Knights of the Crusades News

[p]Hey Everyone,[/p][p][/p][p]Welcome to our eleventh weekly update – and this one is a major leap forward. Version 0.34 delivers massive improvements to both world map and RTS AI, along with dozens of new features and essential quality-of-life updates across the board.[/p][p][/p][p]This update marks a huge milestone in how the game plays on the World Map. Armies now act more intelligently – waiting, planning, and adapting to their enemies. You’ll also notice that AI factions are much more dynamic in how they maneuver, siege, and conquer territory. RTS combat AI has received similar love, with faster reactions and smarter tactics both in camps and during assaults.[/p][p][/p][p]Meanwhile, we’ve added brand-new art sets for Slavic and Pagan vhamlets, new visual UI improvements across menus, smarter recruiting systems, and major updates to how garrisons and army formations function.[/p][p][/p][p]All of this brings us one step closer to a living, breathing medieval world – where your strategies matter, and the AI plays by the same rules.[/p][p][/p][p]Thanks again for continuing to shape this journey with us. Check out the full Update 0.34 details below![/p][p][/p][h2]New Features[/h2]

• [p]Slavic and Pagan nations now have a new art set for hamlets, including all-new village houses[/p]
• [p]New directional arrow when tasking multiple unit battalions[/p]
• [p]New diplomacy option to cancel trade agreements, at the cost of a major diplomatic penalty[/p]
• [p]Cities on the world map now display if a building is under construction and how many months remain[/p]
• [p]The Recruit Units button is now only active when the player is in range of a friendly or owned town – a major QoL improvement[/p]
• [p]Armies and Garrisons now display a grid view separating all unit slots[/p]
• [p]Players can click any free garrison grid slot to initiate recruitment[/p]
• [p]When recruiting units, players can now select a specific grid slot for unit placement[/p]
• [p]New visual indicators for negative status effects like missing or draining resources – clearly visible and intuitive across dozens of menus[/p]
• [p]While recruiting, city names are now clearly displayed when hiring units or mercenaries[/p][p][/p]

[h2]Major World Map AI Changes[/h2]

• [p]AI armies now wait several weeks after arriving at their targets, prepping for siege[/p]
• [p]It’s now possible to coordinate more effectively with friendly AI armies and counter enemy forces[/p]
• [p]Fixed issue where sandbox AI would attack instantly in the first month – AI now builds up for several months before engaging[/p]
• [p]Resolved a bug where AI armies were assigned to attack but never actually arrived[/p]
• [p]AI now avoids hostile ports when possible instead of engaging them[/p]
• [p]AI is now much more competent at reaching the player by sea[/p]
• [p]AI captures rival towns significantly faster, dramatically reshaping the world map[/p]
• [p]AI navigates the world map with far greater intelligence and efficiency[/p][p][/p]

[h2]RTS AI Improvements[/h2]

• [p]Fixed major issue causing AI to delay attacks for several minutes[/p]
• [p]AI now sends freshly trained units into battle instead of leaving them idle in camps[/p]
• [p]Big improvements to how AI positions units on walls during sieges[/p]
• [p]Fixed various issues where AI would refuse to charge the player under certain conditions[/p][p][/p]

[h2]Balancing[/h2]

• [p]Players now start with more trade route points (minimum 2)[/p]
• [p]Players can sign additional trade agreements[/p]
• [p]Starting resources have been greatly increased in sandbox mode[/p]
• [p]Early game is easier in sandbox due to several rebalancing changes[/p][p][/p]

[h2]Other Fixes[/h2]

• [p]Fixed world map lag spikes[/p]
• [p]Fixed issue preventing army invites to battle[/p]
• [p]Fixed issue where Recruit Units sometimes didn’t detect town proximity[/p]
• [p]Fixed incorrect listing of active diplomacy agreements[/p]
• [p]Fixed world map unit stats displaying 10x inflated attack values[/p]
• [p]Cities no longer gain 1 extra pop beyond cap at the end of the month[/p]
• [p]Fixed flickering nation portraits in diplomacy screen when refreshing (e.g. on gifts or declarations)[/p]
• [p]Army and city windows now keep unit portraits without flickering during refreshes or transitions[/p]
• [p]Fixed winter visuals incorrectly appearing in Muslim desert cities[/p]
• [p]Corrected Muslim town halls from showing strange winter variants[/p]

