Public Update Preview - November Update

[EAGLEMUT]

PUP for the next update is now available!

List of changes (you gotta be logged into Steam)

Highlights:

• New Empire Wars game mode! (also added to Ranked matchmaking)
• Ranked Treaty and Death match moved to Casual multiplayer playlist.
• Unit selection cap raised from 50 to 60
• New Map Selection Screen
• Aztec Home City customization
• Artillery preference for targeting buildings has been removed. Fixed an issue where accidental or unintended switches between the Limber and Bombard tactics could not be canceled
• Grenadiers buffed
• US & Aztecs rebalanced
• 3 new maps

[Youssef]

lot of aztec random changes, but I like the calmecac card and mace combat.
jpk was fine imo, I dislike this change, but have to test it

[yoqpasa]

Some great changes! Can't believe the 60 units limit after 16 years

[yoqpasa]

[BUILD INFO] - Public Update Preview - November Update
SPOILER

Hello Explorers!

With today’s launch of the Public Update Preview, we’re making the first build available for an early hands look at the work being done for the upcoming, smaller, November Update. As part of this process, we’ll be updating the build often with additional fixes, so this is the thread to watch – this is where we’ll provide any notes or changes that are worth paying attention to, and we’ll update that information as newer builds come online. Keep an eye on this thread for more information throughout the Public Update Preview.

Below is a list of preliminary fixes we are prepping for this release. Please note that not all potential fixes/items are guaranteed to be in the final update, as we are still actively testing everything and may need to adjust or remove items if they are not ready. Additionally, this is not a holistic list, and some additional items may end up in our final release.

Quick reminders -
For common questions and answers, go here FAQ
To learn how to contact our Support team, go here Support How-To
As with all updates, certain Mods may no longer function as the underlying game code has changed. If you are experiencing issues please try disabling all Mods first to see if that addresses your issue as the Mod may need to be updated by the creator to work with the latest build


November Update – Build # 49350

New Features
New Empire Wars game mode! (also added to Ranked matchmaking)
Ranked Treaty and Death match moved to Casual multiplayer playlist.
Unit selection cap raised from 50 to 60
New Map Selection Screen
Aztec Home City customization

NEW GAME MODE: EMPIRE WARS

Empire Wars for Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition is an additional game mode to accompany Supremacy, Treaty and Deathmatch.

Like in Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition, Empire Wars puts players into the action right away with additional resources and a bolstered economy. However, instead of a pre-built town, players use a steady trickle of free Homecity Construction Wagons to grow their town with buildings they choose -- making what you build and when a valuable decision!

Gameplay begins in the Exploration Age with enough resources to choose a first Politician bonus, Wonder, or Federal State, etc, right away!
All Cards and each Age-Up deliver Construction Wagons that can make nearly all default buildings (excluding Houses*, TCs and Banks)
In Empire Wars shipments are earned more often and ship faster, additionally, an extra one is awarded upon reaching the Commerce Age, ensuring every match begins on even footing
Many buildings are available an age sooner - including one Town Center
Most civs begin with a free Outpost Wagon or Castle rickshaw -- other starting units/resources vary as per balance requirements

GAME

Stability & Performance
Fixed a crash that could occur on startup
Fixed a rare crash when pressing the Xbox Live Sign In button twice in quick succession
Fixed occasional crash that would occur when exiting pregame UI screens by pressing "Esc"
Fixed a rare crashed upon starting a SP Skirmish match
Fixed a UI Crash when forcing a shut down shortly after quitting via in-game menu.
Fixed a UI Crash when forcing a shut down shortly before arriving at main menu


UI
New Map Selection Screen
Tactics Icons: Now always appear on the top row for all units – this should improve button location consistency and therefore make using ‘grid keybindings’ more consistent too
Changed the "load more" list item to a "load more" button for loading more mods.

