Scorpions, Ballistas or repeating ballistas?

[|Sith| Max]

In order to take you seriously you must inform us whether or not your opponent was Human or not.

[Maiar93]

Agreed. Anything, ANYTHING, works against AI. Even peasants. Trust me. This one guy even made an AAR about how he beated romans, britons, everyone around him with german peasants.

[Genius of the Restoration]

In order to take you seriously you must inform us whether or not your opponent was Human or not.

It was a campaign battle. You know that I haven't played online.

This is beside the point though, I was clearly responding to Maiar's claim about light cav not being viable for hammer and anvil. Entropy Judge rightly said that they are viable in campaign. To which Maiar replied:

No, it's not

It is viable. I don't see what MP has to do with this.

Agreed. Anything, ANYTHING, works against AI. Even peasants. Trust me. This one guy even made an AAR about how he beated romans, britons, everyone around him with german peasants.

That was an interesting AAR. It seems like you've changed your tune... Oh well. I agree with you now though, you can make anything work if you use it well.

[Maiar93]

Because against computer... anything works. If you try light cavalry hammer & anvils against human opponents, you know you are going to fail. First off, in campaign the AI troops likely have no upgrades or just some bronze ones. On very rare cases what i've seen they had silver/bronze.

But hey, i bet even throwing ape would work against the stupid AI if it would be possible in RTW.

[|Sith|Galvanized Iron]

Ya in campaign you just need to buy an armoury somewhere an voila your troops are untouchable

[Genius of the Restoration]

Because against computer... anything works. If you try light cavalry hammer & anvils against human opponents, you know you are going to fail. First off, in campaign the AI troops likely have no upgrades or just some bronze ones. On very rare cases what i've seen they had silver/bronze.

But hey, i bet even throwing ape would work against the stupid AI if it would be possible in RTW.

We're on roughly the same page then. I still don't understand why you denied hammer and anvil with light cav would work against the AI, but I'm glad we agree now.

[mikoli]

I never use either of them

[|Sith| Max]

It was a campaign battle. You know that I haven't played online.

This is beside the point though, I was clearly responding to Maiar's claim about light cav not being viable for hammer and anvil. Entropy Judge rightly said that they are viable in campaign. To which Maiar replied:

It is viable. I don't see what MP has to do with this.

That was an interesting AAR. It seems like you've changed your tune... Oh well. I agree with you now though, you can make anything work if you use it well.

thats going to be a long explanation.

I asked whther or not the opponent was human because the AI fails vs peasants. You did not state it was about light cav in SP. On MP single player is considered irrelevant. it would be besides the point had you stated you had done so in SP.

also honestly is there a point to AAR's?

[Maiar93]

There is. You just cannot understand their novelty value ^^

[|Sith| Max]

Do they make you kill things better?

[Bull3pr00f de Bodemloze]

Nope.
The thing is, if you don't like AARs they're simply not for you. No point in trying to understand them; you either do or don't like them

[|Sith|Galvanized Iron]

They are mostly for the pleasure of the author I believe

[Entropy Judge]

Some authors write very well, and the AAR simply gives them a shareable (sp?) universe to write coherently in.

[|Sith| Max]

you can drop the questionmark in the SP, entrophy. if i had written stories about my mp battles when i was new i wouldve been discarded as an arrogant kid. you didnt see any clannies making youtube battles or assisting modders back in 2006 either. things have changed a lot in the last years though. Back in those days going to TWC or making a youtube video was a taboo. now they let you do everything. still frowned on by very old people but not many of those are still left.

[Entropy Judge]

you can drop the questionmark in the SP, entrophy.

"SP" for "spelling?" not "Single Player." I do understand that making an LP of MP would be very silly.

[Kylan271]

The Scorpion as it is makes a viable sniper weapon with its extra range. In TE the rebels have full Gold chevrons and on VH settings deadly. So I have to adopt to them by picking them off in rows,where they are facing line on to your General. Ballista is usesful for Siege assaults at low level(before Onagers)and where possible against heavier Cataphract Elephant and Horse. The Scorpion has a feature missed also,its small size,making it useful in siege defence-wooden walls,if you place on a mound,ie Barbarian town,so you can fire over the walls. In saying this,I have used them in siege where you set up a fort and can defend quite well,or in attacking due to space limits on the fort,easier targets. The difference also in Scorpion to Ballista is the men they kill per shot,about 2 for Scorpion and 5 for Ballista(In descr_projectiles).

Battles with any Siege weapon is dependant on:
1.Terrain,forest screws them up,impassable,unlike MTW2. For Bridge battles wonderful!!!
2.Size of your battle map,a short map limits their shots before enemy advances.
3.Game level,as siege gives morale penalties to enemy fired at,harder levels makes breaking enemy morale more difficult.
4.Siege or Defence? Unlike MTW2 you can't move siege engines outside the walls during a siege attempt. Having Onager stuck inside a City-stone walls,is not useful when defending.
5.Travel. Moving with them slows you down,so you must consider to set up forts if the engines are vulnerable to attack. Use a General with trait or ancilliary movement(and scout!)bonuses.

I use 2 scorpions and 2 onagers per battle group where I can. With ALEX.exe(better AI) and VH setting I do quite well.

[ballistophile]

Never really tried this but I was thinking about this recently and it seems like like ballistas or scorpions could be useful for knocking out the enemies onagers Seeing as romans Seem to fight best staying in one place and they are vulnerable to the rock hurlers.

[Entropy Judge]

Rome doesn't particularly care about 'staying in one place,' though. Legions are great both attacking and defending; now, pike/hoplite units, on the other hand ....

[Sar1n]

In vanilla, any direct fire artillery is quite useless. Giving them more launchers per unit might be a good way to balance them for mods....

[ballistophile]

Just tried it in a custom battle. Regular ballistas work really well for taking out the opponents onagers. One hit from a ballista will kill a single catapult. If you get them close enough to fire, one unit of ballista will kill one unit of regular onagers in about 4 shots. Seems like you could use them when you are advancing, put them in the back of your legion and march them forward with the rest of your men. if the enemy fires rocks at your men your ballistas willl walk into range and take them out. If the enemy fires rocks at your ballistas then there not shooting at your men, either way the onagers are neutralized.