[p]Hey Everyone,[/p][p]
Welcome to our 10th update since EA launch! While this week’s patch isn’t a huge one, it continues our steady pace of weekly improvements – cleaning up interface issues, polishing visual elements, and knocking out some annoying bugs.[/p][p][/p][p]One major focus this week was improving interface clarity. From smarter tooltips and cleaner map UI to clearer RTS warnings and more useful visuals, we’ve tried to remove those friction points that add up over time. If you’ve ever squinted at the world map wondering why your resources didn’t update, or hovered over a gatehouse unsure if it was open – this update is for you.[/p][p][/p][p]We also spent some time giving the Slavic units a much-needed visual pass, including updated portraits with proper regional helmets and beards to better reflect the time period. And yes, zooming in is now a bit tighter too, for those who like to see the action up close.[/p][p][/p][p]A few long-standing bugs are finally squashed – including level display glitches in combat, diplomacy issues when ascending to King, and even a weird seasonal message bug in January (yep, that was a thing).[/p][p][/p][p]Thanks again for all your feedback – it’s been essential in shaping every weekly update. Check out the full Update 0.33 details below:[/p][h3][/h3][h3]Interface Improvements[/h3]

• [p]Open gatehouses now show an open icon – no more guessing.[/p]
• [p]Winter now clearly highlights wood penalties for citizens.[/p]
• [p]Civilian food and wood consumption tracking now works as intended.[/p]
• [p]Tooltips for RTS building buttons now smartly adjust position (top/bottom) based on screen location.[/p]
• [p]World map resource bar now updates once per second max – reduces micro stutters.[/p]
• [p]Tax rate changes now instantly update the world map’s resource bar.[/p]
• [p]World map unit training no longer freezes the entire map.[/p]
• [p]Training queues auto-refresh when resources change.[/p]
• [p]Low food warning in RTS battles has been reworked to be clearer and less spammy.[/p]
• [p]Cities now show larger looted text, displayed above the portrait.[/p]
• [p]Buy/Sell buttons now show tooltips on hover and work better with clicks.[/p]
• [p]Recruit Units window no longer refreshes portraits when you train units.[/p]
• [p]New armies now play a voiced greeting when created.[/p][p][/p]

[h3]Visual Changes[/h3]

• [p]Big update to Slavic unit portraits – new beards, proper regional helmets, and historically grounded attire.[/p]
• [p]Slight zoom-in boost – you can now zoom closer than before.[/p]
• [p]Healing FX made more subtle and less visually noisy.[/p][p][/p]

[h3]Balancing[/h3]

• [p]Army slows down by 70% when near a port.[/p]
• [p]AI attacks no longer overwhelm the player on hard difficulty.[/p]
• [p]AI attacks slightly reduced overall for better pacing.[/p]
• [p]RTS build times halved in the prologue.[/p]
• [p]AI is now more likely to ride out from Hamlets and attack the player.[/p]
• [p]Building levels now reduce unit cost on the world map.[/p]
• [p]Increased AI assault time limit on towns by 1 minute.[/p]
• [p]Peasant income increased on the world map.[/p]
• [p]All building hit points greatly increased.[/p]
• [p]Many low-tier buildings received an additional hit point boost.[/p][p][/p]

[h3]Bug Fixes[/h3]

• [p]Fixed a bug where January showed the wrong season message.[/p]
• [p]Simplified season code – should be more reliable and cleaner under the hood.[/p]
• [p]Smoke now stops correctly when looting ends.[/p]
• [p]Fixed unit level display bug during combat.[/p]
• [p]Diplomacy screen now behaves properly when the player becomes King.[/p]
• [p]Fixed a bug where armies could recruit from a city with buildings still under construction.[/p]

