Increased ammo while defending a city

[Leon the Batavian]

Pseudo code

declare
unit_type
missile_unit
etc...

If (unit_type = missile_unit and defender = city_defender)

{

then set ammo_amount + ....% ammo_amount

}

end;

What I mean is while defending a city any missile unit should be able to use a nearby stockpile of missiles (arrows + pila etc..) close at hand unlike the attackers.

*I see this picture the elderly, women and children running up and down those stockpiles bringing their hard pressed archers/defenders extra arrows and pila*

Side note:

I know the city towers seem to have an unlimited amount of arrows shooting at its attackers. So maybe its not fair to add more missiles to its defenders.

And in a longer siege the defenders should run out of arrows while the attackers could resupply, but this takes time because it comes from far. And in game sieges are fought without that supply chain. They all seem like short sieges.

This is just an Idea, maybe this is already in effect or being discussed. Or just not doable or unbalanced.

[bobbin]

You cannot change the amount of missile ammo for a unit inside the game.

[Ludens]

More generally: we cannot alter the R:TW program (the .exe file) itself, only the data files it uses to generate the game world. This means it is not possible to add new functions, like the one you describe*. We've got to work with what is already present. This is the difference between modding and programming.

(* Actually, you can add new functions via the script, but the scripting language is very limited so there isn't much you can achieve with this. The script is also slow, clunky and almost blind, so it's no magic bullet.)

[M to the A]

I'm guessing we also won't see Celts chalanging the enemy to a one on one fight to settle the score :P

[Pagan Deity]

Not that it would do much. MTW2 archery and crossbow units on the walls are about as useful as having hookers outside church on a Sunday morning. Sure they're pretty to look at but they're not going to get anything useful done that way. I'll never understand how they messed up archers on castle walls in MTW2 as bad as they did but it was the last Total War game I ever bought. Thank god for mods like EB is all I can say.

[Ichon]

Not sure where you are putting your archers or crossbows but they are deadly from walls in most situation. There are a couple places you can put them that there is no LoS and a weird path for their missiles but there are lots of good wall places compared to poor places. Walls give height advantage similar to hill with added bonus that when missile units on walls no cavalry or infantry can immediately reach them. If you place them well and defend stairs with infantry most of your missile units should get at least .8 to 2x their size in kills with very little losses. As good or better than heavy cavalry except that cavalry can run down prisoners easier.

[Pagan Deity]

Not sure where you are putting your archers or crossbows but they are deadly from walls in most situation. There are a couple places you can put them that there is no LoS and a weird path for their missiles but there are lots of good wall places compared to poor places. Walls give height advantage similar to hill with added bonus that when missile units on walls no cavalry or infantry can immediately reach them. If you place them well and defend stairs with infantry most of your missile units should get at least .8 to 2x their size in kills with very little losses. As good or better than heavy cavalry except that cavalry can run down prisoners easier.

On the walls so that they can fire little rainbows that land all over the place and kill next to no one. They never fire straight. Been playing the game for quite a while now. RTW had missile units on the walls slaughter attacking units MTW2 they just take up space and fire like mortars only with bad aim. Its a big LOS problem.

[antisocialmunky]

Can't you just bring back the freaking ballista siege towers?

[Populus Romanus]

Can't you just bring back the freaking ballista siege towers?

Did the Europa Barbarorum II team say they were taking them out? If so, that would be very sad. Espescially because that is one thing that would so well in this time period.

[geala]

I would be satisfied with everything if only the attackers would not have these ridiculous hooks and ropes with which CA killed fortresses and sieges in E:TW (in a century when fortresses and sieges were very important, even if these facts might have eluded CA) and presumably will kill it in S:TW2. Just watched an S:TW2 trailer with an assault on a huge castle: my conclusion is, better to have no fortifications at all in a fight. Omg, I need EB II.

[Cambyses]

You need to use archers on the walls to fire into the back of the enemy who have broken through your gate. Especially if you use fire, this tactic is so deadly it almost feels like cheating. Firing over or around an object (most noticeably from ground level behind the walls) makes missiles extremely inaccurate, so dont do it. Position the archers to shoot point blank at engaged enemies. Also have them on guard mode so that they continue firing even if a couple of guys at the end of the unit are engaged in melee. And absolutely do not bother trying to burn siege engines. Its a waste of time.

[Pagan Deity]

Doesn't change the fact that when enemies approach the walls your archers feel the need to shoot over the walls that they are standing on. Yeah I know I can shoot enemies who crash through the gate but I still think its retarded that archers can't shoot at people approaching the walls very well. major immersion killer IMO

[Leon the Batavian]

Maybe I am a bit of a cheat if it comes to defending a city. What I do is retreat to the city center and plug all bottleneck entrances. What happens if the enemy breaks through the walls I don't care they will be at constant tower arrow fire. They loose like 20% or something while walking the streets towards the center that way. Another side effect is they are all warmed up towards being tired by the time they are in melee they are exhausted and break very quickly and then I run them down the streets killing the other 80%.

I only use city walls to wear them down, to delay them and being shot at by the towers for as long as possible. I know very unrealistic (something like a last stand) but...... hey I like to win

I always play at VH/VH.

Against a human player ....... I never really did a siege game.

[Cambyses]

This tactic wont work in MIITW Im afraid as towers are only active if you have an unbroken unit standing near them, and dont fire back into the city anymore. (Also they cannot be captured by the attacker.) Although if you are happy to win timer victories then this kind of delay/attrition type defence of bottlenecks is still very effective.

[Leon the Batavian]

I see. Yes I was talking about EB I. Have not played MTW2 that much because for now I like EB better.

I find it sometimes hard to defend the walls even with good heavy infantry who were on both sides of an enemy unit who just crawled out of their siege tower onto the walls in a thin line. I sandwiched them and still my units broke. I don't like that :P

Oh and on one occasion the AI first destroyed my towers and gatehouse with a "stone throwing catapult" to avoid being shot at. That was a nice move ... but he still walked into my bottleneck trap :)