FOG Kingdoms v.1.01 now live

[manickennel]

Ave!

We are pleased to announce that after a period of beta (and thanks to all that contributed), the v.1.01 "Royalty patch" for FOG Kingdoms is now live. Changelog has not, err, changed since beta, but for your reference, here it is in all its glory.

SYSTEM
- Should skip the launcher when starting FoG for battles the vast majority of times.
- Fewer FOW calculations in hosting (faster turns).
- Improved music handling and reshuffling.
- Tooltip delay added, for now, as an entry only in \Documents\My Games\EmpiresKingdoms\OPTIONS.TXT.
- No City coloring added, for now, as an entry only in \Documents\My Games\EmpiresKingdoms\OPTIONS.TXT.
- Added an additional sound backend.
- Identical sounds will be played less loudly.

UI & QOL
- Pop-up panel has extra functionalities.
- Fixed a slightly misformatted tooltip in battle.
- Modifier tab stays selected when switching factions in the factions lobby.
- Slightly reworked political filter, with relationships more readable.
- Music delay between tracks reduced by 2/3.
- Fixed not being shown in the Piety ranking if you produce no piety at all.
- The tutorial will ensure the enemy can't surrender during the siege.
- Message truncating resulting in an ellipsis (...) will be better done.
- Many text edits.
- Authority and Legacy buttons in the Nation Panel now lead to the relevant ledger page.
- Average HRE member Authority in the nation panel was not /10.
- Removed reference to the Legacy panel in the Help system.
- Relationships in the Political overlay made bigger and clearer. In the same overlay, a new color differentiates between yourself and your vassals.
- Fixed a visual issue when looking at a single trade good if more than 8 were present in a region.

EASY MODE
Overhauled (fully dynamic, you can alternate between easy & balanced in the same game):
- More chance for the event 'noble donation' (free money).
- Less chance of having an epidemic.
- More chance for the event providing a free Defensive building.
- Double reward from Authority mini-events.
- Less stupendous Court expenses.
- Lowered War Weariness by 15%.
- Slightly less chance of a coup or rebellion.
- Better ruler stats.
- Penalty from war occupation is skipped.
- Sedition from Nobles halved.

Only apply when starting a new game:
- More Intrinsic Resources at start (free resources that go away as time passes).
- A player in Easy difficulty will receive +20 Authority and +50% money (scenario start only).

DYNASTY, CHARACTERS, AUTHORITY
- Mercenaries are slightly more prone to degrade the relationship with their general.
- General improvements on how the ruler's Military stat is tied to the actual leader's battle stat.
- If you form a new nation and are under a certain Realm level, you'll be promoted instantly to a certain level (e.g., Apulia > Sicily).
- Clergymen can lead armies with a systematic penalty of 1 to AMP. Other nobles will now have this penalty only if not in a legitimately owned region (was their Domain before, so relaxed rule).
- If a general has a penalty to his AMP stat (while leading an army thus), it's indicated in the tooltip.

CLAIMS
- Claims are now given much more frequently in the first 15 turns of the campaign.
- Hostile claims give you a discount if you declare war on the other nation.
- Claims will, in the vast majority of times, only be added if you are at least distant neighbors.
- Hostile foreign claims penalty is now only in Experienced or harder difficulty.
- Higher chance to get a claim if you have none from an insult; if you get one, you pay 2 Authority though.

VASSALS
- Human vassals will never be forced to give their units to their liege.
- If a vassal, your possibilities to get spontaneous claims are restricted to nations you are at war with or have extremely low relationships with.
- This will also prevent vassal AIs from adding too many claims against other nations, including the players.
- Vassals under threat and sending troops to their liege will be less frantic regarding troop recruitment.
- Vassals giving troops won't give them all at once, allowing you to change the policy (troops won't be given back unless you 'disband' them).

LEGACY & WINNING
- The sudden win condition will activate after 150 turns, not 100, in the grand campaign.

GRAPHICS & ARTS
- New harbor smuggling image.
- Major & important: chicken leg is now roasted.

RELIGION
- Fixed the Jihad being stoppable by the Holy See under some circumstances.
- Holy war targets won't get DOWed by nations not close enough to them.
- Fixed Declare Jihad against target X not working if the playing faction is already within a Jihad (same for Crusade).
- Fixed Christians under Jihad being despised by other Christians. This is now properly reversed (they will like you more).
- More chance to get bonus Authority from units you gave with the Send Crusaders Decision. Reminder, you also get bonus Legacy.
- Made sure any Catholic DOWing the Papacy gets excommunicated. Added a pop-up if you are.

