Rise Of The White Sun News

[h2]Rise of the White Sun now features Mongolia![/h2]

This has been a huge work: a lot of game mechanisms have been added to portray warfare and policies in the steppe.
Main additions to game are:

3 new factions

• Ungern's Asian Cavalry Division
  
• The Chinese Northern Defence Army
  
• The bloody Ja Lama
  
• The Mongol People's Party and the Red Army
  

The later one not being playable for the moment. They appear in the game but are AI controlled.
The plan is to make them part of a playable multifaction including the Komintern and the Young Chinese Communist Party.

A lot of new game mechanisms

• Trucks
  
• Cavalry
  
• Mongol Banners
  
• Desert & Steppe
  
• Cattle
  

Some things have also been reworked

• The GMD victory conditions in the Little Model China have been changed
  
• A lot of ingame Aid and context texts have been added
  

I realize that you love to know the historical outcome/aftermath of a faction ad that giving you that information often greatly helps you.
I may add some more "spoiler" panels with historical information.

[h2]Game Development Road Map and ETA[/h2]

1) Featuring all the province and all the factions in the Little Model China.
They are 3 big content patches to come:
-Xinjiang & Gansu*
-Tibet
-The birth of the CCP

2) A great map painting -sandbox- no stress scenario.
Once we have all China in the game, nothing opposes to creating that kind of more relaxed scenario.

3) Extenting the Guangdong Revolutionary Base to include the Northern Expedition

4) Completing the Chinese Translation.
It is 65-70% done. It may seem to stall, but as I keep adding tons of texts every day, a 65% done translation is actually encouraging.

And that will be done!

Have fun!

*I struggle to get enough documentation about Gansu in 1920. Feel free to help

[h2]What's new?[/h2]

As you may know, I am currently working on the Mongolia content patch.
I had a lot of new mechanisms to add to the game system, to portray Mongolia as it deserves.

This is why, you now have in the game:

* Steppes
*Livestoks
*Mongol banners
*Cavalry
*New maps prototype in Heilongjiang

[h3]Mongol banners[/h3]

Mongol banners have now special management actions.
You will need to buy the loyalty of Mongol Princes and Lamas in order to do anything worthy in the Mongol steppes.
If you prefer, you can also start a long and costly policy to bring Han settlers in Outer Mongolia.

[h3]Into the steppes[/h3]

You will find that your coolies and habits of living on the land won't be of any help into the vast void steppe.
You will soon learn to seize cattle and move surrounded by your own herds.

[h3]Cavalry[/h3]

Cavalry units are now included in the game!
Bandits riders are now common in North China, and Mongol Rebels my harass you from time to time.
Cavalry units have many advantages, including not having to rely on coolies, but they are also more fragile and costly.

Of course, cavalry grants many bonsues to an army:
-More loot during plunders
-More fleeing enemies killed
-Less chances of being ambushed
-No move maluses into the steppe
etc...

[h3]Maps new look[/h3]

I started to experiment with new better looking maps.
Heilongjiang is my "model province" to do so.
I'd love to have your feed back!


[h2]What's next?[/h2]

The order of the incoming patches may change, but for the moment my road map is:

April
*Mongolia, and the mad baron's last ride (April, first weeks)
*Sinkiang (Xinjiang), and the last White Russian stand of the Civil War (April)
*Tibet & Gansu (April-May)

May
*Maps redrawn (May?)
*Guangdong Revolutionary Base scenario extended (more provinces, more game turns), to cover the Northern Expedition
*Some sand box, map painting, scenario (I don't know the starting date yet)

June
*Red Bases: A scenario starting in 1927, just after the Guomindang-Communist split

July
*polishing, fine-tuning
*More wiki, more tooltips
*Texts proof reading

The final release will only happen when the chinese translation will be done.
Unless it takes way too much time.
I don't know when...


August

If all goes according to the plan, I should be working on "Cold War 2" for PC by August.

Have fun!

Hello,

I have been shipping fast a lot of updates these days.
Now all China except the North West is playable.
(North West China lived a life on its own at that time, but I plan to add huge parts of it nevertheless)

[h2]What is new?[/h2]

• Manchuria & the Chinese Eastern Railway
  
• Beijing government
  
• More save game sots
  
• Extented scenario length
  
• New cheat codes
  
• New characters' special events
  
• New treason mechanisms
  

[h3]Manchuria & the Chinese Eastern Railway[/h3]

Zhang Zuolin's Fengtian faction is now available, along with the Manchurian provinces.
It is a very powerful faction with a huge economical power and many supply sources to get modern weapons.

In the Little Model China, that faction just took over the Presidency and the security of the China Eastern Railways. As the Russian civil war is raging, you can expect troubles all along the railway line.
Bolshevik agents will try to create troubles to prevent allied supply from Vladivostok to reach the White Forces, and retreating White Forces will have to be disarmed before they turn to banditry.

The Fengtian character roster is filled with able characters, so the player will be able to turn his domain into an economical powerhouse.

