In this post I will compare the upper/mid range equipment in these three ranged schools of combat.
Javelins:
Requirements:
Power throw
WPF
Stats:
2 slots
3 ammo
33p damage
Strongbow + 1 stack of arrows:
Requirements:
Power draw
WPF
Stats:
2 slots
24 ammo (cheapest arrows)
27c damage (cheapest arrows)
Crossbow + 1 stack of bolts:
Requirements:
WPF
Stats:
2 slots
15 ammo (cheapest bolts)
54p damage (cheapest bolts)
*All info taken from the cRPG character equipment page at this point in time.
As you can see the throwing weapon has drastically less ammo than either of the other two methods of ranged combat.
It has comparable damage to the bow but inferior damage to the crossbow (at low levels of power throw, which are IMO more common). The lower bow damage will often be balanced by on average a higher power draw. Overall I think the damage is pretty even, thw bow may come off slightly worse purely on damage but this is made up for in other areas.
Which other areas?
Specifically in the amount of ammo, note how there are 24 arrows in a single quiver compared to the cross bow at 15 or the throwing at 3.
How does this ammo difference affect damage potential?
Bow: 27*24= 648 potential damage.
Crossbow: 54*15=810 potential damage.
Throwing: 33*3=99 potential damage.
Surely this massive difference in damage potential is evened out by some other advantage inherent in the throwing weapons?
1) You can carry a shield.
2) Maybe you can throw a bit faster than enemies can pull a bowstring. They are faster than a crossbow though.
3) You can use them as near useless melee weapons (bar the axes and lance which are near viable) if you have the correct WPF.
So maybe it is not all bad?
Well let us look at the disadvantages throwing weapons have as well shall we?
1) Less range
2) Less accuracy
3) Less ammo
4) More requirements than crossbows but lower damage compared.
I think those equal out any theoretical advantages of the thrower. Leaving nothing but the cold truth that the damage potential of a thrower is (at base stats) only 1/6 of that of an archer and 1/8 of that of a crossbowman. This is despite having exactly the same skill point and WPF requirements as an archer and MORE requirements than a crossbowman.
Specifically regarding one class in particular, the Javelin Cavalry, it is now no longer viable in the slightest. Unless you choose to take 6 javelins and no melee weapon. Then maybe you can take one or two enemy light cavalry down, so long as you are accurate. If that can in fact be called viable. 3 ammo is barely enough to kill a courser unless you hit it in the face when it is running at you.
I think the recent nerf is extremely unfair and goes so far as to make the class of a thrower whether dedicated, hybrid or horse pointless.
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I will forever resent the day I chose to be a thrower instead of a crossbowman because I like to avoid OP classes. Please someone on the dev team, help me understand. What was so overpowered about javelins that you had to make them suck so hard?
