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Experimental Update 1.5.08 (Gathering and Fishing, Cornerstone Forge)

[h3]Greetings, Viceroys![/h3]
We're back with another Experimental Update filled with balance changes, improvements, and fixes. Again, we are extremely grateful for all the suggestions and reports we received. It means a lot to us!

We also welcome all the feedback, so if you had a chance to play on the Experimental Branch and haven't shared your thoughts yet, we encourage you to do so.

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[h3]Balance[/h3]
  • Changed how the Deeply Hidden Riches biome effect works. It now gives a Thunderblight Shard for every 50/150/250 vein charges used, not goods produced.
  • Revamped the Feeling Lucky deed.
    • The old Feeling Lucky deed was renamed to Feeling Extremely Lucky and it’s now a hidden deed, not tied to platform achievements.
    • In its place, we added a new version of the Feeling Lucky deed, which requires players to find just the Rainpunk Foundry blueprint in the Coastal Grove.
  • Removed the Fishing Hut blueprint from the Master Blueprint Cornerstone. It also no longer lowers fishing speed.
  • The Forsaken Town modifier can now also spawn Blight Posts, small gathering camps, and the Forsaken Altar.
  • Reduced the number of duplicate pre-spawned buildings in Forsaken Town maps.
  • Added a few more buildings to some starting glades when playing with the Forsaken Town modifier.
  • Added some missing resources (Fish, Algae, Scales, Boots, Paste) to random reward packs (from the Hooded Trickster or effects like Seized Inheritance, etc.).


Cornerstone Forge panel (work in progress, subject to change)

[h3]UI/UX[/h3]
  • The Cornerstone Forge UI panel has been updated. It's now a full-screen panel like the Forsaken Altar.
  • Reworded several effects, tooltips, descriptions, and labels to better differentiate between gathering and fishing.
    • Resource nodes/deposits found in glades are now called “gathering nodes”.
    • Ponds are now called “fishing ponds”.
    • Ore/veins are now always called “veins”.
    • Camps that collect resources from gathering nodes (Trappers’ Camp, Foragers’ Camp, Herbalists’ Camp, Stonecutters’ Camp, Harvesters’ Camp) are now always referred to as “gathering camps”.
    • Fishing Huts and Woodcutters’ Camps are not considered gathering camps and are labeled and referred to accordingly in descriptions.
    • All effects and perks tied to either gathering and fishing have been updated to use this new type of labeling.
    • All alerts, tooltips, and villager statuses tied to fishing were updated to reflect this change.
  • Changed the description of the Gentle Dawn Forest Mystery to mention that the starting glade also counts towards the bonus.
  • Updated the descriptions of the Basic Housing need and Shelters to reflect that not all species use Shelters.
  • Frog specializations in buildings are hidden if the DLC is not enabled.
  • The text displayed at the end of a Blighstorm cycle has been changed to make it clearer that players can only embark to the Seal Forest from their last settlement.
  • Updated the description of the Crown Chronicles effect to clarify that only ruins found in glades count towards it.

