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[FantasticDorf]

Recently i had made a discovery that catapults are not as useless as people make out, they have 1 fundamental flaw with the object type of boulders used for their ammunition, in that dwarves and other creatures are ultra capable of dodging falling objects (which catapult stones make no alterations compared to falling, except they aren't going as fast, logs and rocks are more than capable of mangling limbs)

Anybody can avoid a stone in a open space, the only people affected by catapult boulder shots are those who are stacked on the same tile, and either too busy to dodge in a linear horizontal line. Imagine the shock on my face when i mangled two of my best axelords in full armour (and three cave fish people, simultaneously) with a accidentally placed catapult shot, because the only way they had to dodge available was backwards towards the arc of the stone.

Comparisons of v.50 catapults to 47.05

+ v.50 catapults are easier to man in v50.10 with summary equipment improvements, assign a squad and they will drink and eat from their backpack and liquid containers meaning they can stay inside the siege engine pillbox, they also have much improved disciplinary resilience compared civilian siege operators.

- However stone selection is regressed, you cannot specify boulders from a stockpile and link them to catapults like you could do in 47.05, which makes it a problem when siege operators pick up boulders before they take their post, and want to drag it all the way from the tavern to the firing range, instead of using the stones provided.

Means of improving catapults

Catapult stone projectiles are carefully crafted shots made at a siege engine workshop.

For the game id like to propose there is a new siege engine modding token [MUST_BE_WEIGHTED:<num of z weight>] and three classes of catapult ball stone projectile. The purpose of must be weighted is so that there must be enough naturally heavy elements to complete the product, such as the use of single heavy stones, or multiple lighter stones organically if not specified.

• Small Catapult Stones: Basically slingshot stones intended to be fast, fly as fast as arrows and you can load multiple (up to three) into the catapult, with the extra two arcing outwards deliberately, while the central small catapult stone flies straight, used to disperse bulleted holes for cheap across a wide area each weighs 180z and would require 1 - 2  stone of virtually any weight to meet the requirement

• Medium Catapult Stones: More typical single load stones, polished and weighted for 230z, enough for a strong and experienced siege operator dwarf to load with speed.

• Large Catapult Stones: Heaviest class stones of 270z, many stones may go into its production but undoubtedly the most difficult to load and most destructive projectile.

An artifact catapult stone (or not stone, one made out of metal, or useless materials like bone, yarn) could always be shot and retrieved, having no breakage.

[Bumber]

IMO, the main selling point of catapults over ballistae is that you don't have to go out of your way to craft the ammo. They should at least retain the capacity of firing stones as-is.

- However stone selection is regressed, you cannot specify boulders from a stockpile and link them to catapults like you could do in 47.05, which makes it a problem when siege operators pick up boulders before they take their post, and want to drag it all the way from the tavern to the firing range, instead of using the stones provided.

Do workshop burrows still work?

Large Catapult Stones: Heaviest class stones of 270z, many stones may go into its production but undoubtedly the most difficult to load and most destructive projectile.

How are the stones combined together? Wouldn't it just fall apart on launch?

[FantasticDorf]

IMO, the main selling point of catapults over ballistae is that you don't have to go out of your way to craft the ammo. They should at least retain the capacity of firing stones as-is.

Do workshop burrows still work?

Its just inferior, and difficult to manage compared to the given example as a lost functionality which is the only purpose i mention it through, as why not just give it back again if it worked before. Mechanically i've explained the process, and why the ammunition is required to change because classing all stone in motion as a projectile that does reliably have the same collision as all other projectiles (ballistae bolts, arrows) would be so deadly its not even funny with 800 urist stones, and making stone-drop q stockpiles a instant deathtrap. Its half and half solving the problem, then regulating the weight against abuse.

The same kind of logic makes dwarves much better at avoiding treecutting logfalls, and not be hit in the face by gore created by themselves or others flapping around on the battlefield, but almost always be caught by a deliberately loosed arrow as a 'accurate hit' on the same tile if the flags are correct. Plus, if the physics of catapult balls are set to 'always' active for colliding with a unit, you can use them more deliberately as minecart shotgun or dropping ammunition.

Large Catapult Stones: Heaviest class stones of 270z, many stones may go into its production but undoubtedly the most difficult to load and most destructive projectile.

How are the stones combined together? Wouldn't it just fall apart on launch?

Banded masonry, why wouldnt you argue that dwarves could make a interlocking ball with precision cutting? Or bound with non-realised imaginary cord for strength. Shattering on impact doesn't matter as much compared to normal stones, as long as it remains intact up until delivery and being chucked from the catapult.

[Urist Mchateselves]

I think we’ll have to wait until the moving fortresses update for new siege engines. The current ones are just remnants from 2D Df.