The time that takes to train Genovese Crossbowmen
So, right now a GC takes 22s in castle age to be trained from a castle (650stone and 200seconds to build). All other UU archers takes from 16s to 18s to be created, other UU too takes less than a GC needs (like organ guns or war wagons).
Now let’s compare it with some normal units TT:
A xbow takes 27s to be trained, a knight 30s, both can be trained at a building that cost 175wood and takes 50seconds to be build.
So in a land map, in castle age, it’s safe to assume that by the time you build a castle your enemy has 3 stables (if not more), it means that for 3 knight created by your enemy, you have 1 GC and you are to roughtly a third of the cration of the second, after 2 minutes you have 5 and a half GC vs 12 knights, after 10 it’s 27 GC vs 60 K, this maintaining the 1:3 ratio, since for every castle you build, your enemy can easly respond with 3 stables.
So even if the GC have a strong bonus, they will always be outnumbered, yes you could also go pikes, but you would invest resources in 2 units that couter the same tipe of units (istead of 2 units that complement each other weakness).