[h3]Bug fixes[/h3]
  • Fixed a bug where builders were grabbing resources from the internal storages of very distant buildings, causing build priority issues.
  • Fixed a bug where Blight Fighters would only take resources from the Main Warehouse, even if a Small Warehouse was nearby.
  • Fixed a bug where workers were taking resources from and depositing goods in Small Warehouses that were not yet fully built.
  • Fixed a bug where builders assigned to unfinished buildings would sometimes count as workers for some effects (e.g. villagers building a gathering camp would count for the Gathering Knowledge biome effect in the Marshlands).
  • Fixed a bug that was causing the "fully upgraded houses" condition to appear in the Cornerstone Forge for players who hadn't yet unlocked house upgrades.
  • Fixed a bug where random resource rewards from the Cornerstone Forge had incorrect numbers in their descriptions.
  • Fixed a bug where some Forsaken Town maps would spawn without pre-built buildings.
  • Fixed a bug that caused some world events to appear too often on the world map.
  • Fixed a bug where the Royal Mining Operation biome effect was always showing 0 in its progress preview.
  • Fixed a bug where Cornerstones with a Species Resolve effect created in the Cornerstone Forge were breaking newcomer arrival.
  • Fixed a bug where the “produce copper ore” trigger in the Cornerstone Forge would only mention mining in its description.
  • Fixed an issue where key rebinding could lead to an infinite loading screen.
  • Fixed a bug where the town name was randomized after leaving the Embarkation Screen.
  • Fixed a bug where the Ruined Leatherworker building had the wrong resource requirements.
  • Fixed a bug where some glades in the Scarlet Orchard were marked by the Archaeologist's Office, but did not contain a dig site.
  • Fixed a bug where the Fallen Viceroy Commemoration effect did not affect Frogs.
  • Fixed a typo in Lori’s dialogue (when she talks about Foxes).
  • Fixed a bug where the Stormforged version of the Alarm Bells Cornerstone did not have a progress preview in its tooltip.
  • Fixed a bug where the Cannery Ruin had the wrong resources assigned to the “Rebuild” option.
  • Fixed a bug where the Book of Water perk did not show up in the Rainpunk Foundry UI.
  • Fixed a bug where the Survivor Bonding Resolve effect would be removed when one of two instances of this Cornerstone was upgraded to its Sotrmforged version.
  • Fixed a bug where the Beaver Utopia Deed would not recognize the Holy Guild House as a viable Guild House alternative.

[h3]Known issues[/h3]
  • In the Cornerstone Forge panel, some effects don’t show the numerical change on the connector after adding a penalty.
The current Experimental Branch version is 1.5.08.

May the storm be gentle on you,
Eremite Games

[hr][/hr]
[h2]Previous Experimental Updates[/h2]
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1336490/view/4485116032403374097
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1336490/view/4441205298304123167
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1336490/view/4441205298304122972
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1336490/view/4525647157467807755

Experimental Patch 1.5.05 (Forsaken Town, Royal Mining Operation)

[h3]Greetings, Viceroys![/h3]
We just released a small patch to the Experimental Branch with general improvements and a couple of fixes to the ̶A̶b̶a̶n̶d̶o̶n̶e̶d̶ ̶S̶e̶t̶t̶l̶e̶m̶e̶n̶t̶ Forsaken Town world event introduced in yesterday's update.

Thank you all for your reports and suggestions!

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[h3]Balance[/h3]
  • Changed the Ashen Thicket biome passive effect.
    • The Royal Mining Operation effect no longer increases the double yield chance in mines for assigning workers. Instead, it now spawns a hauling cart at a warehouse every time 80 Copper Ore, Salt, and Coal is used in crafting.
  • Added pre-built Woodcutters’ Camps to more starting glades when playing the Forsaken Town World Event.
  • Some essential buildings and more camps can now spawn in maps with the Forsaken Town effect.
  • Increased the amount of Artifacts given for winning a Forsaken Town map.
  • Changed how payments are applied to a Forsaken Town. There is now a % chance of having an outstanding payment when starting a game. The chance is lower in the easier version of the town, and higher in the harder version.
  • Tweaked the difficulty of the easier version of the Forsaken Town world event.
    • Increased the chance that some blueprints will be available for the player to select (instead of being already selected).
    • Slightly lowered the maximum number of Impatience Points players can start with.
    • Increased the chance of having more orders to pick at the start of the game (instead of having more of them already selected).
    • Reduced the maximum number of already opened small glades.

[h3]UI/UX[/h3]
  • Changed the name of the Abandoned Settlement World Event to Forsaken Town.
  • If you have more than one Stormforged Cornerstone to choose from in the Forsaken Altar, the UI will no longer disappear after each pick and stay on the screen until you have selected all available Cornerstones.

