Test Branch 1.0.76691 Test 2025-03-05

Design

• Offensive effects do not apply to the leader unit
  
• Cannot launch offensive when on cooldown
  
• Leader unit goes on new launched offensive cooldown
  
• For team games, bonus orders from the offensive go to the unit owners
  

• Critical hits on cities are no longer possible
  
• Stun is now possible when attacking a unit in a city without any HP left
  
• Commander leaders always grant +10XP per turn to all units (previously units had to be idle)
  
• Free improvements are now allowed on resource tiles with a generic improvement ping. Placing a free urban improvement on a resource removes the resource without harvesting it
  
• Adjusted ambition threshold calculations so a greater variety of ambitions gets offered
  
• Events where the AI offers Truce on breaching a city now trigger when the city is captured instead
  
• Can no longer build roads and improvements in territory of an ally
  
• Water tiles no longer need to be adjacent to land in order to transfer them from one of your cities to another
  
• Units that earn XP past the maximum level convert that XP to training
  
• Ezana's Evangelist trait only gives new units Christianity/Adept in city where he is governor (Wrath of Gods)
  

Programming

• Rendering API change: Linux / Steam Deck now default to Vulkan. Windows supports Vulkan with a command-line switch
  
• Epic Mac build now runs natively when run outside of the Epic launcher, i.e. using alternative launcher such as Heroic
  
• Improved UI responsiveness when cycling through workers
  
• Performance improvements
  
• AI combat improvements
  
• Improved AI use of Launch Offensive
  
• Improved AI order predictions when planning moves
  
• AI is more aggressive in moving towards enemy cities when at war
  
• AI more likely to place ranged units in forest when defending its territory with a Tactician leader
  
• AI fort building now less common
  
• AI tries harder to delay using anchored units so that land units don't get stranded
  
• AI now less eager to build some wonders that are not very useful (e.g. Jebel Barkal without world religion)
  
• Added ALLOW_CITY_CRITICAL_HITS to globalsInt, for use by modders
  

UI

• Removed Options Preset dropdown from Simple setup and added Event Level
  
• Added Reset Options button to Advanced and MP setup screens
  
• Added difficulty mode to Advanced setup screen
  
• Simple setup settings are saved separately from advanced setup settings. Going back and forth between Advanced and Simple screens retains only nation and dynasty settings
  
• Entering the setup screens with a premade map that restricts nation choices stored in the options file will no longer keep that map choice, to ensure all nations are shown
  
• Enabled DLC no longer gets reset every time
  

• Selected characters now appear in the upper right side of the screen and Ambitions in the upper left
  
• Strategic resource icons for unit production shown on city categories when available
  
• Temporary unit effects now show the remaining turn count on their icons
  
• Changed all happiness/discontent yield displays to use relevant icon instead of signed text
  
• Added worker list to tile tooltip when multiple workers are stacked
  
• Selecting a character centers the camera on job-relevant city or unit
  
• Research UI is now always shown regardless of selection
  
• Added reminder for pillaged tiles
  
• Added ability to hide improvement tooltips by holding CTRL
  
• Timeline now shows map terrain changes over time
  
• Timeline now shows current revealed-not-visible state for borders when it is set to show the current turn
  
• With a land unit selected, hovering over a water tile in anchor range will show "Must end move on land tile"
  
• Network games are now paused automatically when the game is over
  
• Cannot surrender a multiplayer game if you are the last player remaining
  
• World tile text now shows over city UI
  
• Unworked wonders show Requires Worker text with worker selected
  
• Right-click toggles tab panel menus off if already open
  
• Improved unit strength tooltip text
  
• Updated premade map descriptions
  
• Removed some of the yield breakdown from the specialist tooltip and added modified total yield
  
• Removed line break from event option tooltips that start goals
  
• Removed 'New Event in Wizard' button from Event Browser
  
• City links that do not open the city screen now pan the camera to the city when clicked (i.e. tribal raid notifications)
  
• Starting a game using a parameter string no longer updates the options file with the game's settings
  
• Added custom savegame prefix to standalone scenarios
  
• Added more promotion and effectUnit information to encyclopedia
  
• Updated Shapur's dynasty description to clarify that Strike applies to melee and ship units (Wonders and Dynasties)
  
• Plague flies are only shown on units with the Plagued effect. Plague fog effect is confined to city territory (Wrath of Gods)
  
• Wildfire visual effect is less extreme (Wrath of Gods)
  

Bugs Fixed

• Fixed workers and ships in cities with no defenses not taking damage from attacks
  
