Is there any practical difference between them? Is there something crossbows do better than longbows? Is there something longbows do better?
Been away a while, but crossbows get better range, and IIRC long bows get a slight damage benefit from your STR stat. Material bonuses are a bit different also, I think you get more from the wood on crossbows (you get some from the stock and some from the pole, bows only have the pole) but less from the strings (crossbows use 1 string, bows use 2.) Also, again I may be wrong, but if you are charging shots, I think one of them (I want to say crossbows) gets an extra tick, and the other charges a little faster. I think. Short bows should be avoided entirely.
Longbows also shoot very slightly faster. You get double the wood material bonus from crafted crossbows. You get double the string bonus from crafted longbows. They have the same amount of charge ticks. The crossbow of accuracy gets an extra tick or two. Since the longbow shoots very slightly faster with auto attack, it also charges very slightly faster using free attack. Charging ranged skills is the same speed for both.
Thank you all for the information. I myself use a longbow and don't intend to switch, However, I was trying to figure out if there would be a market for crossbows and if I should start crafting them for my shop in Haven Ridge.
