Port Royale 4 News

Hello everybody!

Port Royale 4 has just received hotfix 1.2.1. This fix addresses feedback to the balancing of fame loss introduced in update 1.2. We also heard your feedback about the pause mode, which you can now end with the space bar.
Thank you for your support and feedback - we’re looking forward to hearing what you think about the changes. Enjoy your trading journey in Port Royale 4!

The Port Royale 4 Team



[h2]Changes in 1.2.1:[/h2]

[h3]Governing a town[/h3]

• The point where you start to lose fame has been decreased from 50% commodity supply to 20%.
  
• Existing save games from older versions will load with 90% commodity supply instead of 0%, so that fame loss won’t start right after loading. Over time it will then define the real commodity supply value. Fame loss will only start if the commodity supply is under 20% for a while (when playing with an older save game).

[h3]Loading a save game – pause mode[/h3]

• You can end pause mode after loading a save game by pressing the space bar instead of changing the time options in the UI.

Hello everybody!

Update 1.2 for Port Royale 4 is now available for Steam, versions for PS4 and Xbox One will follow. It includes several improvements regarding trade, the trade route editor and city governance, which we introduced to you in the most recent Captain’s Log and have all been developed thanks to your feedback since release.

Naturally, the update also contains many other changes, improvements and bug fixes - a detailed list can be found below.

We would like to thank you for your support and helpful feedback during the last few weeks and we’re looking forward to hearing what you think of the update.

The Port Royale 4 Team



[h2]Major improvements [/h2]

1. [h3]Governing towns [/h3]
   
   • The residents of those towns governed by the player will become disgruntled if the player does not supply them with a sufficient amount of commodities. The player will then continuously lose some fame until the issue is remedied (a hint will be shown in the town overview if this happens)
   
   
   
2. [h3]Trade route improvements [/h3]
   
   • Added ‘Unload all’ option to each town (if a warehouse exists)
     
   • Added ‘Repair’ option to each town to allow the player to choose the location where their convoy is repaired
     
   • The option to repair a convoy is only now applicable when a convoy’s hit points are below 95% and a town with the ‘repair’ option is reached
     
   • When editing towns, the name of the trade route is now displayed
     
   • Added special trade route option during war: if playing as the Merchant, enemy towns can now be automatically skipped when toggling an option in the trade route menu
   
   
   
3. [h3]Trading improvements [/h3]
   
   • Added optional, condensed trade window
     
   • Added default hot keys (A and D) for cycling between different filling levels during trading
     
   • Added default hot keys (W and S) for toggling between ‘buy/sell all’ options
   
   
   
4. [h3]Display of towns and alternate ALT-view [/h3]
   
   • Added default state of individual icons signifying special events in towns (plague, for example) to the map
     
   • Changed ‘ALT’ key to now toggle between map modes instead of having to hold the button to see the wind map
     
   • Alternate view via ‘ALT’ now marks the commodities which are needed the most for each town with a red background

[h2]Further improvements [/h2]

1. [h3]Preview of ships in a convoy [/h3]
   
   • Implemented preview of vessels belonging to an AI convoy (also shows the current speed of convoy)
   
   
   
2. [h3]Mini map improvements [/h3]
   
   • Mini map now has set colours for each nation as default. The previously implemented map mode showing each nation’s diplomatic stance in relation to the player is still available as secondary display mode.
     
   • Mini map now displays the location of mission objectives
   
   
   
3. [h3]Improved ship speed mechanic [/h3]
   
   • Convoy window now shows current speed of ship and additional analysis
     
   • Badly damaged vessels will now be slower to move
   
   
   
4. [h3]Rebalanced Piratess character [/h3]
   
   • Replaced the ‘not getting attacked by pirates’ bonus with a 50% reduction on the upkeep needed for sailors
   
   
   
5. [h3]Show total value of loaded goods [/h3]
   
   • Total estimated value of loaded goods can now be viewed via the convoy’s ‘commodities’ tab
   
   
   
6. [h3]Enhance game speed settings [/h3]
   
   • Implemented 5x speed
     
   • Added tool tip to multiplier option within the Time Settings dialog
   
   
   
7. [h3]Save game Improvements [/h3]
   
   • Added additional details to saved game slots (e.g. time spent in-game, time spent in current campaign [if applicable], player net worth and number of vessels owned by player).

