Class restrictions are so freaking lame.
This is a mod of mount and blade, not WoW.
You are entirely missing the POINT of crossbows and thus you want to distort their function.
It's like someone arguing that throwing needs to have the longest range out of all the ranged weapons to "balance them out". You continually ask for blatant distortion of weapon function.
Directional combat will not save this mod alone. Some would have it be a relatively shitty DnD rip off with one neat quirk: directional combat, whoopee!
A 12 year old could load and shoot a crossbow. They don't take much skill OR strength to use. Crossbows should be expensive. If done right, then people will be wary of taking too much armor or too much melee weaponry with crossbows, because they won't be able to maintain the build anyway.
All that being said, they really aren't that great man. Get a shield, be aware, strafe, and don't go to sieges...?