Does anybody even use crossbows and bows anymore?

[Blasphemous]

Like in the title, I find myself in a place where there is no advantage to using either of the bow weapons.

Silenced SMG is better in every way, ammo is not an issue since my stealth build means one bullet = one zombie put down.

I suppose there are builds where these weapons might still be useful in the late game but as it is, there's just too many disadvantages.

 

In the early game, with a lucky find of a regular or compound version, it's feasible and projectiles can be mass-produced but as soon as you find the books that increase ammo loot in containers and in general improve looting, getting more bullets is no longer an issue.

 

I'm thinking about possible changes that would allow crossbows and bows to keep up the pace and remain competitive but other than drastically increasing the damage or adding some default sneak multiplier on top of other sneak-related bonuses, there's not a lot of options. Anybody else feels the same?

[SylenThunder]

I still use them as my primary ranged weapons. In fact, a18 is the first time I'm seriously using the crossbow. Late in the game explosive bolts are great for crowd control. I'm currently working on a build with a primary focus in knives and archery.

[pApA^LeGBa]

Yep. All the time in SP. Great for sleepers when you wann kill some of them silent, explosive and flaming arrows are good for groups. Fully modded and skilled a crossbow is a beast.

[RipClaw]

I use the crossbow all the time. It's my favorite weapon for long-range combat. If you use the crossbow strategically it is very effective and you save a lot of ammunition for the horde night.

[Blasphemous]

Maybe I should set a higher zombie count for the horde night then.

As for silent kills, my SMG plus silencer seem to work very well, including shooting zombies near-point blank while other zombies continue to sleep 2-3 meters away.

I've discovered that long range shooting is rather infrequent and if anything, it's mid-to-close range in my games, especially factory clear quests.

I have to try the explosive bolt crowd control, I seem to remember it being somewhat buggy before and thus falling into obscurity.

[ZombieSurvivor]

I never use the crossbow due to the reloading time. My main choice of weapon is still the bow.

[Adam the Waster]

Wooden bow! those Gears are sexy

 

and it feels great to shoot

[ZombieSurvivor]

Wooden bow! those Gears are sexy

 

and it feels great to shoot

 

Right! they are sexy. I love the look of the bow.

[Niil945]

In my current game I'm using a T6 compound xbow. Headshots are 1 shot kill on everything under an irradiated feral zombie biker it seems (default settings). Doing solo tier 5 poi's with a full ranger book set I barely use any ammo at all, I save that for the horde nights. I tried a T6 compound bow but the damage was noticeably lower and wasn't getting single headshot kills. Possibly a low rolled one, don't know. I'm doing it more for fun as I know it's vastly quicker to just baseball bat things down and this build results in me dumping 10 points into stealth/hidden strike that are ineffective during bloodmoon. Though going in with a group it's also a waste of points as allies waking zeds up results in no hidden strike bonus, just something to keep in mind if you end up going that route.

[HungryZombie]

Like in the title, I find myself in a place where there is no advantage to using either of the bow weapons.

 

With he rage mechanic I like to pelt zombie with arrows until they stagger then I run in for the kill. That way when they rage I'm not in their face already. Also silent shots while in indoors and cheap ammo are good reason to use them.

 

Using a bow as your only weapon on horde night seems like using a screwdriver to drive in a nail. You need the right tool for the right job and I don't think I've ever heard TFPs say they are trying to make every weapon as equally useful in every situation as possible.

[ZombieSurvivor]

With he rage mechanic I like to pelt zombie with arrows until they stagger then I run in for the kill. That way when they rage I'm not in their face already. Also silent shots while in indoors and cheap ammo are good reason to use them.

 

Well said. The biggest advantage of the bow over other weapons is the fact you remain 100% silent when firing it and cheap ammo as you stated. It is the best weapon in game for stealth kills and is or should be the primary weapon of choice when playing with a stealth build.

 

If a player is good enough and has the right perks and books you can clear an entire POI without ever waking a single zombie.

[Ramethzer0]

crossbow is the sniper rifle for AGI builds.

[Blasphemous]

Well said. The biggest advantage of the bow over other weapons is the fact you remain 100% silent when firing it and cheap ammo as you stated. It is the best weapon in game for stealth kills and is or should be the primary weapon of choice when playing with a stealth build.

 

If a player is good enough and has the right perks and books you can clear an entire POI without ever waking a single zombie.

 

I play exclusively single player so one of the previous posts about allies waking up zeds is moot.

I do however play an AGI build with stealth. Currently at level 99, I have all the stealth perks, all the books and all tier 6 weapons.

POIs usually stay quiet unless I misstep somewhere but weapon usage doesn't seem to wake anything up anymore.

 

Still think that silenced SMG is better than a crossbow. The only stuff that doesn't insta-gib are irradiated cops and bikers.

