Spirit Island News

This update for the Multiplayer Public Beta includes new features and various bug fixes for problems reported by you, the players. Thanks for sending in your feedback, it's an essential part of getting multiplayer ready for everyone.

If you'd like to join the public beta, visit our website to learn all the details.

The Spirit Leader can now reassign Spirits to players during the game at any time. Click the multiplayer status button at the bottom left, then the "Reassign Spirits" button. Drag and drop player tags to Spirit panels to reassign them (similar to when a player disconnects).

We are continuing to work on various areas to streamline multiplayer gameplay by reducing voting and allowing simultaneous choices for different players, where possible. If you see a specific problem, please report it in-game when you see it and we can look into it. That will be more helpful to us than general requests for streamlining.

[h2]Development Roadmap[/h2]
Keep track of our development progress on the public beta Trello board. Please note that several items are still in development and are not yet available:

• Various scenarios are not yet playable in multiplayer
  
• In-game invites via URL/Discord
  

Other notable fixes and improvements in this update:

• The game will no longer get stuck in certain cases when losing to France's additional loss condition.
  
• Player tags are now shown on other Spirits when you are focused on a single Spirit in multiplayer.
  
• Fixed a rare case where the island map could disappear in multiplayer.
  
• Various panels will no longer be dimmed out when you're trying to access them at certain times.
  
• The text chat window can now be more easily moved by dragging from its top.
  
• Quick Play & joining a game in multiplayer mode can now randomly choose expansion Spirits in addition to core game Spirits.
  
• Improved the accessibility and behavior of Command Beasts in multiplayer (particularly when focused on a single Spirit).
  
• Improved the multiplayer user experience of performing the Ritual of Terror.
  
• In multiplayer, one player skipping an optional Fear card effect no longer skips it for everyone else.
  
• Event card Blighted Island effects such as The Center Crumbles have an improved multiplayer user experience.
  
• The Sacred Sites Under Threat and Urbanization events now support Choose For Me.
  
• The Presence removal decision on Absorb Essence is now made by the target Spirit, not Serpent Slumbering Beneath the Island.
  
• When choosing an effect on a card that affects a land, the land will now be highlighted (e.g. during Sacred Sites Under Threat).
  
• More improvements relating to Spirit phase undo have been made to avoid incorrect behavior with certain sequences of actions.
  
• When multiple Invader cards are in a slot, their order is now properly preserved when they advance to the next slot.
  
• Fixed problems with build logic that could cause Disease to get used up when Invaders should be prevented from building in a land.
  
• The growth actions on Ocean's Hungry Grasp that push/gather Presence will no longer prompt about empty lands.
  
• Fixed a problem interaction between the Beasts Attack event and Dahan Insurrection.
  

This update for the Multiplayer Public Beta is all about communication! It introduces planning markers and text chat, along with various bug fixes for problems reported by you, the players. Thanks for sending in your feedback, it's an essential part of getting multiplayer ready for everyone.

If you'd like to join the public beta, visit our website to learn all the details.

[h2]Planning Markers[/h2]
To help develop your strategy, you can add a marker to any land indicating your plans. Five different markers are available to choose from. This feature is available in both single player and multiplayer modes. To learn more, visit the How to Play screen in-game.



Quickly set a planning marker on a land by right clicking it, then clicking on a marker. Click a different marker to change it, or the same marker again to remove it. Alternatively, you can set a planning marker from Spirit Foresight by inspecting a land and clicking a button at the top of the detailed display.



All planning markers are automatically removed at the end of the turn when Time Passes.

In multiplayer, anyone can change the planning marker on any land. The last other player to do so will have their avatar icon shown with the marker.

[h2]Text Chat[/h2]
Spirit Island multiplayer now includes integrated text chat. Click the button or press "T" on the new game, in-game, or end game screens to send a message to other players.



[h2]Steam Deck[/h2]
We've made a few small adjustments to improve the experience on Steam Deck:

• Zooming in/out on the 3D board using the bumpers now works better.
  
• Press B to go back, open the menu, etc.
  
• Press X to toggle Spirit Focus.
  
• Press Y to open multiplayer text chat.
  

[h2]Development Roadmap[/h2]
Keep track of our development progress on the public beta Trello board. Please note that several items are still in development and are not yet available:

• Various scenarios are not yet playable in multiplayer
  
• In-game invites via URL/Discord
  

Other notable fixes in this update:

• The game over check for Dahan Insurrection now happens at the correct time, fixing a problem where it could only show to certain players in some cases.
  
• Fixed various problems with undoing growth options that could lead to incorrect behavior. Special thanks to WolfRowland92 for reporting lots of these with great info!
  
• Disabling the top tier of Heart of the Wildfire's first innate power now works as expected.
  
• Fixed a freeze that could occur during the Spirit Phase in the Powers Long Forgotten scenario.
  
• The Grant Hatred a Ravenous Form threshold now works properly when there are fewer than 3 applicable adjacent lands to choose from.
  
