Could switch from bow to crossbow work?

[nordetsa]

My CeHu started with bow, but I can't shake of the feeling that it is really inferior to crossbow. Arrows keep running out during the fight..I have about 40 arrows now. But there are about 80~100 bolts lying around in dungeon. Current level is 12, would it be too late to train crossbow from here?

Also, for CeHu, would train armor still be effective? I plan to go 3 rune for now, so I feel I would have to train armor eventually (and maybe EV as well?), despite -3 aptitude.

[Sandman25]

Bows deal more damage and are faster than Crossbows.
http://crawl.chaosforge.org/Ranged_Combat
Training Armour is a good idea if Centaur has heavy armour.
It is possible to have 27 (22 with Oka) Bows by end of Lair so there is plenty of time to train dodging/armour/fighting.
Crossbows are quite effective even with 0 skill, there is nothing wrong with kiting by stones/slings/darts/javelins/crossbows.

  Code:

            // Crossbows are easy for unskilled people.

        case SK_CROSSBOWS:
            baseHit++;
            exHitBonus += (3 * effSkill) / 2 + 6;
            // exDamBonus += effSkill * 2 / 3 + 4;


[Psieye]

Have a look at this CeHu experiment of mine - I abandoned him eventually because it was so unsatisfactory deliberately shackling myself from training melee skills. If you balance out your EXP budget carefully, I think it's possible to have Bows to 20, Crossbows to 14 and a melee skill to about 14 for Vaults-depth.

In other words, you don't want to 'switch' from bows to crossbows but picking up crossbows as a backup shooter is viable - just don't neglect to also have a bit of melee as further backup. Somewhat redundant and sub-optimal (you could have gotten Haste instead) but if you really want to be shooting a lot, dual shooter skills is viable.

[rebthor]

Longbow is comparable to crossbow and you should be able to easily pick one up around mid/late-D from a centaur warrior or if you really, really need to have it now Deep Elf master archers are guaranteed to have one.

And you should definitely train a melee skill to pick up popcorn enemies and save ammo. Something like a lajatang would be ideal if you've found it, otherwise scimitars are pretty common and good without a tremendous requirement in skill but ideally I'd go with staves or other good two handers since it's not like you can use a shield anyhow.

[ebarrett]

you don't want to 'switch' from bows to crossbows but picking up crossbows as a backup shooter is viable - just don't neglect to also have a bit of melee as further backup

Who made you blue anyway

[Psieye]

I did phrase it 'viable' not 'optimal'.

[njvack]

In any case: grab a longbow (centaur captains and elves will have a million of them), vorpalize it and enchant it. Turn on autopickup for arrows, remember that tab will shoot stuff. Skill up a weapon some too. Murder threatening stuff with the bow. Murder nonthreatening stuff by hitting it with your weapon. Learn Portal Projectile if you find it and block line of fire to dangerous dudes whenever you can. Or take Fedhas.

Crossbows are great too (yay penetration! yay silver versus orbs of fire!) but you aren't missing out by using regular bows.

[cerebovssquire]

in this context "viable" means "you're not going to die because you're a centaur and centaurs don't die, but you're still playing really weird and shouldn't really be alive"

[Psieye]

in this context "viable" means "you're not going to die because you're a centaur and centaurs don't die, but you're still playing really weird and shouldn't really be alive"

Correct. The sort of context used to say "MuCK is 'viable'." I'll make my wording clearer in the future.

[nordetsa]

In any case: grab a longbow (centaur captains and elves will have a million of them), vorpalize it and enchant it. Turn on autopickup for arrows, remember that tab will shoot stuff. Skill up a weapon some too. Murder threatening stuff with the bow. Murder nonthreatening stuff by hitting it with your weapon. Learn Portal Projectile if you find it and block line of fire to dangerous dudes whenever you can. Or take Fedhas.

Crossbows are great too (yay penetration! yay silver versus orbs of fire!) but you aren't missing out by using regular bows.

Would raising int be necessary for later level for spellcasting?

[Davion Fuxa]

In any case: grab a longbow (centaur captains and elves will have a million of them), vorpalize it and enchant it. Turn on autopickup for arrows, remember that tab will shoot stuff. Skill up a weapon some too. Murder threatening stuff with the bow. Murder nonthreatening stuff by hitting it with your weapon. Learn Portal Projectile if you find it and block line of fire to dangerous dudes whenever you can. Or take Fedhas.

Crossbows are great too (yay penetration! yay silver versus orbs of fire!) but you aren't missing out by using regular bows.

Would raising int be necessary for later level for spellcasting?

Intelligence helps with spellcasting but it isn't exactly necessary that you have to get it - especially if you won't be casting a whole lot of spells. A lot of it also depends on what you plan to cast and what equipment you plan to wear - If your Centaur Hunter only plans to use buffs and perhaps some low level spells like Portal Projectile while wearing nothing better then a Fire Dragon Armor, you can certainly get away with ignoring Intelligence and raising up another stat.

I would recommend raising Intelligence however though because it will negate having to train more of Charms or what ever spell school you plan to use; this being that a Centaur shouldn't have any survivability issues that would require you to have to raise Strength or Intelligence to the point in the game where you would be casting those spells.

[some12fat2move]

I only raise INT when I care about spell power. I only care about spell power when I use conjurations, hexes, summonings, or elemental magic. Also if INT is really low I might raise it to avoid stat death.

[prozacelf]

I'm horrible at this game, but I always raise INT because I like spells. Unless I'm using a Be and/or a Mi.

Although that may contribute to me always getting my Kobalds killed early.