Defensive Siege AI...

[Ramses II CP]

Yeah, one at a time and only small groups of men can fit between the towers over the gate.

[mir]

This then begs the question:

Why is it that sometimes the walls have archers firing at you (even without any defenders) and sometimes not at all?

In my current game, the Moors declared a Jihad on Spanish-held Cordoba. After many years of sailing, I arrived, laid siege to the city and in the ensuing battle, I did not lose a single man storming his walls!

Of course, all he had was a single General's Bodyguard in the city square waiting for me.

So, do the walls only fire arrows when there are troops manning them?

And unlike RTW, my troops can no longer capture the Wall Towers and make them fire on the troops inside... :(

[Cheetah]

So, do the walls only fire arrows when there are troops manning them?

Yes. You need troops standing nearby the given wall section. Actually the towers firing not the walls. Flags show up when the towers are active.

[WhiskeyGhost]

This then begs the question:

Why is it that sometimes the walls have archers firing at you (even without any defenders) and sometimes not at all?

In my current game, the Moors declared a Jihad on Spanish-held Cordoba. After many years of sailing, I arrived, laid siege to the city and in the ensuing battle, I did not lose a single man storming his walls!

Of course, all he had was a single General's Bodyguard in the city square waiting for me.

So, do the walls only fire arrows when there are troops manning them?

And unlike RTW, my troops can no longer capture the Wall Towers and make them fire on the troops inside... :(

yes, a unit needs to be nearby, or on the wall for the towers to fire. And no, you cannot turn them, but getting an archer unit onto the walls works much better