New weapon - Slings

[Epicurus]

I know that entirely new weapon types are not likely to be warmly received by those who would eventually have to code them if they were implemented , but nevertheless I am starting to think that it would be cool to have slings in M&B, Perhaps this has been suggested before, but this is totally different because I have done a painstaking amount of research equivalent with a Ph.D thesis, i.e. I pasted a wikipedia quote:

The sling is also mentioned by Homer [3] and by many other Greek authors. The historian of the famous retreat of the Ten Thousand, 401 BC, relates that the Greeks suffered severely from the slingers in the army of Mithridates, while they themselves had neither cavalry nor slingers, and were unable to reach the enemy with their arrows and javelins. This deficiency was later rectified when a company of 200 Rhodians who understood the use of leaden sling-bullets was formed. They were able, says Xenophon, to project their missiles twice as far as the Persian slingers, who used large stones.

Now granted, this is old stuff, but slings offer a useful sort of middle ground between thrown weapons and crossbows. Maybe they'd use the thrown weapon skill modifier, but take two slots (one for the sling, another for stones or bullets) and offer a better long-range option for thrown weapon specialists with a lower rate of fire/ accuracy than the bow but the ability to deliver blunt damage at long ranges and with more mobility than the bow.

Any thoughts?

EDIT: Moments later, I am seeing that the use of slings was largely outdated by the historical period in which M&B takes place. Then again, people DO throw rocks in M&B, and a sling weighs next to nothing and VASTLY increases the destructive power and range of a stone...

The Wikipedia entry on the sling is really quite fascinating:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sling_%28weapon%29

 

[Narcissus]

Great idea, Epicurus!

Although, it has been suggested before. The most recent thread, you can find here.

Narcissus

 

[Knight_Galahad]

dunno, they werent so popular here in european and northern areas. Only in middle east and only before the middle ages.

 

[Laurence of Arabia]

I'd still like to have a good way to knock someone out with a ranged weapon, other than stones.

 

[Janus]

I'd still like to have a good way to knock someone out with a ranged weapon, other than stones.

That would be cool. Why not have blunt arrows then? Can't do this with a mod currently (I think) since the damage amount and type (slashing, blunt, etc.) are attached to the bow. Of course you could mod yourself a blunt damage bow, but.....

 

[Anthony]

dunno, they werent so popular here in european and northern areas. Only in middle east and only before the middle ages.

? Celts used slings more widely than bows for a very long time, and slings were still used in portions of Scotland and Ireland during the middle ages (even the late middle ages) for their distance, accuracy, and lethality (a sling bullet can be launched a great distance at extremely high speeds and very accurately). As it is, a sling wouldn't necessarily knock some one unconscious; the speed the stone is launched was enough to create holes in helmets, and surely do the same thing to one's skull; there would have to be different types of shot available for it (like clay {hardened clay with holes in it moved so fast it could easily break bones} and smooth lead that would be lethal, and heavier, uneven stones that wouldn't be, since they would move slower).

 

[Epicurus]

I agree Anthony - Slings should have a highly effective lead ammunition which is always lethal, and perhaps a slightly less effective but nonlethal stone alterniative.

And reading the article on slings was extremely informtive - for instance, the section on "how to sling" and also reading about the various images or words that slingers would inscribe on thier bullets - like "For Pompeii's behind" or my favourite, "catch".

Edit: Thanks Narcissus, I'll have a look at ye otherre threade.

Edit 2: Oh my, the other thread was much better than this one! my bad. I'll run a more through search next time,

 

[Stonewall382]

If anyone would be interested in getting slings into the game, I'd be willing to try to incorporate them into my team's mod (I'm still recruiting). I can PM you with the link.

 

[Laurence of Arabia]

I'd still like to have a good way to knock someone out with a ranged weapon, other than stones.

That would be cool. Why not have blunt arrows then? Can't do this with a mod currently (I think) since the damage amount and type (slashing, blunt, etc.) are attached to the bow. Of course you could mod yourself a blunt damage bow, but.....

Dead realistic hey?

Bill : I'm going to knock that pirate out with an arrow.
Ben : What the hell mate, you kill him
Bill : Oh don't worry, i've blunted my arrows!

 

[Ryuta]

It's a good idea to have sling and different shots. Maybe we could simply put sling and ammos together so we don't have two slots to use?

By the way, Wikipedia got wrong about the retreat of ten thousand. The Persian king was Artaxerxes, not Mithridates (he's a pontic king!)

 

[Janus]

Dead realistic hey?

Pretty much. There is such as thing as a blunt arrow, you know. People used them to kill small animals without piercing the hide.

Sorry, a bit off topic though. Slings would be a nice addition. But, just image a bunch of Sea Raiders with slings... actually, that would be pretty cool.