T'ien Ch'i Gunpowder Theme idea

[Simmy Sims]

Originally posted by Wauthan:
*Scratches head* How long would it take for these guys to reload their guns? Saw a show on Discovery that mentioned that trained crossbowyers were lucky to get two shots a minute since reloading took so long.

I'm also confused by the low accuracy of these weapons. Since there's no "Hold and Fire" command they might well be more dangerous to your own troops than any other archer unit in the game.

Wasn't the repeating crossbow only good for seven shots? It oughto be treated as a real crossbow though rather than a shortbow. It wasn't that much faster or weaker than a european "light" crossbow. I say give it one attack a turn + armor piercing but smaller ammunition.

OK, you inspired me to do some quick research. The matchlock harquebuse is supposed to have had a rate of fire of 2 / minute, same as the crossbow. So I really ought to give it the same RoF as the crossbow.

As for accuracy, I can't find anything indicating that these weapons were any less accurate than other weapons. Their effective range was much less than the bow or crossbow, though. Also, another game source inducates that guns were about as effective against heavy armor as against light. Try these stats, then:

Harquebuse
Damage 14
Armor-Piercing
Rate of Fire 1 / 2 Rounds
Range 20
Precision 0
Ammunition 12

Pistol
Damage 10
Armor Piercing
Rate of Fire 1 (no reloading involved)
Range 15
Precision -1
Ammunition 2

I found a page on the chu-ko-nu (the actual Chinese repeating crossbow). Rate of fire was supposedly 1 per SECOND, with a magazine holding 10 bolts and an effective range of 50-75 yards. The chu-ko-nu was a light crossbow (not otherwise represented in the game) and so should probably have damage characteristic of a shortbow.

Repeating Crossbow
Damage 8
Armor Piercing
3 shots / round
Range 15
Precision +6
Ammunition 3

Note: I'm assuming 3 actual shots per "shot", thus the high precision (I'm assuming one in three will actually hit something) and low ammunition (enough for one volley).