Amending Balista Towers ==>UPDATE 12feb10<==

[yobi_uk]

Could someone show me how to amend the ballista towers in terms of shooting speed/accuracy. I find them rather under powered.

Also anyway of getting them to prioritise shooting at siege towers, etc, rather than troops all the time?


MY RECENT UPDATES MODIFYING TOWER DEFENCE VALUES
AFFECTING descr_walls.txt
==>UPDATE 6feb10<==
See post #19 for amended file

==>UPDATE 12feb10<==
See post #24 for amended file
This mod is more agressive if not quicker than 6feb10 update

[Baron Samedi]

Could someone show me how to amend the ballista towers in terms of shooting speed/accuracy. I find them rather under powered.

You need to edit their stats in descr_projectile.txt located in ...\Medieval II Total War\mods\Third_Age\data. They are here:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

projectile tower_ballista
effect     large_arrow_trail_set
end_effect   large_arrow_explode_set
end_man_effect   man_impact_small_set
damage  1
damage_to_troops 5
radius  0
mass  0.05
accuracy_vs_units 0.05
accuracy_vs_buildings 0.0001
min_angle -30
max_angle 70
velocity 60
;bounce  0.5 0.6 0.5 0.4
display  aimed particle_trail invert_model_z
model  data/models_missile/missile_ballista_bolt_high.CAS,  40.0
model  data/models_missile/missile_ballista_bolt_med.CAS,  80.0
model  data/models_missile/missile_ballista_bolt_low.CAS,  max
projectile tower_flaming_ballista
 
flaming  tower_ballista
effect         flaming_ballista_projectile_set
end_effect    ground_fiery_impact_ballista_set
end_man_effect   man_impact_explosive_small_set
end_package_effect     wall_impact_fiery_ballista_set
end_shatter_effect  ground_fiery_impact_ballista_set
end_shatter_man_effect  man_impact_explosive_small_set
end_shatter_package_effect wall_impact_fiery_ballista_set
effect_offset 1.0
damage  6
damage_to_troops 5
radius  0
mass  0.05
accuracy_vs_units 0.04 ;This effects siege towers
accuracy_vs_buildings 0.05
fiery
min_angle -60
max_angle 70
velocity 60
;bounce  0.5 0.6 0.5 0.4
display  aimed invert_model_z
model  data/models_missile/missile_ballista_bolt_high.CAS,  40.0
model  data/models_missile/missile_ballista_bolt_med.CAS,  80.0
model  data/models_missile/missile_ballista_bolt_low.CAS,  max

I don't know what values exactly might be appropriate so you might need to experiment a bit with the values for accuracy (I guess 1 is the max).

Also anyway of getting them to prioritise shooting at siege towers, etc, rather than troops all the time?

This is not possible.

[tallstark]

You need to edit their stats in descr_projectile.txt located in ...\Medieval II Total War\mods\Third_Age\data. They are here:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

projectile tower_ballista
effect     large_arrow_trail_set
end_effect   large_arrow_explode_set
end_man_effect   man_impact_small_set
damage  1
damage_to_troops 5
radius  0
mass  0.05
accuracy_vs_units 0.05
accuracy_vs_buildings 0.0001
min_angle -30
max_angle 70
velocity 60
;bounce  0.5 0.6 0.5 0.4
display  aimed particle_trail invert_model_z
model  data/models_missile/missile_ballista_bolt_high.CAS,  40.0
model  data/models_missile/missile_ballista_bolt_med.CAS,  80.0
model  data/models_missile/missile_ballista_bolt_low.CAS,  max
projectile tower_flaming_ballista
 
flaming  tower_ballista
effect         flaming_ballista_projectile_set
end_effect    ground_fiery_impact_ballista_set
end_man_effect   man_impact_explosive_small_set
end_package_effect     wall_impact_fiery_ballista_set
end_shatter_effect  ground_fiery_impact_ballista_set
end_shatter_man_effect  man_impact_explosive_small_set
end_shatter_package_effect wall_impact_fiery_ballista_set
effect_offset 1.0
damage  6
damage_to_troops 5
radius  0
mass  0.05
accuracy_vs_units 0.04 ;This effects siege towers
accuracy_vs_buildings 0.05
fiery
min_angle -60
max_angle 70
velocity 60
;bounce  0.5 0.6 0.5 0.4
display  aimed invert_model_z
model  data/models_missile/missile_ballista_bolt_high.CAS,  40.0
model  data/models_missile/missile_ballista_bolt_med.CAS,  80.0
model  data/models_missile/missile_ballista_bolt_low.CAS,  max

I don't know what values exactly might be appropriate so you might need to experiment a bit with the values for accuracy (I guess 1 is the max).


