Useless Seiges

**Vladimir** · 09-12-2005, 14:01

I know it's been said before about how useless the AI is when it sieges and I wonder if there's a work around. Playing my anti-Papist campaign (why else would one play the Italians

) I let a re-emergence attack my citadel. While I was immediately impressed with the fortifications I became dismayed with the assault. My longbow mercs easily took out the crews of the 2 catapults that tried to bash my wall down and I wanted. After learning that an organ gun (also mercs) will do more damage to a gate than the forces assaulting it, I stopped firing at my own defenses. Although this didn’t stop my own defenses from attacking my own walls!

Well after reducing my citadel to the third layer they stopped. What was the problem? Their arbalesters were trying to shoot thru my walls. They just sat there firing, reloading, and firing to no effect. While they had the troops to assault my final fortification, they didn’t. So I just set up my troops to defend the keep, turned the sound down and monitor off, and went to bed. 7 hours later the arbalesters are still going thru their routine! I thought they’d at least run out ammo or something. I know MTW is no Stronghold but the lousy siege AI and poor rate of fire from fortifications leave much to be desired. Is there any way to improve this?

**bretwalda** · 09-12-2005, 16:44

Originally Posted by Vladimir

(...) 7 hours later the arbalesters are still going thru their routine! I thought they’d at least run out ammo or something. I know MTW is no Stronghold but the lousy siege AI and poor rate of fire from fortifications leave much to be desired. Is there any way to improve this?

I'd say your game locked up. I don't think any battle would go on until 7 hours straight... How come the arbs did not get shot up by your castle's defenses? Strange...

**Vladimir** · 09-12-2005, 17:06

Timer was off and it didn't lock up. They weren't shot to pieces because their troops had smashed the gate of the layer of defenses and were being shielded by the wall.

**mfberg** · 09-12-2005, 19:43

The entire arbalest unit wasn't shooting, only the ones who could see through the gate. With only 2 or so men shooting at a time the unit would take forever to go through all of its ammunition. Unless of course you have unlimited ammo on, then forget it. You have to charge your men out or wait for your castle defenses to kill the arbs.

mfberg

**Budwise** · 09-12-2005, 21:27

This is my first campaign without infinite ammo and it does change things. If you clicked that off, they would have ran out and resorted to do something else.

Yeah, I won a battle like this because all the computer had was FMAA and I had a good spearmen unit blocking the front door. They waited outside until the castle defences broke.

You forgetting that those Arqs are completely drained of all energy, you might want to charge them next time. A little change in routine might change what the CPU does next.

**m52nickerson** · 09-12-2005, 22:08

Sometimes the CPU just will not attack. I had a bridge battle were the CPU refused to attack me (Yes I was defending.) With no timer I had to quit out of the battle and reload it from a saved game. The second time around the CPU attacked and was routed.