Since I saw some threads regarding problems how to get the game to work I decided to post a step-by-step on how to get the GamersGate (GG from now on) version to work with the last beta patch.
1. Download the installer from GG and run it. Wait for the download and follow the instructions to install the game.
2. Download the 2.32 patch from GG and install it.
3a. Navigate into the install folder and double-click the RomeGame.exe in that folder to see that the game starts up and that it displays the correct version and checksum in the lower left corner v2.32c (SWBL).
3b. If it does not show the correct checksum, just exit the game and run it again, this time it should show SWBL as the checksum.
3c. After you have confirmed that it is indeed v2.32c with SWBL as checksum exit the game.
So far easy-piecy, now comes the messy bit.
4. Make a new folder and call it EURomebeta.
5. Go into your install folder of EU:Rome and press CTRL+A and then CTRL+C (this will first select everything in that folder and then copy it).
6. Go into the EURomebeta folder and press CTRL+V (this will paste in the copied files).
7a. Now double-click the RomeGame.exe in that folder to see that the game starts up and that it displays the correct version and checksum in the lower left corner v2.32c (SWBL) for this copy of the game too.
7b. If it does not show the correct checksum, just exit the game and run it again, this time it should show SWBL as the checksum.
7c. After you have confirmed that this copy too is indeed v2.32c with SWBL as checksum exit the game.
8. Now select the setting.txt in your EURomebeta folder and delete it. Then go into the map folder and then into cache. Now press CTRL+A and then press delete (this will remove your settings file and delete everything in your EURomebeta\map\cache folder).
9. Now go to PATCH v2.36c (BETA) - checksum XEVC and download the rar-archieve at the end of the first post.
10. Open up the location where you downloaded the file an extract the archieve by right-clicking and selecting 'Extract to Rome_v2_36c\'
11. Go into the Rome_v2_36c folder and make sure it has a file structure similar to the one in your installation folder (it should be 8 files plus 9 subfolders) and not that everything is in one single place. If so press CTRL+A and CTRL+C.
12. Now navigate to your EURomebeta folder and press CTRL+V. When a prompt pops up select to overwrite all existing files.
13. Now navigate to your original installation folder and go into map and then into cache. Select the province_textures folder and press CTRL+C.
14. Go back to EURomebeta folder and go into map and then into cache and press CTRL+V.
15. Now go back to the EURomebeta folder and double-click RomeGame.exe, let the game load up properly and when you get to the main menu exit game.
16. Run the RomeGame.exe once more and now when you get to the main menu it should show v2.36c with XEVC as checksum and it should not crash to desktop when you select anything else than settings.
This list became much longer than I thought it'd be and hopefully I haven't made a bunch of errors in it. The reason for this post was that when I followed the instructions in https://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/index.php?threads/patch-v2-36c-beta-checksum-xevc.707833/ thread, I either ended up with a working version of the game but with the wrong checksum or a version of the game with the correct checksum but it crashed whenever I clicked anything else than settings in the main menu.
Please let me know if it works.
1. Download the installer from GG and run it. Wait for the download and follow the instructions to install the game.
2. Download the 2.32 patch from GG and install it.
3a. Navigate into the install folder and double-click the RomeGame.exe in that folder to see that the game starts up and that it displays the correct version and checksum in the lower left corner v2.32c (SWBL).
3b. If it does not show the correct checksum, just exit the game and run it again, this time it should show SWBL as the checksum.
3c. After you have confirmed that it is indeed v2.32c with SWBL as checksum exit the game.
So far easy-piecy, now comes the messy bit.
4. Make a new folder and call it EURomebeta.
5. Go into your install folder of EU:Rome and press CTRL+A and then CTRL+C (this will first select everything in that folder and then copy it).
6. Go into the EURomebeta folder and press CTRL+V (this will paste in the copied files).
7a. Now double-click the RomeGame.exe in that folder to see that the game starts up and that it displays the correct version and checksum in the lower left corner v2.32c (SWBL) for this copy of the game too.
7b. If it does not show the correct checksum, just exit the game and run it again, this time it should show SWBL as the checksum.
7c. After you have confirmed that this copy too is indeed v2.32c with SWBL as checksum exit the game.
8. Now select the setting.txt in your EURomebeta folder and delete it. Then go into the map folder and then into cache. Now press CTRL+A and then press delete (this will remove your settings file and delete everything in your EURomebeta\map\cache folder).
9. Now go to PATCH v2.36c (BETA) - checksum XEVC and download the rar-archieve at the end of the first post.
10. Open up the location where you downloaded the file an extract the archieve by right-clicking and selecting 'Extract to Rome_v2_36c\'
11. Go into the Rome_v2_36c folder and make sure it has a file structure similar to the one in your installation folder (it should be 8 files plus 9 subfolders) and not that everything is in one single place. If so press CTRL+A and CTRL+C.
12. Now navigate to your EURomebeta folder and press CTRL+V. When a prompt pops up select to overwrite all existing files.
13. Now navigate to your original installation folder and go into map and then into cache. Select the province_textures folder and press CTRL+C.
14. Go back to EURomebeta folder and go into map and then into cache and press CTRL+V.
15. Now go back to the EURomebeta folder and double-click RomeGame.exe, let the game load up properly and when you get to the main menu exit game.
16. Run the RomeGame.exe once more and now when you get to the main menu it should show v2.36c with XEVC as checksum and it should not crash to desktop when you select anything else than settings.
This list became much longer than I thought it'd be and hopefully I haven't made a bunch of errors in it. The reason for this post was that when I followed the instructions in https://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/index.php?threads/patch-v2-36c-beta-checksum-xevc.707833/ thread, I either ended up with a working version of the game but with the wrong checksum or a version of the game with the correct checksum but it crashed whenever I clicked anything else than settings in the main menu.
Please let me know if it works.