Warm greetings to all of you! We had an amazing launch and post-launch period during December with an outpouring of support from all of our players. The Torpor Games team is ecstatic. Our dreams have pretty much come true. Let’s talk about what we have accomplished and where we are headed from here.
As of the time of writing this post we have reached 900 reviews on Steam! Furthermore, we landed in the top 20 releases of December 2020, a massive achievement for our young studio. It was also a great honour to have been reviewed by sites like Screenrant (4 out of 5), Softpedia (85 out of 100), Gaming Trend (85 out of 100) and praised by sites like Rock Paper Shotgun, The Escapist, and even the German Public Radio for an entire four minutes!
Also many thanks to the Templin Institute for awarding us best game!
Our team closely monitored and supported the launch. The efforts were focused on three aspects: analysing the stability and assessing the bugs, applying fixes and improvements to make sure most, if not all players have a smooth experience, and supporting the marketing campaign to reach as many people who could enjoy a niche game like Suzerain.
In a period of 21 days, we have pushed five hotfixes and one minor content patch to make sure the game was sitting on a strong foundation. Our team read all of the feedback and this helped greatly to help us identify issues and fact check the issues. The team also found some time to rest over December to shed off the weight of the intense pre-launch period.
We can’t thank the players who posted detailed bug reports with save games on Discord enough. Currently, we are collecting finished game saves on our Discord server and we would appreciate it if you would post your game saves so we can improve our balancing for the next patch!
Let's talk about the near future. We have finished design and most of the planning around the 1.1 content patch internally named "Rayne Train." This patch will be divided into three core elements: features, new content, bug fixes. Some of the feedback we received noted the lack of a summary at the end of the game which we decided to address.
Here is a screenshot showing a part of the summary screen. The political compass which is based on the background political leaning system in Suzerain. Please bear in mind this is only a concept and is not final. We are also pushing for another feature that is more focused on a visual addition. We don’t commit to anything before it makes it past the testing phase which these haven’t yet entered. Our studio always sticks by the under-promise and over-deliver approach.
There are some other areas we want to address and add new content to the game in different ways to improve the experience. Our main focus will be on the election and our secondary focus will on some of the endings that need further design reinforcements. At the same time we want to address the lower priority bugs such as database errors, typos and unintended balancing problems.
As one can imagine this patch will take some time and we will only commit to a release date and the full content list once we have tested our candidate and are happy with the results. Many thanks to all of you out there who have supported us with a purchase, dropped a review, shared the game around the internet, and even expanded the lore.
Share this game with your friends and head over to our Steam page to buy Suzerain.
Glory to Sordland!
Hotfix 1.0.6 Released!
Happy holidays to everyone!
We discovered some bugs and performance issues that required a hotfix deployment as the holidays kick-off! 1.0.6 is available to all players now.
If you haven't played Suzerain this is the time to see if you will lead Sordland to ruin or repair.
The Torpor Games team has begun concept and design work on the next major update. The team has assessed the remaining unaddressed feedback points and is moving to improve the game further. As you can imagine certain larger changes are structurally complex requiring more time to develop and test.
Further updates regarding the development of the 1.1 patch will be included with the December broadcast on the week of the 4th of January.
We wish you health, happiness and success in 2021 and beyond. Vectern Sis Da!
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1.0.6 (23/12/2020)
Performance
Added object pooling for journal panel
Front loaded initialisation of panel variables
Improved turn initialisation performance
Audio
Updated notification sound
Bug Fixes
Fixed some rare broken conversation links in certain sub-branches
Democrat achievement is slightly more attainable
Fixed several reported typos throughout the game
Patch 1.0.5 Released!
Warm greetings from the Torpor Games team. After some rest following the intense pre and post-launch period, the team set out on to make the first minor content patch. While it still heavily focuses on bugfixing and polishing the core experience, it does add some content for our players to enjoy!
This patch addresses several of the concerns raised by the community and we hope it improves the overall experience for new players! We wish you all a great holiday and as always many thanks for your support.
Remember to drop a review if you liked Suzerain and you can always talk to the devs directly at our Discord and let us know about your thoughts: http://discord.gg/H2F6xxg
A Morgna her coren!
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1.0.5 (18/12/2020)
The changes require a new game to apply.
