Not all changes are in the patch notes (AP damage)

[Dresden]

There are reports that CA has rebalanced AP damage and some formations are useful now, for example the much maligned testudo. Here is the thread: http://forums.totalwar.com/showthrea...-Patch-4-notes

This could be really good news for all those battle modders trying to make formations work and those who lower AP damage. I haven't checked out the relevant database files yet, but hopefully the reports are correct.

[Silven]

I definitely noticed the AP changes to missiles. Made a post about it in the Beta4 thread in the Gen Discussion here on TWC. I'm actually pretty pissed they failed to note all the changes they made in the changelog, makes me worry what else we'll need to find out the hard way.

[Dresden]

Also it looks like from these changes that fire arrows/javelins do next to no damage. I am not sure if this was intentional or not (perhaps they want to make them less about damage and more about morale/vs ships?)

[Silven]

Ya, they gave all fire_projectiles an additive -15 morale penalty, and gave this condition to a few projectiles that didnt have it before. Clearly they want fire arrows to do morale damage more than anything else.

[JaM]

where is that morale penalty defined?

[crzyrndm]

Special_ability_phase_stat_effects -> fire_projectiles | -15 | stat_morale | add

[Dresden]

To me it seems like they clearly forgot to edit the fire versions. Why would they have fire be morale only if there are whistling options as well?

Maybe it is intentional, it just seems very odd. The damage numbers are extremely low for fire projectiles right now in the db, especially fire javelins.

For example:

Fire Javelin - 7 damage, 1 AP, 5 Marksmanship Bonus
Normal Javelin - 25 damage, 3 AP, 30 Marksmanship Bonus

Fire Arrow - 15 damage, 0 AP, 5 Marksmanship Bonus
Normal Arrow - 25 damage, 0 AP, 30 Marksmanship Bonus
Longbow - 25 damage, 2 AP, 30 Marksmanship Bonus

[JaM]

that is not a bad thing... Adding something flamable to a javelin or arrow greatly increases the drag, reducing its speed and decreasing its effectiveness. Its even worse for arrows which get completely inaccurate. WHole point of flaming projectiles was just to set things on fire.. Projectiles didnt had some magically higher penetration because of it.. opposite is true. CA just changed things to be more realistic.

[Dresden]

I agree, I like the changes. But, they need to change the AI so it doesn't only use fire arrows.

[rrgg]

Did sling stones always have the ability to bounce?

[Dresden]

Looks like they did a small patch to beta 4 today. Slings don't bounce now and have had their damage balanced along with other projectile weapons. Looks like they slightly lowered sling damage and raised javelin AP.

Flaming javelins/arrows are still lower damage with the morale penalty.