Does anybody even use crossbows and bows anymore?

[Ghostlight]

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.

 

What does your stealth build use before you have found a Silencer? And what do you use in general before you have a gun or a decent amount of bullets?

[Andy Red]

When starting a new game, I'll go with a Sledgehammer until I found a gun and ammo.

 

During my first A18 experience I moved to the 9mm once I found a silencer. Don't know why but that little gun is so fun with a silencer and red dot sight. Easy and quiet headshots on sleepers, enough capacity in the magazine for firing at groups and only one gun powder per bullet.

 

My second round after the server reset for 18.3, I found an AK on Day 1 and have been using that for every encounter. I might switch back to the 9mm when I can make/find a silencer, I do tend to waste more bullets with the AK than with the 9mm though, so that's a downside.

 

I just never seem to find enough feathers for arrows/bolts, when Nitrate, Coal, Lead and Brass are easily found to make bullets.

[ktr]

Love the bow. The best surprise I can get in A18 is stumbling across a wooden or compound bow. With sneak damage, you can get by on stone arrows decently well and iron arrows pretty darn well even with the primitive bow. Add in the flaming and explosive arrows/bolts and you've got some great alt ammo on hoard nights.

 

I play AGi builds in SP and MP with a 'minor' in Perception for LL and Salvage Ops and I love getting to the point where I can go through large POIs with a stack of arrows and a few 9mm rounds - makes all that loot I cart out feel that much more worthwhile.

[Blasphemous]

What does your stealth build use before you have found a Silencer? And what do you use in general before you have a gun or a decent amount of bullets?

 

It's a generic build early on so a bit of a jack of all trades.

In my current game I did find a level 2 rifle very early, as in single digit levels.

With some ammo, I was golden, with headshots it was quite efficient ammo-wise.

I was actually forced to wait a long time before I got the silencer schematics, I've found no actual silencers in any loot so had to make them.

Before that, it was indeed crossbow and just regular guns.

Level 3 compound crossbow was one of the relatively early quest rewards so I stuck with that for quite a while.

Again, as soon as silencers were available, I ditched the xbow and never looked back.

[bigstep70]

i use it ( a bow that is ) almost exclusively for luring zeds from their hiding places, piltching vultures outta the air and causing general chaos amongst the undead. deer, rabbit, and chicken fall to my arrows as well so theres the food factor

may not be strong but its good, cheap fun.

[Pichii]

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?

 

You use them because they dont take gunpowder. You can kill small groups of zeds with them and its ranged so there is minimal to no risk.

Compound Xbow can compete with a hunting rifle and can also be scoped.

Your silenced SMG is quieter than the Xbow but less quiet than a Compound Longbow.

Compound Longbow also has one of THE best max projectile effective ranges in the game.

(Offhand, I think it is 3rd best below Hunting Rifle->Marksman Rifle->Compound Longbow)

-Your SMG doesnt shoot exploding projectiles. (Exploding bolts/arrows anyone?)

 

I use them on raid night with 0 perks spent.

Does wonders to be able to lob those bombs in a straight line.