[h3]Bug fixes[/h3]
  • Fixed a bug where the Budget Cuts modifier was not applied to Prestige 16+ games.
  • Fixed a bug where some pre-built buildings in a Forsaken Town map were supposed to be in the blueprint pool but weren’t.
  • Fixed a bug where the in-game “Forsaken Town” effect had no name.
  • Fixed a bug where the Paste recipe still required only 2 Salt instead of 3.
  • Fixed a bug where paths could be placed on trees.
  • Fixed a typo in the Forsaken Town World Event popup.
  • Fixed a bug where open glades in a Forsaken Town map were counted towards order completion for active orders like “discover glades” or “discover glades in time”.
  • Fixed a bug where a Forsaken Town game would start in Clearance, but have Storm visual effects.
  • Fixed a bug where the wrong music track was playing when starting a Forsaken Town game.
  • Fixed a bug where the ruined Frog and Harpy houses had the wrong building materials assigned.
  • Fixed a bug where the sound effect for the cancel event button would loop endlessly if the event was resolved before the cancel was applied.
The current Experimental Branch version is 1.5.05.

May the storm be gentle on you,
Eremite Games

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[h2]Previous Experimental Updates[/h2]
https://steamcommunity.com/games/1336490/announcements/detail/4441205298304123168
https://steamcommunity.com/games/1336490/announcements/detail/4441205298304122973
https://steamcommunity.com/games/1336490/announcements/detail/4525647157467807756
https://steamcommunity.com/games/1336490/announcements/detail/4525647157467807754

Experimental Update 1.5.04 (Abandoned Settlement world event)

[h3]Greetings, Viceroys![/h3]
Last week, we released an Experimental Branch update with a new upcoming biome - the Ashen Thicket - and followed that up with a patch introducing a brand-new resource - Salt. Now we're back with another batch of fixes, balance changes, and of course, new content. So without further ado, let's get started.

With this patch, we wanted to give you something fresh to play with - a brand new type of World Event. While the name alone ("Abandoned Settlement") might make it sound boring, we're very excited about it. So excited, in fact, that it has an increased spawn rate on the World Map.

But what is so special about it, you might ask? The Abandoned Settlement is something we're all guilty of as Viceroys - because who among us hasn't fled back to the Citadel when things went south during a run? But now you have the opportunity to right those past wrongs and try to complete a settlement started but abandoned by another Viceroy.

Abandoned Settlement World Event (work in progress, placeholder art)

When you start the game through this event, you will be thrown into an already ongoing settlement - with some cornerstones and blueprints already chosen, some orders active, some glades discovered, some buildings built, etc. And you will be handsomely rewarded for completing it.

Our main goal with this new type of event is to make the early game less monotonous (in terms of early game picks and build order), encourage players to try different strategies, and add more variety to the Blighstorm cycle.

The beginning of the game in the deteriorating settlement in the Coral Forest

The "Abandoned Settlement" World Event is planned to be added to the base version of the game as a part of the upcoming free Update 1.5. The Keepers of the Stone DLC is also not required to play it on the Experimental Branch.

Aside from this new event, we also tweaked some numbers in the Cornerstone Forge, rebalanced some recipes with Salt, and made a few UX improvements. We are aware that there is at least one major issue that needs to be addressed - the biome passive that gives you a chance to crit for miners - and we are actively working on it.

You can read more about all the changes in the full changelog below.

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[h3]New content[/h3]
  • Added a new World Event with a unique effect.
    • Abandoned Settlement - As you ponder your next move, a group of commoners approaches, their faces etched with worry. They tell you of their relatives stranded in a settlement abandoned by their Viceroy, who has fled, leaving them to face their fate alone. Their pleas are filled with desperation as they beg for your help.
    • This World Event requires players to play a settlement that is already in progress, started by another Viceroy. This means that there are already some blueprints selected, some cornerstones picked, some orders active, some glades discovered, a few buildings built, etc.
    • The choice in this world event is to go immediately or to negotiate the price. Choosing the “Negotiate the price” option will cause the settlement to deteriorate further, but the reward for completing it will be greater.
    • This event has a slightly higher spawn rate than other events. Our main goal with it is to add more variety to Blightstorm Cycles, shake up the early game, and create more interesting games that can lead to trying different strategies.
    • IMPORTANT: If you want to test this new World Event without searching for it, simply hover your cursor over an empty tile on the World Map (the first ring of tiles around that tile also has to be empty) and use the following command in the dev console (~):
      worldMap.spawnWorldEvent "Adopted Town 1"