Haven't seen a green wight yet but I expect them to require more than one shot as well.

[Darthjake]

I'll take a cross bow with me when I'm specifically going hunting. The instant shot makes rabbits and chickens easier to kill then with the bow.

 

Seems like I always find an iron cross bow before I find a wooden bow. Dunno if that's just me, or rng. Probably rng though.

 

The bow is great to attract the attention of 1 Z and then spear/club them down, at least until I get a wooden bow, then it's arrow time.d

[ZombieSurvivor]

I play exclusively single player so one of the previous posts about allies waking up zeds is moot.

I do however play an AGI build with stealth. Currently at level 99, I have all the stealth perks, all the books and all tier 6 weapons.

POIs usually stay quiet unless I misstep somewhere but weapon usage doesn't seem to wake anything up anymore.

 

Still think that silenced SMG is better than a crossbow. The only stuff that doesn't insta-gib are irradiated cops and bikers.

Haven't seen a green wight yet but I expect them to require more than one shot as well.

 

true true. Yeah I can never be stealthy when playing with friends because they 1. prefer gun blazing approach or 2. they just are not very good at being silent and always seem to wake up the poi.

 

In A18 I have not got above level 50 do to restarting the game or I stop playing for a week and I forget everything I did so I start a new game.

So when you are a high level and have the skills and right books silenced guns never wake zombies?

[BaconsTV]

Yeah always, which is another reason I am making a full agility build. Top for night POI bow or crossbow. Crossbow ensures 1 hit kills on sleepers

[Loevgreen]

Used to use them a lot outside horde nights, but have ditched them completely in a18. No need to be silent or conserve ammo, and guns are easy to find. But guess this will be balanced in the future.

[Blasphemous]

So when you are a high level and have the skills and right books silenced guns never wake zombies?

They wake them but you'd literally have to stand next to two sleepers and shoot one point blank.

Or use silenced AK, since even with that mod, they're still pretty loud. Hence SMG.

Missing and hitting a wall with a silenced gun also seems to wake up zombies close to the point of impact.

[Adam the Waster]

ZombieSur!

 

 

WHY DID YOU QUIT YOUR FATE TO THE ZOMBIE LORD!

[warmer]

The only time I don't use crossbows/bows/spears is on horde night

[kultivater]

I never use the crossbow due to the reloading time. My main choice of weapon is still the bow.

 

I admit that I don't have much late-game experience, and also admit that I haven't used the crossbow since alpha 17.2, but, unless changes have been made since then, I don't see the problem with its load time. Usually it loads up fast enough, and considering the incredible distance it can go without having to adjust aim(as with the bow), and the huge damage it does(one shot kill mostly in my experience), it just completely out-does bows for me :-/.

[ZombieSurvivor]

I admit that I don't have much late-game experience, and also admit that I haven't used the crossbow since alpha 17.2, but, unless changes have been made since then, I don't see the problem with its load time. Usually it loads up fast enough, and considering the incredible distance it can go without having to adjust aim(as with the bow), and the huge damage it does(one shot kill mostly in my experience), it just completely out-does bows for me :-/.

 

I do not believe there has been a change in the reload speed of the crossbow in A18 so there should be no problems at all. I was simply stating as a personal preference, due to the slow reloading compared to the bow I use the bow over the crossbow because of my play style.

[Boidster]

2. they just are not very good at being silent and always seem to wake up the poi.

 

Look, I'm not TRYING to step on the stupid bit of trash! And that barricaded door had a DOOR HANDLE on it! Do you know how valuable brass is?!? Of course I had to destroy the door immediately!

[Stranded_Napkin]

I love games that allow for bows. Bows can be fun when properly implemented. This alpha doesn't help itself by dropping a decent amount of 9mm armor piercing ammo. That doesn't work in the turret. I save the normal 9mm for the turrets and then once I've gotten a decent amount of armor piercing ammo, I drop the bow for the smg. The issue with the smg is that they don't drop for sh*t. I get my loot skill to level 5, wear loot goggles, and still never find one above level 2. I've had to build it every time. By that time I've got multiple stacks of armor piercing ammo and can make more. The bows are quiet without a mod, but once you have the silencer you're golden. I've only restarted a couple times, but in each game I made ~500 arrows and never made another. Since they don't break like they used to, they just never go away. I eventually just get tired of them and shelve it for the smg. That is both a pro and a con to the bow. You really don't have to make ammo, but then you end up scrapping stone ammo and then stuck in a weird place with iron arrows that just will not go away when you're ready to move up to steel. It might just be me but it feels wasteful. I don't know. Bows are fun and are worth using but they don't feel well implemented in balancing.

[Vomkat]

Like in the title, I find myself in a place where there is no advantage to using either of the bow weapons.

Silenced SMG is better in every way

 

This is why I play on 25% loot, no respawn. Arrows are a luxury.