This is the first-week update after launch. We redrew the sea, warships, fortress walls and ground in battle scenes, and when you zoom in on the map you can now see every single soldier in an army. We also corrected historical details and added two Goryeo events. We also improved how the game handles crashes caused by graphics device errors, and refined how soldiers move in battle. Pitched battles no longer pause every round, only in a crisis, and a fortress surrounded from several roads now falls faster.
What's New
- Battles flow on their own: After you choose your opening stance, the pitched battle continues without you pressing “Next exchange” every round. It pauses to take your orders only when one of your wings is flanked, a neighboring wing collapses, or morale is about to break. The same wing pauses a battle only once, and you can pause at any time with Space. To pause every round as before, choose “Pause every round” under “Battle pacing” in Settings.
- What decided it: When a pitched battle ends, the result screen shows the factors that decided victory or defeat (numbers, stance matchup, officer traits and more). If a wing's collapse decided the outcome, that cause (e.g. “Enemy Center routed”) is shown first.
- Sieges from several roads: When you surround a fortress from different roads, from the second road on the fortress's morale falls faster, its walls are worn down more, and the besiegers lose fewer men. Up to three roads count, and only armies of 500 or more. Enemy factions follow the same rule.
- Sortie forecast: The army panel's “Operation forecast” and the “War Council” window now show factors such as “siege from 2 roads”, “terrain defense” and “supply cut”, and the “War Council” window shows the expected force ratio. Plan your battle before you march.
- Naval battles: The sea has been redrawn. Overlapping waves roll past, sunlight glints on the water, and foam gathers around ships and along the coast. Moving warships leave a wake behind them.
- Warships: Ships now have shield boards (parapets) and arrow slits along the gunwales, an iron ram at the prow, faction banners on the masts and stay lines, and the oars have been increased to seven pairs.
- Fortress walls: Siege walls now use the stonework of our own mountain and town fortresses: split granite laid in horizontal courses, with wedge stones filling the gaps. The base is made of large long stones, and the area before the gate is paved with flagstones.
- Battlefield ground: The grass, earth and rock ground of field battles, sieges and landings has been redrawn, and a trampled dirt track shows between the two armies.
- Armies on the map: Zoom in on the map and an army stands as the same ranks of soldiers you see in battle, with a mounted commander beside the banner.
- Two Goryeo events: “Envoys from Tamna” (925) and “Tribute from Ureungdo” (930). You choose whether to receive the envoys generously for a lasting benefit, or take the tribute and send them home (when playing as Goryeo).
- Figures: Yeongseo and Hamseo, sons of Gong Jik of Maegokseong, appear in the 918 and 927 scenarios.
What's Changed
- Small clashes on the map: Clashes with fewer than 5,000 soldiers on both sides combined are fought on the map without asking whether you want to command the pitched battle. Battles that put your capital at stake still ask even when small, and you can always join with “Take command” in the army panel. You can turn this off with “Don't ask about small clashes” in Settings.
- Place names: Fortress names that arose in the Joseon era have been replaced with the names of the period: Buan → Buryeong, Yangsan → Yangju, Yeongcheon → Goulbu, Sacheon → Sasu, Seoheung → Ogwan. Usanguk on the map has been renamed Ureungdo, following the spelling of the Goryeosa.
- Figures' allegiance: Heungdal of Gosagali fortress (Mungyeong) and his three sons now stand with the faction that matches the historical record in each scenario. Reflecting his submission in 927, he belongs to Goryeo in the 927 scenario.
- Figures' lifespans: We corrected the active years of 12 figures who appeared in scenarios set after their deaths.
- Ranged units: Archer and crossbow units now advance only to their range and shoot, and engage in melee only when the enemy closes in on them. They no longer charge on their own. To match, we slightly lowered the strength modifier of shooting units.
- Graphics safe mode: After the game closes because of a graphics device error, the next launch starts once at the “Low” quality setting and shows a notice on the map. Choosing a graphics option in Settings returns you to your original quality. Some Intel Arc integrated graphics are now recognized as integrated graphics and start with lighter settings from the first launch.
- FSR 2.2: The long pause when you first select FSR 2.2 in Settings is shorter, and a notice that it is being prepared now appears first. FSR 2.2 cannot be selected on integrated graphics or at “Low” quality, and the reason is shown. If you have already selected it, nothing changes.
- Steam version: The Steam version now checks at launch that it was started through Steam.
- Version display: The title screen and system window now show the build number and date alongside the version. Including them when you report an error helps us find the cause.
What's Fixed
- Fixed an issue where ships that came alongside each other in naval battles never boarded, with planks laid across for crossing.
- Fixed awkward soldier steps and camera movement during all-out siege assaults, units sliding sideways in field battles, soldiers appearing to overlap in landings and naval battles, and the top and bottom bands of the battle screen overlapping.
- Fixed commanders on the map being hidden behind the soldiers at the foot of the flagpole.
- Fixed a very rare crash while the game was starting. It was caused by map preparation reading map data that was still in use.
- Reduced stuttering while the scene is prepared when entering a siege battle. Fortress models are now preloaded across several frames.
- Fixed units in battle sliding instead of walking when they moved. They now walk when moving, and sidestep while still facing forward when they move aside.
- Fixed following ranks in pitched battles sliding instead of walking, scattered soldiers walking sideways like crabs, and soldiers sent to the front line just standing still.
- Fixed ships in engaged fleets sliding sideways in naval battles without turning their bows. Each ship now turns its bow toward the direction it is moving.
- Polished wording in some languages.
Known Issues
- On low-spec PCs, the frame rate may drop in large battles. We are continuing to reduce this.
- In large battles, engaged units may appear to be pushed sideways when reinforcements arrive. We are looking into it.
- In pitched battles, engaged units can appear mixed into each other, and cavalry moves more slowly than infantry. We are looking into it.
- For a day or two right after an army arrives to besiege a fortress, it may be drawn inside the fortress (this does not affect the outcome).
What We're Working On
Here is what we are working on for upcoming updates. Things may change or be postponed as we build them.
- Reinforcements in pitched battles: Armies you send by another road will join mid-battle from the direction they actually came from (the flank or the rear). When enemy reinforcements arrive, you will choose whether to hold or fall back.
- Key ground: The side that holds real terrain such as hills, forests and fords will gain an edge in shooting, charges and flanking.
- Hidden reserves and ambushes: You will be able to hide a reserve behind woods or hills and throw it in the moment the enemy engages.
- Fixing the known issues above (units mixing, cavalry speed, army position right after a siege begins), and redrawing the following ranks as 3D soldiers that hold up even up close.