Crossbow: Bug or Working as intended?

[Leomonio, O Comedor de Nariz]

When using ranged weapons, there is a chance to hit other targets in between you and who you are aiming at. When doing so with a crossbow, when you miss the original target (and hit another unit), it fires only once, even if you had the crossbow buff of shooting multiple times. Is this working as intended or is it a bug?

[GodfatherPlunger]

from my experience a lot of crossbow mechanics are buggy

[Spawnling]

At some point War Bow changed.
The old behavior was that it always shot a second arrow if the first one was a crit, whoever it hit. Now it only shoots again if it hits the target. (Edit: "Now" means for the last 6+ months.)

So either they messed up how multi shots work for all ranged weapons, or it works as intended. I'd say chances are 50/50.

[HunterSilver]

We don't know the exact intended behavior so it's hard to say. Crossbows act strangely in a lot of ways, but it may be intentional. For example the Inquisitor Crossbow does not use Attack of Opportunity when it retaliates, instead using a full attack and storing an additional Loaded for you on your turn. Is this a bug or intended?

Crossbows can also use the Repositioning tactic or Search for an exit action or any other action even after using their primary attack unlike every other unit in the game. These are pretty cheaty and are likely unintended.

Crossbows ending their attack when hitting an incorrect target shares similar behavior to other ranged attacks, so I'm inclined to think that's working as intended.

[Spawnling]

It's always interesting to see different opinions.

Originally posted by HunterSilver:

We don't know the exact intended behavior so it's hard to say. Crossbows act strangely in a lot of ways, but it may be intentional. For example the Inquisitor Crossbow does not use Attack of Opportunity when it retaliates, instead using a full attack and storing an additional Loaded for you on your turn. Is this a bug or intended?

I personally do not see how it is anything but a bug when a weapon with Vigilance (cannot attack while engaged in combat) can be used while engaged in combat.
(Especially when the attack changes to "Punch" after being engaged.)

Or how a crossbow fires a normal shot without consuming ammo, although using a Loaded stack whenever it fires is its key feature.

Originally posted by HunterSilver:

Crossbows can also use the Repositioning tactic or Search for an exit action or any other action even after using their primary attack unlike every other unit in the game. These are pretty cheaty and are likely unintended.

Shooting with a Crossbow is not a base action (and not a primary attack), which is used to search or capture. It's a class skill, so it is consistent with the game's logic.

Originally posted by HunterSilver:

Crossbows ending their attack when hitting an incorrect target shares similar behavior to other ranged attacks, so I'm inclined to think that's working as intended.

Well, it once worked for War Bow. Now it no longer works. There were a few bugs like that, so no idea how to judge if it's inteneded or not.

[HunterSilver]

Originally posted by Spawnling:

Shooting with a Crossbow is not a base action (and not a primary attack), which is used to search or capture. It's a class skill, so it is consistent with the game's logic.

Oooh fair point. So as it is, it is intended behavior, it just leads to strange outcomes. At which point, all I can argue is that it needs to be rebalanced because those strange behaviors lead to unfairly large advantages in specific circumstances (IE: Using Repositioning, the Crossbow can use all of its attacks and then double its movement at the end of the turn).

[VipreRX]

I would think working as intended because you missed the target. Regardless that it hit another person and not a tree somewhere in the distance you don't get the benefit of the bonus shot because you missed.

[oltopetish]

The Crossbowman can capture an enemy and then attack with all attacks in the same turn. This is not like the normal behavior of all other units, including former prisoners, for whom there is a basic (free) attack and paid (for valor points :)

[Spawnling]

Originally posted by oltopetish:

The Crossbowman can capture an enemy and then attack with all attacks in the same turn. This is not like the normal behavior of all other units, including former prisoners, for whom there is a basic (free) attack and paid (for valor points :)

Yes they behave unlike any other class so far.

- The "basic attack" (weapon skill) is not a free attack.
It uses your mercenary's Standard Action, of which each merc has 1 per turn.
(The Standard Action is used to attack with the weapon skill, capture enemies, search for an exit action, to free prisoners, save allies from falling off the ship, and kicking enemies into the water.)

- The "paid" skill, also isn't a paid skill, but a class skill, which usually costs Valor Points.

-> The Crossbowman has no "basic attack", their weapon provides a passive skill, or an active valor skill (Reload!), like a helmet can provide a passive or active skill, not an attack like other weapons do.
They only have their class skill to attack, which in their case costs no valor points.