[h2]Minor improvements [/h2]

• Improved hex field colours in construction mode depending on the terrain of cities
  
• Jolly Roger is no longer hoisted following a defeat in naval combat
  
• Placement of docked vessels (in lighthouse) in harbour have been adjusted for better aesthetics
  
• Added decorative long-boats to harbours to depict a more lively scenery
  
• Switching captains is only now available when player is docked at a harbour
  
• Added new ‘Mostly armed’ option for armed trading convoys so that even pirates can stumble onto unguarded trading convoys from time to time
  
• Added a new hot key to switch between town overview and warehouse (default key is set to ‘Y’ for the English layout and ´Z´ for the German layout)
  
• Added ‘Highlight towns’ option to show towns with unassigned vessels in the lighthouse
  
• Added tool tips for the various difficulty settings
  
• Added voice line for advisor to indicate if there are new or potential issues the player might want to address in the ‘Convoy and towns’ -> ‘Advisor’ tab
  
• Added hint marker to show which goods can be found when collecting free goods on the beach
  
• Added gear icon to all produced goods in a warehouse; made first checkbox in the ‘commodities’ tab inaccessible to the player if they don't produce the goods themselves
  
• Rephrased the ‘Production of commodities restricted’ hint
  
• Added indicator to show required construction time for all buildings in ‘Construction’ menu
  
• Added ‘required construction time’ tool tip when necessary resources are missing
  
• Redesigned orange destination buoys
  
• Added default state: paused, 0x game speed, when loading a saved game
  
• Rearranged display order of items within ‘Convoy & town lists’ tab. New order now is ‘convoys’, ‘on tour’, ‘advisor’, vessels’ and ‘towns’
  
• After closing and reopening a list, ‘Convoy & town’ lists are no longer reset

[h2]New hot keys and functionality: [/h2]

• Cycling between Warehouse filling levels during trading and toggling the ‘buy/sell all’ options is now done using the WASD by default
  
• ‘ALT’ key now toggles between map modes and no longer has to be held to see wind map
  
• Added default hot key ‘Y’ to switch between town overview and warehouse (default key is set to ‘Y’ for the English layout and ´Z´ for the German layout)
  
• Added default hot key combination ‘CTRL + TAB’ for manually anchored, player-controlled ships
  
• Added default hot key ‘Enter’ to jump to latest bell chime

[h2]Halloween Event (active from the 24.10. until the 7.11.) [/h2]
Halloween Update can be enabled or disabled in the graphics tab of the menu. Changes to this option will send you back to the main menu, please make sure to save your game.

• Halloween Update | 3D view customizations
  
• Additional option for lighting settings: “Seasonal”.
  
• Halloween Update | Main menu adjustments
  
• Halloween Update | Loading screen adjustments
  

[h2]Bug fixes and optimization [/h2]

• Fixed: ‘task failed’ notification no longer pops-up even when there is time remaining to complete a task
  
• Fixed: AI convoys are now all armed
  
• Fixed: costs for ships at Shipyard
  
• Fixed: Warehouse is now the first building
  
• Optimized: price curves – ascents have been flattened
  
• Fixed: game now saves after Spanish campaign is completed, even if player doesn’t confirm ‘Congratulations’ message
  
• Fixed: debug text no longer displays alongside reward points when delivering the required commodities to the 'Belize City' town.
  
