Battle mode

By default, the ConsulScriptum interface is not available in battle in Rome II and Attila because the game does not load the campaign scripting and UI interfaces during tactical sessions. However, Total War Saga: ToB supports the console in battle natively.

The console works out of the box in Thrones of Britannia. Because the game makes the battle scripting API available by default in campaign battles, no workarounds are required. Simply open the console as you would in the campaign using your toggle key.

Performance & Constraints

Performance Impact (Rome II & Attila)

For Rome II and Attila, using the /use_in_battle workaround forces the game to load additional scripting and UI interfaces. This triggers a large number of internal events (e.g., events for every missile particle hit), which may potentially slow down performance during intense battles. If you experience lag, it is recommended to toggle battle mode off.

Note for ToB: This warning does not apply to Thrones of Britannia, as the console is native and does not require the workaround overhead.

Campaign Sessions Only (Rome II & Attila)

The /use_in_battle workaround for Rome II/Attila only works within an active campaign session. It cannot be used to enable the console for Custom Battles or Historical Battles launched from the main menu.

For more technical details on why these restrictions exist, see Technical Limitations.

Example Script: Battle Mode

The bm (Battle Manager) object is globally available when running scripts in battle. The following script is compatible with both Rome II, Attila, ToB and showcases how to iterate through all alliances and units currently on the field:

-- clear the console output for a nice view
consul.console.clear()

-- shortcut for writing into consul console
function wr(x)
    consul.console.write(x)
end

wr("how many alliances in battle?")
wr(bm:alliances():count())

for i = 1, bm:alliances():count() do
    local alliance = bm:alliances():item(i)
    wr("alliance " .. i .. " has " .. alliance:armies():count() .. " armies")

    for j = 1, alliance:armies():count() do
        local army = alliance:armies():item(j)
        wr("  army " .. j .. " has " .. army:units():count() .. " units")

        -- create controller
        local uc = army:create_unit_controller()

        local unit_types = {}
        for k = 1, army:units():count() do
            local unit = army:units():item(k)

            -- add each unit to the controller
            uc:add_units(unit)

            -- gather info for printing
            local utype = unit:type()
            local uname = unit:name()
            local men_alive = unit:number_of_men_alive()
            local men_start = unit:initial_number_of_men()
            table.insert(unit_types, utype .. " (" .. uname .. ", " .. men_alive .. "/" .. men_start .. ")")
        end
        
        wr("    units: " .. table.concat(unit_types, ", "))
    end
end

Video Tutorial (Rome II Example)

The process for enabling battle mode in Attila is identical to the Rome II process shown below: