Crossbows should have a two-stage reload

[Waylit]

Okay so at this point I've accepted that Crossbows will never get the love that Archery does.  Look at all those bows!  So will there be a lever Crossbow?  A crank Crossbow?  Hand Crossbows? Chinese Styled Crossbow? Most of that is just visual flavor or highly uncommon, so I accept none of it is going to happen. (Could be balanced by having the fancy shit REEAALLY expensive...)

It would be nice, however, for these old hand-pull crossbows to get a reload mechanic like the muskets in NW.

When you pull the bow back and lock it, then get knocked over/shot/hit/bumped/nudged, you should not have to start the reload from the beginning.  Just stand up, put in bolt, done.  If you switch to your sword mid-reload, same thing.  That makes sense given the game mechanics at hand.  If being knocked over doesn't trigger an xbow with a bolt loaded, why would it trigger one without the bolt loaded?

As far as realism goes...I would imagine medieval crossbows have a high chance of going off if the user drops it or is knocked over by a horse.  And AFAIK they did not have safeties, so having a loaded crossbow on your back would not be a wise idea.  So given that CRPG does not follow realism, I move that it follows logical consistency. 

[Afina]

you do because of overcharging immeete crossbow like guns or muskets?
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something like this just standing. I understand you correctly?

[Afina]

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some crossbows can be recharged using only his hands, (which can be used on horses), why not do the same for other crossbows, thereby solved the problem, do overcharging crossbow using only his hands, and a stirred character in which either side

[Waylit]

So you are saying that the Light Xbow, since it can be held against your chest and pulled while riding, should be able to reload without bending over when not on a horse?  Possibly while walking...that might be too far out of balance.  A little 15p hand xbow that you can walk while reloading would be badass. 

For those of you watching Game of Thrones, last night Ser Piggy just pulled off exactly the maneuver I was talking about.  Cocked back bow, ran around with a bolt in his hand, slapped bolt in, fired.   

[Turkhammer]

We all know GOT is the height of logical consistency.

[Joxer]

In a way xbows already reload in 2 stages. However you cannot opt out in between. First stage is the string pullback during which you must stay still. After that you insert the bolt and you are free to move. On the other hand archery should be the same. First stage you knock the arrow. The drawing and firing are completely different action.

[Switchtense]

In a way xbows already reload in 2 stages. However you cannot opt out in between. First stage is the string pullback during which you must stay still. After that you insert the bolt and you are free to move. On the other hand archery should be the same. First stage you knock the arrow. The drawing and firing are completely different action.

But archers can run around like nutters already while getting ready to shoot again. The only time they have to (Or should rather) stand still is when actually shooting.

Think a 2 stage reload for the small Crossbows would be really nice.

Heavy and Arbs are already powerful enough.

[Rico]

Pulling the bowstring of an Arbalest or a Heavy Crossbow takes two million hours and putting the bolt in takes five milliseconds. What would be the advantage of separating these 5 ms from the rest of the animation?

EDIT: My post implies what we all know: Internal crossbow balance is completely screwed and all crossbows apart from Heavy Crossbow and Arbalest are absolutely useless. HX got nerfed to hell, so no Light Xbow. Normal Crossbow is too inaccurate to even hit reliably on medium distance, and its 2 slots disallow a melee-heavy hybrid build. Hunting xbow qualifies as a DTV leeching device and a shotgun-n-run troll item, but isn't really useable for anything else since the disadvantage of its weight is greater than the advantage of its damage..

[Grumpy_Nic]

Pulling the bowstring of an Arbalest or a Heavy Crossbow takes two million hours and putting the bolt in takes five milliseconds. What would be the advantage of separating these 5 ms from the rest of the animation?

EDIT: My post implies what we all know: Internal crossbow balance is completely screwed and all crossbows apart from Heavy Crossbow and Arbalest are absolutely useless. HX got nerfed to hell, so no Light Xbow. Normal Crossbow is too inaccurate to even hit reliably on medium distance, and its 2 slots disallow a melee-heavy hybrid build. Hunting xbow qualifies as a DTV leeching device and a shotgun-n-run troll item, but isn't really useable for anything else since the disadvantage of its weight is greater than the advantage of its damage..

Dont dis my hunting xbow! 

[Rebelyell]

yea and add chance to shoot yourself when you have reloaded x bow on back
like 90%

and slow xbowers down when they are aiming to walking speed

[Waylit]

Pulling the bowstring of an Arbalest or a Heavy Crossbow takes two million hours and putting the bolt in takes five milliseconds. What would be the advantage of separating these 5 ms from the rest of the animation?

Anybody who has played Crossbow at length has been in that situation where you get shot by an archer or bumped during that "5ms" (more like 1s) and then start the process allllll over again.

The main reason I would like it, though, would be to put some viability back into HX.  Because on HX the animation is slowed to half and so placing the bolt takes way too long and HA can interrupt you easily.  If you take away the full interrupt from the second stage of the animation, then the HX still takes as long to load, and the HA still have chances to slow him down, but it no longer makes you restart a reload that now takes as long as an Arb.