Features
Added load previous checkpoint to in-game escape menu
Checkpoint designations are scenes, bills and decisions
User Interface
Added military strength section to other country panels
Added four different military strength levels
Added allied relation type to other country panels
Balancing
Reduced starting economy by 1
Improved election calculation and added bonuses to certain actions
Improved war conditions by adding new factors
Made coup conditions more complex
Added negative economic damages of canceling alliance or trade
Added new economic damages to not controlling unrest
Increased the economic and public opinion damage of Black Tuesday and Trade War
Added late-game economic damages to having uncontrollable debt
Made Sordish Recovery more difficult
Made economic bonus checks for combined decisions more complex
Balanced ATO vs CSP bonuses
Some balancing on privatization vs nationalization
Government budget losses for early taxes and trade choices are instantly changed
Balanced conditions of the old public opinion related reports
Increased cost of free public transportation bill
Made Bludish unrest slightly less likely and normal unrest slightly more likely
Dialogue
Added more hints about the danger the military can pose through Lucian
Improved the convince Gloria flow and addressed some loopholes
Added more feedback to military choices and added a final straw section to the Gendarmerie dispute
Deivid gives more consistent advice on potential dangers and mentions certain optional events
Iosef gives more logical advice to the player about the Rumburg situation
Added a heroic moment with Karl Greiser saving your life
Added feedback about the border reinforcement decision to a scene
Small addition to Turn 02 security overview about Rumburg
Expanded Rumburg diplomatic path flexibility with Television Interview and Alliance of Nations
Added some more content to the coup ending
Added Smolak to the war won ending
Narrative
Added Unruly Generals situation to the early game for feedback
Added situations for MFI loans, emergency funds, printing money
Added new reports for election to give feedback on calculation parameters
Added missing reports and news for second infrastructure opening
Added news about the negative debt situation in turn 09
Added news and reports about diplomatically alienating the AN and being alienated by AN
Added more hints about the danger the military poses to the administration
Added updates to different military strength variations of Sordland compared to other countries
Improved some journal entry texts
Improved consistency of military-related reports
Fixed some misleading news and reports. Also one should not fall prey to their biased media!
Bug Fixes
Fixed dozens of wrong triggers on news and reports
Fixed several wrong situation triggers
Fixed condition error on Iosef advice logic
Fixed several wrong dialogue conditions
Added missing conditions to some dialogues
Fixed wrong Valken condition
Fixed dozens of typos and text errors
Fixed accidental time travel in Epilogue
Fixed jailed minister working from jail
Fixed missing Queen article
Improved keyword linking and improved the selection
Fixed wrong Lespia government type
Fixed wrong condition responses in budget meeting
Fixed some wrong journal entries
Updated the description of some decisions to make narrative sense on optional paths
Fixed narrative support error around minority rights
Improved some journal entry text
Fixed wrong situation variable name
Sordland no longer can have two active Vice Presidents
The Colonel won't smile without a reason
Hotfix Patch 1.0.4
Thanks for all the feedback in the past two days! We have made several bugfixes, balancing changes and minor improvements.
If you have issues please send us your save games with a bug report on our Discord which you can join here: http://discord.gg/H2F6xxg
A Morgna wes core!
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1.0.4 (06/12/2020)
Fixed wrong trigger for Turn 08 VP selection scene
NFP Alliance can now be declared as intended
Term budget panel saves data correctly on closure
Fixed broken Nia link in Turn 10 resignations scene
Purple blood achievement now works
Frugal achievement now works
Turn 10 Queen phone call doesn't trigger if war is declared by Sordland
Balance improvements to nationalisation economic effects
Balance pass on planned, mixed and market economy designation and consistency checks
Balanced pass on election calculation. Now easier for both USP and non-USP paths
Fixed wrong journal entry for health investment
Fixed wrong journal entry for SSC managers
Fixed several typos
Hotfix Patch 1.0.3
Changelogs contain spoilers!
We thank you all for checking out Suzerain! We are currently working through the most outlying stability issues to make sure the experience is good for everyone.
If you have issues please send us your save games with a bug report on our Discord which you can join here: http://discord.gg/H2F6xxg
Thank you for your understanding.
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1.0.3 (05/12/2020)
Fixed wrong Monica conditions in Epilogue lose retirement
Turn 03 budget panel name change to term budget for further clarity
Fixed broken link in Turn 07 Convince Isabel conversation
Correct variable is getting set now if Presidential Powers is not possible due to removal of decree powers
1.0.1 (04/12/2020)
Fixed Turn 09 wrong condition variable name for Koronti Investigation scene
Suzerain Review Round Up & the History of Sordland
The reviews for Suzerain are coming in, we're delighted by the response. Suzerain is Torper Games' first game as a studio and was four years in the making. We're so excited for you all to get to experience it very soon!
Suzerain has all the backgrounds to form a new Papers, Please of our days…
An immersive political and economic drama that ends in a journey of self-awareness. Fans of Political Sim games and strong narrative experiences should not miss it.
...the writing is well done, and the alternate-Earth world-building is superb.
Suzerain is an interesting concept with a great execution…
...It’s pretty damn good. Suzerain has a deep, well written narrative with a wide cast of characters and an alternate Earth lore that is phenomenal. I totally recommend it, especially if you don’t mind heavy reading.
--
Interested in Suzerain lore?
The Templin Institute takes you on a deep dive into the history of Sordland, and how the country came to be in its current state as Anton Rayne becomes president!
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Anton Rayne’s Presidential Term Begins Today
The people have elected their fourth president of Sordland, and today marks his first day in office.
