ZEPHON News

The fourth playable demo of ZEPHON will be available from October 25th (@ 12 pm CEST) to November 22nd (@ 12 pm CEST) on Steam.

The biggest changes in this demo are the additions of the ZEPHON NPC faction, 2 new neutral units and 3 new quests. See the full changes below.

Come join us in celebration and let us know what you think of ZEPHON.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1481170/ZEPHON/

This is an early look at an in-development alpha version of the game. As such, there will be bugs, imbalances and missing assets.

The demo is limited to single player against two opponents on a small map. 3 leaders are available for selection and 2 NPC factions are present. Research progress is limited to the first 3 tech tiers.

The full version will contain co-op and pvp multiplayer, larger maps, advanced world generation parameters, 8 leaders, 3 NPC factions, over 50 units spread across 10 tiers of research, more terrain features and quests, an end-game grand finale, unlockable game modifiers, achievements, multiple languages as well as full workshop support.

[h3]Changes in Demo 4[/h3]
## New
* Added ZEPHON NPC faction: *“Communication channel established to ZEPHON-3. How may I help you?”*
* Added Dreameater neutral unit: Large hovering creature that reduces enemy morale and takes control of low morale enemies.
* Added Shoch'itris Lair neutral unit: Large biological structure that breeds Deformities.
* Added The Great Hunt, Black Site and Who Was Thursday quests.
* Show attack area when holding shift with unit selected, or when hovering over a weapon or weapon ability. Enable in settings to always show without holding shift.
* Unit overlays now show darkened out bars for missing health and morale.
* Added additional liked and disliked diplomacy dialogue.

## General
* Units in transports are now cycled to like all other units.
* Volcanos now block vision.
* Reduced forest growth chance in swamp from 5% to 3%.
* The tile acquisition radius of native cities now grows with their population.
* Reduced AI attack score against summons.
* Heartless Artificer AI now uses Foundation of Blood and Quench Resistance.
* Improved diplomacy behavior for accepting gifts, paying tribute and paying for deals.
* Diplomacy actions now show when instigated by a third party.
* Unit groups with appear animations now no longer appear fully simultaneously.
* Left click in empty space or right click anywhere to deselect player in the communications screen.
* Researching technology can now be right clicked to show details in compendium.
* Silence Between Tracks setting now goes in steps of 10 seconds from 0 to 240, defaulting to 120.
* Moved Show Cliff Highlights and Show Grid to general settings.
* Renamed Housing to Habitat.
* Pathfinder performance improvements.
* Minor GUI tweaks.

## Balance
* Reduced Deformities group size from 6 to 5.
* Increased Abkhan Bite damage from 8 to 12.
* Increased Frost Breath damage from 2 to 3.
* Increased Malakim Destroyers hitpoints from 12 to 18.
* Changed Cicadas from +50% healing rate to max 0% healing rate.

## Bug Fixes
* Fixed Undying healing the transport instead of the unit that has the trait.
* Fixed Distorted Lens not working.
* Fixed diplomacy deals not showing result when demanding payment for deal.
* Fixed regen showing over units even when they are at full hitpoints.
* Fixed building effects like smoke to not be removed instantly upon city destruction.
* Fixed hero overlay being prevented from refresh when leveling up an ability (after getting a level from nearby enemy death) due to superfluous attribute updated messages.
* Fixed an error in the calculation of light volumes.
* Fixed dust not showing when units are moving.
* Fixed dust showing when Aegyllan Worms are tunneling.
* Fixed Chieftess headquarters having no lights.

The third playable demo of ZEPHON will be available from September 13th (@ 7 pm CEST) to September 16th (@ 6 pm CEST) on Steam as part of WASD x IGN.

The biggest changes in this demo are the addition of the Emulated Mind leader and the Abkhan Drey arctic feature. We've also increased the map size and player limit for the demo. See the full changes below.

Come join us in celebration and let us know what you think of ZEPHON.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1481170/ZEPHON/

This is an early look at an in-development alpha version of the game. As such, there will be bugs, imbalances and missing assets.

The demo is limited to single player against two opponents on a small map. 3 leaders are available for selection and 1 NPC faction is present. Research progress is limited to the first 3 tech tiers.

The full version will contain co-op and pvp multiplayer, larger maps, advanced world generation parameters, 8 leaders, 3 NPC factions, over 50 units spread across 10 tiers of research, more terrain features and quests, an end-game grand finale, unlockable game modifiers, achievements, multiple languages as well as full workshop support.