Fixes
Fixed the Inca Skin Challenge Completed screen not being abled to be cleared if skin was previously unlocked.
Fixed Moon Ceremony tech displayed in the wrong age for Inca
Fixed incorrect icon use for Temple customization in Inca HC
Fixed Koprulu Viziers tech being in the wrong tech age for Ottomans.
Removed Tufanci Corps/Arrival Flag as this tech is not accessible to Ottomans anymore.
Fixed incorrect tooltip behaviour on Cooperation tech for Haudenosaunee civ.
Updated the default sorting order when browsing mods.
Fixed missing selection audio for the “Begin” button in the Campaign menu
Removed letter "v" from Nathaniel Blacks compendium description and several other minir typos.
removed the Nizams from the Battlefield Construction card
Fixed incorrect names and icon entry for Mosque and Imam in Ottomans techtree
Fixed an issue where Hausa's Finest Cattle and Loaded Camel Train customizations can't be turned off
Fixed an issue in Historical Battles where medals were being replaced with lower ones after completing a Saved/Loaded HB
Fixed a rare issue where some Villagers could go idle after loading a game.


GAMEPLAY & BALANCE
General

CHANGES FOR EMPIRE WARS
Tavern and Saloon: now have a default coin trickle of 0.6 c/s
Asian Monastery: Now trickles 0.7 XP/s
Castle Wagons: Fixed an issue where Indian and Japanese castles were built very slowly compared to Chinese ones

UNITS AND BUILDINGS:
Heroes: are now also immune to RNG abilities (such as Stomp and Divine Strike), like they are to other abilities
Warships: Are now counted as gatherers on the UI when they are gathering

Artillery: Adjusted as follows
Preference for targeting buildings has been removed
Fixed an issue where accidental or unintended switches between the Limber and Bombard tactics could not be canceled

Villagers: Adjusted as follows
Siege attack now inflicts 3x to Mountain Monasteries
Can now be healed by healing units whilst they are gathering resources or constructing buildings

Cowboy / Comanchero: Adjusted as follows
Bulls Eye (Charged Action Attack) damage corrected to 38 (from 48)
Population cost reduced to 5 (from 6)

Owlhoot / Renegado: Adjusted as follows
Ranged attack damage increased to 20 (from 18)
Buck Shot (Charged Action Attack) area damage increased to 2.5 (from 2)
Population cost reduced to 4 (from 5)

Gunslinger / Pistolero: Adjusted as follows
Hand attack cavalry damage multiplier increased to 3x (from 2); Shock Infantry multiplier adjusted accordingly
Population cost reduced to 3 (from 4)

Fort (Building): Adjusted as follows
Hitpoints improved to 9000 (from 8500)
Improve Build Bounty to 220 (from 110)
Halberdier (Unit): Speed improved to 4.25

Grenadier (Unit): Adjusted as follows:
Ranged resistance improved to 50% (from 40%)
Villager and Cavalry damage multipliers improved to 0.5x (from 0.3x); Shock Infantry multipliers adjusted accordingly
Siege attack Rate of Fire corrected to 3; damage adjusted accordingly

Cree Tracker (Native Warrior): Adjusted as follows
Hitpoints reduced to 260 (from 300)
Range decreased to 16 (from 18); LOS adjusted accordingly
Speed improved to 4.5 (from 4)
Ranged attack damage improved to 13 (from 10); Melee attack damage adjusted accordingly
Eagle Eye charged action ability range increased to 25 (from 18) -- this ability is enabled by the “1st
Michigun Volunteer Sharpshooters” card (IV)

Petard: Adjusted as follows
No longer improved by the Engineering School card
No longer tagged as Infantry
Zouave (Mercenary): Cost reduced to 350c (down from 400c)
Shipments awarded via Techs and Cards: Will now correctly also play the Shipment available notification sound

UPGRADES:
Cree Textile Craftsmanship: Cost reduced to 125w 125c (from 225w 225c)
Cree Tanning: Now grants +10% Infantry and Cavalry hitpoints (up from 5%)


