This should be posted in Combat Systems, but I could unfortunately only choose between the categories Meta and German.
Approximately 20 seconds in to the amazing promo video there are Trebuchets!
It looks like they have been modelled directly from a mid 1800 french attemp to recreate these magnificent siege weapons. This recreation was based on a manuscript showing the base of a probable trebuchet, and the original picture was drawn by Villard de Honnecourt in the 13th century.
Since the french late 1800 attempt there has been some development. The french constructor Renaud Beffeyte started to build trebuchets in 1984, and has since then recreated several working large medieval siege weapons in full scale.
A major distinction between these two attempts lies in how the sling is constructed. The trebuchet in the promo video seems to be attached at the end of the throwing arm, and the missile is somehow released by magic. The recently recreated trebuchets have slings with pouches for the missiles. One end of the sling is secured to the end of the throwing arm, whilst the other end has a loop. This loop is placed on a spike, also on the end of the throwing arm. In the middle of these are the pouch in which the missile is placed. When the throwing arm is raised, the loop is accelerated away from the spike, preferrably when the missile is at it’s highest point, and thus is the pouch opened and the missile leaves the machine. A short video of this may be seen here(Small trebuchet firing) You may notice that the sling is double from the beginning, and when the arm is fully raised, the sling opens, after which the sling is fully extended at the end of the throw. Here you also see the loop at the end of the sling.
If you are would like to see a video of the construction of such a trebuchet I could recommend “NOVA builds a Trebuchet”, which is available on Youtube and explains background, mechanical theory and how to build a large trebuchet. And yes they use it to destroy castle walls.
Even though I am very happy to see that you are using trebuchets in the game I really would like to see a mechanically correct working trebuchet!
Best regards,
Ola