Knights of the Crusades News

[p]Hello Everyone,[/p][p][/p][p]This week’s update is one of the biggest so far — the world map AI has been completely reworked, making diplomacy, war, and late-game strategy far more dynamic and challenging.[/p][p][/p][p]Nations will now actively declare wars, form alliances, and create coalitions against stronger powers — including the player. You’ll see large-scale rivalries and shifting power balances, with major factions conquering each other and reshaping the map over time. The late game now feels alive, unpredictable, and much harder to dominate.[/p][p][/p][p]Alongside the AI overhaul, today’s update includes dozens of important fixes, improvements, and balance changes across both the world map and RTS modes. In addition, all Slavic and Muslim nations now have culturally accurate Lords and Kings, with 18 new portraits added.[/p][p][/p][p]Thank you all for continuing to send reports and feedback — every update brings the game closer to the polished experience we’ve all been working toward.[/p][p][/p][p]And now, here are the full notes for Update #11:[/p][p][/p][h3]World Map AI Reworked[/h3]

• [p]Major improvement to how AI handles diplomacy and attacks in mid to late game[/p]
• [p]World map nations will now actively engage in politics, declaring war on each other and on the player in some situations[/p]
• [p]AI players are now much more aggressive in late game, often resulting in several superpowers conquering other nations[/p]
• [p]Major nations will actively fight among each other (for example, England can destroy France)[/p]
• [p]Nations will form coalitions to attack the player in mid to late game if the player becomes too strong[/p]
• [p]Late game diplomatic difficulty rebalanced to be much more challenging[/p]
• [p]Fixed all situations where AI players had no enemies[/p]
• [p]Fixed AI armies that would sit idle near cities[/p]
• [p]Eliminated exploits allowing the player to remove all enemies through diplomacy[/p][p][/p]

[h3]Major Fixes and Improvements[/h3]

• [p]Restored windowed mode (patched to live earlier last week)[/p]
• [p]Fixed major exploit allowing players to loot towns indefinitely[/p]
• [p]Auto-resolved battles now consume food, similar to RTS battles[/p]
• [p]Fixed major issue where building and unit pop-ups were missing information on required technologies[/p]
• [p]Fixed occasional issue with large towns loading with zero resources[/p]
• [p]Fixed issue with livestock and cavalry climbing onto palisade walls[/p]
• [p]Fixed major diplomacy issue where AI nations could be at war with the player while the player was not at war with them[/p]
• [p]Fixed diplomacy issues in Sandbox mode where some nations traded with enemies at campaign start[/p]
• [p]Fixed Sandbox mode startup issue where some nations had no enemies[/p]
• [p]Fixed issue with Oil Pot spawning on the ground[/p][p][/p]

[h3]Art Updates[/h3]

• [p]Added 12 new Slavic lords and Kings[/p]
• [p]All Slavic Lords now have a proper Slavic culture portrait [/p]
• [p]All 18 new Muslim lords and Kings added[/p]
• [p]All Muslim Lords now have a proper Muslim culture portrait [/p][p][/p]

[h3]Minor Bug Fixes[/h3]

• [p]Fixed missing information on the RTS victory screen showing ? marks[/p]
• [p]Player gates no longer open automatically after victory in RTS battles[/p]
• [p]AI players will now retreat and stop attacks after losing an RTS battle[/p]
• [p]Fixed delay in resource display when entering large towns[/p]
• [p]Decks and bridges in large towns are now darker and more natural-looking[/p]
• [p]Cavalry diamond formation now correctly increases trample damage[/p]
• [p]Fixed twitching animation on destroyed fire carts[/p]
• [p]Peasant "Gather Food" button now targets cows as well as chickens[/p]
• [p]Updated descriptions for Fletcher building and research technologies[/p]
• [p]Updated Pilgrim Hospital and Herbalist descriptions for clarity[/p]
• [p]Fixed Ballista description mentioning iron requirement incorrectly[/p]
• [p]Fixed Damascus lacking correct number of building plots, causing buildings to disappear[/p]
• [p]Fixed a dozen other world map cities with incorrect building plot setups[/p][p][/p]

[h3]Balancing Changes[/h3]

• [p]Knight Command’s Rally Horn ability greatly boosted – now lasts twice as long[/p]
• [p]Monk’s Pray ability greatly boosted – now lasts twice as long[/p]
• [p]Market building in RTS mode now generates (and consumes) resources 30% faster[/p]
• [p]Significantly reduced basic and elite Spear unit resistance to arrows[/p]
• [p]Fletcher building now locked until researched[/p]
• [p]Improved the effect of Herbalists and Hospitals on healing garrisons and nearby armies on the world map[/p]

[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]