Hello people, I'm a little bit busy in real life at the moment, so I can't be very active as I used to. For the people who haven't checked the poll in the German forums, I can tell you that our suggestion, like Elite predicted, has a majority of fans who agree with our idea (30 votes in favor VS 12 votes against our suggestion!).
However, some members disagree a lot about the implementation of the automatic crossbow in general, because it's not something that fits with Dwarves. Dwarves are good with their hands, but not inventers is what a member said. Also the fact that such a heavy chariot is near impossible to be pulled by just one ram is also something that some fans have noted. Changing the name of Oil Casks to "Flash Bombs" is also unnecessary, especially because it doesn't correspond with the anti-building effect. Like Craig said, at the moment the name is not important, and I fully agree with him. I personally suggest to just keep the name Oil Cask, because I don't think either one of us in both German and English forums will have a problem with the original name.
Also guys, it's important to know that the Dwarven realms will receive a major overhaul for the upcoming beta, both gameplaywise and visually. Depending on what kind of changes the Realms will get we might have to change the concept a little bit.
Hello Fred.
Those are great news about votes, and we are happy that German side also recognize idea in good way and its potential in general.
I will try to give my personal "answer" on your summary of german side.
First concerning that crossbow matter in general, I presonally find it as really engineering stuff, and I agree that dwarves were mainly miners, blacksmiths, jewelry makers etc But in same time they were hell of warcraftsmen, hell of engineers if we take into consideration buildings etc. I agree with statement that automatic crossbow is a pretty nasty thing, it is very inovative machine, but I presonally find its usage very justifed from aspect that dwarves already use normal crossbow (also IH soldiers use it now in last update, so I really see this automatic crossbow fitting for IH now). And knowledge needed for making of normal crossbow probably presents base for making of this automatic crossbow. Simply I agree it is inovative but I think they were able to make it, simply, we have already balistas, catapults in game. So there is enough engineering knowledge in term of making contrivance in general, and this automatic crossbow in my opinion presents something very similar just oriented in a bit different way.
Now concerning those "consistency" problems about chariot weight etc.
I personaly could understand consistency problems if we are talking about some real life stuff, or some real life engineering problems in general, but this is probably the most irrelevent excuse against this suggestion I have ever heard/seen. Let me explain.
First thing is that we are mainly here proposing skin polishing and adding some properties in correlation with that new skin. So that is main thing which all "supporters" of that consistency weight problem should understand.
Second, first thought (can be seen on first page of this topic) was to add 2 pulling animals. We also reconsider this, but FG was clear, that isn't possible with current model. There exists only animation for one pulling animal.
Then, in game already exists a lot of similar consistency problematic units.
I understand that isn't reason to add more, but current battlewagon unit is also one of them, simply current wagon in consistency terms was probably to heavy to be bulled by one ram, and nobody probably ever saw that as problem. And suddenly now when we have suggested new skin, this is problem. Also not to mention (almost whole in iron) iron Isenguard's balista pushed by 2 childish uruks etc.
To underline this, I am also aware about those consistency problems, but simply in my opinion they are not so important when we take into consideration situation with other machines in game or mod.
Concerning name for ability of Erebor, am I completely to leave that for team at the end. Simply I wanted to collect as more as we could of suggestions of ability effects and suggested names and to leave that to ET. They will probably (if they desided to implement this in first place) give their personal touch and remake good part of this suggestion. I presume that.
As one of supporters of this idea Aklas, have said, that "Flash" part idicates to stun effect, and I really agree with him, if ability remain with stun effect, then we should keep that Flash in name etc
Barrel (as Odysseus suggested above
) in name for some knock back and damage on buildings or vanila Oil cask as simple one on which we are already used to... Simply I would leave this to the team.
Concerning that last update, I am like the most of you, very excited, and I agree, we should wait for rest of dwarven news, and then to try to polish suggestion. But I think that 90% from our side (our ability to suggest/help etc) is probably over, and all those adjustments should be done by team. ET will know how to implement this suggestiong in correlation with latest dwarven changes.
Best regards Fred!
Crag