http://steamcommunity.com/app/365360/discussions/0/135513901707647830/
Good charts which shows that crossbows aren’t really weaker.
Did you read the conclusion?
Judging from these insights I think crossbows aren’t actually that much weaker than bows when it comes to raw damage per se. However there are a few factors here that break them apart:
1) Bow’s quick shots scale extremely well with high ranged skill. If you can consistently hit both every turn your dps will skyrocket.
2) Crossbows scale very poorly with perks. Most bonus damage perks only work with limited synergy with their attack style whereas they fit the bow perfectly.
This here is key. The damage perks I don’t think are that important anyways. It happens to me frequently that an archer kills three enemies in one turn. You won’t see that happening with a crossbow.
Yes, I did. I should have wrote that it shows that they aren’t much weaker.