How to fix the Siege Tower bug

[Seasoned Alcoholic]

Note: this may be a modding topic of sorts, but the fix can be carried out by any forum member due to its simplicity.

I've run some more extensive tests, and have appeared to have solved this siege tower bug.

First of all, I tried a docking distance that was deliberately too far from the walls. The units refused to climb up the tower, they didn't even attempt to enter the tower's base.

Then I tried several distances closer to the walls, and after a bit of trial-and-error, managed to find the ideal distance. I've tried this on numerous wall sections, and using a variety of different infantry and missile units. The result is that each unit should now climb up any wall section.

To fix this issue yourself manually (will take you no more than 2 mins), this is what you should do:

• Browse to and open your data folder @ C:\Program Files\Activision\Rome - Total War
• Create a backup of descr_engines, rename as necessary
• Open descr_engines and hit Ctrl+F to open the search tool
• Type in middle_tower and do a search
• You should now see a code extract that looks as below:
  
  

  type                middle_tower
  culture                all
  class                tower
  variant                medium
  projectile            scorpion
  
  engine_model_group    normal
  engine_skeleton        middle_tower
  engine_collision    data/models_engine/Mid_Tow_mod_very_low.CAS
  engine_model        data/models_engine/Middle_tow_model.CAS,        200
  engine_model        data/models_engine/Mid_Tow_mod_med.CAS,            400
  engine_model        data/models_engine/Mid_Tow_mod_low.CAS,            800
  engine_model        data/models_engine/Mid_Tow_mod_very_low.CAS,    max
  engine_platforms    data/models_engine/Middle_tow_info.CAS
  
  engine_model_group    dying
  engine_skeleton        middle_tower_dying
  engine_model        data/models_engine/mid_tow_dying_model.CAS,        max
  engine_platforms    none
  
  engine_model_group    dead
  engine_model        data/models_engine/mid_tow_dying_dead.CAS, max
  engine_platforms    none
  
  engine_shadow        none
  
  engine_radius        8
  engine_length        14
  engine_width        11
  engine_height        36
  engine_mass            40
  engine_dock_dist    12.5
  engine_mob_dist        18
  engine_flammable    true
  engine_ignition        0.20
  fire_effect            engine_fire_middle_tower_set
  
  obstacle_shape        rectangle
  obstacle_x_radius    9
  obstacle_y_radius    9
  
  engine_spo            physical_obstacle
  
  engine_push_point    -7.00        9
  engine_push_point    -5.25        9
  engine_push_point    -3.5        9
  engine_push_point    -1.75        9
  engine_push_point     0.0        9
  engine_push_point     1.75        9
  engine_push_point     3.5        9
  engine_push_point     5.25        9
  engine_push_point     7.00        9
  
  engine_push_point    -7.00        10
  engine_push_point    -5.25        10
  engine_push_point    -3.5        10
  engine_push_point    -1.75        10
  engine_push_point     0.0        10
  engine_push_point     1.75        10
  engine_push_point     3.5        10
  engine_push_point     5.25        10
  engine_push_point     7.00        10
  
  
  engine_health        150
  ;engine_weapon        ballista
  ;engine_armour        siege tower
  
  attack_stat         12, 2, scorpion, 120, 30, siege_missile, siege, piercing
  attack_stat_attr    ap, bp, launching
  
  arrow_generator        0 35.7 4.8
  aim_dir                0.0 0.0 1.0
  aim_arc                1.0
  fire_interval        1.5
  
  arrow_generator        1 35.7 4.8
  aim_dir                0.0 0.0 1.0
  aim_arc                1.0
  fire_interval        1.5
  
  arrow_generator        2 35.7 4.8
  aim_dir                0.0 0.0 1.0
  aim_arc                1.0
  fire_interval        1.5
  
  arrow_generator        -1 35.7 4.8
  aim_dir                0.0 0.0 1.0
  aim_arc                1.0
  fire_interval        1.5
  
  arrow_generator        -2 35.7 4.8
  aim_dir                0.0 0.0 1.0
  aim_arc                1.0
  fire_interval        1.5
  
  missile_model        data/models_engine/Bolt_high.CAS,  20.0
  missile_model        data/models_engine/Bolt_high.CAS,  40.0
  missile_model        data/models_engine/Bolt_high.CAS,  max
  missile_pos            0.0 22 0.0
  missile_radius        1
  missile_height        2.5
  missile_mass        3

• The entry you need to change is engine_dock_dist, which at present looks as below:
  
  

  engine_dock_dist    12.5

• Simply change the 12.5 value to a number around / between 12.1 and 12.2, your entry should now look as below:
  
  

  engine_dock_dist    12.1

  OR
  
  

  engine_dock_dist    12.2

  Note: these values are merely placeholders, you can probably enter more specific values to a greater number of decimal places for improved results
• Save your changes, close the text file
• Start-up RTW and go into custom battles
• Make sure you play a siege assault gametype versus large stone walls to notice the changes

I'm sure player1 has already incorporated this fix into a version of his Bug Fixer. We'd originally had a chat about this a while ago, and I'm sure he'd also found the optimum distance for these towers. I would also like to thank Severous for re-igniting my testing into this area.

Thanks.

[Jambo]

Wow, if this works then this is a superb find! I am yet to try it (haven't played Rome TW in >6 months), but presuming it does work, a massive well done to you! :)

Edit: Not bad for a seasoned alcoholic ;)

[Ciaran]

Indeed. To think what considerable amount of ranting this issue cause and that it should be so easily solved...
I truly hope this works.

[Puzz3D]

Very impressive find!

[econ21]

There are two threads in the RTR forum on Platinum about fixing this bug. IIRC, both proposed solutions are rather different to this one. You might want to compare notes (although I would hold off right now - I just went there and my anti-virus detected up 8 trojans, four of which could not be disinfected; the site was supposed to be safe after the attack yesterday but my anti-virus still did not like it).

I'm not sure player1 did include this fix - I found this solution elsewhere (or something very close), raised it with him a while back and he said he'd look into it, but I did not spot it in the readme last time I checked.

[Seasoned Alcoholic]

Yeah, I'd seen something about the RTR Platnium team addressing this siege tower issue with their next release. It was over @ TWC in this topic:

Issues with siege towers since update

As you say econ, I think I'll hold-off visiting their forums since I don't have any recent backups of my own modding project, and wouldn't really want to lose my hard drive to a potential virus / worm / trojan. I've had my own bad experiences of this in the past, basically had to reinstall everything from scratch

It would be good to see how they rectified the problem though

[Jambo]

I might just go back and finish my Scipii campaign now, which I abandoned in frustration when large stone walls became prominent across the map .....

[gmjapan]

I dont think it is in Bug-Fixer. I use it and I have problems with towers and walls.

[The Spartan (Returns)]

I'm not sure player1 did include this fix - I found this solution elsewhere (or something very close), raised it with him a while back and he said he'd look into it, but I did not spot it in the readme last time I checked.

he did i just checked the file. but good job SA! (i thought i still had this bug)

[Jambo]

player1 seems skeptical as to whether this proposed fix works (see Bug-fixer thread).