The Daily Update at the Com

[nafod]

May I just comment that the Org members seem to be handling criticism in a much more tolerant manner than oh 2 months ago...

It's good.

[Dayve]

I think that's because when the game came out we had people joining the forum or posting for the first time in years for no other reason than to criticize every aspect of the game without even owning it, and because the people who were so annoyed at the games shortcomings and paying for a half finished game have got over it now and left and moved onto another game.

[Servius]

I too am skeptical about how often the AI negotiates peace with itself. One thing CA could do is add back in those notices to the player when the AI makes peace with itself. There are notices of when the AI declares war on itself, and previous games have sent the player notices when the AI makes peace with itself, so it's not unprecidented.

What I'm really just interested in is a more logical campaign AI. I've seen Poland declare war on the Plains Nations... I mean really, what's the point? The declaration has absolutely no affect. Poland can't get at them, and they don't trade, so Poland can't raid their trade routes or anything. It seems like the AI should have a check that says:

1) If I'm at war with Nation X
AND
2) If I do not have sufficient military land forces to spare for an attack
AND
3) If I am not able to raid any of Nation X's trade routes
AND
4) If none of my allies are at war with Nation X
THEN
5) Request peace

[al Roumi]

May 28th

Two bigger fixes today:

1. Campaign AI - Turn time resolution has been sped up. We found a logic block in the AI's use of land bridges and removed it. This has resulted in faster end turn times during the AI move calculation phase.

2. Campaign AI - We solved a start state issue where one smaller state started attempting an alliance with another state that didn't recognise it. This resulted in incorect behaviour between the two nations at startup, which has now been fixed.

Naturally this is all inline with everything else being done. We also hope to be able to reveal more details about the upcoming free units shorty.

Kind regards,
Kieran

http://shoguntotalwar.yuku.com/reply...l#reply-748290

[Monsieur Alphonse]

I think that especially number one was a main cause for the long waiting between turns. I hope that it is really fixed.

[Marquis of Roland]

I'm gonna miss going to pick up pizza on Sweden's turn

[Servius]

Just what I was thinking too. The land bridge delay helps explain why Sweden always took so long.

[Lemur]

Turn time resolution has been sped up.

If they can solve the Interminable AI Turn problem, I will dance a little jig of joy in my special pink kilt. Next to the CTDs, this has been the biggest game-killer for me.

[Barkhorn1x]

Just what I was thinking too. The land bridge delay helps explain why Sweden always took so long.

You ever notice that Sweden pumps out one or two unit "armies and marches them up the penninsula on one turn - and back down on the next - to no good purpose?

Just weird and dumb.

[FesterShinetop]

You ever notice that Sweden pumps out one or two unit "armies and marches them up the penninsula on one turn - and back down on the next - to no good purpose?

Just weird and dumb.

Maybe there is an IKEA on the penninsula...?

(Too easy? )

[AussieGiant]

Does anyone have any idea when this next PATCH will be!! I'm getting a little frustrated with all the wait.

[TB666]

Does anyone have any idea when this next PATCH will be!! I'm getting a little frustrated with all the wait.

Think I will state the best response, when it's ready.
Or to quote Johan from Paradox
"A patch is never late! Nor is it ever early. It arrives precisely when I mean it to do!"

[AussieGiant]

Think I will state the best response, when it's ready.
Or to quote Johan from Paradox
"A patch is never late! Nor is it ever early. It arrives precisely when I mean it to do!"

Excellent!!

[Phog_of_War]

Excellent!!

Just the answer you were looking for, eh?

[AussieGiant]

Just the answer you were looking for, eh?

Sure was!!

What else could I expect. I was just venting.

[Monsieur Alphonse]

And now it is the glorious first of June:

June 1st:

- Some signficant work on multiplayer campaign beta code today, with some synching issues fixed and UI/game options being 'wired in'. Allowing players to select turn time properly.

- Further additions include new game unit art being integrated into the latest build for the new free units. The replacement units will now override default units for their given faction, giving different nations more variety.

We're also working to get you further details of the free units which will all be released shortly via Steam, they will be worth the wait.

Kind regards,
Kieran

[Fisherking]

Does anyone have any idea when this next PATCH will be!! I'm getting a little frustrated with all the wait.

LOL it won't be before June at the earliest!!

[Elmar Bijlsma]

And now it is the glorious first of June:

Oh, Bravo! Well played, sir, well played!

[Prodigal]

These "free" units, anyone else suspect that they'll be all new eye candy only?

Dunno which thread had the russian grenadiers in it, & ok its reskinned, but please, its a freakin' grenadier unit, (someone even said nice pointy hat as a comment ) does that mean they'll throw grenades, act like, & have exactly the same stats as every other factions grenadiers?

I'm getting sullen about pouty about the whole thing now, (feed me patch!!!!), I spent the weekend playing tower defense for my game fix instead of ETW for crying out loud! Its THAT bad.

[Fisherking]

Today looks like a double

June 2nd

Testing a multiplayer campaign game...

TAMIS


June 2nd:

In other news, the latest version of Update 1.3 has gone into internal testing today. 

Thanks,

Mark O'Connell
(aka SenseiTW)

[al Roumi]

Why am I always so snide and negative? Dunno, but i wish they'd put the people testing the multiplayer campaign into testing v1.3...

