TL3+1 Mechanical Artillery

[Polydamas]

Originally Posted by Icelander

In the real world, the invention and widespread adoption of gunpowder quickly made it impractical to continue the advancement of mechanical artillery. No matter how much spring steel ('crossbow' steel) and any number of pulleys and windlasses might have improved lower tech scorpions, arbalests, mangonels and onagers; it would ultimately have been less effective than bombards and cannon.

In a world where gunpowder is rare, unavailable or restricted, however, like many fantasy worlds, this does not apply. Faerun, for example, is a mature TL3+1 in many areas, with functionning TL3+2 gadgets in some areas.

So, how might the artillery devices in GURPS Low-Tech be improved by one or two tech levels of extra design and better materials? Has anyone gone over those tables and wondered?

All ideas welcome. Worked out stats even more welcome.

Better springs for torsion artillery. Low-tech ones have capacity X for storing energy, and change properties with the humidity; special materials might store more energy or be unaffected by changes in humidity.

More metal parts in general should allow lighter, more durable machines. We see this happen with Roman torsion artillery, and the Romans and Hellenistic Greeks were as rich as many TL 4 societies.

Cheaper and better naptha/Greek Fire for ammunition obviously.

In the past few decades, engineers have shown that gravity trebuchets are more efficient if you mount them on wheels or let the axle roll back and forth as the weight drops. Ideally, the path of the dropping weight should be as close to vertical as possible. These were impractical for full-sized engines historically (and the "rolling axle" design required modern physics, materials, and modelling) but might be invented in a TL 4-5 setting with divination and superior craftsmanship and materials.