Rome 2 Patches, Hotfixes, Betas and Such (patch 17 live!)

[Slaists]

Even so, slingers should not be able to shred armoured hoplite units from 20 meters distance, not giving them time to close in before they melt.

Further proof that the whole ranged mechanic is broken: Eprius starts with merc. Africa elephants, right? I focused them with 6 units of slingers. They stood there, 2 elephants dying for the duration of several volleys. And suddenly, after some threshold of hitpoins or what have you was reached, the remaining 10 dropped as if they were headshotted by SEAL team 6 simultaneously.

Somebody suggested this elephant 'sudden death' is a result of their handlers pressing the "kill elephants" button because they are about to run amock. I don't buy it though. I have seen AI elephants run amock without their handlers killing them. I also have witnessed the sudden death phenomenon and think, this is due to the hitpoints being depleted. A similar thing happens when barraging an armored infantry or cavalry unit with missiles.

BTW, javelins are much more efficient at dropping elephants than slingers. A few salvos result in the "sudden death". Even the cheapest Greek javelins will do.

[Sp4]

I've always found elephants in this a little underwheling and I dunno why they are even there if they get countered by 2 or 3 of the cheapest, most basic units you can recruit.

[Slaists]

I've always found elephants in this a little underwheling and I dunno why they are even there if they get countered by 2 or 3 of the cheapest, most basic units you can recruit.

Javelins are a definite counter to elephants in the game; yet, in human hands, elephants can be devastating (against the AI). Armored elephant generals win wars for my Seleucid desert spearmen armies... Sure, I kill most of the AI's missiles (using my slingers and light cav) before I charge elephants in.

BTW, elephants were easily killed with javelins also in Rome 1.

[Myth]

Javelins have always been the counter. I simply didn't have enough in that particular battle, and I had no pressing need to go into their skirmisher range. Apart from the idiot Phyrros (seriously CA, he was one of the top 10 classical military commanders) charging at my hoplites and letting himself be surrounded 100 meters from his defensive lines, the other part of the army didn't move much. it was a siege assault on a minor settlement.

[Sp4]

What I am trying to say is that I never used elephants much, nor saw the need to. They die too fast and cost too much, not that cost matters after turn 10. Maybe I just don't like them.

[Slaists]

One of the reasons for random DOWs: http://forums.totalwar.com/showthrea...ered-by-the-AI

In a nutshell: the AI fails to consider the consequences of converting agents.

Vanilla game, no mods, campaign started with patch 10 beta

[Sp4]

It is kind of stupid, isn't it? I thought agents were meant to be more subtle and less raaaaaawr, army! than.. well.. sending an army. In this though, as soon as an enemy warrior makes funny faces at your rank 9 ladyspy, it's a reason for all out Total War™