[MUD-Dev] Source data on Crossbow

[Cynbe ru Taren]

|  http://www.gci-net.com/~users/w/wolfsoul/medieval/crossbow/cross_l_v_c.html

Excellent!

NB:  While velocity (fps) is prolly a good measure of ability
to hit a moving target or such, damage done to target is likely
to scale with kinetic energy, i.e. velocity squared.  So the
modern bolts travelling twice as fast should be four times as
destructive, by and large.

| NOTE: through the use of modern engineering and advanced materials,
| modern crossbows are now much more efficient. The Excalibur Exomag has
| a draw weight of 185 pounds, and is able to send a bolt at 290 fps.
| The 165 pound draw weight Excalibur Exocet looses bolts at 270 fps,
| and the 150 pound draw weight Excalibur Vixen looses bolts at 250 fps.  

The descendents of the longbow haven't been standing still either, of
course!  When I was into archery ca 1970 or so, a novice bow had a
draw weight of 15lb or so, and serious bows I think 50-80lb.  That was
before the modern compound bow with eccentric cams, wings, fins and
scopes like something out of Star Trek made the scene :).

(We might note the existence of footbows, which allow the use of back
and legs to draw them.  As far as I know, they've never seen military
use, however.  Good for setting distance records.  Might make for sort
of a light artillery in some game settings.  Seems safe to presume
they can reach 2-4x the draw force of a vanilla longbow, which has to
be drawn by one arm instead of two legs, but I haven't seen any
numbers.)

 Cynbe