• Fixed clicks on parts of the UI selecting map elements behind them
  
• Fixed Continents map script bug
  
• Fixed Caravans being unable to travel through anarchy territory
  
• Fixed improvements being repairable inside hostile territory
  
• Fixed unit health bars appearing incorrectly for some attack previews
  
• Fixed the Ignore Map Nation Starts option not working on some maps
  
• Fixed Family Seat founding bonus not showing in the setup screens and in game before player has founded their capital
  
• Fixed Road To overlay not updating when changing mouseover tile
  
• Fixed flickering issue when hovering over build recommendations on some parts of the screen
  
• Fixed bug where AI could still win in some cases when player achieves victory on the same turn
  
• Fixed goal threshold bug incorrectly making ambitions invalid
  
• Fixed Barbarian Horde MP achievement not working in hotseat
  
• Fixed Greek and Assyrian capitol buildings not being shown when adjacent to rivers
  
• Fixed Allow Negative Cognomens option appearing when no characters option selected
  
• Fixed Free Court Minister encyclopedia entry with null icon
  
• Fixed encyclopedia prompt showing on traits with no encyclopedia page
  
• Fixed encyclopedia null references
  
• Fixed succession law preview tooltip showing wrong law
  
• Fixed Courtiers Added stat not increasing when recruiting an existing foreign courtier
  
• Fixed Organized tribes not healing
  
• Fixed some AI bugs
  
• Fixed research UI not updating immediately when yield rates change
  
• Fixed Carthage scenarios giving a lower-tier victory than earned if one of the goals was completed indirectly
  
• Fixed Calamities causing city sites to become impassable
  
• Fixed Flood not displaying correctly in some cases (Wrath of Gods)
  
• Fixed Calamity level showing on in-game difficulty mode and game parameters tooltips, if the content is disabled in the current game (Wrath of Gods)
  
• Text and event fixes
  

Wrath of Gods Features

• Calamities Shape the World – Nine disasters, including wildfires, plagues, tsunamis, and volcanic eruptions, reshape terrain, impact the strategic map, and create military opportunities for those who adapt.
  
• 200+ New Events – Experience the fallout of disasters through dynamic events, offering choices that test your leadership, compassion, and opportunism.
  
• New Projects & Traits – 26 projects, 8 traits, and new missions let you manage disaster recovery, aid the afflicted, and fortify your kingdom against future hardships.
  
• Evolving Map Scripts – Two new world-generation options introduce terrain that changes over time, from receding coastlines to mountain ranges that become passable.
  
• Aksum Joins the Fight – Play as one of the four great powers of the era, led by historical figures like Kaleb, Ezana, and Makeda. Unique units, events, and structures, including Aksum’s iconic steles, offer fresh ways to build an empire.
  
• The Wrath of Gods Scenario – Set in a remembered past, this scenario tells the story of a nation’s founding under the watchful eyes of four pagan gods. Appease them for blessings or risk their wrath as you navigate divine expectations and shifting allegiances. This is a self-contained story and does not introduce supernatural elements into the base game.
  

Master the Game, Join the Community

Shaped by the Gods — And You

Headline Changes

• Premade map updates including major expansion of The Old World map
  
• New game setup options, UI and accessibility features
  
• AI improvements and performance optimizations
  

Design

• Major expansion of The Old World premade map to accommodate Aksum (upcoming DLC nation)
  
• Minor adjustments to The Middle East premade map, Aksum starting position added
  
• Updated resources on The Imperium Romanum premade map, all luxury resources are now present
  
• Added tribes to The Mediterranean premade map
  
• New game option added 'Allow Negative Cognomens'. Disabled by default
  
• High Event Level now allows more events to occur per turn
  
• Repeatable technologies increase by 50% of the original cost each time they are researched (+1000, up from +500)
  
• All religious buildings (Temples, Monasteries, Cathedrals) are now permanent
  
• Crossbowmen bonus against melee now only applies to attack instead of strength
  
• New advanced setup option 'Balanced starting resources' for single player (previously MP only)
  
• Commander leaders now always grant +10XP per turn to all units (previously units had to be idle)
  
• If the AI reaches a victory condition on its turn and the player also does at the start of their next turn, the player will now be given the victory instead of the AI
  
• Reduced the effect of Grand Vizier and AI leader traits on the number of units they tend to build
  
• Reduced cost of Burning improvements to 50 Training (down from 100)
  
