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Experimental Update (World Map Events)



[h3]Greetings, Viceroys![/h3]
We’re back with a new iteration of the Experimental Branch. This time we’re presenting you with Events - new World Map activities that will reward you for completing additional challenges (or penalize you for failing to do so!). We also updated the Experimental version with the new content from the main branch’s Fishman Soothsayer Update.

The new changes are a part of the ongoing Experimental Cycle Overhaul. If you haven’t followed the recent updates, here are the update notes that will bring you up to speed:
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1336490/view/3674419898820262129
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1336490/view/3726210660308443444
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[h2]World Map Events[/h2]
One of the main problems with the current implementation of the World Map is that there is very little to explore. Apart from relatively passive Chests, the only thing you can discover are Modifiers. With today's update, we aim to explore the possibility of introducing events that offer interesting decisions on the world layer and have consequences lasting throughout the entire Cycle. To engage with an Event, you need to discover it on the World Map and click on it. If you don't interact with the event, it will disappear from the World Map when you return to it after the next run.




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[h2]Caravan Upgrades & Embarkation Rebalance[/h2]
Alongside the World Map Events, today's update introduces a new system: Caravan Upgrades. Although the initial caravans can be smaller than the previous baseline, you can now collect additional villagers, goods, and perks throughout the Cycle. In addition, there will be a higher fluctuation in Embarkation Points prices of the Embarkation Bonuses.
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[h2]Changelog[/h2]
  • Added 10 World Map Events.
  • Added the Caravan Upgrade system.
  • Added a cycle-long perk HUD in the lower left part of the world map.
  • Factions are disabled for now.
  • World Map chests were removed.
  • Decreased the number of people in starting caravans at the beginning of a Cycle.
  • Decreased the number of goods in starting caravans at the beginning of a Cycle.
  • Increased price fluctuations for Embarkation Bonuses.
  • ⚡ Added a confirmation popup when skipping the Cycle.
  • ⚡ The Seal tooltip now displays rewards for closing a Seal.
  • ⚡ Lowered the number of Seal Fragments required to start P5, P10, and P15 Seals.
  • ⚡ P20 games now grant more Seal Fragments.
  • ⚡ Changed the initial World Map setup so it no longer spawns the same three Bandit Camp modifiers.
  • ⚡ Fixed a bug with the World Map Modifier tooltip covering some popups.
  • ⚡ Fixed a bug with the completed Seal tooltip in the Cycle Summary showing incorrect rewards.
  • ⚡ Fixed a bug with a missing string in orders tied to valuable trade routes.
  • ⚡ Fixed a bug with incorrect Embarkation Point numbers on higher difficulty levels.
  • Fixed a bug with Daily Expeditions and Training Expeditions games influencing the Cycle calendar.

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[h2]Future[/h2]
If the new World Map events become an integral part of the game, you can expect we’ll add new ones in the future. We also aim to enrich them with unique imagery.

With this update, we didn’t make changes to some of the often-disputed aspects, such as the Cycle progression (Years vs Games). It doesn’t mean we’ve settled on a particular solution. It simply wasn’t a part of this iteration.
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[h2]How to test it?[/h2]
To play with the new features, you need to switch to the Experimental Branch (click here to learn how to switch to the Experimental Branch).

You can either start from the very beginning or simulate progress with those commands:
  • meta.addEarly
  • meta.addMiddle
  • meta.addLate
EXPERIMENTAL BRANCH GUIDE
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[h2]What are we interested in?[/h2]
If you decide to play the Experimental Update, please share your thoughts with us!

Primarily, we are interested in your answers to the following questions:
  • Have you found the new Events engaging?
  • How do you feel about progressing your Caravan through the Cycle?
  • Have you found the journey toward the Seals compelling?
  • Did you feel there were interesting decisions to make on the World Map?
  • Is there anything about these new mechanics that makes the gameplay feel worse (especially more repetitive) or better (especially more diverse)?

We eagerly await your impressions of the new update once you give it a try!

May the storm be gentle on you,
Eremite Games

The current Experimental Branch version is 0.52.02E.
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[h2]Previous Updates[/h2]
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1336490/view/3674419898820262129
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1336490/view/3726210660308443444
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1336490/view/3674419898827836728
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1336490/view/3674419898821036919