedges, with the most heavily armored men (especially those able to afford armored horses) being deployed in the front ranks. To increase its effect, part of the formation would carry small, powerful all-metal crossbows of their own. These mounted crossbowmen could sally out from the rear ranks to provide a skirmish screen or a preliminary barrage of bolts.
this isnt a realism thread, I am merely suggesting to look at reality as an inspiration to what crossbow cav in crpg could become.
any of you see a way to make HX a support class like pikemen are, or a light skirmisher)
Or maybe a primarily melee oriented cav, that has secondary ranged capabilities?
would something like this help?:
1) remove the ability to reload a light crossbow. on horse and on foot.
make it two slot and extremely heavy so inf doesnt start using it.
change its max ammo from 1 to 3 (not realistic, but interesting: a LHX has only 3 shots, but can shoot them w/o reloading, quite perfect to soften inf formations before charging in, or to scare off HX while approaching the enemy.
give it difficulty 15
2) remains the hunting crossbow. the only xbow reloadable on horse back.
make it unsheathable
reduce reload time/increase reload speed by 50%
reduce damage
give it more accuracy
quadruple the weight
give it difficulty 12
to summarize: I imagine these changes might make the xbows a secondary ranged option for a certain type of cavalry, that does need dedication, but also fosters a melee orientation.
their duties would be to fend off horse archers, soften infantry formations and distract archers from afar, until both sides clash, and they themselves engage in melee.
thoughts?
edit: damn I had a word mix up with the reload speed on hunting xbow. I meant: make them relaod faster.