Are siege weapons useful? They look expensive to recruit and maintain, and then there's building damage you have to repair promptly, so they're not exactly weapons of first resort.

Nevertheless, it would seem like the ability to destroy gates, fire towers, and walls should be useful. Are destroyed walls easier to scale? Do they still protect the enemy archers? Anything else to know about siege weapons?

I've tried using the tactics here. I have gotten results sometimes, but other times I have been less successful. I think I need to follow the rule about enemies with lots of bows in their castles.