Patch 9.2.628 – Byzantines
"Happy Patch Day! We’ve got our first update of 2024 loaded with balance improvements for our awesome line up of new and variant civilizations released with The Sultans Ascend expansion last year. Not only that, but we’re bringing a whole host of AI improvements, map fixes, and a stellar seasonal event to the mix."
General Balance Changes
Attack Speed improved from 4 to 3 seconds.
Attack Damage reduced from 30 +70 vs Siege and Naval to 30 +60.
Ranged armor increased from 20 to 30.
Ranged armor increased from 30 to 35.
Torch bonus vs. Siege removed.
Developer note
"The above set of changes to Siege aims to help with late-game stalemate situations and address a couple of issues with Springalds and Culverins: 1. Volatility of Springalds and Culverins vs other Siege units. By increasing the attack speed and reducing damage, it now requires more Springalds and Culverins to be able to one-shot other Siege weapons. This should widen the window available to react to seeing these units on the battlefield before all your attacking siege is destroyed. 2. Camping under Keeps with Springalds and Culverins surrounded by units makes them difficult to push into and pick off, but without picking them off it is challenging to use siege to take down the Keep. By reducing the ranged armor of the Springald, we hope that using ranged units to pick them off becomes more viable."
Income reduced from 30 Food, 30 Wood, 30 Stone to 40 Food, 40 Wood, 10 Stone.
Now also provides +5 Wood carry capacity in addition to +15% gather rate.
Now increases Gold drop off by 15%.
Developer note
"We want to make the Imperial Age economy upgrades more appealing for their cost, as well as reducing the number of Villagers required to sustain a late-game economy. This should lead to larger army sizes for more fun!"
General Bug Fixes
Improved Villagers’ gathering logic so that they favor going to the nearest available live Sheep instead of travelling far distances for a carcass.
Corrected an issue where the Trader was tagged as Cavalry.
Docks are no longer selected when using Select All Military Buildings hotkey.
Horse Archer units no longer favor the front of formations and will be protected by heavy units by standing behind them.
Conversion and Proselytization no longer target units who are blessed with Jeanne d’Arc’s Strength of Heaven.
Handcannons from Archery Ranges will now produce x5 when using the shift modifier to produce them.
Landmark Town Centers garrison arrow range corrected from 8 to 6 tiles.
Updated text to reflect their ability to detect stealth and disguises.
Updated text to reflect that Non-Capital Town Centers cannot detect stealth and disguises.
Corrected incorrect defensive values in the help text.
Byzantines
Developer note
"We’ve been watching the development of the Byzantines carefully and decided that they need significantly more nerfs. Just kidding! However, while we do aim to help bring the win rates of the Byzantines up, we do want to ensure that their over-tuned elements do not go unaddressed. We do believe that the following set of changes will help them where they need it the most, in the early game."
Cost reduced from 250 Wood, 100 Gold to 200 Wood, 100 Gold.
Health reduced from 350 to 280.
Developer note
"This change is in concert with the general Ram changes for all civilizations."
Gather bonus increased from 5/10/15/20/25% to 10/14/18/22/26% based on Water Level.
Build time reduced from 20s to 15s.
Stone cost cap reduced from 300 Stone to 250 Stone.
Starting Flasks increased from 1 to 3.
Flask maximum increased from 10 to 20.
Improved Flask spawn rate from every 45 seconds to every 30 seconds.
Reduced unit cooldown from 45 seconds to 20 seconds.
Decreased amount of health restored from 250 to 150.
Reduced healing duration from 10 seconds to 6 seconds.
Now acts as a Mill & Monastery and includes Food economy technologies.
Damage reduction changed from 50% to 40%.
Dialecticus Research speeds decreased from 50/100/150/200/250% to 30/60/90/120/150%.
Reduced training speed from 50% reduction to 60% reduction.
Produces 2 Keshik instead of 3 per batch.
Olive Oil cost increased from 540 to 720.
Varangian Guards are no longer selected with Mercenary Ghulams when double clicking.
Corrected issue where Wolves would grant Supply Points.
Corrected help text to state that workers generate Olive Oil to the % of amount of Food carried.
Added that Akritoi Defense changes all Villager’s weapons to a spear that deals +1 / 2 / 3 / 5 bonus damage per Age to the help text.
Fixed an issue where Cisterns did not cost any wood to repair.
The Surefire Victory mastery now tracks units killed by Greek Fire from a Dromon.
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