STRUCTURES & REGIONS/DOMAINS
- Some changes in manpower income for some structures.
- More accurate trade status for structures in their detail panel.
- King's Agent properly gives an extra bodyguard and not 'Basque Isolation'. Don't ask.
- Removed the reference to a gain of token upon building a Stone Castle, it's now an Absorb Vassal decision which is provided.
- Structures get their important keywords colored.
- Fixed track requiring Craftsmen borough.
- Fixed Domain Expansion IV & V not available.
- Fixed Domain becoming non-formable as soon as you military occupy one of the regions.
- Fixed very developed regions not properly importing goods within range (if more than 24!).
- Fixed an erroneous link in region Mosul.
- Code will remove 2 capitals in the same region.

WARFARE & BATTLES
- Allies don't pay Authority when joining war, if it is recent (10 turns max).
- Fixed possible crash in battle.
- Some Muslim units renamed so they could be used in more nations (Georgia)
- Training Grounds now handle Heavy Infantry for XP gain.
- A general revolting with his army will not station in the city of the rebelling region, in case the garrison remains loyal.
- Free warscore gain from higher Authority is only done if the two nations at war are neighbors.
- Ships will update their geo-situational combat ability before each battle (e.g., 'Galley in stormy coastal water').
- When you declare war on a liege with vassals or a vassal, all claims you have with the liege or any vassal will be factored into the rebate for DOW.
- Winning a small battle vs. winning a large one was actually more dangerous for generals (fixed).
- Exploit closed: you can only pillage hostile or owned regions, not allied or passage-right ones.

DIPLOMACY & PEACE
- Region exchanges in a peace negotiation (whether acquired or relinquished) will now be a friendly transfer, so no Authority will be lost in either case.
- Fixed vassal/Ally being stolen his land if a third party defends him.
- Bad relations can break a royal marriage or passage rights treaty (Needs Despise level, -35).
- In case of good relations (Amiable, 50+) then allies or vassals can give back a region to its legitimate owner.
- Currently only AI vassals toward a liege or AI allies. (feedback requested)
- Reduced the ratio allowing to absorb through RM a full nation to 66% of the absorbee.

REGIONAL DECISIONS
- Fixed mix-up between Grant Land and Place Holding. Grant Land is only in your land but will now provide significant resources.
- Some changes in RGD allocations for IMRs and Seljuks.
- Fixed your own spy network targeting itself.
- Decision Peasants to Freemen does not provide money anymore.
- Fixed Diplomatic Intrigue RGD able to target yourself.
- Tweaked success chances of the Steal Token RGD (aka Sap Authority). There are fewer chances if you have positive tokens yourself and less chance if the enemy has negative tokens.
- Absorb Vassal should give more plausible results.

EVENTS, SETUP, FACTIONS
- 45 new historical rulers added.
- Campaign map overhauled with extra specific buildings (Abbasid Science Academy, etc.)
- New Campaign setup changing dozens of regions regarding their population mix.
- Improved Crusaders events (fewer cases where they could starve at sea).
- Kalmar union appearance fixed.
- Barghawata (tribal) was selectable (but not playable so confusing), fixed.
- William the Conqueror will always be a 2-2 general.
- In the GC, Normans no longer have a RM with England, and their relationship with France is now 0. This should favor going to England.
- Nations of Scottish culture now also get the Raider effect with Crechrighe.
- Modifications to the initial culture of some regions.
- Portugal is a Condado, not a minor Reino at start.
- Higher chances to get a 0-slot structure built for free if you have regions with high loyalty and high stewardship.
- Updated Manzikert and Angevin setup to have more roads.
- Fixed Taifas triggering too early 'Double-Edged Sword' perk.

ACHIEVEMENTS
- Fixed achievement "A Chip Off the Old Block" where a daughter would work too.
- Life of Bryansk achievement fixed.

AI
- The AI, in higher difficulty levels, will favor players' regions more as an objective.
- Normans AI can break their RM with England in case of negative relationships around 1060.

Thanks as ever for your feedback and it's on to the next one very soon.

Vale!