[p]Hey Everyone,[/p][p][/p][p]Welcome back to our ninth weekly update – and it`s a big one, as this marks our second major milestone. Version 0.32 brings some of the most significant core Kingdom War gameplay changes in years.[/p][p][/p][p]We’ve overhauled how your kingdom develops, with building construction and research now taking months on the world map. And RTS and world map modes now have true continuity between them – bringing long-term strategy and planning to the forefront.[/p][p][/p][p]This update also delivers a full rework of Eastern Europe, adding several new playable Slavic and Pagan nations, a massive music expansion, smarter AI, and a complete balance pass across multiple factions. Most importantly, this milestone completes our broader goal of making each culture feel truly unique – with distinct units, mechanics, music, art, and more.[/p][p][/p][p]Slavic nations like Novgorod and Smolensk now stand apart with wooden-only towns, all-new visuals, and custom voice acting – while Pagan tribes such as Livonia bring fresh gameplay and exclusive unit rosters. All of this builds on the unique design direction we previously introduced for Muslim factions.[/p][p][/p][p]We’ve also added 20 new music tracks to deepen immersion, and reworked over a dozen units and buildings for Eastern factions. Finally, the entire game has been rebalanced to reflect the new pacing and cultural variety.[/p][p][/p][p]Thanks again for all your feedback – it`s been essential in shaping every weekly update. Check out the full Update 0.32 details below![/p][p][/p][h3]Disclaimer: [/h3][p]With an update of this magnitude, we expect a few new issues to pop up, and we’ll still need about a week to wrap up all the loose ends – like giving each culture a unique tech tree and finalizing some art assets. We expect everything to be ironed out with the 10th update next week.[/p][p][/p][h3]Building Times[/h3]

• [p]Building construction time added to the world map – no longer instant[/p]
• [p]Buildings now take time to construct on the world map[/p]
• [p]Time to construct is shown alongside the building cost[/p]
• [p]Construction time ranges from 1 month to 1 year[/p]
• [p]Notifications now appear when buildings start and finish construction[/p]
• [p]Buildings take significantly longer to complete in RTS mode[/p]

[p][/p][h3]RTS World Map Transition[/h3]

• [p]Improved continuity when switching between RTS and world map[/p]
• [p]Switching between RTS and world map no longer auto-completes all tasks[/p]
• [p]Buildings under construction on the world map continue building in RTS[/p]
• [p]Incomplete construction in RTS mode will continue progressing on the world map[/p]

[p][/p][h3]Research Times[/h3]

• [p]Technologies in the research window now take time to unlock[/p]
• [p]It`s possible to research several technologies at once[/p]
• [p]Technologies take from 2 to several months to complete[/p]
• [p]Added voice dialogue and event log notification when research is completed[/p]
• [p]Constructing Academies and Churches improves research speed and cost (WIP)[/p]

[p][/p][h3]Slavic Nations[/h3]

• [p]Major changes to Eastern Europe on the world map[/p]
• [p]Kievan Rus split into Principalities of Chernigov, Smolensk, Novgorod, Suzdal, and Kiev[/p]
• [p]Four new unique playable kingdoms added to sandbox: Republic of Novgorod, Principality of Smolensk, Principality of Chernigov, Principality of Kiev[/p]
• [p][/p]
• [p]Completed work on Slavic nations' unique gameplay and art[/p]
• [p]Slavic nations use only wooden materials – no stone walls[/p]
• [p]Unique voice acting and flags added for Slavic armies on the world map[/p]

[p][/p][h3]Pagan Nations[/h3]

• [p]Added two playable Pagan nations – Chiefdom of Livonia and Chiefdom of Liuthania[/p]
• [p]Began work on implementing Pagan art set and gameplay differences (WIP)[/p]
• [p]Work in progress – many assets currently shared with Slavic nations[/p]
• [p]Unique unit roster for Pagan nations (partially shared with Slavic factions)[/p]
• [p]Pagan nations have more units available at the Hamlet's Mustering Hall, but fewer in their cities[/p]
• [p]Pagan nations don`t get access to high-tier siege engines – no trebuchets or catapults[/p]
• [p]Pagan nations don`t have crossbowmen but can train basic mounted archers[/p]

[p][/p][h3]New Units – Slavic[/h3]

• [p]Fully unique unit roster for Slavic nations[/p]
• [p]Slavic factions gain extended options for Rams and Siege Towers[/p]
• [p]Slavic nations can train basic mounted archers but do not have crossbowman tech[/p]
• [p]Added unique unit art for 12 Slavic units[/p]
• [p]Slavic units feature a distinct look – national clothing, hats, beards, and chainmail-dominant armor[/p]
• [p]15 new lord portraits designed for Slavic factions (WIP)[/p]

[p][/p][h3]New Building Art – Slavic[/h3]