• The Discord fear card now interacts properly with Dahan Insurrection.
  
• The Fortification event now interacts properly with England's alternate loss condition.
  
• You may now skip playing the Major Power card gained from Call on Midnight's Dreams in multiplayer.
  
• The Grim Toll event no longer asks you to choose lands when nothing would happen.
  
• Sweden no longer asks for the order of ravaging when the special blight rule would not actually apply.
  
• Sky Stretches to Shore now interacts properly with Fire & Flood.
  
• Fixed undo and visual issues with Slave Rebellion when playing without events.
  
• Fixed a visual glitch between Command Beasts and Gift of Constancy at the end of turn.
  
• The Panic fear card now works properly when France replaces a stricken Explorer with a Town.
  
• England's High Immigration build is no longer skipped by effects that skip "the next normal Build."
  
• Fixed a warning that could occur when you had no energy left to play more cards.
  

This update for the Multiplayer Public Beta includes several bug fixes for problems reported by you, the players. Thanks for sending in your feedback, it's an essential part of getting multiplayer ready for everyone.

If you'd like to join the public beta, visit our website to learn all the details.

Please note that several items are still in development and are not yet available:

• Various scenarios are not yet playable in multiplayer
  
• Communication features such as text chat and planning indicators
  
• In-game invites via URL/Discord
  

Notable fixes in this update:

• Fixed a problem where other players using undo in multiplayer could cause your island map to go blank.
  
• Undoing Heart of the Wildfire's presence placement no longer sometimes causes a phantom blight piece to remain visible on the island.
  
• Fixed various sequences during growth that resulted in incorrect behaviour with Heart of the Wildfire, Keeper of the Forbidden Wilds, and Thunderspeaker.
  
• Undoing placing destroyed presence on a blighted island with A Spread of Rampant Green now correctly refunds the energy spent.
  
• Fixed Ocean's growth getting stuck after destroying an island board.
  
• Fixed another issue that could cause Reclaim 1 to interfere with regular card plays during growth.
  

This update for the Multiplayer Public Beta includes new features and various bug fixes for problems reported by you, the players. Thanks for sending in your feedback, it's an essential part of getting multiplayer ready for everyone.

If you'd like to join the public beta, visit our website to learn all the details.

Heart of the Wildfire and Keeper of the Forbidden Wilds are now playable in the beta in both single player and multiplayer modes.

A new multiplayer status panel is accessible in the bottom left corner. You can use this panel to see what other players are up to. It includes a "full resync" option that can get everyone back in sync if something goes wrong.

Now by default, if you are controlling a single spirit you will automatically start in Spirit Focus mode for that spirit in multiplayer. You can switch to seeing all spirits by using the +/- buttons in the corners if you prefer.

If you have multiple Reclaim One options available, there is a new interface that makes it more clear how to reclaim (and undo reclaim) from the discard pile.

A wide variety of multiplayer voting instances have been eliminated or reduced. We are continuing to work on various areas to streamline multiplayer gameplay by reducing voting and allowing simultaneous choices for different players, where possible.

Please note that several items are still in development and are not yet available:

• Various scenarios are not yet playable in multiplayer
  
• Communication features such as text chat and planning indicators
  
• In-game invites via URL/Discord
  

Other notable fixes in this update:

• Intermittent disconnections will no longer cause players to get out of sync.
  
• Serpent Slumbering Beneath the Island can now properly get its "Any" elements when uncovered.
  
• Fixed problems related to Spirit Focus mode in multiplayer.
  
• The Rituals of Terror scenario is now playable in multiplayer.
  
• If you vote for Finish Playing Cards and then play or un-play a card, your vote will be cancelled.
  

This update for the Multiplayer Public Beta includes various bug fixes for problems reported by you, the players. Thanks for sending in your feedback, it's an essential part of getting multiplayer ready for everyone.

If you'd like to join the public beta, visit our website to learn all the details.

Please note that several items are still in development and are not yet available. A partial list:

• Heart of the Wildfire and Keeper of the Forbidden Wilds are not yet playable in the beta
  
• Various scenarios are not yet playable in multiplayer
  
• Communication features such as text chat and planning indicators
  
• In-game invites via URL/Discord
  

We're also aware of some notable issues relating to the use of the main undo button, and are working on solving them for the next update.

Notable fixes in this update:

• Fixed an issue with selecting Presence causing sync issues (especially common in games with Serpent, Green, or Ocean).
  
• Mouse cursor will no longer disappear when someone uses undo while you're dragging a power.
  
• Improved reconnection logic and made the dialogs more clear about what is happening.
  
• Leaving a multiplayer game in progress now requires confirmation and is clear that you will not be able to return.
  
• Uncovering two Reclaim One spots on Presence tracks now works properly.
  
• Aid From Lesser Spirits now works properly in multiplayer.
  
• Fixed various issues around adding Presence and using the fine grained undo buttons.