This update for the Multiplayer Public Beta is all about communication! It introduces planning markers and text chat, along with various bug fixes for problems reported by you, the players. Thanks for sending in your feedback, it's an essential part of getting multiplayer ready for everyone.
If you'd like to join the public beta, visit our website to learn all the details.
Planning Markers
To help develop your strategy, you can add a marker to any land indicating your plans. Five different markers are available to choose from. This feature is available in both single player and multiplayer modes. To learn more, visit the How to Play screen in-game.
Quickly set a planning marker on a land by right clicking it, then clicking on a marker. Click a different marker to change it, or the same marker again to remove it. Alternatively, you can set a planning marker from Spirit Foresight by inspecting a land and clicking a button at the top of the detailed display.
All planning markers are automatically removed at the end of the turn when Time Passes.
In multiplayer, anyone can change the planning marker on any land. The last other player to do so will have their avatar icon shown with the marker.
Text Chat
Spirit Island multiplayer now includes integrated text chat. Click the button or press "T" on the new game, in-game, or end game screens to send a message to other players.
Steam Deck
We've made a few small adjustments to improve the experience on Steam Deck:
- Zooming in/out on the 3D board using the bumpers now works better.
- Press B to go back, open the menu, etc.
- Press X to toggle Spirit Focus.
- Press Y to open multiplayer text chat.
Development Roadmap
Keep track of our development progress on the public beta Trello board. Please note that several items are still in development and are not yet available:
- Various scenarios are not yet playable in multiplayer
- In-game invites via URL/Discord
Other notable fixes in this update:
- The game over check for Dahan Insurrection now happens at the correct time, fixing a problem where it could only show to certain players in some cases.
- Fixed various problems with undoing growth options that could lead to incorrect behavior. Special thanks to WolfRowland92 for reporting lots of these with great info!
- Disabling the top tier of Heart of the Wildfire's first innate power now works as expected.
- Fixed a freeze that could occur during the Spirit Phase in the Powers Long Forgotten scenario.
- The Grant Hatred a Ravenous Form threshold now works properly when there are fewer than 3 applicable adjacent lands to choose from.
- The Discord fear card now interacts properly with Dahan Insurrection.
- The Fortification event now interacts properly with England's alternate loss condition.
- You may now skip playing the Major Power card gained from Call on Midnight's Dreams in multiplayer.
- The Grim Toll event no longer asks you to choose lands when nothing would happen.
- Sweden no longer asks for the order of ravaging when the special blight rule would not actually apply.
- Sky Stretches to Shore now interacts properly with Fire & Flood.
- Fixed undo and visual issues with Slave Rebellion when playing without events.
- Fixed a visual glitch between Command Beasts and Gift of Constancy at the end of turn.
- The Panic fear card now works properly when France replaces a stricken Explorer with a Town.
- England's High Immigration build is no longer skipped by effects that skip "the next normal Build."
- Fixed a warning that could occur when you had no energy left to play more cards.