Am I doing this to myself? It's just so efficient but I don't like it either. Lol. 

 

My two favourite non optimal builds are great-swiod coastal aumaua cipher and berath priests using cape of cheat. So its really efficient to alpha with arquebus'. Seeing as how Durance and Kana also are good arquebus users I always end up overusing this tactic. 

Yeah, that arbalest nerf was unnecessary.

TBH I wish all gun types (and xbows) played a smaller role in damage in this game. 

I've found the strength of this kind of tactic to fade later in the game. Opportunity cost gets much higher with more spells and good weapons.

In an ideal world we'd have an AI system that could handle this kind of mechanic for us but alas it looks like we're going to have to wait for Pillars 2. Maybe in PoE 1 "enhanced edition"? 

 

Still, I think quickswitching makes the Island Aumaua the "optimal" race for a melee cipher – get in nice and close and then blow peoples' heads off with an Arquebus when you need some immediate focus.

TBH I wish all gun types (and xbows) played a smaller role in damage in this game. 

 

I dont really ever use guns and i may use grieving mother with cross bow build otherwise i dont bother. Especially casters, its almost never good to alpha strike with weapons with them, so in response to your post just dont do it. its not that hard

Is it wrong to admit I like this?  The boom as your entire party lets loose right at the start of combat gives me jollies.  I managed to pop Raedric's priest guy right at the start of the battle with him on my current playthrough using this tactic, though to be fair I did only have one pistol and one arquebus at that point.  Made the rest of the fight a lot easier as they no longer had their main healer, felt pleased with myself.