President Anton Rayne has a difficult road ahead of him. He’s made his plans to reform the constitution clear, but Sordland is behind neighbouring countries in education, welfare, and women’s rights. The responsibility for a united Sordland falls on his shoulders.
Tune in to the following announcement on the Sordish Broadcasting Corporation as they cover the story around Anton Rayne’s presidential inauguration.
[previewyoutube="q8F6zS9I8PM;full"][OUT NOW YOUTUBE VIDEO][/previewyoutube] Ahead of his inaugural oath, President Rayne spoke to the Sordland Today: “Brothers and Sisters of Sordland. You, the people, have chosen. Together, we will bring prosperity and reform to our nation. It is a time of hope, it is a time of change. Our capacity as a nation has never been greater!”
Thousands of supporters have gathered in the streets of Holsord chanting campaign slogans, waving flags and USP party banners to show support to the newly elected president. The public mood is very positive in the capital from all accounts on the ground.
The people of Sordland wait in suspense for the leadership that will come from Anton Rayne. It’s up to him alone to bring back Sordland from the brink of ruin. His decisions will determine the fate of our great nation. A Morgna wes core.
It’s your time to lead, Mr. President.
Visit Sordland Today to keep up to date on Sordish news:
The inauguration ceremony is nearly upon us. Tomorrow, at 8am PT, Friday the 4th of December Anton Rayne will step into the role of President of Sordland. How will you lead this nation? What will your term entail? Let’s find out!
To put it simply, in November we finished Suzerain “completely”. While finishing a game is not a real thing since no game is truly finished, I would like to call it drawing a line in the sand. We drew the line and here we are in this significant moment. As developers we are satisfied with what we have achieved so far and we know exactly what we can do to keep improving on Suzerain after launch.
We’ve also added 45 Steam achievements! Some are more common than others and the endings are hidden so nobody gets spoiled. Achievements in general are very fitting for Suzerain due to the branching narrative so expect some more to sneak in the future. Let’s see how many you get to unlock on the first run.
While this journey has been a personal one for the team, in the end this game is for you, the players. It is your thoughts that really matter and we hope that you enjoy Suzerain as much as we did making it over these four years. When we set forth on this journey, we had a story to tell that had to get out. It was the circumstances of our surroundings that triggered creating the game, but the message was larger than any circumstance. Than any one person. This is our own Mona Lisa as Torpor Games.
I can’t thank you all enough for being here with us. I can’t thank the team enough for putting thousands upon thousands of hours into this. I can’t thank all the organisations enough that supported us on this journey and believed in our story without doubt or little there of. At the end of the day we are lucky and we just worked hard on top of this once in a lifetime opportunity.
Want to join us for the big moment? We are going live on Steam tomorrow the 4th of December at 4pm CET / 7am PT, where you can directly chat and ask questions to the developers. Daeron Augustus will be streaming the game after the launch section of the livestream has completed at 6pm CET / 9am PT and will be streaming on Twitch, Youtube and Facebook. Special thanks to his passion for Suzerain make sure to check out his channel!
So what does the future entail? It will be a step by step process. We will monitor the launch and apply hotfixes that are critical where necessary in the two weeks following the release. Our team will also take a much needed break during this period to rejuvenate.
For now, we wish nothing but good luck tomorrow President.
Share this game with your friends and head over to our Steam page to wishlist Suzerain.
Glory to Sordland!
Speaker of the House Re-Elected
Congratulations to Gloria Tory, who was re-elected as Speaker of the Grand National Assembly for the second term in the election. She is the first woman in Sordland to hold the position.
Mrs Tory has had a monumental career in politics for a woman. She rose quickly in USP after she was elected to the Grand National Assembly in 1937. She was appointed as adviser to the Minister of Interior in 1938, before being brought as the spokeswoman for Home Affairs in 1942, and the spokeswoman for Education in 1944. In 1949, she was elected as the Speaker of the Grand National Assembly, in protest against President Alphonso's reformist agenda.
She was a strong critic of Alphonso’s presidency, and became famed for her obstructions in the assembly of some of his policies. Regarded as a charismatic politician and a tough negotiator, Mrs Tory is credited for major lobbying incidents within the USP which shifted the political landscape during the last decade.
It’s been a big year for beloved Sordish poet, novelist, and politician, Bernard Circas. Earlier this month he became the first communist to be elected to the Grand National Assembly of Sordland in the 1953 election. Now, his latest poetry collection is about to be published.
The collection features Circas’ trademark avant-garde lyrical flow, as it follows his journey as a young man, escaping the Sordish Civil War, fleeing to United Contana. He cites Contanan futurism poets and the ideological vision of Malenyev as inspiration.
Critics are calling his latest work a masterpiece. The Radical sends our deepest congratulations to Bernard Circas on his collection, as well as his appointment to the National Assembly. We cannot wait to see what you achieve in office.
