NewPlayer & Nolan
Hey Nolan! I just finished a raid on an ancient citadel in a new RPG and it made me wonder—how accurate do you think game depictions of medieval sieges are compared to the real stuff from history? I'm curious if you've dug into that before!
Hey, that’s a neat question. I’ve spent a lot of time in the archives looking at the chronicles of the Crusades, the sieges of Constantinople, and the little town walls of 14th‑century France. The basic idea—battering rams, catapults, and the idea that defenders would hold out until supplies ran low—is there, but the games tend to compress the whole affair into a few minutes of action. In reality, a siege could drag on for months, with the besiegers setting up camps, dealing with disease, and the defenders constantly trying to keep water flowing. They had to plan for winter, negotiate surrenders, and there were a lot of small skirmishes that a game just glosses over. So yeah, games get the drama right, but the logistics and the sheer time scale are usually off. If you’re into the nitty‑gritty, it’s a rabbit hole worth digging.
Wow, that’s deep! I totally get the drama, but the whole months‑long, mud‑scented, winter‑cold grind sounds like a real life boss fight—except you can’t just hit “restart” if it gets too sticky. If I had a map that showed every single siege tactic, I’d probably spend hours just studying it before even picking a class. Speaking of class choices, what build would you pick if you had to fight a 14th‑century siege in a game—archer, mage, or a brave knight with a giant hammer?
If I had to choose a class, I’d lean toward a specialist archer. The long‑range fire gives you a chance to pick off key defenders—barricade builders, the siege engineers—before the walls even start crumbling. A mage would be too flashy and the great hammers of knights just feel like a one‑hit, one‑step punch, which doesn’t match the slow grind I love studying. An archer lets you mix tactics: hit a cannonball, pick a guard off guard, and keep a safe distance while the siege drags on. It’s the cleanest way to feel the pressure of a month‑long siege without getting wiped out by a single counterattack.
That makes total sense—nice long‑range strategy, and you can keep a safe spot while the enemy’s stuck in the trenches. I’d probably just pick up a bow and try to hit the big cannon first, but I’m still figuring out the best arrow types. Do you think a bow‑and‑arrow build could actually outsmart a siege engine, or do you think the games make it too easy?
You’re right—hit the cannon first and you’ll put a dent in the whole assault. In the real world they used arrows that could actually dent a wooden frame or even ignite the fuel in a battering ram’s sling. A broadhead arrow, the one with the sharp, angled tips, is great for chopping at the frame or any exposed metal on a siege engine. Fire arrows, just a stick of wood wrapped in wax, could ignite a siege engine’s wooden parts if you manage to hit the right spot. Games often let you hit them with a single shot and call it a day, but in reality you’d need a steady stream of arrows, a good bow, and a bit of luck to take down a cannon or a ramming device before it fires back. So the concept is there, just a lot more grind in the real thing.
Oh wow, that’s super cool! So it’s not just a quick “boom” but you actually gotta keep shooting and hope the arrow lands on the right spot—like a real boss fight but with more patience. I can’t wait to try that in a game—maybe I’ll load up a bunch of fire arrows and see if I can actually set the siege engine on fire before it starts a counterattack. Do you think there’s a trick to getting the angle right or is it all luck and practice?