Total War: Rome 2 Patch 8.1 now in beta, culture system explained

More changes to siege warfare in this one.

As suggested at the time of its release, the Caesar in Gaul DLC for Total War: Rome 2 has been followed by a new beta patch, numbered 8.1. I’m pretty sure Rome 2 players are familiar with how this opt-in system works by now, but if not here’s how to get the Patch 8.1 beta: right-click on Rome 2 in Steam, select “properties,” find the “betas” tab and then select the relevant patch from the drop down menu in there.

You may have to restart Steam for it to show up, and (if you want) you can remove the beta patch at any time. 8.1 will be released as an “official” patch in the coming days, once Creative Assembly has certified that it’s functioning as intended. It’s advised that if you’re using any mods to remove them before using beta patches.

But what’s in this particular patch, anyway? Primarily, it focuses on siege battles and campaign AI. You can read the patch notes, below.

Campaign

• Improved AI parameter balancing: increased tactical focus and aggression, especially for major factions in both Grand Campaign and Gaul Campaign.

• Improved campaign AI raiding behaviour. AI factions are now more likely to raid during campaigns.

Battle

• Siege artillery now uses flaming projectiles appropriately (when attacking walls and towers).

• Fixed an issue in siege battle AI which could lead to the general’s unit exposing itself to attack when trying to use its special abilities to support assaulting units on walls.

• Fixed a pathfinding issue which could cause units to retreat from siege towers and ladders once they had docked to walls. This was most common with AI units due to the sequence in which it issues unit orders.

• Fixed a range of issues with the AI’s interaction with walls in siege battles, enabling the AI to conduct a more effective assault using siege towers and ladders.

• Improved the tactical co-ordination between different sub-groups of units when assaulting the walls in siege battles. When the AI attempts to enter the settlement via the gates, it is now able to do a better job of first eliminating the threat of boiling oil.

• Fixed an issue which caused units to march off in a random direction when reforming on a siege tower.

• Improved the behaviour of units when a unit on the ground is ordered to melee-attack a unit on the walls.

• Boiling oil no longer causes incendiary damage (so won’t burn battering rams for example).

• Improved pathfinding when attacking units on walls with units on the ground or vice versa.

• Improved attacking siege AI’s interaction with walls, and its use of battering rams.

If you’re still baffled by how the newly-introduced culture system affects your provinces, then have a read of this forum post which attempts to explain it. We’ll have a Caesar in Gaul review on IncGamers in either late December, or early in the new year.