Version 8: Return to War

Took a while, due to being busy with real world stuff, but we now have Version 8 released, for both Windows and Linux.

This version tries to expand on the agents in a way which will pave the way for future agent-based gameplay. We're trying to get the evidence/discovery/suspicion mechanics complete, before introducing new agents which will use these fundamental gameplay systems. Investigators gain new mechanics, allowing them to introduce false evidence into the nobles' minds, allowing them to undermine rival agents or to sabotage your political opponents.

We're moving towards a game pathway where the default process is to enthrall agents, then infiltrate human society, then take control of a noble by enthralling them using agents. This should allow better gameplay progression, with better milestones to reach. It should also simplify the early game, and give you a better idea of how the world is behaving when your noble enthralled finally becomes available. We'll leave the old enthrallment capabilities in as optional, from the game screen, to allow players to play as they see fit, of course.

Armies

Armies return, war now occurs by means of armies deploying from settlements and travelling into hostile territory to capture cities and fight the other nation's military. This allows some interaction (for example you can disrupt armies, preventing them from moving to the front line), and allows new strategies (attacking from the West while the nation's armies are off fighting in the East). It also allows future agents to exploit interactions with armies, for example by introducing a "saboteur" agent, who can deplete an army's strength, delay them, destroy fortifications...

Save/Load

Saving and loading has been improved and debugged, allowing named saves, and periodic autosaves. These autosaves can be disabled and enabled through the game options popup accessible while in-game in the bottom right. This also allows turning edge-scrolling and sound on and off.

The future

Now that agents should be fairly well established, we want to try more individual and dark-themed agents. The saboteur, with their military focus, to allow your Deep Ones or Unholy Flesh to gain the upper hand in a military conflict, or the vampire, which will be designed to sow chaos and political discord using their inhuman charm, but must feast on blood to power their capabilities (creating evidence in the cities you decide to prey upon).

As always, we hope you enjoy this new version, at the very least for the bugfixes.