Patch 9.2.628 – Japanese
"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."
Cost reduced from 250 Wood to 200 Wood.
Health reduced from 420 to 340.
Now takes an additional 20% bonus damage from Melee attacks.
Attack-move with melee units now targets rams automatically.
Developer note
"Following up from our previous Ram changes, we’re aiming to address the effective health of Rams and reduce the viability of Ram pushes without support units. With this change we’re making it so that melee units will not ignore Rams with attack move (but Ranged units will). Our goal is to tune the Ram so that fighting them with melee units has a worthwhile return on investment. Along with reducing the health and cost appropriately this should also help to reduce the population effectiveness of Rams while remaining at 1 population."
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.
Japanese
The Shinto Shrine and Buddhist Temple now each contain 3 new technologies which replace Herbal Medicine, Piety, and Tithe Barns.
Developer note
"We want the sacred choice for the Japanese to be far more meaningful than your Landmark selection and which Monk skin you get. While providing a needed buff to the Japanese, we hope that this rework offers more distinction between the two choices and more strategic options in the Castle Age and beyond."
New Technology 'Shinto Rituals': Increases the Shinto Priest’s healing rate by +60%, health by +40, and move speed by +15%.
New Technology 'Gion Festival': All buildings gain +2 Line of Sight. Every 3 minutes all economic units heal for 100% of their max health over 3 seconds.
New Technology 'Bunrei': Increases the maximum number of Yorishiro by +2. Immediately spawns 2 Yorishiro at the Floating Gate.
New Technology 'Zen': Buddhist Monks generate +25 gold every 60 seconds.
New Technology 'Nehan': Upgrades Buddhist Conversion to Nehan Conversion, which has 25% shorter cooldown and additional improves nearby allied units’ movement speed by +25% when cast.
New Technology 'Five Mountain Ministries': Buddhist Temples automatically cast Sohai’s Sutra on a nearby enemy every 6 seconds.
The Conversion ability has been renamed to Buddhist Conversion and the description has been updated to properly indicate that nearby allies gain +20% damage for 20 seconds when Buddhist Conversion is cast.
Now has a built limit of 5 (including the Temple of Equality landmark).
Rocket Range decreased from 9 to 8 tiles.
Handcannoneer renamed to Handcannon Ashigaru.
Koka Township will no longer instantly spawn a Shinobi but instead queue it in production for free when the landmark completes construction.
Corrected an issue where the free Shinobi would not travel to rally points.
Developer note
"On hybrid maps, the Shinobi timing doesn’t give other civilizations reasonable time to establish an answer when scouting the Landmark and responding to Shinobi’s sabotage ability."
Updated the UI to show the current number of stockpiles available to spend.
Buddhist Monks will no longer leave their Stand Ground state when casting Sohei’s Sutra.
Corrected issue where Sohei’s Sutra would be cast on enemy naval units, breaking its animations.
Corrected an issue where the bonus was displayed +2% instead of +2 fire and ranged armor.
Will no longer fail to create a Shinto Priest if players are population blocked. The Shinto Priest is now stays in the production queue until population room becomes available.
Corrected an issue where ranged Cavalry were not benefitting from Uma Bannermen auras.
Corrected an issue where melee infantry & cavalry charge attack was not benefiting from Katana banners.
No longer share formations with Man-at-Arms and are now ranked behind
Now shares a formation with Onna-Bugeisha instead of Man-at-Arms.
Castle of the Crow Treasure Caravan is no longer selected with the “Select All Units” hotkey.
Fixed an issue where free Villagers from Daimyo upgrades wouldn’t benefit from upgrades.
Transport Ships loaded with Bannermen will now properly reduce their maximum count when the ship is destroyed.
Corrected issue where researching Odachi would increase the weapon range of Samurai.
Updated text to reflect health regeneration bonus and what can detect Shinobi disguises.
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