Artillary?

[Captain Pugwash]

As Cathage I now have the first oppertunity to use this bit of kit. However even for me with cash all around it would disappear pretty quick so i dont.

Q1 Does anyone actually use this. Ive played other factions against cathage and even by years 180 have yet to face anything meaningful.
Q2 How or why is is so expensive , why does it cost the same as several boats combined yet in simple terms is a few pieces of wood knocked together

[CelticPagan]

As Cathage I now have the first oppertunity to use this bit of kit. However even for me with cash all around it would disappear pretty quick so i dont.

Q1 Does anyone actually use this. Ive played other factions against cathage and even by years 180 have yet to face anything meaningful.
Q2 How or why is is so expensive , why does it cost the same as several boats combined yet in simple terms is a few pieces of wood knocked together

Good question! I've often wondered this myself. Historically, the siege machines such as bolt throwers, catapults, balista, onager, etc... were built on sight and were made of readily available (or brought) wood and rope (sometimes metal for reinforcement). They are small and didn't take that much skill to build, unlike ships.

I guess you could edit the unit file's costs, but I don't know if that would mess up anything, such as scripts, that may be tied to that file.

[serve11]

You could probably edit it without messing anything up, i've alrdy edited some stuff myself and the game works fine. U shd be able to edit it in export_descr_unit file, just make sure you edit both the one in the data folder and the one in the sp game edu backup folder, otherwise nothing will happen

[Alkibiadēs]

Good question! I've often wondered this myself. Historically, the siege machines such as bolt throwers, catapults, balista, onager, etc... were built on sight and were made of readily available (or brought) wood and rope (sometimes metal for reinforcement). They are small and didn't take that much skill to build, unlike ships.

I guess you could edit the unit file's costs, but I don't know if that would mess up anything, such as scripts, that may be tied to that file.

Allow me to disagree. Artillery, as well as ships, were very high-tech innovations for the period. In order to build such artillery, engineers and special crew had to be payed in order to design and build a siege engine. And I guess their payment was not a measly little salary, as people with knowledge of engineering were probably only a selected few.

Then you've got the materials needed to build it, as well as the money you have to pay to keep it functioning. And by that I mean the constant checks and/or cleanings that had to be done in order to prevent iron parts from rusting, or the wood from rotting etc., to be certain it won't jam or dysfunction while you actually use it in battle or during a siege.

As for ships, the upkeep of course was even greater. But, then again, that has to be expected from the size of them compared to siege engines. Also, there is the payment of the rowers and marines boarding the ships.

[Ludens]

Allow me to disagree. Artillery, as well as ships, were very high-tech innovations for the period. In order to build such artillery, engineers and special crew had to be payed in order to design and build a siege engine. And I guess their payment was not a measly little salary, as people with knowledge of engineering were probably only a selected few.

Indeed. Good siege engineers were highly-paid specialists, and good artillery wasn't knocked together on the spot. The parts would have been pre-made from selected wood-types and had to be carted to the battlefield.

That said, the larger types weren't used on the battlefield. Presumably it took too much time to assemble them and range them properly. However, there is no way to simulate this in the R:TW engine (in a real siege, the walls would be knocked down after days or weeks of battering, yet in R:TW it has to happen in a single battle) so I guess the team increased their expense. Now they are only worthwhile if you need to get into a city in a hurry.

[Foot]

Good question! I've often wondered this myself. Historically, the siege machines such as bolt throwers, catapults, balista, onager, etc... were built on sight and were made of readily available (or brought) wood and rope (sometimes metal for reinforcement). They are small and didn't take that much skill to build, unlike ships.

I guess you could edit the unit file's costs, but I don't know if that would mess up anything, such as scripts, that may be tied to that file.

Have you got any evidence for your assertion. Complex machines such as bolt throwers and onagers were almost certainly constructed in workshops in urban centres where the craftsmanship of many people could be employed. For their time they were highly sophisticated machinary. They would then be disassembled and added to the baggage train. At the time of their use they would be reassembled and by engineers and their workmen.

They were not throwaway objects by any degree.

Foot