[Fisherking]

June 3rd:

I've changed the effects of government types in order to balance the game a bit more. We felt that Absolute Monarchy was too strong (due to your ability to perfectly choose and balance your ministers) and Republic too weak (because you can't change your ministers freely). Here are the new government type effects:

Government Type Effects
Government Effect Value
Absolute Monarchy Active Lower Class Happiness
-2
Absolute Monarchy Active Upper Class Happiness
+2
Absolute Monarchy Land Unit Recruitment Cost
-5%
Absolute Monarchy Repression +5
Absolute Monarchy Research Rate Modifier
-10%
Absolute Monarchy Town Wealth Growth
-5
Constitutional Monarchy Clamour for Reform Modifier
-25%
Constitutional Monarchy Active Lower Class Happiness
+1
Constitutional Monarchy Active Upper Class Happiness
+1
Constitutional Monarchy Repression +3
Constitutional Monarchy Town Wealth Growth
+5
Republic Clamour for Reform Modifier -80%
Republic Active Lower Class Happiness +3
Republic Active Upper Class Happiness +1
Republic Repression +2
Republic Research Rate Modifier +5
Republic Town Wealth Growth +12


We're currently testing these values and they are unlikely to make it into the next patch.

Jan van der Crabben

more changes...well let us hope the undo a few too... More unit costs??? AM should have the cheapest...

[SMZ]

it does have the cheapest... it says they are 5% less expensive under AM

[Vlad Tzepes]

...and there's another unit coming for the UP:

Hi guys,

Today we'd like to reveal the second of the free units that we will shortly be releasing. The Holland Guards from the United Provinces are superior line infantry units. Carrying smoothbore muskets, they were traditionally chosen to protect the royal family and have an incredibly high morale, often making them the last troops to break in a fight.

Thanks,

Mark O'Connell
(aka SenseiTW)

[Phog_of_War]

I have to say, those character models look really good.

[antisocialmunky]

If you ignore the fact that we still have only 1 face on all of them.

[anweRU]

I suppose the proposed changes will make the republic more attractive, instead of just as a stepping stone to CM... It would certainly make it more interesting to give the republics more advantages.

[al Roumi]

I suppose the proposed changes will make the republic more attractive, instead of just as a stepping stone to CM... It would certainly make it more interesting to give the republics more advantages.

Yep, but when they refer to lower "clamour for reform" I assume this is the discontent generated by higher enlightenment & schools (universities).

What about the CM's complete lack of industrial discontent?

What were the luddites and swing rioters if not large expressions of industrialy-motivated discontent within the political system of a CM?

The current superiority of a CM over other govt systems is arguably consistent with the fact that it was adopted by the greatest number of European states towards the end of the game period. But, that paradigm is wholely dependant on the assumption that the most widespread adoption of a system implies its greatest potential effectiveness and efficiency. There are plenty of counter-arguments to such a view of a CM though too!

[Fisherking]

today they have a war story...

June 4th:

There's currently a bug in the economic information that's causing a client to desynch with host in the multiplayer campaign but we're close to getting it fixed.

Seperately, Sensei and I managed to play a multi campaign today where we fought together as France and Spain (He Spain, me France) quite succesfully. We had strong early success by ganging up on Portugal, whilst being constantly harassed by the Barbary States and the Pirates.

I dispatched a land army to Spain from Paris to assist in his storming of Lisbon and we lay siege to the city together. Sadly, Morocco took the opportunity to invade from the south and we ended up storming Lisbon, taking casualties in order to free up for the defence of southern Spain.
At this moment the United Provinces declared war on me in Europe, I asked for his assistance and he duly agreed. The meagre forces I had left in Paris rushed to defend Brusells but it was lost to the maruading Dutch.

By clever building I'd managed to access one of the new free units who I pulled into a grand armee and threw at the Dutch, just to hold them from the gates of Paris.

At this stage Sensei deigned to inform me he'd almost lost control of Portugal to rebellion thanks to fleeing to Madrid to see off the Moroccans. Britain inadvertantly assited us by landing an army in Northern Africa and invading Tripoli, halting the Barbary aggression for a while.

But with the United Provinces at the gates of Paris, The Moroccans within spitting distance of Madrid and a turbulant Porutgal we're in for a heavy fight tomorrow. We tested out the save/load facility and will hopefully get a chance to resume our campaign on Friday.

Tomorrows update will be more technical in nature, we just wanted to share a story for this one.

Kind regards,
Kieran

[Fisherking]

Today it seems like we have some good news! Not only is the patch in beta, but what is fixed sounds good to me.

And I am not that easy to please…

June 5th:

Hello everyone, today we would like to give you an update on how the next patch beta test is going.

The beta testers have reported much improved battle AI as we have fixed the problem that was resulting in it getting into melee too much in 1.2.

On the campaign AI side they have reported AI getting into less wars, making peace more, keeping allies and when it does wage war doing so more sensibly. This confirms various improvements we have made since 1.2 in our continued effort to improve the AI.

Big performance improvements have been reported thanks to some changes that are in the next patch.

They've also been enjoying the various free goodies that are going to be in the next patch.

Hope you all have enjoyed this update and have a good weekend.


Jack Lusted