Ara: Memorial Day Progress

[Tandis]

If you're not already on DIscord, you can join us at https://discord.gg/usrFrNDn. It's easier to post screenshots and mini updates there.

We did a lot of work over the "holiday" here and thought I'd share a little bit with you guys. We should have Preview 2 of v1.4 up this week. To access Previews, in Steam, go to the game's properties, choose BETAS and then choose Preview.

This weekend we worked on:

- Citizens will automatically supply their own dwellings, shops, etc. with items based on their needs. This is a game option that can be turned off but should drastically reduce micromanagement. Policies override their preferences and players can still micro manage this if they want and even override their choices.

- Combat UI redesigned to show how the combat mechanics work (somewhat better anway). Easier to read, tooltips for the combat panel explain where the numbers come from.

- Fish are more commonly spawn and shellfish are returned.

- Ores (like iron and such) spawn normally again.

- Pottery and several other techs will also increase your city cap

- Late game performance improvements

- Visual improvements to triumphs and cities in general in the living world

- AI won't try to bribe you if you're at war

- Gunpowder is no longer a maint cost (but +1 to money added to maint for those units)

- Rivers are more commonly generated.

- Quality of life buff overflow is now displayed in the tooltip to let the player know how "overkill" they've gone on the amenities.

- AI will generally try to make bigger armies rather than rely in quantity of piece meal armies.

We should have all this to you in the Preview branch here on Steam this week!

Also, if you like what we're doing, please let us know by reviewing the game if you haven't already. It's the Steam version of "Like and subscribe!" ;)

[peterhoran79]

These are fantastic updates. Keep the great work going!

[conorbebe]

The citizen supply change should go a long way in making the game more accessible for new and casual players, great work!

[GeeVee]

Great updates! Thank you for the continuing support of this game.

[frog_gamer]

And here I thought the game was dead! Bravo! I really love this game.

[Tandis]

I think the upcoming Preview 2 will be even more noticeable than Preview 1. The AI differences are pretty significant and the balance improvements (thanks to you guys) should make the game more engaging.

Also: Having the simulated citizens handle supplying themselves is something I think will be popular. And for those who do want to micromanage that, it's an option.

[Sgt. Barnes]

Hahah I was exactly thinking about fish not spawning. Had only 1 fish max for all South America, and only this prevented me from starting as England so far (or Spain ofc). Before preview, it was like 20-30 times more fish and 2 other, they were less useful ofc but enough to make luxury item which is way better now. Fish is basically crucial now since 5-6 pop. City cap increase if amazing too ofc. Especially not on emperor where my spies will tell Russia having 10 cities still secretly planning to attack me having 60-70 relations. AI also bribed me to attack someone in other, and the game has so much micromanagement so I forgot that England has +10 happiness during peace and was wondering why the hell I lost more than 10 instantly, AI has fooled me that easily just for couple of +50 growth items and some other stuff.

[Tandis]

Indeed! :) Fish are back baby! Preview 2 now available.

[frog_gamer]

Schools still broken in Preview 2

[Sgt. Barnes]

Considering supplies, last wine was taken from great hearth to renew previous one in city amenities, and then even when I got new wine and it was set in the hearth again, I don't remember whether it was automatically or no, each turn it again uses beer, and even if wine chosen manually it still after changing to +5 more happiness, still shows beer as a picture even after reloading save, it only shows again wine when beer is gone at all, but the problem is not this actually, but the fact when beer is in inventory, at the start of each turn it replaces wine de-facto even when wine is clearly superior, so need to do it manually each turn before beer is gone. Maybe with new beer ofc it won't appear instead of wine if last one wasn't used but still this kind of problems exist, I also guess that items like this shouldnt be then used as amenities if they are already used as supplies. like it would be manually, when you have to first unload it. Overall yes its a great feature, significantly reduces game fatigue as it replaces items with better ones I don't though know if it will decide for me what is better coffee or wine, it isn't that obvious like with beer-wine pair.