Hausa
UNITS AND BUILDINGS:
Griot: Is now also tagged as Infantry

Inca
UNITS AND BUILDINGS:
Huaraca: Commerce Age range and siege range reduced to 12 (restored to normal with the Elite upgrade)
CARDS:
Wamani: Now costs 500w to send

United States
CIVILISATION
Deck Size: Increased to 23 (from 20) but Factory Wagon cards are no longer added to the deck upon reaching the Industrial Age (now found in the Homecity instead, like other civs)
Inspiring Flag: Adjusted as follows
Commerce Age aura range increased to 24 (from 14)
Fortress Age aura range now increases to 34 (from 24)
Industrial Age aura range now increases to 44 (from 34)
Imperial Age aura range now increases to 54 (from 34)
Land of Lincoln (card, V) aura range is still 70 (no change)

UNITS & BUILDINGS
State Militia: Adjusted as follows
Cost increased to 50f and 40w (up from 50f and 35w)
Hitpoints decreased to 115 (from 120)
Speed decreased to 4.5 (from 4.75)
Like-unit HP bonus is now capped at +30 hitpoints (previously +50 was possible after researching the Imperial State Militia upgrade)
Carbine Cavalry: Adjusted as follows
Range increased to 14 (from 12); but Veteran and Guard upgrades no longer grant +1 range
Rate of fire improved to 2.25 (from 2.5) -- They now fire approximately 11% faster
Buffalo Soldiers attack damage improvement reduced to 15% (from 25%); but now also improves ranged resistance by +10%
Sharpshooter: Adjusted as follows
Base range increased to 22 (from 21); LOS adjusted accordingly
Gains +1 range from the Veteran and Guard upgrades (no change)
Minuteman: Now has an anti-ship attack with 20 range after sending the “U.S. Marines” card

CARDS
Advanced Saloon (card, I): Supported population reduced to 20 (from 25)
Lee’s Legion (II): Now delivers 6 Carbine Cav, cost adjusted to 250f and 250w
Dance Hall (II): Move to age 4 for the United States
2 Covered Wagons (IV): Removed from the United Staes

FEDERAL AGE-UPS (Age 1 → Age 2)
Boston Tea Party (Massachusetts): Now arrives fast (5 seconds)
Virginia General Assembly (Virginia): Has been moved to the regular homecity
[NEW] Virginia Plan (Virginia): “Upon arrival, this card grants you 2 shipments to spend.”
Delaware Age-up Reward: Improved to 300f (from 200)
Slater Textile Mill (Rhode Island): Effect updated as follows: “Grants 30 Food or 20 Wood for each Settler and Fishing Boat you currently have and reduces the cost of training new ones.”


Aztecs
CIVILISATION
Gift Ceremony: Is now the default option at the Community Plaza (affects all civilizations that it is accessible to)

UNITS & BUILDINGS
Warrior: Adjusted as follows:
Population cost removed (previously 1); affects all civilizations that the unit is accessible to -- This will enable the unit to spawn and be used defensively even if the player has lost some houses, the existing build limit of 6 has not been changed
Firing animation improved
Jaguar Prowl Knight: adjusted as follows
Cost improved to 90f and 30c (from 120f and 30c); attack and hitpoints adjusted accordingly (reduced by 20%)
Speed improved to 4.75 (from 4.5)
Shipments and Big Buttons that deliver Jaguar Prowl Knights adjusted accordingly
Arrow Knight: adjusted as follows
Hitpoints, damage and cost all increased by 7% – this change will increase the unit’s durability against artillery such as Falconets which previously could defeat them with a single blast
Shipments of Arrow Knights still deliver the same number of units (which are now all 7% stronger)
Added visual differences for Legendary upgrades of Aztec military units for better recognizability

