Basic Update Roadmap

[Breca]

Just wanted to post a general roadmap for how we will roll out updates and what to expect:

1) Conversion of game to OpenGL. This has been in progress prior to EA and is intended to streamline our infrastructure and improve performance. It will be the first big update. There won't be a lot of cool new stuff in the game on this one, but it will set the stage, and indirectly correct some of the text readability issues some players have had.

2) Lots of little fixes and communication issues we have in the UI. For instance, Charge doesn't show a path, and there's no reason it shouldn't. Numbers in the Health/Morale bars. That sort of thing. We have a long list of these fixes that many players have pointed out, and we'll clean these up to make the experience smoother. The cool thing here is that a lot of these fixes are fast, so you should see a lot of stuff getting fixed suddenly.

3) Battle AI. Sometimes the AI is too suicidal. It could have a few tricks up its sleeve. And it should play its Heroes.

4) Foreign Affairs Screen overhaul. This screen is list-intensive and hard to work with. It will get a full overhaul that is more visually intuitive.

5) New features. Fort building, random events, cool new stuff.

Players are also asking for more portraits, and we'll be fleshing out portraits along the way.

Good Hunting!

Breca

[edusmc]

Good to hear. This is a good game. I hope it becomes great.

[msunavygrad]

It would be nice if the initial Campaigns for the various Countries gets tweaked to make more sense. The minor Orc faction oens the game needing to capture 5 capital cities, a bit tough for an introductory campaign.

I hope they also take a look at the rivals - some are just too distant and become Last Man Standing games by default.

[Death of Rats]

Thank you for listening to some of our input already. Looking forward to the updates.

[echo2361]

Thanks for the roadmap. Very informative!

[L0C0M0F0]

Sounds great cant wait!

[CoyoteCat]

Hurrah! Noticing a lot of suggestions from the community here! These devs are awesome.

[trmnt]

Sounds good, but you only plan to add fort building with regard to enhancing the nonexistent province management?
This part of the game should get the the most love in the first content patches [& the AI] since it's so basic and overly simplistic.

[Oskar Dinort]

I suggest a change in fort units in tactical combat... i suggest use the morale bar as "wall status" this means that to hit the red bar (the garrison) you need first destroy walls using siege units... with this you can add a special ability called "climbers" for an infantry unit that is a siege unit but a mix of siege/infantry, they can avoid forts walls and can directly hit the red bar (garrison), cheaper than siege units, very vulnerable to combat with regular units that capable of finish fast a fort is you distract it.

I like the things you want improve, specially the suicide AI... sometimes small nations invade bigger nations... and eat easy the big power because defender AI is unable to center in the invader... i see how Dumbar practically eat Vessoi... and Dumbar is in war with all his neighbours but nobody attack him.

[Fenryr]

Aaaah *relief*

I'm so glad to read this. A great first step ;-)

[CoyoteCat]

I'm kind of curious as to the more long term plans for this game. Will there be expansion packs that explore the parts of the map we don't see or with the ability to start in different eras? Has the early access been pretty good to this game? (Its getting good reviews at least! But I don't think that always translates to sales)

[glabrezu]

and what would you think about more exploiting seasons, like moving penalty in winter for exemple. For now they are here but only inpacting spells.

[Overread]

Originally posted by glabrezu:

and what would you think about more exploiting seasons, like moving penalty in winter for exemple. For now they are here but only inpacting spells.

Here's a thought:

1) Considering how large the map is and what a significant region its depicting if weather and climate where to change as a result of the onset of different seasons could it be done so that the change happens province by province? A global change (esp to say magic) but then a regional change so that say winter in the southern provinces isn't as harsh (eg less reduced movement) whilst norther provinces get hit a lot harder; meanwhile in the summer perhaps drought or extreme heat is more a problem in the south than the north.
If it were broken up like that it also introduces the potential for magical differences - eg landmarks that defy the change (or enhance it) or even specific differences to provinces based on their lore (eg elfish forcests might react differently to dwarven mountains)

2) Would it be possible to load a "map filter" system so that the map itself has several "states". One regular and normal - then another which gives it a wintery cover over so that we get a "visual" snow effect.
This could be extended as if a single map version can hold different map state within it not only could seasonal changes be a trigger, but there could also be world changing states too. Leaves the door open for a kind of "armageddon" mode where a spell or meteor or some event causes a huge cataclysmic change to the world. I'm not thinking of shifting provinces and map shape, but more effects like loss of landmarks/structures/forts - loss of select provinces - destruction of ownership over provinces that undergo huge change - reduced economic viability etc...

[trmnt]

I just read a good Steam review about the game by a user: http://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561197973725830/recommended/312430/

I totally agree with the guy who wrote that.

[glabrezu]

Yes, province by province, winter in Jotland can't be the same that in the South.

[ashurakain]

yep, and also with those provinces;
different buildings should be buildable in those provinces, as well as how high u can raise its economy depending on the province
and umm... for buildings;
can i suggest guildhalls, temples and sources (magic places to up research time), and lvls for those buildings depending on economy lvl, and lets say, every 2 or 3 levels trade routes for the guildhalls, and temple actions or special units depending on nation, i mean for diverstity, im sure that each race has theyre own religion
that kind of set up will deffinately make a diplomatic nation, or economic nation worth playing, rather than just inching ur way towards world domination thru military force.
and also...
has anybody here played birthright... i love the empire management in that game (battles tho are horible in that game), its easy to learn and understand, yet soo complex, and difficult to master.