[h3]Changes in Demo 3[/h3]
## New
* Added Emulated Mind leader: *“Don’t KNOCK. Solitude. Until you’ve-been-DRAGGED. In. To. Existence by in-vasive d-i-g-i-t-a-l. Mind. Worms. All s-cream-ing their. Own. Tedious. Name... No, IT’S. Not a-metaphor.”*
* Added Abkhan Drey to the arctic terrain; killing the respawning Abkhan creature gives a reward.
* Added Incendiary Grenades to Busters.
* Added Undersupplied trait that decreases the accuracy of units for which there are not enough resources to meet their upkeep. The accuracy decreases by 10% each turn, down to -50%.

## General
* Small map size can now be selected in the demo.
* Up to 2 AI leaders can now be added in the demo.
* Reaver Immigration is now a player trait that results in continuous praise from the Chieftess.
* Engineer's construct road, remove road and clear tile actions are now in the terraform submenu.
* Unit abilities that require close contact (like the Engineer's Repair or Tune) now have the unit move into the tile.
* Can now trade energy at the Concordat.
* Renamed population limit to housing.
* Neutral units now show a leashed or unleashed trait.
* Reduced Volcano and Sandstorm density by 20%.
* AI leaders no longer offer gifts to leaders they are at war with.
* Economic Bubble quest now can only start after turn 50.
* Reduced Splenetics level from 6 to 5.
* The player changed effect on units no longer renders over any ability effects.
* NPCs no longer show in the lobby.
* Made timing tweaks to units dying in combat.
* GUI visual tweaks.

## Balance
* Reduced city penalties for The Plague.
* Doubled Concordat price for algae and chips.

## Bug Fixes
* Fixed Fire feature not stopping movement.
* Fixed old floating text showing over the unit after they move from the fog of war.
* Fixed Outrider minelayer animation not being played.
* Fixed hint of researching technology.
* Fixed diplomacy language missing descriptions for responses to actions on third parties.
* Fixed a pathing issue related to unseen units blocking a unit's path.
* Fixed no standing being displayed when relationship is at max.
* Roads do not provide movement cost reduction on tiles with fire.
* Roads can't be built on tiles with fire.
* Units no longer rotate to the bottom right when using a targetable ability on themselves.

The second playable demo of ZEPHON will be available from August 18th (@ 9 am CEST) to September 4th (@ 7 pm CEST) on Steam as part of multiple festivals.

The biggest changes in this demo are the addition of Volcanoes, Concordat resource trading, new Chieftess diplomacy options when not at war and 4 new technologies at tier 3. Based on popular demand, we've also removed the turn limit. See the full changes below.

Come join us in celebration and let us know what you think of ZEPHON.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1481170/ZEPHON/

This is an early look at an in-development alpha version of the game. As such, there will be bugs, imbalances and missing assets.

The demo is limited to single player against one opponent on a tiny map. 2 leaders are available for selection and 1 NPC faction is present. Research progress is limited to the first 3 tech tiers.

The full version will contain co-op and pvp multiplayer, larger maps, advanced world generation parameters, 8 leaders, 3 NPC factions, over 50 units spread across 10 tiers of research, more terrain features and quests, an end-game grand finale, unlockable game modifiers, achievements, multiple languages as well as full workshop support.

[h3]Changes in Demo 2[/h3]
## New
* Added Volcano that damages adjacent units to the volcanic terrain.
* Added resource trading to The Concordat.
* Added the ability to ask Chieftess for support (spend influence to gain Reavers or Busters) when not at war.
* Added Urban Sprawl tier 3 technology: +1 city tile acquisition range.
* Added Doomed Spotters tier 3 technology: +2 accuracy for Headquarters.
* Added Reaver Immigration tier 3 technology: +1 standing tier with Chieftess.
* Added Probe Reconditioning tier 3 technology: -100% cost to build Satellite Scan.
* Added number of charges remaining to ability buttons.
* Added accuracy percentage to weapon hints.
* Added key binding for toggle grid (Control+G by default) and toggle cliff highlights (Control+I by default).
* Added highlight when hovering over rows in the settings screen.
* Added floating numbers to the resources panel when each resource changes.

