Knights of the Crusades News

[p]Hello Everyone,[/p][p][/p][p]Today’s major update brings another round of stability and performance improvements, fixes many player-reported issues, and includes a major balance pass and polish to the late game.[/p][p][/p][p]We’ve also resolved the last remaining loading screen crash that was still affecting some players using ultra-wide or above-4K resolutions. To ensure this fix works reliably for everyone, resolution options above 3840 width have been temporarily disabled.[/p][p][/p][p]If you are still experience the issue after updating the game, please follow this quick guide - need to delete one game file: https://steamcommunity.com/app/3440120/discussions/0/671726025354637732/[/p][p][/p][p]In addition, this update focuses heavily on improving late game performance, RTS battle flow, and addressing long-standing issues with walls, siege equipment, and post-battle sequences. The late game should now play much smoother, with more stable AI behavior and reduced world map lag.[/p][p][/p][p]Thank you again for your patience and support. With the major crash issues behind us, development is now fully shifting back toward new content, new nations, and continued balance and feature improvements throughout mid and late game.[/p][p][/p][p]And now, here are the full notes for Update #10:[/p][p][/p][h3]Crash Fixes[/h3]

• [p]Fixed a loading screen crash that still affected players running the game at very high resolutions.[/p]
• [p]Removed resolution options above 3840 (including 5120x1440) as part of fully resolving the final crash cases.[/p][p][/p]

[h3]Major Fixes and Improvements[/h3]

• [p]Cavalry no longer trample or damage units standing on gatehouses.[/p]
• [p]Added notification when the looting phase begins after winning an RTS battle.[/p]
• [p]Added a countdown timer showing how much time remains before the victory cinematic triggers.[/p]
• [p]Removed the Swap button from the army transfer window and added clearer instructions at the bottom instead.[/p]
• [p]Fixed multiple issues where wall-mounted siege weapons appeared off-position or on the ground when loading.[/p]
• [p]Units now consistently line up correctly after reloading a saved game.[/p]
• [p]Melee units will no longer attempt to attack wall-mounted siege weapons from ground level.[/p][p][/p]

[h3]Late Game Fixes[/h3]

• [p]Fixed major sources of world map lag affecting late game performance (takes a few in-game months to fully start working)[/p]
• [p]Fixed diplomacy issues where a nation could be at war with you while you are not at war with them[/p]
• [p]Fixed AI spawning dozens of armies without valid targets.[/p]
• [p]AI armies are now significantly stronger in late game.[/p]
• [p]Removed diplomatic relation listings with nations that are already eliminated.[/p]
• [p]Allied nations no longer automatically share map vision (only your main nation does).[/p]
• [p]In late game RTS battles, attacker AI will no longer send Horse Carts or Fire Carts.[/p]
• [p]After completing the Crusades, players can now directly capture Jerusalem, Antioch, and Nicaea (instead of them always transferring to the Church).[/p][p][/p]

[h3]Balancing Changes[/h3]

• [p]Auto-resolve now deals less health damage across units.[/p]
• [p]Auto-resolve no longer removes peasant livestock or siege units until the very end.[/p]
• [p]Byzantium in Sandbox mode can now build stone walls.[/p]
• [p]Removed healing ability from Elite Maceman unit (was added accidentally).[/p]
• [p]Removed Shield Wall ability from Order Swordsmen (as it was non-functional).[/p][p][/p]

[h3]Minor Bug Fixes[/h3]

• [p]Fixed hotkey conflicts involving the pause key (P).[/p]
• [p]Fixed birds flying in repetitive straight-line loops that looked unnatural.[/p]
• [p]When selecting multiple types of siege weapons, only the correct type will respond to a movement command.[/p]
• [p]When selecting Rams with other siege units, only the Ram will move when clicking on a gate.[/p]
• [p]Slavic nations now correctly display the crossbowman portrait.[/p]

[p]Hello Everyone,[/p][p][/p][p]This is a big one... after more than 100 hours of work, I can finally say that all known crashing issues have been fixed. It’s been a tough month tracking down the causes across so many different player setups - from old PCs to high-end rigs - but at last, it’s done.[/p][p][/p][p]Im terribly sorry for how long it took to fix, really wish I could go back in time... seeing the games review score drop from the 90s to the 70s over these crashes was heartbreaking. I truly hope that with this fix in place, the score will rebound, as these days an indie game can’t really grow without a Very Positive rating. Fingers crossed. I`ll continue working on the game no matter what though.[/p][p][/p][p]And I also want to thank everyone for your patience and support. Even after the 7th update, nearly a third of players were still affected by crashes. Ad your reports, shared logs, and feedback are greatly appreciated.[/p][p][/p][p]And with this major hurdle out of the way, we can finally return to the usual weekly updates - got so much exciting stuff on the horizon. A lot of polish to mid and late game, new nations for Sandbox, new features - and so much more...[/p][p][/p][p]And let’s take a closer look at what today`s 9th update has in store - a lot of other solid fixes and improvements.[/p][p][/p][h3]Crash Fixes[/h3]

• [p]Fixed a crash on the loading screen that would close the game[/p]
• [p]Fixed additional crash on the loading screen – affecting a very small number of players[/p]
• [p]Fixed loading screen crash related to point light[/p]
• [p]Fixed game getting frozen on the loading screen – requiring a PC restart[/p]
• [p]Fixed a crash during combat when player is about to win defense of his city[/p]

[h3]Major Bug Fixes[/h3]

• [p]Fixed a major issue when winning battles and having to wait a minute for victory to register[/p]
• [p]Fixed a rare major issue when after winning a battle player could still not get a win[/p]
• [p]Various campaign progression fixes – fixing last situations where player can rarely get stuck[/p]

