Fragments of the Fulcrum Update Is Live!

This update adds Fragments of the Fulcrum to create new points of contention, reworks outposts to be valuable earlier, and expands game setup with larger maps, more players, and new advanced parameters. \New\ Fragments of the Fulcrum

• The Fulcrum's pieces have crashed across Earth. These are giant blocking tiles that provide advanced resources to adjacent city tiles. We've heard you—ZEPHON is lacking points of interest to fight over—this should address it. The Fragments will spawn away from player starting locations so that they're places of contention for second and third cities.

The Last Days of Earth Improvements

• A Scintialla of Hope and Portents of Despair notifications now allow spending influence to slow down or speed up how fast the Last Days of Earth occurs. The goal is to encourage less players to change the Escalation speed on game setup and rather dynamically play inside the bounds of the intended experience.

• Joining ZEPHON or Anchorite's side while at Generous standing with them will give you control over the titan that spawns at your city. Adding a bit of variety and a fun payoff.

Outpost City Bonus Rework

• Until now, outposts gave a percentage bonus across the whole city. This made it bad to acquire them early on. We've always felt that was quite awkward. Instead of the percentage bonus, outpost now give an increased per-turn gain while inside the city. The decision of when to acquire the outpost tile will now be relevant from the start.

More Players

• Increased the maximum player count from 12 to 16 to prepare for upcoming DLC

• Added the Dark Purple color.

• Tweaked Purple color values.

Larger Maps

• Increased the space available per player on all map sizes and add two larger sizes. It's been feeling a bit more crammed than we liked.

New Sizes

• 2p — 30×30 (area 900) → 450.00 / player

• 3p — 37×37 (area 1369) → 456.33 / player

• 4p — 42×42 (area 1764) → 441.00 / player

• 6p — 52×52 (area 2704) → 450.67 / player

• 8p — 60×60 (area 3600) → 450.00 / player

• 10p — 67×67 (area 4489) → 448.90 / player

• 12p — 73×73 (area 5329) → 444.08 / player

Old Sizes

• 2p — 27×27 (area 729) → 364.50 per player

• 3p — 33×33 (area 1089) → 363.00 per player

• 4p — 38×38 (area 1444) → 361.00 per player

• 6p — 46×46 (area 2116) → 352.67 per player

• 8p — 53×53 (area 2809) → 351.13 per player

More Settings

• Added AI Aggressiveness advanced parameter to game setup. This is multiplied into individual AI aggressiveness modifiers from difficulty.

• Added Diplomacy advanced parameter to game setup. Choose between Standard, Fixed Teams + Standard NPCs, Fixed Teams + No NPC Allies, Strict Fixed Teams. This replaces the old Fixed Teams parameter. Fixed Teams no longer implicitly disables trade gain.

• Added Trade Gain advanced parameter to game setup. Choose between Standard, NPC Only, None.

• Game setup options now have a random option that randomizes the parameter when the game starts.

• Added Open Compendium On Notification Click under General settings (default on). Turn it off to skip opening the Compendium when clicking notifications that have a related entry.

Other

• Caches spawned from city destructions now give rewards multiple times for large cities (production cost of all buildings in the city / 192).

• Clear tile can now remove rocks.

• Reaver Immigration, Trials of the Eremite and AI Rights now improve the standing for the first time upon research.

\General\

• Flying units can no longer pick up caches.

• End turn button now prompts to accept the next incoming call instead of prompting to decline calls. Right-clicking declines the call.

• Camera position and zoom is now restored on load.

• Reorganized tabs in the game lobby screen.

• Tweaked quest and notification screens so scrollbars are less likely to show.

• Improved netcode resilience.

\Balance\

• Increased Caitiffs Leeching Touch attacks from 1 to 2.

• Reduced Caitiffs Leeching Touch armor penetration from 10 to 3.

• Caitiffs Leeching Touch now always heals for 33% instead of based on the damage dealt.

• Increased Caitiff Leeching Touch cooldown from 1 to 5.

• Fallen Orolos Pestilence is now a free action.

• Reduced Rangers squad size from 6 to 5.

• Valkyria's Valhalla now also increases max hitpoints by 10% per rank.

• Reduced Anashim Enforcer Evade Function evasion damage reduction from 33% to 17%.

• Reduced Interference Protocols accuracy penalty from -50% to -33%.

• Reduced Interference Protocols chips cost from 10 to 8.

• Ion Discharge now applies Ion Discharge on the target tile for 1 turn and can only target tiles without Ion Discharge.

• Rogue Operative Enhanced Probability Augment now gives +17% instead of +1 accuracy.

• Self-destruction no longer affects experience or morale.

\Bug Fixes\

• Fixed passive items sometimes not turning on.

• Fixed being able to research the highest tier of non-affinity technologies (what should have fallen into tier 11 was placed in tier 10).

• Fixed being able to see enemy city rally points.

• Fixed undersupplied rank not syncing with multiplayer clients.

• Fixed Interference Protocols description.

• Fixed trait hints not showing when hovering over them from right to left if they are squeezed.

• Fixed operation charges sometimes not updating right away on multiplayer clients.

\Modding\

• Added `canPickUpCaches` attribute effect and condition (see `HumanCache.xml`).

• Added ` ` to upgrades, which can be used for an easy way to affect the player instead of having to go through a trait (see `ZephonStanding.xml`).