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Siege Weapons System
There are four basic types of siege weapons: Catapults, Ballistas, Rams, and Boiling Oil. Most siege weapons can be used to attack any gate, keep wall or tower, or outlying tower. However, different types of siege weapons are inherently better against different targets; for example, trebuchets are very effective against walls and towers.
General Siege Weapon Facts
- Player-built Rams, Catapults, and Ballistas can all be moved around the battlefield (at a very slow pace) by using the `Move' button available on the Siege Control Window.
- All siege weapons now have unlimited basic ammunition, and the weapons automatically load themselves. With one exception - Catapult owners can purchase (or find in Supply Chests) better, if they choose. Otherwise, even catapult users can use the default ammo.
- Many types of siege weapons can be purchased directly - pre-built and ready for use - by selecting hookpoints at various locations in keeps. Be aware that these "prefabricated" weapons will disappear after thirty minutes, and will need to be replaced.
- You'll see siege ammunition in flight and striking its target.
- Keeps show damage to walls and doors, so you'll get a visual indication of how damaged your target is.
- You can break down keep walls - once a wall section has been breached, you can move freely through the broken-down wall.
- It is always faster to break down the door than the wall.
- Click the 'Release' button to release control of the siege weapon. This command is useful if you wish to give control of the siege weapon to another player.
- Click the 'Repair' button to repair the damage done to the siege weapon. The siege weapon's condition is displayed on the control window as a red bar.
- Click the 'Salvage' button to salvage your siege weapon.
New Features of Siege
There are several different ways to utilize siege engines in the New Frontiers. You can purchase siege weapons to place on hookpoints in keeps and on certain types of player controllable boats. Weapons built using hookpoints cannot be moved, and as mentioned above, disappear after thirty minutes and need to be re-purchased and replaced. If hookpoint siege weapons are destroyed, they cannot be replaced for five minutes.
You can also craft siege engines using the Siegecraft tradeskill. Siege weapons you've built yourself can be built at, or moved to, the most strategic location.
Player crafters with the Siegecraft tradeskill can now create two new types of rams: a battle ram and a war ram. The battle ram is created by moving two regular siege rams close together and "combining" them, using the battle ram recipe. The war ram is created by moving a regular siege ram and a battle ram close together and using the war ram Siegecraft recipe. These powerful weapons are operated the same way as their smaller cousins are operated.
Player crafters whose primary tradeskill (Weaponcrafting, Armorcrafting, Tailoring, Fletching, Alchemy, or Spellcrafting) is at skill 900 or higher also have the option of crafting diminutive siege apparatuses that can be "deployed" into a siege engine at the location needed. With diminutive siege, you only need to carry the apparatus and your tradeskill tools into the field, instead of all of the ingredients required to craft a regular siege engine - which can be quite heavy!
To craft a diminutive siege apparatus, use a diminutive siege apparatus recipe found in your primary tradeskill recipe list. Once crafted, the apparatus will appear in your inventory. When you are ready to deploy the siege engine, use the deploy recipe found in the Siegecraft tradeskill recipe list.
Each type of siege engine works differently against various target types (for example: against players, controlled pets, doors, keep walls, or boats). See the following descriptions for more specific information, and see the chart at the end of this section.
Finally, we've introduced sound effects for every stage of firing a siege weapon, to make it that much more of an all around experience.
Catapults
You can now load stacks of ammo into catapults. When selected, the catapult will continue to fire from the stack until the ammo runs out or another type of ammo is selected.
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Trebuchet
Trebuchets are large catapult types that have an extremely long range and many hitpoints. They shoot one type of ammunition, the boulder. This ammo is usable against multiple targets, but is especially effective against keep walls and towers.
To open the Siege control window for the Trebuchet, type /control or right click on the Trebuchet. You will see buttons to aim, fire, move, release, repair, and salvage. Your siege weapon automatically begins arming when you take control of it. Select your target by either left-clicking or by setting your ground-target to the place where you wish to aim your siege engine and then click the 'Aim' button. Once the siege engine has been aimed, click the 'Fire' button.
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Catapult
Catapults are small catapult types that have a short range and relatively few hitpoints. They shoot multiple types of ammunition including boulders, rocks, Greek fire, and other more exotic types. This ammo is usable against multiple targets but is especially effective against players. They can be aimed using either ground targeting or point and click targeting.
To open the Siege control window for the Catapult, type /control or right click on the Catapult. You will see buttons to aim, fire, move, release, repair, and salvage. Your siege weapon automatically begins arming when you take control of it. Select your target by either left-clicking or by setting your ground-target to the place where you wish to aim your siege engine and then click the 'Aim' button. Once the siege engine has been aimed, click the 'Fire' button.
For a player crafted Catapults, there is a section on the control window to load ammunition. Click on the ammunition in your inventory and place it into the load window. Click the ammunition name in the control window to select which ammunition the Catapult will use on its next firing.
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Ballistas
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Palintone
A palintone is a large type of ballista that has an extremely long range and many hitpoints. They shoot one type of ammunition, the steel bolt. This ammo is usable against multiple targets but is especially effective against other siege engines. They can ONLY be mounted at "large" siege hookpoints - outpost towers, side towers of keeps, corner keep towers, and lord towers They can be aimed using point and click targeting.
