In this update3
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Full Caïssa Chess Island update
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Repeated intro
Greetings, chess players!
What changed
- Gameplay
- UI and audio
- Maps
- Compatibility
Caïssa Chess Island changes
A massive new update for Caïssa Board that has been brewing for over 15 months is now available for testing on the **Unstable** channel. This update introduces some very important features, including new variants, AI-powered game analysis, a complete database overhaul, and comprehensive modding support!
IMPORTANT: This is an early, work-in-progress build. It contains major breaking changes, and you will likely encounter bugs, visual glitches, and other issues. Your feedback would be greatly appreciated to help stabilize it before the full public release!
✨ What's New in the Unstable Build ✨
♟️ New Variants for Larger Boards
We're expanding the world of chess on Caïssa Board! Three major variants have been added:
Shogi (Japanese Chess): Master the art of the "drop" rule.
Xiangqi (Chinese Chess): Command your army across the river.
- Capablanca ChessExplore a classic 10x8 variant with two new powerful pieces.
🤖 AI-Powered Position Analysis
Analyze your games like never before with a new generative AI prompt system.
Natural Language Prompts: Ask questions about any position in plain English, such as "What is the best strategic plan for White?" or "Explain why my last move was a blunder."
Run AI Models Locally: Powered by llama.cpp, you can now load local AI models (in GGUF format) to run analysis completely offline. This ensures your privacy, requires no internet connection, and has zero API costs.
Be aware that this feature is mostly experimental and will not be likely to generate in the near future relevant or even accurate analysis.
However there are many researchers out there who are working on it and this might help them a bit.
🗃️ Complete Database Overhaul
Your game library is now more powerful and efficient than ever.
- Flexible BackendsThe new database allows you to create and manage game collections using either PostgreSQL or SQLite.
- Optimized FormatThe new file format, while not nearly as efficient (but much more flexible!) as SCID, accepts any chess variant and for the same PGN can generate a SQLite file up to 10 times smaller !
🛠️ Full Modding Support is Here!
Unleash your creativity! You can now create, share, and subscribe to mods. The initial categories for modding are:
Chess Sets and Maps
Game Collections
Scripts
For creators, a Mod Editor project is now available on GitHub to help you bundle custom chess sets and maps into PAK files. Other mods, like collections and scripts, can be created directly from within the game itself!
And more...
Those are the main points, many parts have been enhanced such as the Linux version, the Dedicated Server and the Loading screen. Also, if have not tried the previous Unstable version, there are a few more features available such as LUA filters.
📅 What's Next? The Demo!
A public demo is planned for release as soon as this unstable version is polished and ready.
My goal is to first finish the Solo side of Caïssa Board and get out of Early Access then work on the Multiplayer side once it's done.
✅ How to Access the Unstable Branch
Ready to jump in and help us test? Follow these steps:
Right-click on Caïssa Board in your Steam Library.
Select Properties...
Go to the Betas tab.
From the dropdown menu, select unstable - For testing new features.
No password is required. The game will automatically update.
Your feedback during this phase is incredibly valuable. Please share any bugs you find or suggestions you have on our Steam forums or Discord.
Source
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