Songs of Conquest News

[h2]Greetings, Wielders![/h2]

As summer fades into autumn here in the north, the work on Songs of Conquest marches on! While we're busy preparing for some big, exciting updates in the future, we’re also hard at work on current improvements, laying the groundwork for what’s to come.

Now, we know you're eager to hear about those major updates, and rest assured, an announcement is on the horizon. But this update is about something else, so stay tuned
So, what’s this minor update all about? Well, it may not be our largest patch, but it has its share of new features and improvements.

One standout improvement ties directly into some behind-the-scenes work: AI turn speed. We're happy to say that AI turns are now significantly faster—by 30-80% depending on the map! That’s right, whether you're playing small skirmishes or epic larger maps, those AI turns will feel a lot faster, giving you more time for the action that matters

You don’t even have time to fix yourself a good cup of tea!

For all you intrepid cartographers out there, we’ve added a fiery new feature to the map editor. Now you can quite literally burn your bridges! It’s just one more tool in your arsenal for crafting the perfect map. Want your Wielder to destroy a bridge behind them to slow down the enemy? You can do that with triggers. Or perhaps you just want to showcase the devastation of a war-torn land? The choice is yours.

It’s never too late to burn a bridge or two. There’s no reason to look back!

Game balance is one of those things we’ll always be fine-tuning, and with this update, we’ve made some adjustments to the initiative of several troop types. There’s plenty more balancing work on the horizon, but it’s a delicate process that requires careful tweaks. If you want to join the discussions and give your suggestions, we suggest joining our Discord!

Faey Spirits initiative increased from 14 to 23
Faey Ragers initiative increased from 16 to 25
Footmans initiative increased from 25 to 26
Shield of Orders initiative increased from 26 to 27
Spectres initiative increased from 21 to 26
Seneschals initiative increased from 22 to 28

From 14 to 23 in initiative, so eager little spirits!

There’s always more, of course—there always is with us! Some of it you’ll notice right away, while other changes are behind the scenes, setting the stage for what’s to come. We can’t share all the details in the changelogs just yet, as some of it is work for things to come.
We can’t wait to reveal what we’ve been working on, and you can expect plenty of exciting news in the coming months.

Turn to Conquest, Wielders—you’ve earned it!

/The Lavapotion Team

Hello Wielders!

It’s me, your friendly neighborhood CEO, Magnus. Usually, Anders writes these posts, but he is knee-deep in design work with our upcoming DLC – Rise Eternal! So, I’ve decided to help him out with an update on what’s happening behind the scenes. I’m also hoping for your help to find a good price for the upcoming DLC. Find out more below!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2977430/Songs_of_Conquest__Rise_Eternal/

Rise Eternal is a story-focused DLC. We call it a “tale” that complements the ordinary songs, or campaigns, of the game. In this first tale, we are visiting the faction of Loth and introducing a new Wielder, Kastus Maal. We are also reworking a few things related to the Risen troop in order to make them pack a bit more punch. The improved Risen troop mechanic will be part of a free update as well.

Say one thing for Kastus Maal. Say he’s a looker.

The tale of Kastus Maal will take you across four story-intensive maps. You’ll literally dig deeper into the earth of Aerbor and uncover untold secrets. Our team is working on perfecting the maps right now, and we are excited to introduce a few new buildings and special effects that we think future map makers will enjoy as well!

This is not a tavern, nor is it a stable. It’s a place where bones slowly wither to dust. You can visit it in Rise Eternal and find out more for yourself!

Now that you know a little bit more about what we are working on, we would like to get your help with figuring out the price for the DLC. We’ve prepared a simple poll where you can give us your opinion. It’s very important for us to get this right, and all replies matter!



In the future, we hope to release one tale for each faction. This will allow us to add more flavor to the Wielders of Aerbor, sometimes introduce a new one, and also expand the overall lore. Some narrative elements might tie into the overarching story of the full Songs of Conquest timeline. If you look closely, you can find clues to certain Wielders' ambitions and motivations.

Rise Eternal will see the addition of more artifacts. Artifact sets will also be added as a new feature to the game as a free update!

A large part of the team is also working on the regular game update that will be released alongside the DLC. We generally intend for game features introduced in upcoming DLCs to also be included for free in the base game. However, additional content such as campaign maps, characters, and map objects will be accessible through the purchase of the DLC.

The release date for Rise Eternal hasn’t been decided yet, but we hope it will be within just a few weeks from now! As always, drop a comment and let us know what you think, and please give us your feedback on the pricing for the DLC. We wouldn’t be where we are without your support. Expect more news and exciting updates during the fall!

Best regards,

Magnus and Team Lavapotion

PS. Remember to follow our developer page to stay updated!

[h2]Hello, dear Conquerors![/h2]

My name’s Emil, and today, I’m thrilled to take over the Steam post! I primarily write code here at Lavapotion, and for the past few years, part of my main focus has been the Random Map Generator (RMG).

With all the excitement surrounding our official release, future DLC, and roadmap, it’s been a while since we’ve delved into the RMG. However, I want to assure you that it hasn’t been forgotten. While it may not be our primary focus moving forward, we’re still dedicated to its ongoing improvement. So today, I’d like to talk about just that!

Here you can see a step by step process of how our maps are generated.

For those who have been with us since the beginning, you’ve witnessed the evolution of our random maps. The RMG has been a continuous process of innovation and iteration, with much of the groundwork laid by Patrik before passing the torch to me. Our goal was to create a system capable of generating maps with balanced resources, varied terrains, and engaging layouts, while also ensuring accessibility for modders. Though there's always room for improvement, we are proud of what we've achieved so far.

If you’re eager to explore more about the RMG, we have a dedicated section on our modding page that might pique your interest!

During early access, your feedback was instrumental in shaping the RMG. We’ve listened to your suggestions, concerns, and praises, making adjustments along the way and creating new layouts to meet your needs. This collaborative effort has ensured that the maps generated by the RMG are not only challenging but also enjoyable. I cannot emphasize enough how crucial the community's engagement has been in achieving the current state of the RMG. Without your invaluable input, we wouldn't be where we are today.
For those of you with ideas or suggestions on how to further improve the RMG, your feedback is most welcome in our Discord channel dedicated to random map feedback. Even as we move past 1.0, we remain committed to ensuring that the RMG remains a cornerstone of your gameplay experience.

One of our new 2-player random map layout that you can find on mod.io

We’ve also recently released two unique random maps on mod.io, which some of you may have already discovered. These maps draw inspiration from our challenge maps but add a unique twist thanks to the nature of RMG. Both a single-player and two-player version are available, and we’re eager to hear your thoughts on them.
Lastly, keep an eye out for a few special seeds. Who knows, one of them might even be the answer to the ultimate question.

/Emil and the Lavapotion Team

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Hello Wielders!

The summer sale starts now. We partnered with the amazing Triumph Studios and came up with a great way to start your adventure in the world of Turn Based strategy games — Rulers of Realms Steam bundle, which allows you to get both Songs of Conquest and Age of Wonders 4 (or just one of the games) with an additional 15% discount for a limited time!

https://store.steampowered.com/bundle/42811/Rulers_of_Realms/

Please note that the bundle is dynamic: it means that if you already own one of the titles you can still get the other one with a discount!

We wish you all a great summer!

/Team Lavapotion