• Fixed: abrupt roll animation in birds along the longitudinal axis
  
• Fixed: going into debt when making purchases
  
• Fixed: camera rotation when in menus
  
• Fixed: increased default tutorial game speed (was previously 0.0x)
  
• Fixed: display of incorrect production gears in construction mode
  
• Fixed: incorrect bell chimes even if automatic trade route is selected and port is approaching
  
• Fixed: turtle animations
  
• Fixed: Spanish ships staying in New Orleans harbour due to waiting position of lighthouse
  
• Fixed: moving on the map moves cities within Trade menu
  
• Fixed: activating the trade route lets the convoy drop off during the break
  
• Fixed: missing functionality for wind map when playing with controller
  
• Fixed: incorrect position for Tutorial 04 arrow
  
• Optimized: synchronisation for cloud and local score
  
• Fixed: default loading option of 199 barrels in Trade menu
  
• Fixed: Tutorial 04 - game progress is blocked if player opened hints menu during this tutorial
  
• Fixed: some tasks are not checked for current state
  
• Fixed: Tutorial 04 - for visualization, building permit in Necoli is required
  
• Fixed: Tutorial 04 - increased production slots
  
• Fixed: game crashed when accessing city view
  
• Fixed: two bars are always increased in trade dialogue
  
• Fixed: Pirate icon in Viceroy tab
  
• Fixed: Spanish campaign is considered completed, even if player fails
  
• Fixed: faulty UI, in which Captain skills would display incorrectly
  
• Fixed: estimated travel time
  
• Fixed: trade license required for interaction with Shipyard
  
• Fixed: UI glitch - Italian text exceeds box containing letter of Marque option in Viceroy menu
  
• Fixed: sailors in convoy are not prioritized in the first row
  
• Fixed: toggled bug reporter
  
• Fixed: during the French campaign, game would sometimes crash when player zooms in on a town (provided language is set to French)
  
• Fixed: UI glitch – French text 'Create a new route' exceeds text box in the Trade Route menu
  
• Fixed: emergency repair in loop
  
• Fixed: show scarce goods with ‘ALT’ key
  
• Fixed: bug when transforming Small Church to Church
  
• Fixed: trade route will hoard certain commodities
  
• Fixed: naval battles - certain control options not possible when mousing over a ship
  
• Fixed: Warehouse unload bug
  
• Fixed: faulty display of tool tips
  
• Fixed: number of businesses displayed in Production tab
  
• Fixed: increased scroll speed with mouse wheel in Manual and Trade tabs
  
• Fixed: city filter inconsistency on mini map
  
• Fixed: faulty localisation for 'Dismiss warehouse admin’ option
  
• Fixed: faulty visibility radius
  
• Fixed: missing game tips
  
• Fixed: UI glitch - debug text displays in ‘Attacks on towns’ section under the ‘Conflicts’ category in the ‘Tips & Tricks’ menu
  
• Fixed: frozen vessel during naval battles
  
• Fixed: player’s convoy can attack pirate hideouts and the corresponding pirate convoy from a far distance (for instance a convoy from New Orleans is able engage a convoy in Port of Spain).
  
• Fixed: Scroll bar in the advisor tab is broken

Hi everyone,

[Edit: We have made a small change in our roadmap schedule, so we are updating the image and text today – the changes are marked in square brackets in the text.]
As you know, we are currently hard at work on further updates to Port Royale 4.
In previous updates (1.1 and 1.1.1), we implemented the first changes based on community feedback from reviews, forums, and other channels. As we prepare to deploy the next few updates to the game, we would like to give you a sneak peek of what’s to come in updates 1.2 through 1.4. [Edit: Please note, that we will merge updates 1.3 and 1.4 into one bigger update – update 1.3. The planned content is still the same, but will arrive in one update instead of two.]

In Update 1.2, you can expect an adjustment of the trade route editor, as well as further changes and improvements to the trading system and some tweaks to how towns are governed. See our previous Captain’s Log for Update 1.2: https://blog.kalypsomedia.com/en/port-royale-4-captains-log-update-1-2/

For Update 1.3 and 1.4, we are planning various improvements to the turn-based combat system as well as to town building. In addition, we will be tweaking ships so that those without any crew members will not be able to continue fighting and, in Update 1.4 1.3, players will be able to declare independence and play as their own nation. They will also have the option to influence relationships between nations so to prevent or provoke wars.

