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Good. (I like it)

Bad. (I dont like it)

Ugly. (I dont like it, but know how to make it better)

[Meph]

Just judging interest: It always bothered me that dwarves can make a crossbow out of a single bone or log... a highly complex weapon, made of wood/metal, with strings, gears and a pulley... a trigger and a grip, all finely adjusted... simply cut from 1 piece of wood.

The solution:
Make slings available to the dwarven civ by default. Your "bowyer's shop" now makes slings, instead of crossbows.
Make crossbows foreign weapons (like bows in vanilla DF) and only construct them in a custom workshop, using wood/bone/metal, leather (grip), thread (string) and mechanisms (pulley).

There is always the Stone-Bow, a bullet shooting crossbow as well, as an additional idea.

I would add the sling as a new, simple weapon, remove most of the throwing weapons, put crossbows, javelin throwers and bows into one workshop, and thats it. Only downside: I am not sure how well dwarven AI handles crossbows as a foreign weapon and military equipment. Ammo would stay the same, no changes.

[Another]

There was an old suggestion and I still support it - make crossbows require metal mechanisms in construction. I think that would be both realistic and balanced.

[jonveck]

Would there be a way to keep crossbows as they are (perhaps weaken them a bit, though I dunno how that would affect world gen and computation of conflicts and wars outside of fortress mode), and simply designate them as "crude" crossbows whereas a proper workshop could make advanced crossbows (e.g. arbalests) that would be sufficiently bad ass.

I'm definitely in favor of reducing the number of throwing weapons -- I'd even be happy to see javelins disappear in favor of the advanced crossbows -- because there's nothing more heartbreaking than to have a moody dwarf grab a piles of welded mithril or adamantine only to dish up a spring-loaded knife.

[Repseki]

A basic crossbow isn't really all that complex.

Having more powerful versions that are then more expensive wouldn't be the end of the world though. And most of the throwing weapons are probably somewhat underused, so cutting some of them wouldn't hurt.

[Meph]

I simply have the feeling that most people make crossbows, and ignore all other ranged weapons.

[MuDD]

I usually go with Javelin Throwers personally, though they don't seem to want to use ammo made from the fletcher's shop.

[Another]

I want to notice that broadhead, piercing, singing and other non-vanilla ammunition need to be separately assigned on military ammunition page to be used. This has high potential of catching people off-guard.

[kamikazi1231]

I want to notice that broadhead, piercing, singing and other non-vanilla ammunition need to be separately assigned on military ammunition page to be used. This has high potential of catching people off-guard.

It took me a while to find that too.  Ended up making a few thousand bone bolts from repeating "separate bone" and "make individual bone bolts(5)."  Finally have a near limitless supply of ammunition to train away on my captured enemies.

Also Meph if you are thinking the bullet crossbow or sling would the ammunition be stone based?  Something like "Make stone crossbow bullets from non-economic stone"?  I could certainly go for training my ranged dwarves with obsidian bullets, then if I want pouring lava onto the training goblins and recovering the magma proof obsidian bullets stuck in them haha.

[dukea42]

I am often using a mix of crossbows and javelin throwers. Never use the other range weapons. While I agree they are higher tech than bows and slings, I would not have crossbows require mechanisms or be foreign. The early and basic ones had only a simple trigger, no pulley required.  Besides, dwarves are not a tech poor race and there is an abstract component to much of the game.

Now because javelin throwers are so much more powerful and equivalent to the other 2-hand melee weapons, I would say yes, make them higher tech with mechanisms, other parts, and a different (research required) workshop. Put additional crossbow upgrades in this workshop too.

[sackhead]

i always imagined dwarven crossbows  like Gastraphetes rather than medieval crossbows which explains the pure wood. i do think javelin throwers (which i picture as scorpions)  should be a bit more complex to build. i often use spear throwers but not the other thrown weapons.
also how do you make a sling out of wood?
the only other weapons made entirely out of wood would be atlatl and possibly bows (the dwarf weaves the string from his beared)

[tenshi99]

powerful complex crossbows using steel string. and ropes made from threads not clothes(normal ones). and many thing like that )))

[urmane]

I like the idea.  A couple of questions, though:

1. How would slings compare to crossbows for hunting?  Early in a fort I sometimes need to rely on a hunter's ability to catch meat.
2. Would metal ranged weapons be done in the new shop?  My modus operandi is to make a bowyer early just to make a few wooden crossbows, which serve just fine until I can start forging metal ones.  The current bowyer is useless (for my play style) beyond that.
3. How (if at all) would this affect the balance versus enemy archers?  Frankly I'm terrified of any ambushers / sieges with ranged weaons and hide in my hole.

[Billy Jack]

Bone x-bows - get rid of them.  I can't think of a single bone that would appear in all creatures that would be able to flex enough for work as a bow-type weapon.

Wood x-bows - leave them alone.  You can make more advanced ones, sure. But you already have the repeating crossbow (which requires a mechanism).  There are plenty of historic examples of crossbows that required no metallic parts.  Even the Chinese repeating crossbow appears to be entirely constructed of wood.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Repeating_crossbow

[zach123b]

i think advanced crossbows would be nice but have a switch for people to turn on and off in the interface would be best imo

[Meph]

I cant get rid of wood or bone independently, its either both or none.

I think I just simplify the throwing weapons a bit, and make the upgrades and javelin throwers a bit more late-gamey. I think many people would be confused if crossbows are suddenly missing.. just like all the "bug"-reports about cats and dogs being gone.