As the video explains, soldiers raised the counterweight by walking inside of two giant wheels. The large wooden machines consist of a long boom and a counterweight. For those not up on their siege engines, trebuchets are a type of long-range catapult. The video offers a detailed look at a marvel of medieval military engineering. The video is one of the twenty-eight unlockable mini-documentaries in Age of Empire’s 4. Shini Somara and shows a modern recreation of a medieval trebuchet. Titled Hands on History – The Trebuchet is hosted by mechanical engineer Dr. Microsoft doubled down during Gamescom, with a live-action video explaining the counterweight trebuchet’s real-world history and mechanics. RELATED: Age of Empires 2: Definitive Edition Reveals Lords of the West Expansion With New Trailerĭevelopers teased trebuchets in a short “Weapons of War” trailer on the 18th. The developers were so excited about the mechanical marvel that they devoted a portion of the showcase to teaching viewers about the high-powered catapult. Microsoft, Xbox Games Studios, and Relic Entertainment really want players to know there are trebuchets in Age of Empires 4. Microsoft showed off some new gameplay during the Xbox Gamescom showcase and digressed to talk about one particular piece of medieval artillery.
The upcoming historical RTS releases for PC this October. Age of Empires 4 has some fairly large shoes to fill.