This is not possible.

They always target siege equipment from what I have seen, as long as it is manned. The main problem is when its not manned, it doesnt try to shoot it. For instance, if you sally a unit and hit the units pushing the tower, they leave the tower to chase you. Only problem is towers don't keep shooting the siege tower, so AI comes back and its unharmed. Would be nice to be able to aim them...

[EmberFlame]

Would be nice to be able to aim them...

This. Once had a ballista tower kill 100 of my fountain guards on the wall in Isenguard. I was wondering why they were taking such hideous casualties for a unit of that strength when they were fighting snaga coming up ladders, and only latter realized that the stupid AI was shooting them in the back.

[Zakkeh]

I'm really not sure why people complain about never killing siege units...As Isengard, with Ballista towers and about 4 snaga archer units with fire arrows, I demolished a siege tower and a ram before they got anywhere near my gates...

[Seleukos_I.]

Sure it's possible but it is pure luck. You can't plan to destroy a siege tower because it only works randomly.

[Baron Samedi]

You could increase the ignition rate of siege engines though, so that it increases the probability it catch a flame.

[EmberFlame]

Or you could try keeping a treb inside your city walls. If the positioning is right (and you are willing to kill your own men) you can take down siege towers with a couple nice shots. I have even been able to hit a ram once or twice, as the stones arched down. Then again, Ive also blown out my own gate like that, so its not suggested.

[FOR GONDOR]

i find ballista towers a tincy but overpowered if u asked me, they seem to always light up my rams and towrs before they get to the wall or gate, i think there should be catapault towers, lower the streanth or ballista towers and have a catapault tower next that fire catapault ammo, with the caoding and what naught, just have a catapault on top of the tower, that doesnt seem impossible

[yobi_uk]

i find ballista towers a tincy but overpowered if u asked me, they seem to always light up my rams and towrs before they get to the wall or gate, i think there should be catapault towers, lower the streanth or ballista towers and have a catapault tower next that fire catapault ammo, with the caoding and what naught, just have a catapault on top of the tower, that doesnt seem impossible

Well in the 3rd film Return of the King, they had catapults/trebs, and even ballistas firing from the walls.

The AI seem to be more lucky in igniting yours, but I find when I fight off a siege, no matter how many archers I have using fire arrows them bloody things keep coming then I'm over-run by orcsies.

I did run into the coding that made the siege towers more flammable but if you could remind me again where it was would be grateful.

EDIT: Many thanks Baron Samedi

[EmberFlame]

It is possible to put trebs on the wall if there is room? Because every so often I find this nice flat square of stone, and im like "woot, treb spot!" but the one time I tried it didnt work. There was clearly enough room...

[athanaric]

Nope, you can't place siege engines on walls, although it would actually make sense if you could.

[Maiden_Ante]

Something I've noticed is that in larger castles (Citadel I guess?) the ballista towers of the 2nd and 3rd wall inside the 1st one never shoots. I don't know why...

[Kawee]

Something I've noticed is that in larger castles (Citadel I guess?) the ballista towers of the 2nd and 3rd wall inside the 1st one never shoots. I don't know why...

Did you man your towers? Because you have to.

[Muffer Nl]

You have to place units close enough to them to 'man' them.

[Navajo Joe]

Maiden Ante,

Your defending units must be in the proximity of the Tower, on an adjacent wall, at the base of the tower, you can tell if the tower will fire, because it should have a flag over it. This also applies to the gatehouse for the boiling oil to be deployed. I make the point of placing missile units on the walls, so the towers can engage, as the scum come over the wall, they retreat to the next wall. This way you keep them under constant missile barrage from the walls.

NJ

[Michael X]

All that, varies. You can have a battle where the towers are 100% accurate, and every shot is successful, and the ram may reach 47% damage and still survive. Or you could have a battle where they always miss, except for 3 times, enough to get it to 12% and burn it. Both happen to me equally frequently.

[Afonso the Conqueror]

didn't you guys hear what Gandalf said? At the siege of Minas Tirith

"Not at the towers! Aim for the trolls! Kill the trolls! Bring them down!"

[yobi_uk]

==>UPDATE 6feb10<==

I've amended some data so the towers (not only w/Ballista upgrade) would fire more quickly. Not overly, but enough so that it feels more like defending towers.

Still needs tweaking so anyone with a better know-how please feel free. Kindly share withe rest of us.

(Creds to the XAI team.)

[FOR GONDOR]

i still think catapaulty towers would be pretty cool, because at those two giant towers at the catsle gate, you could easilly fit a catapault there, we could have it only for castles two