CARDS
Added colors to all Aztec unit card icons for better recognizability
All Native and foreign allies cards: Can now be sent twice (only affects the Aztec civ)
Great Temple of Quetzalcoatl Support: Moved to age 3 (from 4); coin cost and number of units shipped adjusted accordingly
[NEW] Calmecac (I): “Ships 1 Warrior Priest. The next Council Member you research, or are researching, will Age-up twice as fast.”
[NEW] Calendar Ceremony (I): “Ships 1 Warrior Priest. Enables the new Calendar Ceremony at the Community Plaza which reduces the cost of your next Age-up, overtime” -- The rate is 0.5 resources per Villager per second (Warrior Priests have the efficiency of 2x Vils)
[NEW] Ritual Gladiators (III): “Ships 1 Jaguar Prowl Knight for each 2 you have lost so far (up to a maximum of 16).”
[NEW] 5 Warrior Priests (III): Simple shipment of
[NEW] Wall of Skulls (IV): “Ships 1 Skull Knight for each 2 you have lost so far (up to a maximum of 13).”
[NEW] Otontin Slinger Combat (IV): “Otontin Slinger improved in combat”
[NEW] Chichimeca Rebellion (IV, costs 1k of each resource): “Rebellion! The resistance of the Chichimeca ennobles your currently present War Hut warriors. turning them into Knights. Villagers become Warriors when defeated.”
Warrior Culture (IV): Now has the following effects (for all civilizations that it is accessible to)
Is now also available to the Aztecs (previously wasn’t)
Now improves Villager ranged attacks by +700% and Villager melee attacks by +200% (changed from increasing all damage actions by +200%)
Warrior unit spawned via the “Call the People Ceremony” at the Community Plaza no longer loses hitpoints

Random Maps
2 NEW South American Regions
1 NEW African Region
Lots of minor tweaks and improvements

[aligator92]

Guess I will have to relearn the main squeeze

That warrior buff might not be very relevant but it was absolutely needed

[Garja]

Unit selection cap raised from 50 to 60

Why, just why

[harcha]

i supposed they did some tests, realized that 60 works without issues and increased it.

[yoqpasa]

Cree Tanning: Now grants +10% Infantry and Cavalry hitpoints (up from 5%)

Insane upgrade

[callentournies]

Probably actually affects breakpoints now

[PatrickLFC]

Removed letter "v" from Nathaniel Blacks compendium description and several other minir typos.

[DNLgibraltar]

Am the only one who is glad and disappointed after reading this PUP ? Like...you are happy about what came in but disappointed because so much stuff remains out ?

[Le Hussard sur le toit]

Guess I will have to relearn the main squeeze

That warrior buff might not be very relevant but it was absolutely needed

Some of those changes seem really random but overall it looks like sorely needed buffs to their defensive and late game option.
I would like them to remove the bonus against cav from the JPK and give them range resist instead to change them into urumis lite.

[gibson]

Unit selection cap raised from 50 to 60

Why, just why

how is this possibly a bad thing? This is great tbh

[Garja]

It is not. 50 is just fine. L2usectrlgroups

Anyway, why is Otontin slinger combat only 10%? It's an age4 card and it affects literally one unit. If anything it should be 20% rather than the standard 15%.

Also I personally don't like units having different colors. I think it's a downgrade from how it was before. Especially in game, units used to be of the same color of the one you're playing with, now it's like rainbow =_=

[Squamiger]

i think the JPK changes will definitely make the unit stronger. They are faster and cheaper now, and you can send the card in age 3 to potentially get 16 in a shipment, which is pretty nuts. Also, I wonder how they buffed the warrior attack animation. Is it like aenna now? Or yumi, lol? If we get Yumi warriors, Aztec FF/FI suddenly becomes a lot more viable, plus theres the card to reduce age up time, which seems like it might be good, but who knows, we'll have to test it

hoping that empire wars brings new players in and old player back!

[EliteRifleman]

I think this is a bug, but it's interesting, now the haudenosaunee travois allow you to build TPs

[iNcog]

Did they buff USA?

