Ballista/Cannon Towers Targeting

[legushka]

I was wondering, when I am defending a siege, is there any way to make the towers target certain units or siege equipment? Like they seem to never target the crappy ram that should get destroyed with cannon ball (atleast in real life). This is really freakin frustrating with the mongols sieging you.

[Miroslav Klose]

No, I agree it's bloody irritating, but the towers just aim for some siege engine, which they probably won't destroy at all, then on the general's bodyguard or other units.
And, for as far as I know, you can't aim those towers too.

[Scelesticfish]

No you can't aim the towers, but I think the cannon towers typically go after siege equipment. At least it seems like that when you're attacking

[Miroslav Klose]

They do. Yet they rarely do anything useful, though cannon towers can be useful.

[Avatar]

In my experience they destroy siege towers, do almost nothing to ladders and are about 50/50 on rams. However they have a high firing arc so if the ram gets quite close to the walls they cant depress their fire enough to hit it.

[Silverheart]

It´s irritating, alright.
Since I usually send out my cavalry when besieged, I always have to be very careful, lest they´ll hit my horsemen!
You´d think they would be like archers, which stop shooting at enemies that are currently engaged by other allied units, but they don´t! >_<

[[Tar]Naru33]

would be like archers, which stop shooting at enemies that are currently engaged by other allied units, but they don´t! >_<

You mean you stop the archers manually, right? Because archers don't stop shooting enemies even if you are engaged with them, which cause friendly fire.

[painter]

You mean you stop the archers manually, right? Because archers don't stop shooting enemies even if you are engaged with them, which cause friendly fire.

If I am not mistaken, it happens when you allow your archers to fire at will and didn't specify a target.

[Noozooroo]

If I am not mistaken, it happens when you allow your archers to fire at will and didn't specify a target.

HOW DID I NEVER KNOW THIS

[Noozooroo]

It´s irritating, alright.
Since I usually send out my cavalry when besieged, I always have to be very careful, lest they´ll hit my horsemen!
You´d think they would be like archers, which stop shooting at enemies that are currently engaged by other allied units, but they don´t! >_<

Yeah, never had that happen either. Maybe a mod?

[Miroslav Klose]

True, only cannon towers are actually worth buying.

[midget_roxx]

Ha, had cannon towers rape my cavalry all the time when cleaning up routers xD.

I find ballista towers decent at killing infantry but cannon towers are better at defence because they can take out any non-cannon seige equipment so the AI has to rely on ram and ladders to breach

[Incomitatus]

Archers ordered to fire on a target will also try not to hit your own men, but they aren't perfect. If you watch closely, only archers with a clear(ish) shot at an enemy soldier will fire, but sometimes they hit friendlies. Still, it's a big improvement over RTW, and especially over MTW.

[Ishan]

Because you never pay attention on what the battle advisor says.

[Noozooroo]

Because you never pay attention on what the battle advisor says.

Yeah, after playing Rome for several months, I got MII and realized that they were similar enough that (I thought) I had no need of the battle adviser.

[Silverheart]

I don´t pay attention to the battle advisor either, I´ve learned this the hard way.
But yes, if your archers are firing at a target of their choice (fire at will) they will stop shooting automatically if any allied melee troops are engaged with them. Usually, if you order them to shoot at an engaged enemy unit, they will at least try to shoot over your troops to avoid unnecessary casualties.

But defensive towers doesn´t do that at all, which means I have to be extra careful with my cavalry when defending against besiegers -_-

[Medkirtys]

I thought no one used advisors