All upcoming changes featured in these updates will be explained in further detail with a special Captain's Log blog post (see our previous post for Update 1.2) and a livestream on our Twitch channel.
Below, you will also find a roadmap giving a full look at the timeline we have in place for these updates:




*Image updated on Novemver 2nd 20

Thanks for your support and please feel free to continue sending through your thoughts and ideas for Port Royale 4. Happy sailing!

Hi everyone,

Wednesday is Kalypso-Livestream Day!

Join Moritz and Patrick on wednesday at 7PM CET / 6PM GMT / 1PM EST for an exclusive Port Royale 4 Stream, already with the upcoming Update 1.2 on the official Kalypso Media Twitch Channel.

ːgalleyː You will find us in Kalypso Media's hometown harbour:
ːgalleyː https://twitch.tv/kalypsomedia

[h3]Hi everyone,[/h3]

My name is Moritz, also known on Steam as ‘Lord MK’, and I am the Producer of Port Royale 4.

In our second Captain’s Log for Port Royale 4, I would like to talk to you about the next step in our journey: Update 1.2.

There will be a lot of design adjustments arriving soon - the majority derived from those suggestions from the community via the ‘Suggestions and Ideas’ sub-forum on Steam, as well as messages we received on social media and emails that came through to our Support team. I’d like to introduce and explain four of those adjustments in detail – namely, changes to town governance, the trade route editor, the trade menu and the mini map.


[h3]1) Governing a town [/h3]

In Port Royale 4, you always start as the governor of a town, but the game does not force you to take care of that town’s citizens. This will be updated. Moving forward, the people of those towns you are governing will take note if you are regularly supplying them with commodities. If you fail to deliver enough wares, your citizens will become unhappy and complain to the viceroy, resulting in you continuously losing fame until this is remedied.


[h3]2) Trade route editor [/h3]

The trade route editor will receive multiple enhancements based on feedback from the community, including:

• Choosing where your convoys are repaired
  
• Having the option to ‘unload all’, if you own an empty warehouse in a town, before new goods are picked up
  
• Being able to see the name of the trade route when editing the towns associated with that trade route
  
• Having the option to automatically skip a town if you are playing as the trader and you are at war with that town

[h3]3) Trading[/h3]

The trading window will receive an optional compressed version, allowing you to trade any commodity without having to scroll down.
We will also add hotkeys, allowing you to cycle through the filling levels of a town’s stored commodities. By default, this will be bound to ‘A’ and ‘D’, but these keys can be rebound. This should make trading much more streamlined.


[h3]4) Mini map[/h3]

With Update 1.2, the mini map will now default to show the nationality, not the diplomatic stance. Towns will be colour coded according to their nation, and player-controlled cities will receive their own special colour. The diplomatic stance option will still be available as a secondary display mode for the mini map.



[h2]Additional changes in Update 1.2 [/h2]

Update 1.2 will also come alongside many other improvements and bug fixes that we will not dive deeper into today. There are, however, two more improvements that might be of interest to some that we would like to highlight, since these topics have been discussed a lot in the forum. These are:

• The Piratess will receive a 50% reduction in upkeep for sailors but now herself, runs the risk of being attacked by pirates
  
• An additional speed option will be added to allow players to further increase game speed

[h2]Closing words [/h2]

We are aware that there are other important parts of the game that you would like to see iterated upon, including improvements to the turn-based combat system, politics and city building. While these did not make it into Update 1.2, we will take a closer look at these topics in future updates, so please keep the feedback coming!

We would also like to invite you to join us in our sneak preview of Update 1.2 via our Port Royale 4 livestream on Wednesday, 21st October at 19:00 CEST on our Twitch channel.


Stay safe and thank you for sticking with us on this journey, Your Port Royale 4 team


For additional screenshots, please visit our blog at:
https://blog.kalypsomedia.com/en/port-royale-4-captains-log-update-1-2/