The colonists should be able to build different types of medieval trebuchets & catapults (http://cooltrebuchets.weebly.com/trebuchets-vs-catapults.html) now when wood is available.
General building requirement suggestion:
Catapult (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catapult):
Wood: for the frame structure
Iron: reinforcement that absorbs the energies in the stooping arm
Cloth: winded into a rope that stores the energies needed to throw the objects
Trebuchet (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trebuchet#External_links_2):
Wood: for the frame, wood can also be shaped in such way that Iron isn't needed by the way of wooden plugs and other carpentry techniques, because a trebuchet is designed as a swing it doesn't need to absorb nearly as much energies as a catapult witch removes the need for metal reinforcement.
Cloth: used for the ropes.
Stone or Iron Debris: used as the counter weight that stores the energy that throws the projectiles.
Ammunition: () = maybe, [] = explains effect
* Stone debris [might roll a few tiles, crushing enemies in it's path, not insta-kill, unless a vital organ is destroyed]
* Iron debris [might roll, but shorter]
* Dead bodies ["psychotic warfare", (or spread plague)] this is actually a real medieval siege technique.
* (Stone bricks)
* (Metal)
* (Wooden logs)
* (Missiles [explosive round])
* (Shells [explosive round])
A very interesting suggestion. It would have been pretty cool as an early siege-weapon until the mortar.
Although, if you at first want to bring some real medieval-like buildings into the game, i would also suggest to actually implement Medieval groups too. I kinda find it quite strange it haven' already been done, considering all the medieval background-stories. Just think about it... siege-raids by people with medieval armor and swords, making catapults and trebuchets...
Anyways, I think this would be a really cool, if not an inevitable, addition to RimWorld.
+1
Technically just a reskinned turret with a different projectile and some motes (particles and stuff) shouldnt be too hard. The art would take the longest and animation would be hard but both would look silly without it.
I dream of supply chains using trebuchets to launch resources from the mine to my main base. I also dream of launching the corpses of my fallen foes upon an enemy camp for psychological warfare reasons! (-15 observed flying corpse)
@Jstank, Yeah I also thought about "trebuchet powered" supply chains when I was writing this.
I also love the debuf :D