Most good shielders don't wear "hard" armor, they have a good shield and that's the protection.
But I know there will be PLENTY of archers adapting to the new change just like every other class has had to adapt to a change at some point. The more time you spend bitching in here the less time you have to get used to the changes and getting better
Some people don't want to have to get better. They want to point and click at targets miles away and 1,2,3 hit them. At least in melee its pvp, IE you have to play against another player (shocking in a multiplayer game), and have to block and time attacks and think of positioning. Ranged is just too relaxed and one sided. Seriously though, the melee/cav mechanics in the game are leagues ahead of the ranged stuff. Its just not in depth enough to warrant high piercing damage so being encouraged to aim for the head at least lifts the bar up a notch.
Until the ranged mechanics are complex and as good as the other aspects of the game the damage should be support type damage imo. You get the stun on hit still regardless of damage and can go into melee range whenever you like to finish someone off. Especially as a crossbowman, you can do melee as good as anyone else
If you want good damage for ranged how about adding something like Slings to the game? So you have to time when to release the projectile while its spinning around your head. That would be cool and skill based