• Purging a religion from a city now prevents it spreading to the city again without use of a Disciple
  
• Can no longer gift Family Seats
  
• Ambition victory now disabled in multiplayer by default (will remain on for ongoing games where it is enabled)
  
• Better matchmaking for auto-marrying characters. More likely for characters that are attracted to each other to get married and less likely for characters that hate each other
  
• Ambition-picking events will try to avoid giving a second crowning ambition, a lower tier fallback will be offered if possible
  
• Seizing the throne no longer adds bypassed relationships to former leader's succession
  
• A non-fatal attack that triggers an event that immediately kills the unit is now treated as a unit kill (for kill unit ambitions, routing etc)
  
• Competitive Mode no longer disables Grand Viziers but does now disable some Rising Star events related to seizing the throne
  
• Laurion Mines now cost 10 wood to repair (previously had no cost)
  
• New tutorial event added when Warriors can be upgraded to Spearmen (previously only occurred for Axemen upgrades)
  
• In Heroes of the Aegean scenario 2, Themistocles now retires after the battle of Salamis
  
• Tweaks to invasions in Pharaohs of the Nile scenario 5
  
• Heroes of the Aegean scenario 5 tweaks - easier difficulties are now easier and initial landing goal made clearer
  
• In Rise of Carthage scenario 4, tribal allies will automatically declare war on Rome
  
• When using the Caesar Dynasty, Princess Julia will now take up family Julius if picked (Wonders and Dynasties)
  
• Rising Stars now demand the throne less and to be Grand Viziers more (Behind the Throne)
  

Programming

• Optimization and performance improvements
  
• Tactical AI improvements
  
• Improved AI use of anchoring
  
• Improved AI Scout movement under Exploration law
  
• Improved AI unit movement
  
• Improved AI family selection when founding a city
  
• Moved default improvement repair cost to XML
  
• Better scenario difficulty mode support
  
• Added command line argument -loadgame
  
• Refactored opinion levels to be independent of XML order
  

UI

• Parameter strings can be used in the setup screen to restart the same game from the beginning
  
• The SP setup screen now has a third tab (Simple/Advanced/Parameter String), where players enter the parameter string
  
• Parameter Strings can be found on the in game menu
  

• Added Accessibility option for one-click map centering
  
• A preview of potential water control is now shown when holding CTRL with ship selected
  
• Notification display order reversed, now shows oldest notifications at the top
  
• Character tooltips now show trait effects that are relevant to the current position (leader, general, governor) of the character
  
• In MP the turn timer warning sound now plays with 15 seconds remaining (up from 5) and increases the size of the timer text. Paused text is now shown when the timer is paused.
  
• In Observer mode, decision popups no longer get removed by clicking on an option
  
• Character selection for job assignment popups now defaults to an idle character
  
• Tweaks to job assignment highlighting behavior, selection clearing on the city screen
  
• Opening the reminders list closes the job assignment menu
  
• Unit filter for Infantry changed to Melee Infantry
  
• Rearranged city queue display to avoid overlap. Queue can now display 9 items (up from 4)
  
• Known visibility button now shows visibility for all rivals if no unit or player is selected
  
• Buy Orders shortcut key now defaults to SHIFT+O (instead of O)
  
• Added Leader Archetype dropdown to Basic Setup options for Barbarian Horde scenario
  
• Added icons for strength and weakness to character tooltips
  
• MP player UI (team research and gifting options) is now shown in SP when player has AI teammates
  
• Stats for all players are now shown to observers in MP games
  
• Removed the 'Edit in Wizard' button from existing events in the Event Browser
  
• Fixed confusing color of unit fatigue pips when already force marched and there is no movement limit. Force marched units now display flashing "marched" text
  
• MP scenario tooltips now show scenario subtitle
  
• Renamed Units Killed stat on stats screen to Military Units Killed
  
• Removed Raiders and Rebels from game history
  
• Improved "Slow AI" tooltip
  
• Bonus tech cards now indicate that they are bonus cards
  
• Added cause of death field to the character tooltip. Traits with a probability of death are removed after death
  
• Riders icon now shown on city widget instead of Connected icon for Riders cities
  
• Rising Star trait no longer removed upon death
  
• Simplified and cleaned up some Family help issues
  
• Removed some yield clutter from specialist tooltips
  
• Encyclopedia and tutorial corrections and improvements
  
• Standalone scenarios are now shown on the top level of the scenario screen instead of under their own category
  

