Aren't crossbows supposed to be more powerful?

[HunZolka]

In this round I chose to side with the Dawnguard to see what benefits that has, and so far the only actual bonus I see is the crossbow, but I don't get what's the deal with it.

Now I have the advanced dwarwen one with enchanted bolts, compared to a dragonbone bow with dragonbone arrows.

The crossbow has 216 base damage, while the bow only 193. The crossbow also has a hidden 50% armor penetration as I understand, so even with the inferior base damage bolts it should deliver more damage.
In spite of this, every opponent I've tried on (dwemer machine, dragon, giant) the bow clearly does more damage, therefore rendering the crossbow inferior on all accounts. What am I missing?
I haven't progressed much with the Dawnguard faction, but so far it's a disappointment, especially since I heard that a certain Restoration perk would greatly improve the effectiveness of many perks and magics for vampires, not to mention the extra perks and abilities that come with being a vampire lord...

[Lucians Lances]

Yeah, crossbows are mainly for fun. Bows are pretty much always better unless the crossbow is killing in one hit. And yeah, the vampire lord is extremely powerful with that resto perk you talked about. Dawnguard faction is kinda just.. For boring good guys lmao

[jancawa55]

same answer here, Bow is way better.

[HunZolka]

What actually bumps me is why am I getting lower damage with a weapon that has higher base damage (displayed on the lower left in Inventory), not counting the higher enchantment damage + the bolt's enchantment damage + the 50% armor penetration.

In stealth attacks the bow still does like 50-80 more damage, it just doesn't add up. By the higher base phisical damage and the armor penetration alone the damage should be significantly higher on unarmored opponents as well with the crossbow.

[Sly-Scale]

Crossbows have a different thing going on. For starters, they're amazing to give to followers because they don't take their time. They just shoot the thing. Crossbows also deal extra damage to vampires, a fair bit more - because it's a Dawnguard weapon.

If you can afford it, the explosive bolts are a nice touch. With a little know-where, the materials are actually much easier to acquire.

Crossbows just feel so lackluster because you're never *actually* fighting some tough heavy armor. Enemies get up to 150 armor rating in a full set of Nordic Carved armor, at best. Not, say, 400; only the Dragonborn and their followers get that high without mods.

[SpeedFreak1972]

The biggest problem I have with a crossbow is the long loading time a bows can fire a hell of a lot more shots in the same amount of time.

[Lucians Lances]

Originally posted by SpeedFreak1972:

The biggest problem I have with a crossbow is the long loading time a bows can fire a hell of a lot more shots in the same amount of time.

welcome to crossbows

[alexander_dougherty]

Originally posted by SpeedFreak1972:

The biggest problem I have with a crossbow is the long loading time a bows can fire a hell of a lot more shots in the same amount of time.

That's true to crossbows in real life, a proficient archer can shoot about two or three arrows a second, provided they aren't aiming.
A proficient crossbow user struggles to get one shot per minute (maybe two shots per minute for later crossbows, or the smaller pistol sized crossbows(what's the point though)).

The main advantage of a crossbow was it hit with much more power, albeit over a smaller range (because arrows were more aerodynamic than bolts). Skyrim toned down this power ratio so as not to create a superweapon, and in doing so basically negated the crossbow entirely, since the slower reload rate makes it a one shot wonder.

Basically they should either have made it more powerful, or left it out entirely....

[ＳＨＡＤＯＷ２ＫＫ]

Originally posted by SpeedFreak1972:

The biggest problem I have with a crossbow is the long loading time a bows can fire a hell of a lot more shots in the same amount of time.

Hehe, I am pretty sure that real soldiers in ages past who used crossbows said the same thing.

[Sinsling]

Originally posted by SHADOW2KK:

Originally posted by SpeedFreak1972:

The biggest problem I have with a crossbow is the long loading time a bows can fire a hell of a lot more shots in the same amount of time.

Hehe, I am pretty sure that real soldiers in ages past who used crossbows said the same thing.

Well, at least real crossbows have enough umph to make up for it.

[HunZolka]

I don't get the complaints either about loading time for crossbows. I can shoot just about as quickly with both weapons (if I properly draw the bow for each shot)

[Sinsling]

Originally posted by HunZolka:

I don't get the complaints either about loading time for crossbows. I can shoot just about as quickly with both weapons (if I properly draw the bow for each shot)

You get much higher dps out of just spitting out 3 fast arrows at close range. Unless you are aiming for a distance target, there isn't much reason to fully draw the bow - which still provides higher damage than the crossbow.

[ＳＨＡＤＯＷ２ＫＫ]

Originally posted by Sinsling:

Originally posted by SHADOW2KK:

Hehe, I am pretty sure that real soldiers in ages past who used crossbows said the same thing.

Well, at least real crossbows have enough umph to make up for it.

Definitely, I am sure that many warriors at the receiving end of a crossbow bolt thought omg op nerf this hehe.

[alexander_dougherty]

Originally posted by Sinsling:

Originally posted by SHADOW2KK:

Hehe, I am pretty sure that real soldiers in ages past who used crossbows said the same thing.

Well, at least real crossbows have enough umph to make up for it.

Debatable, I would say that unless you are behind a wall, otherwise it's only fifty percent of the time. The other fifty percent of the time you would have had to drop the crossbow and use a hand weapon.

I would say that half the time you were just as well off with a bow.... unless you were behind battlements.

[danconnors]

The reason crossbows were used by medieval armies was that they required very little training, whereas an expert longbowman required years of training--basically his whole life. Thus longbowmen were MUCH more expensive than crossbowmen. But, as the French discovered at Crecy and Agincourt, the longbowmen were well worth the extra money.

[ＳＨＡＤＯＷ２ＫＫ]

Originally posted by danconnors:

The reason crossbows were used by medieval armies was that they required very little training, whereas an expert longbowman required years of training--basically his whole life. Thus longbowmen were MUCH more expensive than crossbowmen. But, as the French discovered at Crecy and Agincourt, the longbowmen were well worth the extra money.

Exactly.