Setting stuff on fire

Hi. This is a a thing that I've been wondering for a long time: is the process of setting battering rams and the like on fire random (like there's a chance to catch fire every time it's hit by a flaming arrow) or not (it has to be hit by x flaming arrows before it starts burning) ?

Not sure about the exact numbers, but it took about a third of a single Toxotai unit's ammo to set a tower alight...

cant be completely random because when I play it always takes some time before it sets fire.

The more siege engines the higher the risk of fire, is all I have worked out. Totherwise it seems random

It seems random enough to appear random, but I've never had every engine burnt down, nor every one unscathed assuming at least stone walls and a couple archer units.

I think it's completely random, sometimes they burn at the first volley, and sometimes they won't burn with 20 archer units shooting on it constantly

I think difficulty has some effect. When My wife gave the game a try it was much easier. On my VH difficulty...much harder.

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Originally Posted by Skullheadhq

I think it's completely random, sometimes they burn at the first volley, and sometimes they won't burn with 20 archer units shooting on it constantly

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It is based on a percent chance from the descr_engines text. There is a catergory "engine_ignition" which can be modified.

I've edited the values to make towers burn much eaiser since I removed the "machine gun" defensive towers. I left the value the same for the ram though, because it is covered in hide, and they still have to deal with the boiling oil if they go through the gate anyway.

How do you edit the tower fire rate?

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Originally Posted by /Bean\

The more siege engines the higher the risk of fire, is all I have worked out. Totherwise it seems random

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This

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Originally Posted by Skullheadhq

I think it's completely random, sometimes they burn at the first volley, and sometimes they won't burn with 20 archer units shooting on it constantly

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Sounds like my siegedefences ;-)

In my Baktra campaign I get constant Saka attacks. They usually have few infantry so only 1 or 2 rams.
The ram that goes to the gate always starts burning at the same time here...

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Originally Posted by /Bean\

How do you edit the tower fire rate?

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Its not that hard to mod this. Even someone as ignorant as me can fix it.

Go into your EB folder, and search for a file named descr_engines. Look for medium tower (tower for large stone walls which are the largest you can get in EB) and look for two parts of the description. At the top, change the projectile from scorpion to arrow, then scroll down a bit. You'll see this...

attack_stat 12, 2, scorpion, 120, 30, siege_missile, siege, piercing
attack_stat_attr ap, bp, launching

Replace that with this....

attack_stat 8, 2, arrow, 100, 100, missile, archery, piercing
attack_stat_attr ap


Now you should have large towers that are not intensely deadly but will still pick off a few wall defenders on their way.

You can also mod the frequency of the firing but I didn't want to mess with that. That should be near the bottom of the siege tower entry. Also near the bottom should be ignition rate.

Cheers for that. This will mean I'll lose more cities, because everyone at some point relies on your own towers hitting the attackers once inside the walls. It will make campaigns far more interesting.

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Originally Posted by Brave Brave Sir Robin

Its not that hard to mod this. Even someone as ignorant as me can fix it.

Go into your EB folder, and search for a file named descr_engines. Look for medium tower (tower for large stone walls which are the largest you can get in EB) and look for two parts of the description. At the top, change the projectile from scorpion to arrow, then scroll down a bit. You'll see this...

attack_stat 12, 2, scorpion, 120, 30, siege_missile, siege, piercing
attack_stat_attr ap, bp, launching

Replace that with this....

attack_stat 8, 2, arrow, 100, 100, missile, archery, piercing
attack_stat_attr ap


Now you should have large towers that are not intensely deadly but will still pick off a few wall defenders on their way.

You can also mod the frequency of the firing but I didn't want to mess with that. That should be near the bottom of the siege tower entry. Also near the bottom should be ignition rate.

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Save-Game compatible?

I believe so. Not doing anything much different than say, changing a units stats which is also save game comp.

Of course I first modded it when I downloaded EB since I hated those machine gun siege towers in vanilla.

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Originally Posted by Brave Brave Sir Robin

I believe so. Not doing anything much different than say, changing a units stats which is also save game comp.

Of course I first modded it when I downloaded EB since I hated those machine gun siege towers in vanilla.

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What can we do about the towers on the walls, not the siege towers. The towers on the walls seem to kill so many of my men. I do not wish to sound like I am complaining because I'm grateful and I do not mind bearing with it, but do you believe the towers could also use some change? if possible, how is that modifiable? Thank you.

Oh, that's what I thought you meant by towers...yeah, that's the one I want to change too.

Oh sorry, I misunderstood. I think that how towers are controlled would probably be hardcoded. However the attack values of the missiles and firing rate may be moddable. Not really sure how... I would look but I'm on my laptop. I'll check later.

EDIT: Ok this might not be right but this is the only way I could check. I have Med2 installed on my laptop with the Broken Crescent mod. I decided to look through since the majority of the files in Med2 are similar to Rome. There is a file entitled descr_walls in the data subfolder where it appears tower attack and fire rate can be modified. However I have no idea what the fire rate numbers mean. Someone with more modding experience should probably help you here.

A sample of the file...

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

tower
{
full_health 500
control_area_radius 30
manned 1
battle_stats flammability_medium impact_damage_high
localised_name tower

; as in descr_unit.txt
level
{
stat 8, 0, arrow, 120, 10, missile, missile_mechanical, piercing, arrow_tower, 10, 1
stat_attr no
shot_sfx TOWER_ARROW_FIRING
fire_angle 100

; unit size reload_ms flaming_reload_ms
fire_rate small 5000 3250
fire_rate normal 4500 3250
fire_rate large 4000 3250
fire_rate huge 3500 3250

Again this is for Med2, not Rome but I believe there would be a similar file in the Rome data folder.

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Originally Posted by fallen851

It is based on a percent chance from the descr_engines text. There is a catergory "engine_ignition" which can be modified.

I've edited the values to make towers burn much eaiser since I removed the "machine gun" defensive towers. I left the value the same for the ram though, because it is covered in hide, and they still have to deal with the boiling oil if they go through the gate anyway.

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Machinegun? picture several archers inside said tower, taking turns moving to the arrow slot and firing, then moving to allow his comrade to fire.

It should be massive amounts of small arrow projectors and archers isntead of 2 wall destroying super ballistas.

https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showthread.php?t=123816

Actually, the machine-gunning ballista bolts might not be as unrealistic as you might think, given the existance of these babies: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polybolos