[h3]Byzantine Empire Playable[/h3]

• [p]Byzantine Empire is now playable in Sandbox mode[/p]
• [p]Byzantine Empire has 6 playable and 8 total lords[/p]
• [p]Unique starting conditions for Byzantine King and Lords with a very large number of assets[/p]
• [p]Various fixes to Byzantine Empire assets, relations, starting conditions[/p]

[h3]Performance Improvements[/h3]

• [p]Visual performance in RTS battles in large cities improved by up to 15 FPS[/p]
• [p]Scrolling speed on the world map is smoother now[/p]
• [p]Shaved off additional 1-1.5 seconds from most loading screens on all systems[/p]

[h3]Other Fixes[/h3]

• [p]Disabled some odd light in the army camp and large city houses[/p]
• [p]Improved the look of Slavic king portraits[/p]
• [p]Fixed some issues when loading hamlets with double walls[/p]
• [p]Final Crusades battle vs Fatimids now shows a quest at the start of the battle[/p]
• [p]Improved Russian localization[/p]
• [p]Improved Chinese localization[/p]
• [p]No longer playing Low Food voiced notification in naval battles[/p]
• [p]Added flags to small stone gatehouse – so it’s easy to identify it[/p]
• [p]Player lord character is now more clearly marked in diplomacy screen[/p]
• [p]Play Victory/Defeat sound when end battle window is opened[/p]

[h3]Balancing[/h3]

• [p]Further reduced frequency of AI attacks on player (please note – in existing campaigns it will take a few months to take full effect)[/p]
• [p]Greatly reduced penalty for leaving battle – it now only damages some units, without removing any[/p]
• [p]Winning battles is now faster in most game modes[/p]
• [p]Player can now choose to stay and loot or leave the battle[/p]
• [p]Rebalanced ranged units – a bit less effective in some situations now[/p]
• [p]Stone resource is a lot harder to acquire now, requiring bigger investment to build up large city[/p]
• [p]RTS mode stone income decreased by 25%[/p]
• [p]World Map stone income decreased by up to 35%[/p]

[p]Hello Everyone,[/p][p][/p][p]Today’s update focuses on one important fix - the game freezing or crashing when exiting. This issue was affecting around 20% of players, and should now be resolved.[/p][p][/p][p]There is also a chance that this fix may help players who are still experiencing the crash with the Visual C++ Runtime Library error during or after battles. If you continue to encounter this error during loading screens or combat, please let us know so we can review your reports directly.[/p][p][/p][p]Work is continuing at full speed to resolve the last of the stability problems, and we expect to have everything wrapped up by next week.[/p][p][/p][p]As always, thank you for all of your patience, feedback, and support. It makes a huge difference and helps us keep pushing forward.[/p]

[p]Hello Everyone,[/p][p][/p][p]This week we took a few extra days to gather feedback from the community and focus on adding features and fixes that were specifically requested by players. A lot of your ideas made it directly into this update.
[/p][p]Today’s update brings a major campaign fix, new UI scaling, game speed hotkeys, better food balance, reduced AI pressure in the Order campaign, and a range of polish and improvements across many areas.[/p][p] [/p][p]We are still finishing the last of the stability fixes. Some players on higher-end systems continue to encounter a common crash after battles, and a separate crash can happen when exiting the game. Both of these should be resolved by next week. We’re close to wrapping up stability work for good.[/p][p] [/p][p]And now for the full breakdown of Update #7:[/p][p][/p][p]New Features[/p]

• [p]Added option to increase UI size – use the Large GUI checkbox in the Options menu.[/p]
• [p]Added hotkeys to control game speed (+, -, and P).[/p]
• [p]Game speed control keys can now be rebound in the Options → Controls menu.[/p]

[p] [/p][p]Major Fixes[/p]

• [p]Fixed major campaign issue with Fatimid armies not always appearing after conquering Jerusalem[/p]
• [p]Fixed Seven Nation Army victory condition not working in Sandbox – now properly requires 6 alliances.[/p]
• [p]Fixed error affecting the Buildings window – where sometimes it will not work[/p]

[p][/p][p]Other Fixes and Improvements[/p]

• [p]Fixed issue with upgrading Manor not showing up when entering RTS mode[/p]
• [p]Fixed issue with renaming Cities not working right away on the world map.[/p]

[p]Balancing and Tweaks[/p]

• [p]Major reduction to AI attack frequency on players, especially during Order campaign sequences.[/p]
• [p]Greatly reduced food upkeep for low and mid-tier units (up to 30%).[/p]
• [p]Rebalanced food drain and income, making food requirements less punishing.[/p]

• [p]Order campaign is now significantly easier during the first couple of years.[/p]
• [p]Walls under construction on the world map no longer increase city/hamlet strength until finished.[/p]

[p]Hey Everyone,[/p][p][/p][p]We took a short break over the weekend, but we’re back at full speed supporting and improving the game. Over the past few days nearly 20 hours were spent polishing the campaign, fixing rare issues, and adding balance and polish across many areas.[/p][p][/p][p]The main highlight of today’s update is campaign progression. Some players were not getting victory conditions to trigger — like completing the First Crusade battle, finishing a crusade, or registering an Order with 1000 faith in Rome. All of these problems are now resolved. If you previously missed out on a reward, cinematic, or objective completion, you will now correctly receive them.[/p][p][/p][p]Alongside this, dozens of smaller fixes and tweaks have been made to polish the experience and improve balance.[/p][p][/p][p]A big thank you again to everyone who continues to report bugs and leave positive reviews. Your support really helps keep us going through the longest days and ensures the game keeps getting better with each update.[/p]