Crossbows could fit into the game, if done right.

The main idea for a crossbow was that it really was a low trained weapon, that you could give it to a no-skill peasant battalion and with a little time have a group that was a decent shot.
Keep in mind that this was compared to proper archers who needed a lifetime of training.

A good archer would completely outclass a crossbowman, but it would take longer for the archer to get to that point.

What I propose it that we have crossbows, BUT we give them limitations, namely
1. That they are more of a starter weapon.
2. That they can only give you a limited amount of experience (maybe stop giving experience after your archery is 30 or so)

So for someone who has never used a bow (archery 5 or so) they are an easier concept, they can do more damage, but you stop getting any better with them at around level 25, after that bows start to become better at damage.
This means that people who only want an option for ranged weapons, but don't have much commitment can still have a weapon that they are decent at, while someone who wants the full ranged experience doesn't have to touch them.

How does that sound?

Yes. They were in Morrowind and fit in perfectly. The fact that there was no crossbows or spears in Oblivion was just laziness on part of the developers.

Laziness? I disagree.

And maybe crossbows are in. I doubt it though.

yes and it is just laziness that they didn't get climbing like AC, or they didn't get shadows, or they didn't get graphics like crycis, some stuff just wont work, like Radient AI which had to be dialed back a lot

There needs to be alternative to bows anyway. French mag talks about "throwing weapons", which is good, and I wouldn't mind crossbows thrown in. Kind of a good option for Everything-Challenged such as I - used that in Morrowind, never got the hang of bows.

Your limitations ideas sound good too.

Morrowind. :violin: :facepalm:

I like the idea of them being a different type of marksman weapon, but only having them as starter weapons is a waste. They wouldn't bother putting crossbows in just to waste that development time on a starter weapon. If you want crossbows then they need to be a viable option. Make your basic crossbow for good damage at low levels, yes, but also include a high power monster of a mastery crossbow as well. We need something that would would dismember a deathclaw in one hit had it been in Fallout. Of course this one would also be incredibly slow to reload and require both marksman mastery and extremely high strength to balance out that immense power.

If you want crossbows, you have to acknowledge that they replaced crossbows because they were better. A skilled bowman could shoot faster, but a decent crossbowman could shoot a bolt that punches straight through a suit of iron.

P.S. to Gandler: While I certainly enjoyed the crossbows from Morrowind that's not the way to make an argument, and nor is calling the developers lazy.

they said throwing weapons, I am fine

No. Just because morrowind had it doesn't mean every other game should.

This.

Okay, for the sake of argument, let's pretend that the dev's would add crossbows last minute. They won't actually be different than bows, just the animations and the models. It's simply an aesthetic choice, so that your archer can use either bows, or crossbows. Kind of like how axes and maces were in Morrowind and Oblivion. (Although Morrowind had different damage stats for different styles of attacks...)

What's so hard about that? I really wish they would.

I absolutely love crossbows, I'd love for them to be in, but not expecting it

I'm playing morrowind again at the moment,and i have to say i like using crossbows.
I still prefer the bow,even more so from oblivion and now from what i've heard about it in skyrim.
But whats more important than crossbows to me is throwing weapons,knives,stars etc.
If i have throwing weapons and a bow,i'll be in assassin heaven

No crossbows please.

Then possibly the option of different crossbows for different skill levels, with them only rasing skills if you are within that skill range.
Now that you aren't able to equip a higher range one, but that it is insanely difficult to fire or reload

Wow 12 combined maybe/no's and 9 yes. Thought more people would be in favor of this.

Crossbows and spears obviously exist in the ES universe. So did they just magically disappear? Spears are very strategic they the longest range melee weapons (non shooting/throwing weapons). And crossbows are very different then regular bows, they have more power but are more complicated to reload (takes a bit longer). So both of these adds new combat dimensions and they obviously exist in the ES universe so the fact that they magically vanished can only be interpreted as laziness to me, the developers gave no good reason for them not to be there.

Another thread devolves into spears!

I voted "Why Bother" I don't care either way.

The only way I'd like to see Crossbows working in Cyrodiil is realistically, especially in contrast to the now realistically portrayed Bow and Arrow. Crossbows should take time to reload, and instead of being statically skill based they should depend on actual skill and shoot like a gun. So a point and shoot crossbow that anybody can pick up, with 1 bolt that needs reloading. If they put them in like that it would actually be kind of cool. If you are the sort of person who doesn't like bow and arrows, you could still sport a crossbow on on your back or over your shoulder what have you, and pull it out for a quick kill here and there.

Also anyone who is interested http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7g-0-RK3cjk of a long bowman and a crossbowman firing arrows together at youtube.

If they were put in, like I suggested, I wouldn't like to see them based on the same skill as bow and arrow, but rather the strength attribute for reloading and just pretty much have the same mean damage (which should be mostly 1 hit kills). That is the only way I could see this being viable in the new combat system (that I am in love with :celebration: )

Here is http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HagCuGXJgUs&feature=related I thought was interesting for reference.

Crossbows, Spears, and Mounts I want it all.. I also want throwable weapons and potions that explode and a juicey box. :batman:

you cant be thinking like that, this is a game you will be limited
Children magically disipeared in Morrowind and Oblivion, how can you explain that?

So not a skill based weapon at all?
Just a 'see that guy? Here’s a crossbow, I want you to ruin his day' that sounds fun, but could cause more touble.

How about crossbows? I like them and I want them back in. I am sure they could do something good with it as in the OP's description.

Children are not in those games becasue they did not want you to have the ability to kill children as that would be controversial. At least that is what I remember from one of the interviews which I find to be a legit reason.
Anyway children would not effect the gameplay. Changing the weapon classes around does effect the gameplay.

then why were they in Fallout? and why are they going to be in Skyrim?

Of all the things a developer could leave out because they were lazy, you really think it would be something so important as to affect the gameplay? If you're going to be lazy, you leave out stuff that no one will notice or will only notice if they look very hard. If you change a gameplay mechanic, you do it for a reason.