You all use pike so generically it hurts me. The pike has varied WILDLY through the years and from nation to nation. No where in your offense or defense on this subject should you be using realism, unit tactics, and historical battles as proof. However close to real this game is, it is still extremely far from. Allow me to demonstrate
A fully grown man is ALWAYS strong enough to wear leather(but yet it has a str requirement)
A horse that runs full speed into ANYTHING will die, yet they take 0 damage running into solid walls. Hell they can run into a spear and live.
There is no crossbow in this game that would be operatable from a mounted postion. Simply not possible without a crank or lever.
You can swing a pole arm through a door, spin quickly, and hit some one through a wall.
If a longbow or crossbow were to shoot you, you might not die but you sure as hell won't get up.
I could go on forever but dont use realism as the basis for why a weapon should or should not be tweaked. This is a game, the mechanics are NOT real, and it needs to be balanced based on what is happening IN GAME.
1v1 a pike is pretty crappy. However, I dont know anyone that will engage 1v1 with a pike. Most of them have high enough athletics they will run until they find a teamate, and can take massive advantage of run/jump lolspin. They are used in swarms, where you cant just sit there and down block or your head will be cut off by the guy next to him. They have such a massive range, if they are anything but solo you dont have much of a chance to engage them. They can be swung around and through walls, as well as around and through your/their own teamates. It can take such a huge advantage of the faulty mechanics in this game, I really feel it needs to be nerfed. There is no other weapon other than the long spear that can perform such feats. I personally feel this weapon encourages poor and dishonorable play and needs to be heavily re-evaluated.
*50m is max effective range for pistols. Most ranges dont even have 50m pistol targets, but you could go to the rifle range. Sure you can shoot and with blind luck hit something farther. An AK going 1500m accurately?? The bullet tumbles and fans as it flies, so good luck with that. it is possible but still HIGHLY unlikely.