1: Sieges engines:
-
Trebuchet-
Onager-
Mangonel-
Balista-
Pierrière-
Battering ram-
Covered battering ram-
Siege tower-
Deployable siege bridge-
Veuglaire-
Bombard-
Big Bombard2: As making destructible props is too difficult and would cause aesthetic problems, I invented a simple but funny impact system described in this drawing:
When the projectile hit a collision body, it causes damages in a certain perimeter (in red). Therefore, the players who are in this perimeter are injured or killed (1).
It would give importance to the width of the walls. For example, this archer is in security behind his deep arrow slit:
Of course, the extent of the damage perimeter would depend of the siege engine. A trebuchet or a bombard would have a far bigger perimeter than a pierrière.
Otherwise, for a nice render, a dust cloud and some flying debris are sufficient. But the problem is the different types of materials. I mean, it would be weird if there are stone debris when a wood structure or a guy (
) is hit.
Destructible walls system:
Each different colored part is destructible. Given their arrangement (see the cross-section), they will be destroyed in the order. When the part 2 is destroyed, ruined part 3 appears, and so on. The more the wall is high, the more it has different parts and thus the more it is long to destroy (this would act medieval French fortifications superiority out). But I have to find a solution for the merlons (1). Indeed, currently if part 2 is destroyed before them, they would ridiculously stay in the air. I am thinking about extending their collision body to the ground and making it prominent, so that they would always be the first part to be destroyed. Of course, some physics would prevent this problem, and even open us to very interesting and funny features such as sapping, but this is out of my skills.
Anyway, this system is the best and most reasonnable I have imagined yet. Besides, it is probably the best compromise between gameplay and aesthetics.
Bretèches, hoardings and bartizans will be destructible too. But no tower will be entirely destructible (only their bartizans, bretèches, hoardings and merlons if they aren't roofed will be).
3: It would depend of the number of attackers on the ladder and the number of defenders. If the attackers is alone, facing 5 defenders who push the ladder where he is, he would have no chance to avoid the fall (and, therefore, perhaps death). But I'd like it to be rather difficult for the defenders, othewise defending castles would be too easy.
4:
5: It is ridiculous that an attacker is in security at the bottom of the walls. Unfortunately it is the case in Warband. A stooping animation would enable the defenders to kill the attackers who are just near the walls.
6:
I think it is easy to code thanks to the javelin throwing animation.
7: This class would be usable by only one player at the same time, and has only one life in sieges. The lord (or count, amir, etc. it depends of the factions) could encourage his teamates by warcries or things like that. Concretely, it could make the teamates less vulnerable for a short time or something like that.
8: More or less the same as the Lord class, but with more religious (religious words with a Quran or a Cross in the hands, things like that).
9: New sounds will of course consist of new sound effects (swords clash, death cries, etc.) but I have also an idea for the ambient: invisible objects which emit a sound. It could be wind at the top of towers, weird noises in dungeons, waves sound on the beach...
10: To my eyes, maps have always been the weak point of Mount & Blade. Most of the time, they look unrealistic and their scene borders are simply awful. Therefore I think this is one of the main things I have to change, totally. I would like to make totally new landscapes, realistic and reflecting the regions where the scenes will take places. It is possible that each scene has its own scene borders. Concretely, there will be:
- new flora
- new scene borders
- new textures
- new skyboxes
- horizons
- the invisible objects which make a sound
- and why not some weather effects (rain, thunderstorm).
Concerning the big town scenes, this is what I plan to make (in this case for Constantinople):
11: The fact that there is no North African/Middle Eastern and Black African looking faces in Native is particularly annoying. Iboltax has made some good textures for that, but unfortunately his head model doesn't fit the helmets made with the vanilla head model.