Bugs Fixed

• Fixed memory leaks
  
• Fixed improvements being buildable in territory of non-allied foreign nations
  
• Fixed AI sometimes being unable to declare war on a nation while at peace
  
• Fixed queued unit moves not happening when destination blocked
  
• Fixed automated units sometimes not moving
  
• Fixed ships sometimes being built on the city center instead of the intended water area
  
• Fixed event syntax bug
  
• Fixed nested link in generated diplomacy links
  
• Fixed hover issue on team research display
  
• Fixed UI issue with Create Game button being disabled after unloading a server game
  
• Fixed some AI confusion about who benefits when performing a mission on a character of a different nation
  
• Fix for initial city naming - only relevant in mods
  
• Fixed tribe link in city widget not selecting tribe
  
• Fixed some UI issues with tile highlighting
  
• Fixed AI exception with tribal cities
  
• Fixed missing seat founding bonus in the family class Encyclopedia entries
  
• Fixed add urban recommendation not showing border preview on hover
  
• Fixed regenerating Hall of Fame entries leading to points wins becoming defeats after opulence VP changes
  
• Fixed player placement bug for 2-team MP games that also have independent AI nations
  
• Fixed portrait interpolation errors for portraits that do not have interpolation settings when interpolation is disabled
  
• Fixed boat projectiles causing rendering artifacts on macs
  
• Fixed breaking peace with a tribe in no characters mode
  
• Fixed name display issue in some languages for royal characters with jobs
  
• Fixed goals not completing when new units created
  
• Fixed marauder prefabs being slightly offset
  
• Fixed portraits not updating when age interpolation is enabled for the first time in-game
  
• Fixed portrait editor breaking when interpolation is disabled in graphics options
  
• Fixed portrait editor portraits not updating correctly when a source portrait
  
• Fixed portrait editor opinion tab displays
  
• Fixed incorrect tile highlighting for event options that affect tiles
  
• Fixed ambitions that should only come from specific events (i.e. Destroy the Rival Nation) appearing randomly
  
• Fixed AI complaining about the same stolen city site repeatedly
  
• Fixed Stun preview text incorrectly showing for units in splash radius
  
• Fixed years reigned text issue that could occur with regency
  
• Fixed empty series warning for opinion graphs
  
• Fixed some cases of dropdowns getting cut off
  
• Fixed units with no family sometimes showing incorrect family icon
  
• Fixed attack preview issues
  
• Fixed river movement in captured territory
  
• Fixed religion icons sometimes showing on tribal camps when city site did not have religion
  
• Fixed implicit subject conversion issue
  
• Fixed save game version not being updated
  
• Fixed game editor unit placement in water
  
• Fixed city production yield costs sometimes disappearing
  
• Fixed some succession issues related to usurpers
  
• Fixed non-active city site on Middle East map
  
• Fixed unit effect formatting issues
  
• Fixed bug that allowed the player to choose invalid nations on premade maps
  
• Fixed some Map Editor errors
  
• Fixed Pharaohs of the Nile scenario 5 unit AI
  
• Fixed Learn to Play 2 choose tech goal not completing immediately
  
• Fixed potential issues with retake islands events in Rise of Carthage scenario 4
  
• Fixed bugs with rebellion event triggering twice and Aristotle event not triggering in Heroes of the Aegean scenario 4
  
• Fixed some broken links in Rise of Carthage campaign
  
• Text and event fixes
  

To the Community

Test Branch 1.0.76299 Test 2025-02-13

Design

• Commander leaders now always grant +10XP per turn to all units (previously units had to be idle)
  
• Updates to The Old World premade map, mainly around Kush and Aksum start positions
  
• New tutorial event added when Warriors can be upgraded to Spearmen (previously only occured for Axemen upgrades)
  
• In Rise of Carthage scenario 4, tribal allies will automatically declare war on Rome
  
• When using the Caesar Dynasty, Princess Julia will now also take up family Julius if chosen as the first family (Wonders and Dynasties)
  
• Rising Stars now demand the throne less and to be Grand Viziers more (Behind the Throne)
  

Programming

• Optimization and performance improvements
  

UI

• Standalone scenarios are now shown on the top level of the scenario screen instead of under their own category
  

Bugs Fixed

• Fixed memory leak
  
• Fixed issues with paramater strings
  
• Text and event fixes
  

Test Branch 1.0.76103 Test 2025-02-05

Design

• Major expansion of The Old World premade map to accommodate Aksum (upcoming DLC nation)
  
• Minor adjustments to The Middle East premade map, Aksum starting position added
  