[h3]Balance[/h3]
  • Slightly increased the overall number of events spawned on the World Map.
  • Changed the amount of Salt needed to craft Jerky (from 1 to 2).
  • Changed the amount of Salt needed to craft Paste (from 2 to 3).
  • Rebalanced a few triggers in the Cornerstone Forge.
    • Slightly increased the requirement of the “sell goods” trigger.
    • Slightly increased the requirement of the “complete trade routes” trigger.
    • Slightly increased the requirement of the “complete trade routes of value” trigger.
    • Increased the requirement of the “produce rainwater” trigger.
    • Increased the requirement of the “expected corruption” trigger.
    • Added a new trigger to the pool - “every level of standing”.
    • Removed the “build geyser pumps” trigger.
  • Rebalanced a few rewards in the Cornerstone Forge.
    • Slightly lowered the global double production chance bonus for tiers 1 and 2.
    • Slightly increased the double production chance bonus for specialized chains (metal, building materials, food) for tier 1 and 2.
    • Lowered the number of random raw resources (food and building).
  • Slightly decreased the spawn rate of Salt Veins in favor of Coal and Copper in the Ashen Thicket.
  • The Ruined Town modifier (previously Abandoned Settlement) can now spawn near the Coastal Grove biome.
  • Changed the building category of the Cannery to Food Production instead of Industry.

[h3]UI/UX[/h3]
  • Increased the character limit for perks made in the Cornerstone Forge.
  • Changed the name of the “Abandoned Settlement” modifier to “Ruined Town” to avoid confusion.
  • Added a randomize button next to the settlement name text box in the Embarkation Screen. This text box will now also show a randomized name from the start.
  • Updated the description of the Overexploitation Cornerstone to clearly state how many Cysts will appear (based on the difficulty level).
  • Added an automatic scroll feature to the Deeds section of the Settlement Complete window (so it moves down when more than one row of Deeds is unlocked).
  • If you have more than one Cornerstone to choose from, the UI will no longer disappear after each pick and stay on the screen until you have selected all available Cornerstones.

[h3]Bug fixes[/h3]
  • Fixed a bug where workers would sometimes not carry or fetch resources from the closest warehouse and walk to one that is far away instead (for real now).
  • Fixed a bug where multiple effects from the Cornerstone Forge would not show progress in their tooltip’s footer.
    • Gatherer walking speed
    • Production speed
    • Increased Resolve for needs
    • Planting and harvesting speed
    • Goods sold
  • Fixed a bug where the “every x woodcutters” trigger was duplicated in the Cornerstone Forge.
  • Fixed a bug where all species Resolve bonus effects in the Cornerstone Forge had Beaver-specific descriptions.
  • Fixed a bug where species Resolve effects would cause the game to break when a retroactive trigger lost progress.
  • Fixed several incorrect icons in the Cornerstone Forge.
    • Impatience rate
    • Jerky +2
    • Harpy Resolve
  • Fixed a bug where some ruins and buildings spawned in glades would not appear or be placed correctly.
  • Fixed a bug where deleting a building haulers were going to could cause the settlement to break.
  • Fixed a bug where a locked species would be displayed as available in the Training Expedition panel.
  • Fixed a bug where Rainpunk Drills could spawn veins under other objects in a glade (like a Rainpunk geyser).
  • Fixed a bug where logistics lines would not appear between production buildings after a Recipe was added by a perk or Forest Mystery.
  • Fixed a bug where searching for a non-existent building in the in-game encyclopedia would cause the encyclopedia window to break.
  • Fixed a bug where hovering over an explosion icon in an event just as it was exploding would result in an error.
  • Fixed a bug where the “moving to storage” had a wrong icon next to the worker slot.

[h3]Other[/h3]
  • Improved the pathfinding of the Treasure Stag. It should now more reliably choose closer glades.

