V: BUILDING & SIEGE WEAPONS
BUILDING
Defences and fortifications should always be made before a War breaks out, not after. As a result, once a State of War begins, participating Realms can only make minor and temporary modifications to any of their builds, which need to be submitted to the Moderation Team 48-hours before a Warclaim.
Sieges - Defenders
Once a State of War begins, Defenders facing a Siege can only modify their keeps with minor changes like wooden hoardings, palisade walls, or earthen ramparts. Substantial additions like new stone walls, towers, or gates are prohibited. In particular, new mechanical doors, gates, and lifts created via the Craftbook plugin are only allowed leading to new platforms for Siege Weapons.
Examples of inappropriate siege defences for Defenders include:
- Anti-Ladder Spam: Stairs, buttons, etc. are allowed to hinder laddering, but need to be well-done, non-excessive, and integrated into the build. Sign-spam isn’t allowed.
- New Gates: In order to preserve the original layout of the build, and to encourage players to build defences with this existing layout in mind, gates can’t be added or removed.
- Moats: Trenches and moats can be dug around builds within reason.
- Traps: Traps are permitted so long as they aren’t insta-kill or inescapable. Lift-sign traps are not allowed.
- Berry Bush Spam: Bushes are permitted, but in excess (such as dense rows).
Sieges - Attackers
When besieging an enemy castle, Attackers can build siege camps with minor fortifications to protect their Siege Weapons. These forts should be modest, consisting only of wooden palisades and earthen ramparts. Excessive defences like pancake-layering aren’t allowed, and siege camps are allowed a single Craftbook gate at their entrance.
Examples of inappropriate siege defences for Attackers include:
- Pancake Layering: Siege camps should be limited to 1-block-thick wooden walls with platforms for Siege Weapons. Excessive layering up and across isn’t permitted.
- Anti-Laddering: Stairs, buttons, etc. are allowed to hinder laddering, but need to be well-done, non-excessive, and integrated into the build. Sign-spam isn’t allowed.
- Moats & Traps: These aren’t permitted for siege camps.
- Berry Bushes: These are allowed on the exterior of a fort, provided they’re not in excess.
- Gates: Siege camps are allowed a single Craftbook gate at their entrance.
Field Battle Building
In a Field Battle, Defenders can build minor fortifications such as wooden walls, but can’t include any doors, gates, etc.
Attackers can’t build anything in a Field Battle.
SIEGE WEAPONS
‘Siege Weapons’ are artillery engines that Attackers can use during a Siege to breach enemy defences, and that Defenders can use to bombard enemy encampments. Siege Weapons operate via plugin and include:
- Cannons: High-powered artillery ideal for precision shots aimed at destroying enemy artillery.
- Trebuchets: Destructive engines effective at bombarding enemy strongholds in order to make a breach for invading armies.
- Ballista: Anti-personnel artillery that does not damage the fortifications, but the enemies defending them.
All Siege Weapons need to be calibrated during a Siege using coordinates to determine their accuracy, and Siege Weapons need to be reloaded after at each shot (the speed of which is determined by how many players assist with reloading).
Risks of Siege Weapons: Your artillery might be powerful, but so is the enemy’s -- if hit by enemy artillery (i.e. Cannons) then your Siege Weapons can be destroyed. Armies that neglect to take out enemy artillery might find themselves bereft of their own, and left with no way to breach a keep.
Making Siege Weapons: Siege Weapons can be crafted in-game at a Smithing Table, alongside the required ammunition. Siege Weapons that survive a Warclaim and unused ammunition can be refunded or transferred to a subsequent Warclaim.
