Additionally, I see no issue with having them added alongside the current catapult
Well, I do see a ton of reasons not to add it or at least add it in a different way if you ask me. (And BTW, I brought this up every single time there was the idea to include the ballista for IH and there was NEVER someone to answer this question.
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1. Why does everyone keep bringing up the earthshaker if it comes for the catapult? Let's just for the sake of argument presume that the shaker is not a more unpractical ram which has technically no real use and is therefore more of less not an improvement for Erebor. Let's in fact pretend that the shaker is extremly powerfull against buildings and really helps Erebor. Then it's still only useable against buildings, does therefore the job every catapult or (especially) ram can do, so even then it's no improvement for Erebor! (Note that this doesn't mean he is necessarily weaker than the ram / has weaker destruction power: As long as it doesn't give Erebor an strategic option like destroy the fortress while he is away or things like that, it is technically a redundant unit. In a real game you will use the shaker (if you actually do!) in a situation to crush his fortress, destroy walls and buildings and so on -which is exactly the purpose of rams! Therefore the shaker is not a real unit if you want to put it that way.)
Now for the ballista a unit which should be exclusively strong against infantry and siege via knockback and strong single target damage. How is this no improvement in power for IH? First of all it would make the perfect bunker unit because it could snipe siege units. Then with "strong against units" I expect it to really matter against units. Am I right about this? If yes, tell me how a unit which can combat the enemy army in an additional way is equally strong than a unit which can just be usefull against the enemy fortress (which in practice requires the dwarves to have already defeated a good chunk of the enemies army).
---> To sum up: There might be a way to balance the ballista, but there is no way to balance the ballista between the 3 dwarven realms. (OK, there is; my point it the ballista would buff IH and the shaker is no argument why this is fine.
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2. If I remember correctly IH-catapults are already the dwarven catapult which the highst single target damage yet smallest area of effect. So what is the point of the ballista in the first place if you're talking about IH?
Eventhough a buff for the faction, IH especially doesn't need this unit.
---> This point could be solved by switching Ered Luin and IH catapults. Just so you know I'm not the complete spoil sport if it comes to dwarven suggestions.
However than again the ballista would definitely buff IH, so you are kind of stuck in a situation where the ballista is either redundant and possibly a severe buff or just a straight buff.
3. I wrote it already once: I am no fan of just adding a unit and then immediately hard-capping its numbers just for the sake of balance. This is appropriate for real hero-units, in this case however, I'm going to say that designing a normal unit and keeping problematic concepts (like the 3.8.1 siege damage against troops), but then limiting its numbers so this problem is just quenched directly -that this is (and I do not intend to offend anyone) lazy design.
4. There seem to be contradicting ideas about the knockback range of the ballista, but please: This constant knockdown for the entire army was probably the most disgusting feature catapult-spamm did ever possess. If this was ever the case (because it could very well, considering the movie scenes), please no! If not, just ignore this point.
No the following points are really minor as they are only personal preferences: I found the idea of dwarven ballistas very neat if it wasn't for this godawful chain *******.
I know, personal preferences and stuff, but I can only take a certain level of stupidity in one scene and this was well beyond it. And no this scene is in no definition of the word "awesome" for me. OK, I'm studying physics, so I might be sensitized a bit...
---> What I am trying to say is: If the ballista was to be integrated in the game, take away the chains...
If you would ask me, what nobody does as I know (this is probably the most destroyed reference to Gimli ever written
), I would include the ballista for Drar: This guy is supposed to be a building destroyer and his skills are severely or boring. Why not give him a stationary ballista instead the sabotage ability?
Greetings
Melkor Bauglir