[h3]Known issues[/h3]
  • Sometimes, the visual effects of the season might be mismatched. The effects should align with time. The correct season is the one displayed in the calendar on the top HUD.
The current Experimental Branch version is 1.5.04.

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Once again, we want to thank you all for your great feedback, as it helps us immensely.

May the storm be gentle on you,
Eremite Games

[hr][/hr]
[h2]Previous Experimental Updates[/h2]
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1336490/view/4441205298304122972
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1336490/view/4525647157467807755
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1336490/view/4525647157467807753

Fantasy city builder Against the Storm tests new biome in experimental update

Roguelike city builder Against the Storm is one of my favorite strategy games in recent years. The colorful dark fantasy world is a welcome alternative to the pleasing mundanity of Cities Skylines 2, and despite its post-apocalyptic setting, it feels much more warm and cozy than the harsh brutality of Frostpunk 2. As developer Eremite Games tests a new biome coming with the next update, you can hop into the experimental branch right now to try it out and offer feedback on how it works.


Read the rest of the story...


RELATED LINKS:

Top rated city builder Against the Storm is half off as new DLC lands

Against the Storm DLC Keepers of the Stone adds a new playable species

Against the Storm 1.4 adds fishing to the masterful city builder

Experimental Update 1.5.03 (Salt, Thunderblight Shards)

[h3]Greetings, Viceroys![/h3]
Last week, we released an Experimental Branch update with the new upcoming biome - the Ashen Thicket. We're grateful to everyone who decided to give it a try and shared their thoughts.

We've received a lot of feedback about the new biome over the past few days, and we just released a new patch in which we tried to address some of your comments.

With this patch, we wanted to not only tweak the numbers in existing systems, but also add some new things and experiment a bit with the overall feel/identity of the new biome. So, after a lot of internal back and forth, we settled on an idea that seemed very promising - the Ashen Thicket as a biome heavily focused on mining and industry.

In particular, we've changed the way you acquire Thunderblight Shards, rebalanced the resource layout in the Ashen Thicket, and added a new passive effect that buffs mines. We have also decided to add a brand-new "mineable" good to the game - Salt. With the addition of this new resource, we try to flesh out the mining part of the game, and also help with some existing recipes that could use a little boost - like Biscuits or Paste. All of these additions seemed to fit together nicely and added to the overall "industrial wasteland" feel of the Ashen Thicket.

Of course, in the meantime, we have also tried to address the more basic things - like the numerical balance of some of the rewards and triggers in the Cornerstone Forge. We hope that all of this combined will have a positive impact on the new biome.

You can read more about all the changes below.

[h3]New content[/h3]
  • Added a new resource - Salt.
    • Salt is obtained in the Mine and requires Salt veins.
    • The byproduct of Salt veins is Sea Marrow (with a 30% drop rate).
    • Added Salt to multiple existing recipes.
      • Biscuits
      • Paste (as a substitute for Dye)
      • Crystalized Dew
      • Incense
      • Jerky (as a substitute of fuel)
      • Waterskins
    • Added Salt to some traders and trade routes for settlements in certain biomes.
    • Added Salt to reward packs from the Hooded Trickster and Strider Port.
    • Added Salt as a reward in some Glade Events.
    • Salt is now also a byproduct of Kelpwood Trees in the Coastal Grove and Water Strider Molt nodes.
    • Added Salt veins to the Ashen Thicket, Sealed Forest, and Coral Forest.
  • Added 3 new orders related to Salt.
    • Salt Miner
    • Salty Delivery
    • Salt Fever
  • Added a new perk related to Salt.
    • Salt Pick - +1 to Salt production. Gain an additional Salt every yield (from gathering, farming, fishing, or production).
  • Added a new type of Rainpunk Drill that can spawn in small glades. It spawns salt veins after being repaired.
  • Added a new biome effect to the Ashen Thicket.
    • Royal Mining Operation - This region is well known for its rich mineral and ore deposits. Every 2 workers in a mine increase the chances of producing double yields while mining by 3%.
    • This, combined with the addition of Salt, the change to the old biome effect, and the rebalance of resources (listed in the balance section below) should result in a more mining-focused playstyle in the Ashen Thicket. We hope that this will be a step in the direction of a more unique biome identity.