• Updated resources on The Imperium Romanum premade map, all luxury resources are now present
  
• Added tribes to The Mediterranean premade map
  
• New game option added 'Allow Negative Cognomens'. Disabled by default
  
• Better matchmaking for auto-marrying characters. More likely for characters that are attracted to each other to get married and less likely for characters that hate each other
  
• Ambition-picking events will try to avoid giving a second crowning ambition, a lower tier fallback will be offered if possible
  
• Seizing the throne no longer adds bypassed relationships to former leader's succession
  
• A non-fatal attack that triggers an event that immediately kills the unit is now treated as a unit kill (for kill unit ambitions, routing etc)
  
• Competitive Mode no longer disables Grand Viziers but does now disable some Rising Star events related to seizing the throne
  
• Heroes of the Aegean scenario 5 tweaks - easier difficulties are now easier and initial landing goal made clearer
  

UI

• Added cause of death field to the character tooltip. Traits with a probability of death are removed after death
  
• One-click centering option moved to Accessibility options, no longer deselects unit unless selected tile is already centered
  
• Riders icon now shown on city widget instead of Connected icon for Riders cities
  
• Rising Star trait no longer removed upon death
  
• Tweaks to job assignment highlighting behavior, selection clearing on the city screen
  
• Opening the reminders list closes the job assignment menu
  
• Reverted job assignment cancel button behavior change (from previous test update)
  
• Simplified and cleaned up some Family help issues
  
• Removed some yield clutter from specialist tooltips
  
• Encyclopedia and tutorial corrections and improvements
  

Bugs Fixed

• Fixed AI sometimes being unable to declare war on a nation while at peace
  
• Fixed queued unit moves not happening when destination blocked
  
• Fixed automated units sometimes not moving
  
• Fixed attack preview issues
  
• Fixed river movement in captured territory
  
• Fixed religion icons sometimes showing on tribal camps when city site did not have religion
  
• Fixed implicit subject conversion issue
  
• Fixed save game version not being updated
  
• Fixed game editor unit placement in water
  
• Fixed city production yield costs sometimes disappearing
  
• Fixed some succession issues related to usurpers
  
• Fixed non-active city site on Middle East map
  
• Fixed unit effect formatting issues
  
• Fixed bug that allowed the player to choose invalid nations on premade maps
  
• Fixed some broken links in Rise of Carthage campaign
  

• Calamities work in the base game as well (but in a more grounded context without actual gods) and come with new visual and environmental effects. Heavy flooding can, for example, change land tiles into water, while certain disasters can change the resources a tile has to offer, providing a silver lining even amidst great devastation.
  
• Aksum will be introduced as a new playable nation, known for dominating the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea. It comes with five dynasties headed by legendary figures from the nation’s past, two unique units, nation-specific events, and more!
  
• New map scripts, including one called “The Tumbling Mountain,” which spawns an impassable mountain range that separates players for a specified time before crumbling into navigable terrain.
  
• Over 200 new events, evocative new art, 8 new character traits, and 26 new projects.
  

Test Branch 1.0.75925 Test 2025-01-29

Design

• High Event Level now allows up 10 events per turn (up from 5)
  
• Laurion Mines now cost 10 wood to repair (previously had no cost)
  

Programming

• Improved AI family selection when founding a city
  
• Moved default improvement repair cost to XML
  
• Better scenario difficulty mode support
  

UI

• Added player option for one-click map centering
  
• In MP the turn timer warning sound now plays with 15 seconds remaining (up from 5) and increases the size of the timer text. Paused text is now shown when the timer is paused.
  
• In Observer mode, decision popups no longer get removed by clicking on an option
  
• Character selection for job assignment popups now defaults to an idle character
  
• Cancel button in job assignment now deselects current character instead of closing that UI
  
• Unit filter for Infantry changed to Melee Infantry
  

Bugs Fixed

• Fixed ambitions that should only come from specific events (i.e. Destroy the Rival Nation) appearing randomly
  
• Fixed AI complaining about the same stolen city site repeatedly
  
• Fixed Stun preview text incorrectly showing for units in splash radius
  
• Fixed years reigned text issue that could occur with regency
  
• Fixed empty series warning for opinion graphs
  
• Fixed some cases of dropdowns getting cut off
  
• Fixed units with no family sometimes showing incorrect family icon
  
• Fixed some Map Editor errors
  
• Fixed memory leaks
  
• Fixed Pharaohs of the Nile scenario 5 unit AI
  
• Text and event fixes