The Sovereign's Ascent

National Tier

Added the [National Tier] mechanism for all factions. The National Tier is a metric used to control the overall development level of a player's faction. As a match progresses, players can raise their National Tier through a series of proactive actions. The National Tier determines the upgrade caps for a player's technology and buildings. At the start of a match, both opposing sides begin at National Tier 1. If a player meets certain conditions during the game, they can spend a large amount of resources and time to elevate their National Tier. This process is called a National Reform. Players can choose a direction in which to advance their nation's tier. Upon completion of the National Reform, the player's faction will receive significant bonuses related to the chosen direction. The National Tier can only be increased, not decreased. It is only effective for the current match and is not carried over. There are three National Tiers in total: Vassal, Kingdom, and Empire.

The National Tier will have the following effects:

Technology

• Each technology has a "Required National Tier for Research." Therefore, the National Tier determines the maximum level of technological development for a faction.

• Researching a technology requires meeting its corresponding National Tier prerequisite. If the current National Tier does not meet the requirement for a technology, it cannot enter the research state.

Buildings

• The National Tier determines the maximum upgrade level for a faction's buildings. Before reaching the maximum number of building upgrades allowed for the current tier, players can freely upgrade any upgrade item for any building. Once the limit is reached, the player cannot upgrade any item for any building. The upgrade count is registered when the player initiates the upgrade action, not upon its completion.

• After a player completes a new National Reform and raises their National Tier, they can upgrade new building items until they once again reach the maximum building upgrade limit for the new tier.

• Vassal Tier: Building upgrades are not allowed.

• Kingdom Tier: A maximum of 50% of upgrade items for each building can be completed.

• Empire Tier: All upgrade items for buildings can be completed.

Policies

• The National Tier determines a faction's number of policy slots.

• Vassal Tier: Initial number of policy slots.

• Kingdom Tier: +4 policy slots.

• Empire Tier: +6 additional policy slots (for a cumulative total of +10).

Taxation

• The National Tier determines a faction's tax efficiency.

• Vassal Tier: Initial tax efficiency.

• Kingdom Tier: +30% tax income.

• Empire Tier: +40% additional tax income (for a cumulative total of +70%).

Base Towers

• The National Tier determines the stats of a faction's Base Towers.

• Vassal Tier: Initial Base Tower stats.

• Kingdom Tier: Base Tower Attack +25%, Range +5%, Defense +10%, HP +30%.

• Empire Tier: Base Tower Attack +45%, Range +5%, Defense +10%, HP +30% (Cumulative bonuses for Base Tower: Attack +70%, Range +10%, Defense +20%, HP +60%).

New Map Variant

• Added the [Explorer] map, which has no Fog of War. The original version with Fog of War has been renamed to [Explorer (Fog)].

New Building

• Added the new building [Rally Point], which can be used as a unit spawn point.

• Exclusive to [France] and [France - L'État, c'est moi].

• The [France] can obtain it through the Kingdom upgrade [Ordonnance Gendarmes].

• [France - L'État, c'est moi] can obtain it through the Kingdom upgrade [Armagnacs].

UI Optimizations

• [New] Players can now click the upgrade button again while a building is upgrading to cancel the upgrade.

• Added icons for game terms such as Attack, Defense, and HP.

• Added icons for unit categories (e.g., Melee Infantry, Archers & Crossbowmen, Cavalry).

• Modified the layout of the match setup screen.

• Redrew the vast majority of technology tree icons.

• When resources or administration points are gained, a corresponding icon will now float above the relevant unit on the map.

• When a unit is low on supply, a corresponding icon will now float above its head.

• Modified the display duration for certain notifications in the bottom-right information panel.

Removals

• Removed the function to upgrade the [Base Tower].

• Removed the function to exchange administration points for policy slots.

Balance Adjustments

• Increased the cost of all unit types.

• Reduced the work speed of workers gathering Food and Gold. In their initial state, workers now gather and drop off Food at 3 times the speed of gathering and dropping off Gold. Workers drop off resources at a Warehouse at 3 times the speed of dropping off at the home base; this is reduced to 2 times the speed when the Warehouse is fully upgraded.

• Increased the initial Food carrying capacity of workers.

• The bonus from the [Quality] upgrade in the [Barracks] has been increased by 20%.

• The bonuses from the [Blacksmith] have been doubled.

• On the [Mt.Mafang], [Explorer], and [Explorer (Fog)] maps, the cost to recruit villages is increased by 33% if the player is in the [Vassal] stage, and decreased by 33% if the player is in the [Empire] stage.

• For [Ming - Court Factions], the number of official slots can no longer be actively upgraded and is now tied to the National Tier.

• For [Ming - Court Factions], the condition for a faction to become dominant has been lowered to requiring the number of same-faction members to exceed half of the maximum cabinet official slots. The trigger conditions for edicts have also been lowered.

• The completion condition for the [Bosphorus Trade Route] for [Byzantium - Phoenix of the Purple Eagle] has been changed to: Reach the Empire National Tier.

Bug Fixes

• Fixed a bug where the [Heated Shot] upgrade for the [Fortress] had no effect.

• Fixed a bug where certain UI detail panels would remain on screen indefinitely.

• Fixed a bug where workers would be lost if placed simultaneously.

• Fixed a bug where some audio would continue playing after exiting a match.