[fei123456]

Dance for a free FF or even FI is interesting, but I doubt if Aztec can hold the pressure after a 10 wp boom and no XP dance.

[fei123456]

Aiz will like this change imo. Dance for a free age IV, dance for skulls, die to cannons and send 13 skull shipment.

[harcha]

It is not. 50 is just fine. L2usectrlgroups

Anyway, why is Otontin slinger combat only 10%? It's an age4 card and it affects literally one unit. If anything it should be 20% rather than the standard 15%.

Also I personally don't like units having different colors. I think it's a downgrade from how it was before. Especially in game, units used to be of the same color of the one you're playing with, now it's like rainbow =_=

why is it a bad thing

[Le Hussard sur le toit]

Is the new calendar dance 0.5 of each ressources or 0.5 in total ? If the second it makes it really efficient to dance to age compared to gather ressources with vills (also saves your hunts).
Now the question is what happens if you dance to age but switch at some point to an other dance ? Do you lose the cost reduction ?

[helln00]

Is the new calendar dance 0.5 of each ressources or 0.5 in total ? If the second it makes it really efficient to dance to age compared to gather ressources with vills (also saves your hunts).
Now the question is what happens if you dance to age but switch at some point to an other dance ? Do you lose the cost reduction ?

It seems to be spread between the two resources? its hard to tell but the reduction seems to be permanent and even carries over to the next age up.

[Le Hussard sur le toit]

Is the new calendar dance 0.5 of each ressources or 0.5 in total ? If the second it makes it really efficient to dance to age compared to gather ressources with vills (also saves your hunts).
Now the question is what happens if you dance to age but switch at some point to an other dance ? Do you lose the cost reduction ?

It seems to be spread between the two resources? its hard to tell but the reduction seems to be permanent and even carries over to the next age up.

So it's 0.25 food and 0.25 gold ? Seems really bad then, given the opportunity cost. Tasking your vills to hunts and XP dancing with your wp looks just better.

I guess if it carries other to the next age you could build some kind of FI bo out of it...

[Dolan]

Unit selection cap raised from 50 to 60

Cool change. It's a modest bump, but it's still something. And if you don't need it, it doesn't affect you in any way.

[Garja]

Is the new calendar dance 0.5 of each ressources or 0.5 in total ? If the second it makes it really efficient to dance to age compared to gather ressources with vills (also saves your hunts).
Now the question is what happens if you dance to age but switch at some point to an other dance ? Do you lose the cost reduction ?

It seems to be spread between the two resources? its hard to tell but the reduction seems to be permanent and even carries over to the next age up.

So it's 0.25 food and 0.25 gold ? Seems really bad then, given the opportunity cost. Tasking your vills to hunts and XP dancing with your wp looks just better.

I guess if it carries other to the next age you could build some kind of FI bo out of it...

It's a way for WPs to gather resources, I wouldn't put vills on the pit for that, even tho it preserves resources. I tested it and it's basically 9 (shouldnt it be 10 btw?) more vills to resources at the cost of xp.
Unfortunately both the calendar and the fast age card don't seem to be very useful. Even with perfectly tailored builds for a FI none of them really improves the old build, simply because the marginal gain in age up time (thanks to WPs gathering for age3 and age4 age ups) doesn't quite justify the xp loss.
The cards are probably better to have just in case for standard builds. Aging up fast at some point might be useful playing age2, and the calendar card can be good for imperial when dancing for xp in industrial would essentially just give 900c infinite crates.
I can already think of a specific instance where doing a 9WP timing push in age2 could transition into age3 with the fast age card and produce direct benefits. That could be Aztec meta vs most civs.

I'd say the other buffs are more relevant. The 2 cards for replacing skull knights or jpk seem very strong for their respective strats (FI and FF). Slinger combat is definetely useful for the FI and the warrior animation buff is great and makes firepit defence much more effective.