Some of the shit they pulled can't be patched out though, unfortunately.
I'm sure I'm not the first person to complain about this, but the whole "1 turn = 1 year" thing is really annoying. It basically removes all the importance from your generals (who in the earlier games, Rome I especially, could basically decide the battle for you once they get really experienced) since they'll be dead in 30-40 turns, and that's if you get them at 17, which is fucking far and inbetween. Half the time you'll be getting generals who're in their thirties and you'll be lucky to keep them for more than a dozen.
And the victory points. Fuck them. This is just fucking pandering to those power-gaming shitheads who'd exclusively play on grassy flatlands in multiplayer. What, did CA think people didn't like actually using the intricate terrain they painstakingly created to their advantage?
CA meeting transcription:
CA dude 1: Let's think the most retarded feature we can add to the game.
CA dude 2:How about victory points to force the player to fight in certain points, removing completly any tactical use of the map.
CA dude 1:I don't know, that is not enough.
CA dude 2: Alright, let's make the player lose if he fail to hold that spot even if his whole army is still alive.
CA dude 1: Great, I heard eveyone wanted more formulaic, scripted battles. Boy, everybody is gonna love it.
CA dude 1: Now, that issue is resolved, now it is time for Q&A.
CA dude 2: What Q&A?
CA dude 1: There is no money for Q&A? Didn't SEGA made me go in interviews saying that this is the biggest budget that a Total War had ever seen. No kwan had gone to Q&A?
CA dude 2: That isn't a problem, who is insane to play more than 2 hours of our games unmodded, anyway?
CA dude 1: That is actually a good point.
CA dude 2: We should only worry if one day Paradox decides to add 3d battles in their games.
CA dude 1: Don't worry, they don't have money for that.