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DF2014 Talk:Crossbow
After some basic research on crossbows, I've found that modern crossbows shoot anywhere between 200-375 feet per second (http://www.crossbowmen.com/index.htm.crossbow-power-range.html). Medieval crossbows have a lower maximum range than common modern crossbows (http://www.thebeckoning.com/medieval/crossbow/cross_l_v_c.html and http://www.bestcrossbowsource.com/how-far-can-you-shoot-a-crossbow/) which leaves me to believe velocity of the Dwarf Fortress crossbow would be around that of a bottom-end modern crossbow. The lowest I've found is around 200 FPS. That's also the number in the SHOOT_MAXVEL token of the raws. It comes out to be a little over 136 MPH, or 219 KPH.
In related research, I've found an impact energy conversion tool (http://www.crossbowmen.com/index.htm.energy.html). I'll get back with some estimated damage numbers for common crossbow bolts.
24.34.243.225 01:00, 1 June 2015 (UTC)
To figure out the weight of a crossbow bolt, I used the formula Weight (in kilograms) = Density (in kg/m3) * Volume*10 (in cm3) / 1,000,000 (cm3/m3). with the crossbow bolt being 15 cm3. A copper crossbow bolt weights around 1.3395 kilograms, a steel bolt around 1.1775, and a adamantine bolt around 0.03 kilograms. Converted to grains and input into the calculator, copper bolts deal 2490 Newtons of force, steel bolts deal 2190 Newtons, and adamantine bolts deal only 55.75 Newtons. This is complicated by material hardness calculations, which I cannot find a formula for yet.
All of this is assuming that SHOOT_MAXVEL is the actual velocity of the crossbow bolt.
24.34.243.225 01:32, 1 June 2015 (UTC)