## General
* Removed demo turn limit.
* Research tree is now sorted and colored by path.
* NPCs now appear in the lobby screen.
* Melee abilities (e.g. Engineer repair) can now be used on allied flying units.
* Melee and whole map ranges are now explicitly stated on weapons and abilities.
* Units now appear from below the ground in quests (and without triggering overwatch).
* Renamed Desperate Measures to Old Access Protocols.
* Hold position until healed action now says "Hitpoints full." when it's unavailable.
* Darkened text box for city name.
* Improved claim item hint to mention the possibility of selling the item at The Concordat.
* Improved capturable feature hint clarity.
* Improved Sandstorm look and performance.
* Changed Meat Harvest visual and sound.
* More subtle capture visual effect.
* Minor GUI visual tweaks.

## Balance
* Increased Chieftess peacfulness modifier from 0% to 25%.
* Reduced Sandstorm density from 6.25% to 5%.

**Buildings**
* Reduced Orbital Uplink cost and upkeep tier from 5 to 4.
* Reduced Orbital Uplink influence output from 2 to 1.

**Leaders**
* Increased Artificer's Precision accuracy from +1 to +25%.
* Reduced Leave No Man Behind unit upkeep from +33% to +30%.
* Reduced Salvation Protocols unit upkeep from -11% to -10%.

**Units**
* Increased Cyclone hitpoints from 16 to 24.
* Increased Dark Vassael hitpoints from 32 to 48.
* Increased Exousia Marauder hitpoints from 16 to 24.
* Increased Outrider hitpoints from 16 to 24.
* Increased Warden hitpoints from 24 to 32.
* Reduced Fragmentation Grenade damage from 1.5 to 1.
* Reduced Commander armor from 6 to 4.
* Reduced Exoskeleton Gatling Gun damage from 1.5 to 1.
* Reduced Exoskeleton Gatling Gun armor penetration from 1 to 0.
* Removed Crippling from Exoskeleton Gatling Gun.
* Reduced Exoskeleton Sword Gun damage from 4 to 3.
* Reduced Exoskeleton Sword Gun armor penetration from 4 to 3.
* Increased Erelim Assassin armor from 4 to 6.
* Increased Erelim Blades damage from 2 to 3.
* Increased Erelim Blades armor penetration from 3 to 4.
* Added Crippling to Erelim Blades.
* Increased Horrifying (Dark Vassael, Whisperer of Goldrauch) morale from -1 to -2.

**Operations**
* Hymn of Decay now damages on use.
* Reduced Hymn of Decay damage from 3 to 2.
* Increased Hymn of Decay attacks from 6 to 12.
* Reduced Hymn of Decay algae cost from 30 to 15.
* Reduced Interference Protocols chips cost from 30 to 15.
* Reduced Satellite Scan minerals cost from 15 to 10.

**Research**
* Fermentation Vat is now unlocked from the start.
* Cryo Fabricator is now unlocked from the start.
* Moved Blessed Infestation technology from tier 2 to 1.
* Moved Enmeshed Savant technology from tier 2 to 1.
* Administration Complex is now unlockable at 1.
* Research Laboratory is now unlockable at 2.
* Construction Yard is now unlockable at 2.
* Moved Exobiology Station technology from tier 1 to 3.
* Moved River Port technology from tier 1 to 2.
* Changed Itinerant Recruiters from -25% production cost of Militants and Missile Teams to +1 production for Barracks.
* Changed Collective Conduit from +3 energy while loyalty is positive to +1 energy for each Holo Theater in the city.
* Changed Old Access Protocols production from +10% to +1 for each Research Laboratory in the city.
* Changed Labor Union production from +5% to +0.5.
* Increased Speciment Containment research from +2 to +4.
* Increased Probe Reconditioning minerals cost from -50% to -100%.
* Reduced Biomass Generator energy from +2 to +1.5.
* Reduced Fishery Wing food from +2 to +1.5.
* Reduced Amigara Exploration minerals from +2 to +1.5.

## Bug Fixes
* Fixed missing Hijack trait flavor.
* Fixed Hijack not killing units in a captured transport.
* Fixed incoming call panel styling inconsistencies.
* Fixed world tips being shown while the world is not visible.
* Fixed Cannibalize Machines hint style.
* Fixed attack icon looking blurry.
* Fixed effects sometimes showing on units it doesn't affect.
* Fixed city exploding playing too many explosion sounds.
* Fixed selection panel sometimes not getting refreshed when the player's resources update.
* Fixed various diplomacy issues.

new demo for 4X strategy game Zephon is out this week, encouraging you to chose a path for humanity between eldritch horror and technological subordination as you reclaim an apocalyptic earth in flux. The mission-driven 4X looks pretty promising with interesting choices not just in technology and specialization but in how you choose and execute tactics with your units, heroes, and strategic abilities...
Read more.