• [p]New town houses for Slavic nations[/p]
• [p]New Town Hall added for Slavic towns[/p]
• [p]Slavic towns designed to use only wooden materials[/p]
• [p]Work in progress: large town designs for Slavic factions[/p]
• [p]Work in progress: new village houses for Slavic towns[/p]
• [p]Work in progress: new textures for Slavic buildings[/p][p][/p]

[h3]AI Improvements[/h3]

• [p]Further decreased rate of AI attacks on the world map in certain scenarios[/p]
• [p]Fixed a major issue with AI attacking large cities and behaving poorly[/p]
• [p]Large towns are now properly defended by the AI instead of the garrison running out[/p]
• [p]AI will only ride out from towns if it`s 100% certain it can win[/p][p][/p]

[h3]Balancing[/h3]

• [p]Major gameplay rebalance to account for new building construction system[/p]
• [p]Additional balancing of progression based on new research timings[/p]
• [p]Gameplay rebalanced for Muslim factions[/p]
• [p]Gameplay rebalanced for Slavic factions[/p]
• [p]Gameplay rebalanced for Pagan factions[/p]

[p][/p][h3]New Music[/h3]

• [p]Unique Slavic music set added with 16 all-new tracks[/p]
• [p]Expanded Muslim music set from 6 to 16 tracks, all newly composed[/p]

[p][/p][h3]Other[/h3]

• [p]All-new lord portraits for Nomad factions like Cumania and Pechenegs[/p]
• [p]New portraits for Pagan tribal factions – Livonia and Liuthania[/p]
• [p]Lowered War/Peace window layer so it doesn`t clash with the "Defeat..." window[/p]
• [p]Added close button for the tutorial tooltip window[/p]

[p]Hey Everyone,[/p][p] [/p][p]This week’s update brings a major round of balancing and improvements across all areas of the game - with focus on world map performance, RTS battle flow, and key balancing changes to the campaign and economy.[/p][p] [/p][p]The world map has seen a big boost in performance, especially in regions like Greece, Anatolia, and the Middle East. The Nile region has also been completely reworked into a lush and vibrant landscape. We've also cleaned up several visual issues, including palm trees and world edge polish.[/p][p] [/p][p]On the campaign side, we've overhauled how Crusader armies behave after the First Crusade, preventing late-game exploits and making their actions more grounded. We’ve also improved town entry mechanics with clearer rules and UI feedback.[/p][p] [/p][p]RTS battles feel smoother and more cinematic now — with better AI, slowed-down combat pacing, and far less lag. Auto-resolve has been reworked to reduce frustrating unit losses, and healing now happens in real time rather than waiting for the end of the month.[/p][p] [/p][p]Thanks again for sticking with us - and we’re just getting started. Here's the full list of changes in Game Version 0.31:[/p][p][/p][h3]World Map Changes[/h3]

• [p]Major performance boost across the entire world map.[/p]
• [p]Drastically improved performance in Greece, Anatolia, and the Middle East regions.[/p]
• [p]Reworked Nile region — now lush and green.[/p]
• [p]Fixed Beirut incorrectly displaying as Acre.[/p]
• [p]Polished the top-left corner and outer edge of the world map.[/p]
• [p]Greatly improved the visual quality of palm trees.[/p][p][/p]

[h3]Campaign Changes[/h3]

• [p]After completing the First Crusade, Crusader armies now garrison in captured cities[/p]
• [p]Fixed exploit that allowed easy conquest of the Middle East using Crusader armies[/p]
• [p]Tripoli now correctly transfers to Crusader control after the Crusade[/p]

[h3]Major Balance Changes[/h3]

• [p]Hamlet capture cost increases by 50% (base) for each hamlet you control[/p]
• [p]City capture cost increases by 50% (base) for each city you control[/p]
• [p]Combat food drain increased by 30% — cow and chicken income reduced accordingly[/p]
• [p]AI now attacks much less frequently[/p]
• [p]Army unit healing now occurs in real time, no longer tied to the end of the month[/p][p][/p]

[h3]General Balancing[/h3]

