Hotfix 1:
- Version number on main menu should now update once you have the hotfix.
- No other changes (full multiplayer compatibility between Alpha 8 variants).

Note: Steam sometimes does not download sequential updates for a few hours/days, so you may not immediately receive this update.

This is a summary of all balance changes and notable non-balance changes. Check the full patch notes[mhloppy.com] for full details and explanations about changes.

- The Music Tracks selection plugin bundled with CBP in Alpha 7c has been merged into a larger Sound.xml Editor plugin.

- Nomad first city build time 300% of normal -> 200% of normal (it's faster)
- Copper bonus HP 20% -> 12%
- Colosseum reduces cost of Forts and Towers by 25% -> 30%
- Colossus increases population limit by 40 -> 35
- Crossbowmen projectile speed 200 -> 185
- Other Age III/IV Foot Archers projectile speed 100 -> 110
- All Age III/IV Foot Archers damage vs Mahouts ~234% -> ~220%
- All Age III/IV Foot Archers damage vs Gun Mahouts ~234% -> ~207%
- All Age III/IV Foot Archers damage vs Culverin Mahouts ~234% -> ~193%
- Democracy reduces cost of non-Library research by 20% -> 25%
- The President now regenerates craft twice as fast
- Flamethrowers now take 10% reduced damage from Age VII/VIII units

- Removed game-warping exploit from Red Fort.
- Korean Flaming Arrows no longer missing damage modifier vs Triremes (+100%) and Galleys (+50%) and Heavy Flaming Arrows vs Triremes (+100%), Galleys (+50%), and Carracks (+50%).
- Fighters, Jet Fighters, Advanced Fighters, Hawk Fighters, and Eagle Fighters no longer missing damage modifier vs Russian Katyusha Rocket (-10%).

- CBP Launcher and CBP Setup GUI now have slightly different, slightly higher quality icons.
- CBP Launcher will now try to detect if RoN was recently reinstalled, and prompt for a settings reset if it was (prevents potential crash).
- Rules.xml Editor plugin now bundled (CBP-compatible pop / armageddon limit changes).
- Sound.xml Editor plugin now bundled (change music tracks selection, bugfix and basic installer for Rise of Babel).
- CBP Launcher now has an option to disable plugin loading (faster startup, improved security).
- CBP Launcher now saves the use of the "micro" version of the launcher skin.
- CBP Launcher now has an option to warn if any loaded plugins can cause multiplayer compatibility issues.
- CBP Launcher now has an option to manually override the automatically-detected RoN path.
- CBP Launcher now has an option to delete (instead of archive) old versions when updating CBP.
- The maximum number of logs saved by CBP is now 30 (older logs are automatically deleted).

- Additional bugfixes etc which don't affect multiplayer balance.

- The version on the main menu may not update. The version displayed in the LAUNCHER is correct (fixed in Hotfix 1).
- Bandeirantes (a campaign-only unit for the Portugese) were intended to receive a cost reduction from 70f/30m to 60f/30m to better align their cost with that of similar units such as Elite Pikemen. This change was accidentally excluded from Alpha 8 and may be included in a future update instead.

- Removed popup message if Music Tracks plugin's first-time setup is successful.
- No other changes (full multiplayer compatibility with other Alpha 7 variants).

- Updated Music Tracks plugin description with correct source code link.
- No other changes (full multiplayer compatibility with other Alpha 7 variants).

Minor bugfix/enhancement patch (full multiplayer compatibility with other Alpha 7 variants).

- Upgraded to CBP SDK v1.2.
- Improved plugin-related logging.
- Other minor improvements.

- Music Tracks selector plugin now bundled. If you use the Rise of Babel taunt pack, this can be used to fix a "bug" where your sound.xml file does not include music tracks from Thrones & Patriots.

- Version encoded in replay files will say Alpha 7, not Alpha 7c (but this shouldn't matter).

