Patch 14 Preview

[DarrenTotalWar]

I take a look at the recently released patch 14 for Rome II, and compare it to patch 13 by playing the same siege battle twice on both versions.


For the full list of patch notes visit: http://wiki.totalwar.com/w/Total_War_ROME_II:_Patch_14

In the video I explain what I feel still needs work on, and what has been improved since Patch 13. Let me know how you feel the patch is going in the thread

[zapking5]

Love the beginning of the video XD

[Fedual]

Quite the scandal that over 14 patches is needed to be playable, i bet CA is doing everything they can do to be free of SEGA right now, this is clearly not working out. The patches and the game speaks that clear enough, unit stuttering is still a problem but i agree that it is better. Not sure if this is patch 14 information but i think its atleast patch related so please dont delete this post

[Aruberikku]

I didn't know you could let the AI fight each other. Might have a look at that later.

Anyway, so far I only had to defend one walled settlement during a siege and I was pretty disappointed. All the videos I see show major improvement, but the AI in my siege seemed more broken. Was I just unlucky?

I started a VH/H Macedon campaign and at some point Pontus declared war on me. Since my armies were busy finishing a war against the Royal Scythians at that time, I couldn't really commit forces to the fight. I took one army to capture and hold the strategic position of Nicomedia (level 2 city). That was the fastest route for them through which they could invade my homelands.
Before I could send more armies, Pontus attacked me at Nicomedia with 4-5 armies (a total of about 10.000 men), while I only had about 5000 men (2700 quality troops, 2000 strong garrison and a small navy consisting of mostly artillery ships). Even though I was vastly outnumbered I knew I could win it.

The AI only brought one ballista and used 4 ladders. Since their army was so big, the ballista didn't even enter the battlefield as part of the first 40 units.

It started out nice with their troops engaging with all 4 ladders at the same time from the west. A reinforcing army entered from the east without any siege equipment.
I had placed a lot of ranged units on the walls together with 4 melee infantry (one for each ladder). For the rest I had placed all my pikemen to cover the gates and exits of the walls and my cavalry in the center to move where needed.

Once the ladders got closer, I had to move my units on the walls around a bit and I noticed it was almost impossible. The pathfinding was terrible, they didn't want to move fluently to where I told them to. This caused some of my ranged units to be stuck in melee. (Never was this bad before.)
As soon as their first 4 units had climbed the walls, the AI sent most of the remaining forces to climb the walls. With 2-3 units trying to climb one ladder and remaining exposed to arrow fire from the towers in the meantime, among which one general, which got killed.
At this point I wanted to send out my cavalry through an unused gate, go around and attack them in the back, but I couldn't even leave my city. The gates just wouldn't open.

On the other side, the army without siege equipment started with 2 units using torches, but very quickly those became stuck and got slaughtered by arrow fire. After that they sent more, which was also stuck and got slaughtered.

After more than one hour (with parts of fast forwarding) I just stopped the battle. The AI had some units on the wall that broke free, but they kept them there, seemingly stuck. Or maybe they were afraid of my phalanx covering every exit?

[Philllx]

I haven't played since patch 9, I just couldn't get any enjoyment out of it so reverted to going back to EB and RS2, would you guys say the game is now out of Beta and worth playing?

[Hoplite of Ilis]

I haven't played since patch 9, I just couldn't get any enjoyment out of it so reverted to going back to EB and RS2, would you guys say the game is now out of Beta and worth playing?

Still needs some fixing, but for me it's worth playing. Now, it feels like the old TW games. Mostly.

[iWarsaw]

Great video, Darren. I liked everything about it except the end. The game needs quite a few more patchs before it's "finished" Features need to be tweaked and adjusted everywhere in the game not just siege battles.

[DarrenTotalWar]

Great video, Darren. I liked everything about it except the end. The game needs quite a few more patchs before it's "finished" Features need to be tweaked and adjusted everywhere in the game not just siege battles.

Well I said "Design decisions aside"a

There is a lot of work still to be done, but realistically they aren't going to change anything else I'd say.

The political system is just a mess and naval combat is bumper cars, that won't be changed though I'd say unless they release a major expansion like fall of the samurai that re-does a lot of mechanics.

[Hoplite of Ilis]

Darren, once again, GREAT JOB! Patch 14 now makes Rome 2 what TW games are all about. Proper AI. Only now can you play and enjoy it. I'm still playtesting it myself, and I enjoy (A LOT) siege AI, losing battles for a change and that factions declare war on me. The intro was rep worthy beyond measure... - which I will give you when possible. CA won't hire you, it's true, and I wonder if TWC(A) has warned you about the intro. Maybe you're a bit optimistic about the game needing one more patch. I wonder if CA can make it in one go?... In the end, patch 14 was ESSENTIAL, and I have to give credit to CA this time. Better late than never.

[DUX CRUATORVM COGIT]

Not so bad.
You have work to do, keep up!
Keep calm don't mess

[atpa123]

The intro deserves an Oscar nomination, especially the part were them saying DLC was auto tuned to sound evil and slowed.
That was comic genius .

[Downey]

-Aruberikku youre not the only one,

i just got finished the same type battle (albeit less enemy)

Playing as Syracuse, Carthage and Libya attack around 4,000 men to my 2,000 they bring 4 ladders, i send my mob out the gate to slow down one so my towers and archers have more time to engage. One ladder catches fire, but the other three make it to my wall and send up a company of infantry, which is better they were quick on finding a piece of my wall to breach. i barely hold against them. And their reinforcements arrive at the bottom of the ladders, and then just get combined into a massive mess. and then for 15 minutes,8 units of infantry, at the bottom of the ladders soaking up my tower fire. It seems when the towers made the wrong confused unit break and run then they got on with their assualt, after loosing 2/3 their force standing in a blob.

Maybe my patch didnt install correctly?

[dalapto]

Rome II is a broken game, having users as the ONLY play testing for the game means that either CA didn't bother or didn't have the time which is both preposterous. Even the DLC is poor. Caesar in Gaul? Hannibal at the Gates? More like a "custom campaign" than an expansion.