• [p]Player units heal faster near friendly towns[/p]
• [p]AI units heal more slowly[/p]
• [p]Auto-resolve is now less likely to kill player units when clearly winning[/p]
• [p]Auto-resolve now favors damaging units over killing them[/p]
• [p]Stronger forces benefit more from auto-resolve[/p]
• [p]Reduced renown rewards from battles[/p]
• [p]Monthly renown output from buildings reduced by ~50%[/p]
• [p]Rebalanced income, upkeep, and renown for Order and Church buildings[/p]
• [p]Slightly slower accumulation of personal time[/p]
• [p]Entering a town now deducts 1 minute of personal time[/p]
• [p]Player must have at least 2 minutes of personal time to enter a town[/p]
• [p]Added message notifying player when they lack enough time to enter[/p]
• [p]Rebalanced attack stats for Macemen and Billmen[/p][p][/p]

[h3]RTS Mode Improvements[/h3]

• [p]Major reduction in lag during RTS battles[/p]
• [p]Combat slowed slightly for improved cinematic pacing[/p]
• [p]Better overall combat flow in RTS mode[/p]
• [p]Ranged units now properly auto-attack targets[/p]
• [p]RTS AI now defends large cities more effectively[/p]
• [p]AI will no longer sortie unless player is heavily outnumbered[/p]
• [p]Large-town sieges are now significantly more difficult[/p]
• [p]Nighttime lighting in RTS is now brighter[/p]
• [p]Reduced distance fog, especially in winter[/p]
• [p]Fixed terrain appearing overly bright in fall season[/p]
• [p]Fixed bug with newly constructed buildings being sideways or upside down in Army vs Army camps[/p][p][/p]

[h3]Other Fixes and Changes[/h3]

• [p]Fixed rare game-breaking issue where the game could freeze during a cinematic[/p]
• [p]Major corrections to Spanish translation[/p]
• [p]Major corrections to Italian translation[/p]

[p]Hey Everyone,[/p][p][/p][p]This weeks second regular update update addresses several campaign and world map issues, focusing on performance, balance, and AI improvements.[/p][p][/p][p]AI now behaves more realistically across the map – no more constant pressure, but more strategic movement and engagements. We’ve added a significant world map performance boost and rebalanced the early Templar campaign to ease the difficulty curve.[/p][p][/p][p]You'll also find UI polish and bug fixes, along with reworked timing for the First Crusade departure, giving you more time to prepare. Thanks again for your continued support and here`s the full update details - Game Version: 0.30:[/p][p][/p][h3]World Map AI Improvements[/h3]

• [p]AI attack frequency adjusted in both Sandbox and Campaign modes[/p]
• [p]More AI armies now roam and battle each other across the map[/p]
• [p]Final fixes applied to prevent players from getting overwhelmed by AI attacks[/p]
• [p]Another major world map performance boost – lag spikes significantly reduced[/p]
• [p]Templar Campaign AI no longer spawns overpowered armies early on[/p]
• [p]General AI behavior improved for Templar campaign gameplay[/p]

[h3]World Map Fixes & UI Improvements[/h3]

• [p]Palm trees in desert regions now look much better[/p]
• [p]Major performance boost in the Holy Land/desert areas[/p]
• [p]Renown/Faith tooltip now shows income from Buildings and Chapterhouses[/p]
• [p]Fixed bug with broken ghost armies showing up in the Military list[/p]
• [p]Only player armies show healing/damage effects[/p]
• [p]Resource reward window properly hidden behind fade screen[/p]
• [p]Renown and Faith bars now show +Amt indicators[/p]
• [p]Fixed tax/coin display showing incorrect values[/p]
• [p]Resolved bug with bright white flags on world map armies[/p]

[h3]Other Fixes[/h3]

• [p]Tutorial prompt now appears after clicking “Start Campaign”[/p]
• [p]Fixed issue with "Play Tutorial" achievement not unlocking[/p]
• [p]Resolved UI layering issue between army buttons and recruit window[/p]
• [p]York and other large cities – fixed tasking units to front and keep walls[/p]

[h3]Balancing Changes[/h3]

• [p]Month length increased by 50% – giving players more time to reach Constantinople[/p]
• [p]Crusader armies now depart for Constantinople in June, arriving late 1096[/p]
• [p]France no longer starts at war with the Holy Roman Empire[/p]
• [p]Tons of internal campaign rebalancing tied to extended month length[/p]
• [p]Chapterhouses now unlock up to 20 Order units for nearby army recruitment[/p]