When my units of ashigaru in Total War: Shogun 2 used to procure grappling hooks out of nowhere to climb enemy walls I didn't question it, but as the games have gone on the use of "pocket ladders" (or "ass ladders" if you prefer) has become a point of contention among players. The ease with which any unit can produce them has led many players to treat walls as a waste of time and instead defend the narrow interior chokepoints of settlements, abandoning the outer defenses entirely.
Which is why Creative Assembly's plan for the upcoming siege update includes the removal of pocket ladders. Or at least, turning them into a menu option you can toggle on or off. As Milcho Vasilev, battle team lead at Creative Assembly Sofia Sofia writes, "Even though it is not perfect and there are many more aspects that can be improved we believe that the ability to pull a huge ladder out of your…nothing, can be quite immersion breaking for the players and takes away from the more strategic planning of the battle."
