Increasing chance of burning

[MoToM]

Hi all and thanks in advance for any advice,
My question is: is there any way too increase the likelihood of siege engines being set alight by city towers, a variable I can adjust or some such.
I don't mind if this applies to my attackers aswell as the AI's, I just want to see more burning piles of kindling.

[MoToM]

Anyone?

[DrunkNIrishMan]

I don't think theres a variable that you can adjust...just build ballista towers asap.

[Chim]

Thread moved to the appropriate forum.

[y2day]

Cant you increase the damage a tower inflicts? I'm not sure, will have to look. I thought someone was talking about this the other day somewhere else on TWC.

Maybe wolfslayer may know. I know he has done alot with forts and new city models.

[MoToM]

I would have a go myself, changing and testing, I just have no idea what stats to change.
The txt files scare me slightly, I only mod them with explicite instructions from one of you guys.

[war927]

I have a suggestion for you. Before you make any changes. Created a personal Folder called "Backup" in your my documents folder. Then copy any file you plane to change to that folder. Lastly, make any changes you want to the file in the SS mod folder because if it messes the game up, you have a backup to reverse the changes.

[MoToM]

I do make backups, I just have no idea which file too look in and even less idea what line within that file (that I don't know) to change. I'm such a noob.

[Darviathar]

I could almost swear that siege towers go up in flames quicker in SS than they did in the DLV mod. My usual attack stack includes 1 ram, 1 ladder, and 4 towers, and I count myself very lucky if 2 of those towers reach the wall intact. Against a city with ballista, I have quit using siege towers period, and gritted my teeth as my ladder carrying troops suffer heavy casualties trying to scale the walls. I have no problems whatsoever with this, as taking fortified cities in our time period was always extremely difficult, and generally required a force ratio of at least 3-1.

[Deckster]

I remember reading somewhere that it was coded to be a lot easier for the AI to set fire to the player's siege tower than for the player to do it to the AI, and it seems true from my game experience.

Based on that, it should be modable somewhere, but I don't know where to look.

[war91]

I remember reading somewhere that it was coded to be a lot easier for the AI to set fire to the player's siege tower than for the player to do it to the AI, and it seems true from my game experience.

Based on that, it should be modable somewhere, but I don't know where to look.

So that's why it was so hard. No wonder I could never destroy their siege equipment.

Is there any way to get rid of this? I hate it as it seems to think that the best way to challenge a human player (instead of improving the AI), is to add disadvantages to the player, and many advantages to the AI (like stated above).

[Darviathar]

I really don't try to set fire to towers or rams with my own archers. If the towers and gatehouse can do it, great. I prefer to pour fire into the tightly-formed stacks as they advance.

[MoToM]

Thanks for the input everyone. Any of you seniors have any ideas?

[MoToM]

I haven't lost a ram in over 3 months and usually only lose one of four siege towers and in defense I haven't set fire too anything in a long time. Is it true archers CANNOT set fire to things, only city towers.
I have had to resort to keeping a trebuchet in most towns as I like minimal garrisons for the challenge but being unable to destroy ANY approching equipment is getting me down

[Caesar Clivus]

Is it true archers CANNOT set fire to things, only city towers.

It's not true. I did some testing not long ago. The result: Archers: 8, City Towers: 0

I hate it as it seems to think that the best way to challenge a human player (instead of improving the AI), is to add disadvantages to the player, and many advantages to the AI (like stated above).

Yes but you can only improve this AI so far. Modding the AI isn't making a new AI, just tinkering with the underlying system. The only way of making it a more level playing field is to give the AI advantages as you put it. If you want a truly level playing field, just jab a screwdriver up your nose because short of a labotamy, your brain will always give you a HUGE advantage.

[Gorrrrrn]

I'm playing on M/M a French campaign - basic SS6.1

using a combination of dismounted french archers and ballista towers I managed to destroy a siege tower and a ram last night (even the ladders the attackers used got damaged - 40%)

However currently rams should get through simple arrow towers with and without archers - although you may get lucky. But ballista towers can and do destroy them (but not always) and having archers with fire arrows can help.

The point at which a tower will burn is random. So a tower can take lots of damage - 90% or more - and not burn, or it can, like last night, catch a fire around the 30% mark. (Shame the AI doesn't evacuate the tower when it starts to burn, such a shame to see so may die when it collapses.)

[Zendjir]

in the descr_engines file, experiment with the "engine_ignition" line in the engines you would like to change. Either increase the value or decrease it.

[y2day]

descr_walls.txt Here you can adjust rate of fire and damage a settlements tower can inflict.

[Santiago de Pola]

descr_walls.txt Here you can adjust rate of fire and damage a settlements tower can inflict.

Yes, but are you sure that by increasing the damage of towers, the chance of setting siege equipment to flames would also increase?

Cause I never saw the usual arrow tower make any damage(other than setting it to flames) to siege equipment!

For example..a siege tower gets numerous hits by arrows from towers, but by the time it reaches the walls still has 0% damage!

So I think that increasing damage to arrow towers would only devastate infantry more..same with increasing rate of fire!

[MoToM]

Zendjir, your a gentleman, +rep for you.
Thanks everyone else for your input, but Zendjir wins
I will play with the stats and report results, unless someone beats me too it.
Cesar Clavius, I always had my doubts, but the people who stated archers had no effect I consider authorities so I naturally believed them. I'm such a sheep sometimes