Greetings, Viceroys!
Last week, we released an Experimental Branch update with a new upcoming biome - the Ashen Thicket - and followed that up with a patch introducing a brand-new resource - Salt. Now we're back with another batch of fixes, balance changes, and of course, new content. So without further ado, let's get started.
With this patch, we wanted to give you something fresh to play with - a brand new type of World Event. While the name alone ("Abandoned Settlement") might make it sound boring, we're very excited about it. So excited, in fact, that it has an increased spawn rate on the World Map.
But what is so special about it, you might ask? The Abandoned Settlement is something we're all guilty of as Viceroys - because who among us hasn't fled back to the Citadel when things went south during a run? But now you have the opportunity to right those past wrongs and try to complete a settlement started but abandoned by another Viceroy.
Abandoned Settlement World Event (work in progress, placeholder art)When you start the game through this event, you will be thrown into an already ongoing settlement - with some cornerstones and blueprints already chosen, some orders active, some glades discovered, some buildings built, etc. And you will be handsomely rewarded for completing it.
Our main goal with this new type of event is to make the early game less monotonous (in terms of early game picks and build order), encourage players to try different strategies, and add more variety to the Blighstorm cycle.
The beginning of the game in the deteriorating settlement in the Coral ForestThe "Abandoned Settlement" World Event is planned to be added to the base version of the game as a part of the upcoming free Update 1.5. The Keepers of the Stone DLC is also not required to play it on the Experimental Branch.
Aside from this new event, we also tweaked some numbers in the Cornerstone Forge, rebalanced some recipes with Salt, and made a few UX improvements. We are aware that there is at least one major issue that needs to be addressed - the biome passive that gives you a chance to crit for miners - and we are actively working on it.
You can read more about all the changes in the full changelog below.
New content
- Added a new World Event with a unique effect.[list]
- Abandoned Settlement - As you ponder your next move, a group of commoners approaches, their faces etched with worry. They tell you of their relatives stranded in a settlement abandoned by their Viceroy, who has fled, leaving them to face their fate alone. Their pleas are filled with desperation as they beg for your help.
- This World Event requires players to play a settlement that is already in progress, started by another Viceroy. This means that there are already some blueprints selected, some cornerstones picked, some orders active, some glades discovered, a few buildings built, etc.
- The choice in this world event is to go immediately or to negotiate the price. Choosing the “Negotiate the price” option will cause the settlement to deteriorate further, but the reward for completing it will be greater.
- This event has a slightly higher spawn rate than other events. Our main goal with it is to add more variety to Blightstorm Cycles, shake up the early game, and create more interesting games that can lead to trying different strategies.
- IMPORTANT: If you want to test this new World Event without searching for it, simply hover your cursor over an empty tile on the World Map (the first ring of tiles around that tile also has to be empty) and use the following command in the dev console (~):
Balance
- Slightly increased the overall number of events spawned on the World Map.
- Changed the amount of Salt needed to craft Jerky (from 1 to 2).
- Changed the amount of Salt needed to craft Paste (from 2 to 3).
- Rebalanced a few triggers in the Cornerstone Forge.[list]
- Slightly increased the requirement of the “sell goods” trigger.
- Slightly increased the requirement of the “complete trade routes” trigger.
- Slightly increased the requirement of the “complete trade routes of value” trigger.
- Increased the requirement of the “produce rainwater” trigger.
- Increased the requirement of the “expected corruption” trigger.
- Added a new trigger to the pool - “every level of standing”.
- Removed the “build geyser pumps” trigger.
- Slightly lowered the global double production chance bonus for tiers 1 and 2.
- Slightly increased the double production chance bonus for specialized chains (metal, building materials, food) for tier 1 and 2.
- Lowered the number of random raw resources (food and building).
UI/UX
- Increased the character limit for perks made in the Cornerstone Forge.
- Changed the name of the “Abandoned Settlement” modifier to “Ruined Town” to avoid confusion.
- Added a randomize button next to the settlement name text box in the Embarkation Screen. This text box will now also show a randomized name from the start.
- Updated the description of the Overexploitation Cornerstone to clearly state how many Cysts will appear (based on the difficulty level).
- Added an automatic scroll feature to the Deeds section of the Settlement Complete window (so it moves down when more than one row of Deeds is unlocked).
- If you have more than one Cornerstone to choose from, the UI will no longer disappear after each pick and stay on the screen until you have selected all available Cornerstones.
Bug fixes
- Fixed a bug where workers would sometimes not carry or fetch resources from the closest warehouse and walk to one that is far away instead (for real now).
- Fixed a bug where multiple effects from the Cornerstone Forge would not show progress in their tooltip’s footer.[list]
- Gatherer walking speed
- Production speed
- Increased Resolve for needs
- Planting and harvesting speed
- Goods sold
- Impatience rate
- Jerky +2
- Harpy Resolve
Other
- Improved the pathfinding of the Treasure Stag. It should now more reliably choose closer glades.
Known issues
- Sometimes, the visual effects of the season might be mismatched. The effects should align with time. The correct season is the one displayed in the calendar on the top HUD.
The current Experimental Branch version is 1.5.04.
Once again, we want to thank you all for your great feedback, as it helps us immensely.
May the storm be gentle on you,
Eremite Games
Previous Experimental Updates
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1336490/view/4441205298304122972
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1336490/view/4525647157467807755
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1336490/view/4525647157467807753