[h3]Balance[/h3]
  • Rebalanced multiple triggers, rewards, and penalties in the Cornerstone Forge.
    • The exact changes to the Cornerstone Forge are too numerous to count, so we will focus on the general direction and some notable examples in this section of the changelog.
    • Removed some uninteresting or incorrectly scaling triggers. For example: “ongoing events”, “workers in upgraded Geyser Pump”.
    • Removed some of the least interesting rewards. For example: Incense, Resin, Grace Period, trader arrival speed, newcomer arrival rate.
    • Changed the numbers in a lot of hooks to make them more appealing. For example: dead villagers, produce pottery, working engines, ongoing trade routes, and more.
    • Buffed some rewards. For example: trade route speed, hostility, goods in general.
    • Added new rewards to the pool. For example: Sea Marrow, species Resolve, chance for double rewards from events, Parts.
    • Added new triggers to the pool. For example: constructed geyser Pumps.
    • Rebalanced a lot of penalties. For example: impatience, resolve.
    • Removed some penalties. For example: destroy buildings, yearly Blood Flowers.
    • Added new penalties. For example: higher perk prices, impatience rate.
    • Reduced the number of penalty choices from 4 to 3.
    • Adjusted how some rewards are drawn with what triggers. For example: retroactive triggers should now have rewards that scale better with them.
  • Rebalanced the resource makeup of the Ashen Thicket.
    • Removed Grain nodes.
    • Added Root nodes.
    • Added Coal and Salt veins.
    • Added Sea Marrow to trees.
    • Increased the spawn rate of veins.
  • Changed how Thunderblight Shard acquisition works in the Ashen Thicket.
    • Removed the old biome effect and added a new one.
    • Deeply Hidden Riches - Gain a Thunderblight Shard for mining 50 Copper Ore, Coal, and Salt (combined). You can receive up to 3 shards, each requiring more resources to be mined.
    • Subsequent Shards require more mining. The second one requires 150, the last one 250.
  • Biscuits can now be made using Eggs.

[h3]UI/UX[/h3]
  • Changed the description of the Cornerstone Forge biome effect to clearly state which Cornerstone choices (in which years) are removed when playing in the Ashen Thicket (rather than just vaguely stating that there are fewer choices).
  • Updated the Mine description for clarity.

[h3]Bug fixes[/h3]
  • Fixed a bug where workers would sometimes not carry or fetch resources from the closest warehouse (and walk to one that is far away instead).
  • Fixed a bug where the Cornerstone Forge biome effect did not remove Epic Cornerstone choices from games in the Ashen Thicket, despite the description stating that it did.
    • After the fix, Epic Cornerstones will no longer be offered to players in Years 3, 5, and 7.
  • Fixed a bug where random resource rewards were not being counted correctly in the Experimental Cornerstone tooltip.
  • Fixed a bug where Experimental Cornerstone tooltips would stay on the screen after closing the forge window with ESC.
  • Fixed a bug where the Big Shelter Ruin was still spawning in certain biomes.
  • Fixed a bug where a DLC-locked biome could appear in a Daily Expedition.
  • Fixed a bug where events were incorrectly displayed in the in-game encyclopedia.
  • Fixed a bug where some rewards and triggers were being drawn twice in the same pool of options in the Cornerstone Forge.
  • Fixed a bug where the ruined Fishing Hut had incorrect rewards tied to the “salvage” option.
  • Fixed a bug where the “fulfill service needs” trigger had a missing tooltip.
  • Fixed a bug that was drawing the wrong reward in the Cornerstone Forge instead of the Hostility reduction effect.
  • Fixed a bug where the “workers in upgraded mine” trigger was not working.
The current Experimental Branch version is 1.5.03.

Once you give it a try, please let us know how you like the new changes!

May the storm be gentle on you,
Eremite Games