Improved server communication for more stability and less workload on the servers
Fixed turn timer handling after 3x turn timer ran out
A.I. Fixes:
C&K: Diplomat card is played correctly by automatic A.I. if turn timer runs out
Road building: automatic A.I. will play correctly and finish the turn
Cross-Play Restored
Hi Catanians,
Version 1.8.7 will now be rolled out to the Googleplay Store and Apple Appstore. Please make sure to update your App as fast as possible to enable cross play between all platforms again.
You can check the version number you are currently using the lower left corner of the main menu.
Catan Universe 1.8.7
Dear Catanians,
in an effort to further reduce the server loads we've just released CATAN Universe 1.8.7 for the Steam and Browser version of the game.
That means that it won't be possible to play cross plattform from PC to mobile at the moment. We are still watiting for the approval of 1.8.7 in the Appstore and GooglePlay Store.
We will try to keep this version discrepancy as short as possible but it might still take a couple of days until things are back to normal.
As usual we will continue to update you on the latest developments through our socials and in-game news so please keep an eye out for more news.
Free Match disabled
Hi Catanains, As we have mentioned, over the last few days we’ve had the largest rise in user numbers yet. While we’re very happy about the interest in Catan, this has caused severe technical issues with our system that currently can’t handle the increased demand during peak hours.
We’ve already made several updates to the backend systems, but after careful evaluation, we’ll need to make very substantial changes to some parts of the game’s backend architecture to be able to cope with this situation. Therefore we will regrettably have to temporarily disable the multiplayer mode “Free Match” used by non-paying users. We do this very reluctantly and only because there is no other short-term solution that can decrease server load as significantly and without effecting paying users. The function will be restored as soon as other measures have been successfully implemented. We’ve had this mode since the beginning, as we’d like new players to try Catan easily. We want to restore it as soon as possible.
We understand that this will cause speculations if this is just a move to drive sales. It’s quite the contrary. We hate to do that, because it will cause frustration and likely drive off new players. However we feel obligated to our existing customers and need to make sure that we can sustain the current user numbers until the tech team has made the necessary updates.
Thank you for staying on Catan with us during this time. We will continue to update you on the latest developments via in-game news and our social media channels.
Patchnotes 1.8.6
- Savegames work properly again
- Playing Rivals and then the CATAN boardgame is now possible again
- 2 Players and 1 AI can now start Custommatches again
- Viking Table assets no longer cause graphics bugs
- Tutorials load properly again
Server Maintenance March 3rd
Hi Catanians,
Tuesday March 3rd Catan Universe servers won’t be available starting at 11 am.
The maintenance is used to roll out Catan Universe 1.8.6. The latest version will include several fixes for save games and tutorials as well as custom match fixes.
Server Maintenances Feb 11.
Dear Catanians,
In order to release Hotfix 1.8.5 we will perform server maintenances on Feb 11. at 11 am [CET]. The server maintenances might take a few hours but we will do our best to keep the downtime as short as possible.
Here you can read up on the changes we made with Hotfix 1.8.5:
- Loading screen for multiplayer matches will now bring you back to the main menu if the match can´t get loaded correctly
- If an Automatch fails to load correctly player won´t get Karma or Elo deducted
- The process of reconnecting to an online match has been streamlined
First Server-Fix Applied
Hi Catanians,
We have been able to identify and also resolve an issue with our servers.
Since January 1rst we experienced unusually high response times from our servers that sometimes surpassed 500ms which is about 100 times more than our average.
The high response time caused a variety of issues. Most notably error messages while queuing for matches or error message during matches.
The root cause for the high response times has been performance issues of some of our underlying Databases. We optimized the way we address those databases and already applied that fix last evening. For the past 12 hours, we saw the response times being back to normal.
This was the first crucial step in getting Catan Universe back on track. Meanwhile, our dev team has been working on Hotfix 1.8.5. With the servers back to normal, we can test the Hotfix under realistic circumstances again.
If you are still experiencing issues with error messages, first please manually log out and back into your account to establish a new connection to our servers. Also, please let us know via our support channels.
The CATAN Universe Team
Catan Universe 1.8.5 Hotfix Info
Hi Catanians,
or developers finished working on the CU 1.8.5 Hotfix and we will start testing right away. The Hotfix will disable Elo and Karma calculation if a match can´t get initialized properly. If you get a message after the loading screen that the match was canceled, there won´t be an Elo or Karma reduction anymore after Hotfix 1.8.5.
In addition, we added advanced logging mechanisms that will help our developers to identify issues much faster in the future. Once we have finished testing the Hotfix we will let you know.
Please remember this is only step one of the actions we are taking to resolve multiplayer issues in Catan Universe. The Hotfix “only” disables Elo and Karma calculation for the corrupted game starts.
Our team is still working full speed on re-coding the entire matchmaking system. The advanced logging will help us to identify the current “breaking points” more easily.
The CATAN Universe Team
Catan Universe Fixes and Roadmap
Dear Catanians,
Our team is now entirely back in the office and is working full speed on resolving the issues you reported to us during the past weeks. We want to give you an outline on what we are working on and how we plan to resolve the known issues.
But first:
We have heard your feedback loud and clear and we are doing everything we can to tackle the current issues as fast as possible. We want Catan Universe to always be fun again and we want to thank you for your patience and understanding in the current situation.
The actions we take:
The first action we will take is to change the way we will deduct Elo/Karma if a game fails to initialize currently. After the next patch (1.8.5) matches won´t get counted to your Elo/Karma if something goes wrong during the initialization. Since Catan Universe is a multiplatform game, there will always be the chance of one client dropping at that critical stage. To amend for these circumstances we will apply the mentioned changes. You can expect the Hotfix within the next 2 weeks.
In order to resolve the reported issues while initiating games, our development team will rework and restructure the entire process. The goal is to have a reliable system even in times of very high demand on our servers. We are considering this restructuring (and recoding) as the only way to resolve the issues sustainably.
Unfortunately, undertaking such measurements needs time. At the moment we are looking at 4 weeks of coding for the new and improved matchmaking system followed by a thorough testing phase with all our resources allocated to this. The rework of the matchmaking is of the highest priority to us and we will therefore postpone further development of the game for the time being.
We are also in close contact with our server provider in order to further optimize the communication between our game and their infrastructure so that general server issues will occur way less often.
As we announced a while back, there will be a second Cities and Knights Season once the new patch is released. This Season will have no entrance fee. This means you will be able to play again for the prices you might not have won due to technical errors.
We want to thank all of you providing us with solid feedback over the past weeks, helping us to identify the issue. We do take the current situation very serious and we want to let you know that all your feedback is read and taken into account.
We will keep you updated about the development process. Please stay tuned in the weeks to come.
