I feel your pain from so called dedicated xbow men even tho i doubt they existed pre-patch. 
I originally started in cRPG by plodding around as your standard pure 2h or Polearm build spamming and getting kills. However, I was becoming increasingly annoyed by those pesky sniper crossbows. So, I trained a dedicated crossbowman. One of the first things that struck me was the fact that those on the receiving end of my bolts only seemed to notice the bolts that hit them.
For example, I would miss my first two shots, then score a lucky headshot on the third. The target would then promptly GTX, then post some babble about crossbows/ranged being overpowered. I realised the target behaved exactly as I had done in the past. It's a good lesson to learn. You cannot truly comment on balance until you have first hand experience of each end of the spectrum.
The 'melee' only server amuses me to no end. At least the hatred of Ranged is historical. You may spend your entire life honing the arts of war, but one day some filthy peasant puts a bolt in your chest and all that training counts for naught. Cue prideful wrath.
If you are melee, remember; For every projectile that hits you, as many as ten have missed. Strafe more, get a shield, or use freelook to spot the ranged aiming at you.
