Crazy Workaround for Battlefield Fortifications

[Ludens]

Actually, I've been thinking about it, and wouldn't it be possible to build field fortifications in the same fashion as watchtowers and forts? They would stay there while there is an army nearby (1/2 of movement points or something random like that) and would disappear if that is not the case, they would appear on the batlefield like an incomplete fort-kinda-thing with only the palisades or whatever other graphic is suitable and would be destroyable by siege weapons and h2h infantry but not cavalry. Of course they should be cheaper to build than forts and watchtowers as they need no maintenance.

I'm just brainstorming, tell me if I'm pushing it...

I don't it's possible to add a button to the interface. In other words: there is no way to order your army to build these things. You either have to replace the fort or the watchtower.

IIRC the Warwagons of P&M are just a cavalry unit.

Woudln't another alternative be to create maps with pre-mad siege works? No idea if that works either.

That could actually work, but how do you plan to insert these on the strategic map?

[Teleklos Archelaou]

I've stated elsewhere that one simple way to add defensive fortifications for the besiegers would be to reshape the tunnel entrances for undermining the walls. If it's possible to make them longer and a little taller, they could be used as defensive walls. But I'm sure no one has tested it out to see if this could work. Still, this is nothing like a circumvallation, but it could help.

[oudysseos]

Teleklos-
that sounds promising, but as far as I am aware the player has no control over the placement of the tunnel entrances. But how about siege towers? Could they be modified to represent sections of a wall? If they can't be made immobile perhaps they could be made very very slow- then a player wishing to use a battlefield fortification could have a unit of pioneers whose animation is a few little guys pushing (very slowly) some wider, shorter siege towers.

[Teleklos Archelaou]

Hmm. If someone did want it to be made from siege towers, you could always just not pick them up. There might even be a better way of handling it. I'd really love to see someone who could model try it though. I've got zero abilities or means here.

[Ludens]

But how about siege towers? Could they be modified to represent sections of a wall? If they can't be made immobile perhaps they could be made very very slow- then a player wishing to use a battlefield fortification could have a unit of pioneers whose animation is a few little guys pushing (very slowly) some wider, shorter siege towers.

The problem with modding a non-MP game is that you always have to question how the A.I. will react to it. In this case, the A.I. will probably try to push its siege-walls to the city-wall, wasting time and units. Also, if you make them slow to move they will be no use to the player either: before they are in place the sallying A.I. army will already be on him.

The siege entrances solution souns intriguing.

[Lord Winter]

if you have it only in the MP edu thou it could be done

[oudysseos]

I don't suppose there is any way at all to restrict a unit to the human player?

[Lord Winter]

I

don't suppose there is any way at all to restrict a unit to the human player?

maybe ascript that places a placeholder building for recuirtment purposes might work, but do we really want to give the ai another disadvantage?