To open the Siege control window for the Palintone, type /control or right click on the Palintone. You will see buttons to aim, fire, move, release, repair, and salvage. Your siege weapon automatically begins arming when you take control of it. Select your target by either left-clicking or by setting your ground-target to the place where you wish to aim your siege engine and then click the 'Aim' button. Once the siege engine has been aimed, click the 'Fire' button.
Please be aware that ALL palintones are associated with hookpoints, and can no longer be crafted by players. Players may craft general ballistas.
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Ballista
Ballistas are smaller ballista types that have a short range and low hitpoints. They shoot one ammo type, the wooden bolt. This ammo is usable against multiple targets but is especially effective against other siege engines. They can be aimed using point and click targeting.
To open the Siege control window for the Ballista, type /control or right click on the Ballista. You will see buttons to aim, fire, move, release, repair, and salvage. Your siege weapon automatically begins arming when you take control of it. Select your target by either left-clicking or by setting your ground-target to the place where you wish to aim your siege engine and then click the 'Aim' button. Once the siege engine has been aimed, click the 'Fire' button.
For a player crafted Trebuchet, there is a section on the control window to load ammunition. Click on the ammunition in your inventory and place it into the load window. Click the ammunition name in the control window to select which ammunition the Trebuchet will use on its next firing.
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Rams
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Rams
There are multiple levels of Rams. These weapons have an extremely short range, and must be swung against their targets. Each ram allows for multiple operators from 2 - 12 players depending on the ram type. Players can board the ram by right-clicking on it. (Players on board cannot use items, cast spells, or sit.) The more players that are helping with a ram, the more damage it does to its target and the faster it swings. Rams are only usable against gates. There is only room for one ram to attack a gate at a time.
Rams are capable of shielding the operators from the damaging effects of Boiling Oil. Rams can also protect operators for up to fifty percent of all combat damage.
Gates and doors may only be attacked by one ram at a time. (Note that rams cannot be used against the small postern doors.)
If the ram controller loses control of the ram while it is moving, it will stop its movement immediately. Players riding the ram will receive a message when the controller leaves the ram, informing them there is no one controlling it.
Ram operators will make the ram that they are driving move faster if they have the "Lifter" realm ability.
To open the Siege control window for the Ram type /control or right click on the Ram. You will see buttons to aim, swing, move, release, repair, and salvage, if you are controlling the ram. You can move a ram by selecting the ground with your mouse cursor or by setting your ground target and clicking the 'Move' button. Click the 'Stop' button to stop the ram's movement. Once you have moved the ram to a door, target the door. The ram will automatically arm. When it has completed arming, you can click the 'Swing' button to swing the ram and damage the door.
Rams are faster and thus do more damage with a well-organized crew. The lead controller’s window is described above. All the other people “on board” the ram have a smaller control interface much like the controllers do, but they are missing a few buttons such as “move,” “aim,” and “salvage.” Here’s how combat works with a crew on the ram:
The controller aims the ram, and the arming timer bar begins to fill from left to right. The controller can hit “swing” at any time, but is aiming to hit the button at the moment the bar is at 100%. If he hits the button too soon, the damage is weak and puny. If he hits it too long after the bar reached 100%, the damage will be weak and puny. The closest to 100%, the better. At 100%, the damage will be at maximum, and the game will congratulate you on your masterful timing.
After the controller hits “swing,” the ram will wait for any crew members to contribute for up to three seconds before firing. (The one exception – if the controller doesn’t hit “swing” for three or more seconds after the timer hits 100%, the ram will go the instant the controller DOE S hit the button.).
Passengers on the ram can play either a passive or an active role. Each passenger on board the ram reduces the length of time it takes the arming timer to fill up, just by sitting there. However, in addition to reducing the arming timer, a passenger can directly contribute to the damage the ram does by trying to time his swing.
As with the controller, the passenger should try to hit “swing” at when the timer hits 100%. Too early, or too long after the timer displays 100% and the passenger’s damage added will be minimal or nonexistent. Of course, if the controller forgets to hit swing, the ram won’t actually swing at all, no matter how perfect the crew is.
If every seat on the ram is taken, and everyone on the ram hits the swing key at exactly 100%, the damage will be at its maximum and the ram will be at its fastest rearming speed.
No need to painstakingly steer the ram to the door - the most effective way to get the ram into the perfect position is for the controller to target the door and click "move" on the ram interface. Use ground target steering only if you cannot see the door from your position.
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Boiling Oil
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Boiling Oil
This type of siege weapon has short range and low hitpoints. Oil cauldrons are available for purchase from hookpoints atop many gates and guardhouses. This siege is highly effective against players who are within range while attacking a keep gate. Use boiling oil to severely damage enemies on your doorstep who are not under the cover of siege rams. |
What Should You Use?
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Here’s a helpful chart showing the common combat situations, and which siege weapon might have the most strategic value:
| | Primary Target | Secondary Target | Tertiary Target |
| Rams (All Types) | Gates | None | None |
| Ballista | Siege, Boats | Players | Walls, Gates |
| Palintone | Siege, Boats | Players | Walls, Gates |
| Catapult | Players | Walls, Boats | Gates, Siege |
| Trebuchet | Walls, Boats | Players | Gates, Siege |
| Boiling Oil | Players | Siege | None |
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