Crossbowmen more than longbows?

[GTPoompt]

Ok so I notice now theres a crossbowmen AND a longbowmen unit...

Now my question is... Why are crossbowmen MORE expensive to produce? Weren't crossbowmen cheaper to train, almost where any peasant could learn how to fire one in 15 minutes? Where as a longbowmen would take years of training?

So why are crossbowmen more shields to produce?

[duke o' york]

Because a crossbow requires far more than just a length of wood and some twine.

[Fitz]

I'd like to see you win any battles with bows made of a mere lengths of wood and pieces of twine. =)

But point taken, I can see a crossbow being harder to construct than a bow.

[Bill3000]

Crossbowmen also have a different purpose than Longbowmen, having a bonus VS melee units. Longbowmen do not.

[Fitz]

Of course, but the question asked wasn't about the relative cost of the units in relation to their in game abilities, but rather to their real world dynamics.

[Bill3000]

True, but remember that the priority in CIV gameplay is a priority of gameplay, not history.