Minor bugfix/enhancement patch (full multiplayer compatibility with other Alpha 7 variants).

- Fixed incorrect texture reference for restored RoN emoji.

- Version encoded in replay files will say Alpha 7, not Alpha 7b (but this shouldn't matter).

- [CBP Launcher] Enabled auto-update for previous fix (if you have an existing CBP install, it's likely you won't receive >this< update for a few days due to how Steam Workshop distributes updates).
- No other changes (full multiplayer compatibility with other Alpha 7 variants).

- [CBP Launcher] Fixed typo in CBP status readout on main menu.
--> CBP Launcher will not automatically update to this version, but new CBP installs will receive the version with the fix.
- No other changes (full multiplayer compatibility with other Alpha 7 variants).

- Fixed publishing error (wrong folder level - no safeguard layer).
- No other changes (full multiplayer compatibility with other Alpha 7 variants).

If you're fluent in commonly used languages other than English, please help us to translate CBP!

This is a summary of all balance changes and notable non-balance changes. Check the full patch notes[mhloppy.com] for full details and explanations about changes.

- CBP Launcher is now bundled with the mod, and is the recommended way of loading and unloading it.
--> CBP Launcher is completely open source[github.com] and supports a few extra features compared to the normal launcher (e.g. you can drag the window now lol).
- For a variety of technical reasons, the format of the mod has been partially overhauled: data files are now managed at the "direct mod" level instead of at the local mod level. The most significant upside to this approach is a significant reduction in OoS issues caused by the local mod format.
--> this means that the install process for the mod has changed (but CBP Launcher can load and unload the mod quickly and easily for you!).
- The system for in-menu notifications has been removed to resolve an OoS issue with the way RoN loads modded files.

- Dutch income from banked resources can exceed commerce cap by 20 -> 25
- Immortals (I) bonus damage vs supply wagons 20% -> 16%
- Anusiya (II) bonus damage vs supply wagons 20% -> 16%
- Athanatoi (III) bonus damage vs supply wagons 20% -> 16%
- Tercios (IV) bonus damage vs supply wagons 20% -> 8%
- Arquebus Immortals (IV) bonus damage vs supply wagons 0% -> 8%
- Machine Gun (unit category) secondary damage modifier to Civilian units 40% -> 50%
- War Elephants (II) base cost 120 Food / 70 Wealth -> 110 Food / 70 Wealth
- All elephants (II-V) ramping cost 3 Food / 3 Wealth -> 3 Food / 2 Wealth

- Fluyts (IV) now correctly spawn projectiles if they attack while moving.
- Okwari (V) no longer receive ~10% too much damage from the Armored Car line of units.
- Carrack (III) attack delay reduced from ~1.9s to ~1.1s (NO EFFECT ON LONG-TERM DPS).
- Advanced Fighters (VIII+) no longer deal less damage than Jet Fighters against certain targets.

- Barks (I) and Triremes (I) no longer deal and receive damage as if they’re Age VII units for one game per session when loading mod files from external sources (local/Workshop mods).
- All elephants (II-V) now deal the same amount of damage against Barks and Triremes as they did in Thrones & Patriots.

- Alpha 4 incorrectly buffed Royal Hwarang (III) instead of Elite Hwarang (II).

- CBP Launcher supports a basic plugin system using the open source CBP SDK[github.com].
- Various in-game menus now display the status of CBP if CBP is loaded. The tooltip text dynamically updates depending on what you have loaded.
- Extras icons have been added that you can use with #ICON116-#ICON170. Of note, #ICON169 is an icon for CBP (useful for hosting lobbies).

- Arquebus Immortals (IV) projectile speed 300 -> 350 (basically a bugfix)
- Ironclad (campaign-only unit) has been bugfixed and its attack recharge increased by 20% to partially offset the positive effect of the bugfixes.

- 14 more bugfixes which don't affect multiplayer balance.
- Additional enhancements and minor technical changes.