That faction does not control the Beijing government, but have powerful armed forces in the vincinity, and taking over the power won't be so difficult (facing the Zhili Clique counter-offensive, may be less easy)





[h3]The Beijing Government[/h3]

Who controls Beijing controls China's government.
That position will give you extra bonuses.

The Finance ministry will receive the income from China's customs (they are in the hands of Foreigners, who collect the taxes and give back China its share).

The Foreign ministry has a bonus to actions involving Foreign Powers (like buying modern weaponry or requesting a loan)

Needless to say that controlling Beijing will give you a clear edge on the competition for supremacy in China.

[h3]More game save slots[/h3]

You now have 3 saved game slots. This is ertainly enough at the moment. Adding some more would not be a problem anyway.

[h3]Extended scenario mechanism[/h3]

I am testing this new feature in the "Little Model China" scenario.
At scenario's end, provided you scored a victory, you will offered the possibility to play for 50 more turns with new victory conditions.
(the new victory conditions are "global domination" style)

[h3]New cheat code[/h3]

For those who forget how to open the cheat console: just type "c".
There is a new code available:
-"sepuku" will kill your selected character. This may be useful to get ride easily of one of your characters.
Cheat codes are creating for playtesting purpose: it is obvious that killing key characters in heavily scripted scenarios may produce clunky effects.

[h3]Characters special events[/h3]

I added many mini personal events to your character's life.
Some of them will impact the character's loyalty.

You may also spot a new character's role: playboy.
That just means that one of this character's main occupation is partying in smoking all night, drinking champagne with Foreigners.
(I am not sure this is super useful, but it gives some bonuses and maluses here and there)


[h3]Treason mechanisms[/h3]

Now, characters' loyalty is really a thing.
A character position in your clique may have an effect on his loyalty, and now some AIs will try to bribe your men away.

Circular telegrams may be the occasion for such characters to switch side, but they also may choose to leave your faction and stay neutral.


[h2]What's next?[/h2]





Yeah, these guys are what is next to come.


Have fun!

Maestro Cinetik

Warning: that patch will kill your old saved games.

The Little Model China scenario has been extended to include 3 more provinces, 2 more factions and 6 more characters.

The Shanxi clique is a nice pick for players who want to practice province building. (that faction characters roster also contains some interesting characters)

Other improvements:

-Large screens (>3000px) had ridiculously small action buttons, it is fixed now
-Scenario screen now have icons to indicate which factions have scripted events.

[h2]What's next?[/h2]

The next big content patch will turn the Little Model China scenario into a complete big campaign, with 7 to 9 new provinces, the Fengtian Clique and the Beijing government mechanisms.

That could come quite quick, as the work on the provinces is already done.

That scenario will have an option in case of victory to extend the game (for 100 or 200 more turns, I don't know yet) with new map painting victory conditions.

Have fun!

Maestro Cinetik

Many cool new things in the last patch:

-An army list screen reworked toi manage all your armies easily from one screen
-The Little Model China scenario has been extended to include Hubei, Henan and Shaanxi
-6 new factions and 14 new characters
-Many AI have been reworked
-Some new events added
-Some bugs killed...

But the most interesting addition in my opinion is a new type of faction:

[h2]The Spirit Soldiers[/h2]

Did you ever dream of playing as a mystical sect, whose aim is to defend the peasants against bandits and rapacious warlords?

That dream came true!

You certainly encountered these guys before as a neutral faction in Guizhou.



The spirit soldiers have distinct game mechanisms and actions.

Gain Magical Immunity to bullets and other battle charms

Spirit Soldiers units can be trained to gain magical powers (not for real, but it has a real impact if you believe in them).
It is possible to maintain areally high morale and loyalty level among Spirit Soldiers, through magical ceremonies and superstition.

Bullets and rifles are not your kind of weapons: don't expect to inflict the same huge damages as Northern Warlords armies do.
Yes, Spirit Soldiers have a bonus to hand to hand fighting, as they master the sword and the spear, but let's be honest, that will never match the damages of artillery fire.

Raise impressive armies of peasants in no time

Spirit Soldiers are able to summon impressive troops of peasants.
The only drawback is that these gatherings are temporary (they last 1 turn before disbanding).
Also, they have the same problem as any other peasant troops: they tend to vanish as they venture far from their home village.

Like fish in the sea

Spirit Soldiers troops have bonus to ambush their opponents, and to their supplying capacity if they are in a friendly district.
Playing as this faction, most of the time, you won't have to worry about supplying your troops.

Ages old feuds

As you extend your influence in nearby districts, you will certainly face rival secret societies, and struggle to maintain your sphere of influence.



[h2]Next steps[/h2]

Short Term

I will now spend some time on some small but nice features, like adding special actions for Feng Yuxiang, the christian general, or some more content to the Old vs Young Guizhou Cliques.

Then I will go for something bigger:

What about a scenario about the 1927 CCP soviets and uprisings?

Medium term

The "Little Model China" and "Guangdong Revolutionary Base" scenario will be extended.
"Little Model China" will include most of China provinces.

The "Shanghai Uprising" scenario will certainly be reworked.