Age of Wonders 4 - Mystic 1.3 Update

Enthralled Godir

We hope that you’ve been enjoying the summer season. For these past few weeks we’ve continued to work on the Mystic Update, undeterred by the insanity brought on through Summer Heat, Storms and Railroad Maintenance. The Mystic 1.3 Update aims to polish the changes we introduced with the Mystic Update.

We’ve focused our efforts on tweaking the Rank Updates and the Eldritch Sovereign but have also taken along some other requests. The Tome of Corruption has gotten some attention, as have certain Units. Beyond that we’ve improved the way Faction selection & Pantheon settings are handled and you’ll find more fixes for Crashes, AI and Multiplayer as well as improvements for the Modders among us.

As the Summer enters its second half our attention will fully shift towards the future, preparing new Updates & Content. We are dedicated to Age of Wonders 4 and will have more to share after the Summer.

May your Pantheon Thrive

Game Version: 1.007.004.96050

Unit Rank Updates

Structures

• Smiths Guild
  • Reduced additional starting Ranks from 2 to 1
  • Now grants additional starting Ranks to Tier 1, 2 and 3 Units

• Wizard Tower: Level 1
  • Now grants +1 Rank to Tier 1 Magic Origin units

• Wizard Tower: Level 2
  • Now affects Tier 1 and Tier 2 Magic Origin units

• Wizard Tower Apex
  • Now affects Tier 1, 2 and 3 Magic Origin units
  • Increased Production cost from 400/400/550 to 450/450/800 Gold/Mana/Production.

Tome Content

• Tome of Cleansing Flame
  • Special Province Improvement “Pyreshrine”
    • No longer grants +1 Rank to all produced units
    • Now grants Faithful to non-faithful units
    • Increased Base Gold Income from +10 to +15

  
  
• Tome of the Dreadnought
  • Special Province Improvement “War Foundry”
    • Now grants +2 Ranks to Constructs only instead of +1 to produced unit

Empire Development

• Astral Skill “Astral Bindings”
  • Switched places with Quickening
  • Reduced additional Ranks for Magic Origin Units from +2 to +1

• Astral Skill “Quickening” - Switched places with Astral Bindings
  

Society Traits

• Chosen Uniters
  • No longer grants +1 Rank to racial Polearms and Shield units. Now grants +1 Rank to units recruited from Rally of the Lieges
  • No longer mutually exclusive with Ritual Cannibals, Ruthless Raiders and Merciless Slavers

• Devotees of Good
  • No longer grants +1 Rank to racial Polearms and Shield units. Now grants +1 Rank to all units while at max good alignment.
  • No longer grants 10 Stability per level of Good Alignment. Now grants +10 Gold per level of good alignment instead.

• Relentless Crusaders
  • No longer mutually exclusive with Ritual Cannibals, Ruthless Raiders and Merciless Slavers

• Ritualist Cannibals
  • No longer mutually exclusive with Chosen Uniters and Relentless Crusaders

• Ruthless Raiders
  • No longer mutually exclusive with Chosen Uniters and Relentless Crusaders

• Chosen Destroyers
  • Now mutually exclusive with Keepers of Knowledge

• Merciless Slavers
  • No longer mutually exclusive with Chosen Uniters and Relentless Crusaders

• Fabled Hunters
  • No longer grants +1 Rank to racial Ranged and Skirmisher units
  • Units gain +5 strategic map regen at all times

• Perfectionist Artisans
  • No longer reduces City Cap by 1

• Runesmiths
  • No longer grants +1 rank to racial Polearms and Shield units
  • Increased research cost discount for Unit Enchantments from 30% to 40%

• Keepers of Knowledge
  • Now mutually exclusive with Chosen Destroyers and Scions of Evil

• Powerful Evokers
  • No longer grants +1 Rank to racial Battle Mage and Support units
  • Damage Combat spells deal +10% more damage

• Scions of Evil
  • No longer grants +1 Rank to racial Shock and Shield units.
  • Now mutually exclusive with Keepers of Knowledge
  • Added Alignment icon in the Description to make it clearer what kind of alignment the rank effect needs.

Eldritch Sovereigns

Hero Skills

• Forgotten Tome Signature Skills are properly forgotten on Ascension
• Signature Skill “Cosmic Caster” - Cosmic Pulse
  • Fire Damage now applies 3 Stacks of Burning
  • Increased Frost Damage from 12 to 30
  • Increased Lightning Damage from 18 To 30

• Hero Skill “Eldritch Influence I” - Reduced the amount of World Map & Combat Casting points from 15 to 10
  
• Hero Skill “Eldritch Influence II” - Reduced the amount of World Map & Combat Casting points from 15 to 10
  

Rituals

• Astral Wisp Ritual - Reduced Casting Cost from 2 Thralls/80 CP to 1 Thrall/45 CP
• Astral Siphoner Ritual - Reduced Casting Cost from 5 Thralls/200 CP to 4 Thralls/150 CP
• Quickening Ritual - Increased Casting Cost from 2 Thralls/80 CP to 4 Thralls/150 CP
• Dark Knowledge - Increased Casting Cost from 4 Thralls/150 CP to 6 Thralls/150 CP
• Phantasmal Ritual
  • Increased Casting Cost from 2 Thralls/80 CP to 3 Thralls/100 CP
  • No longer stacks with Status Resistance lowering from Mass Phantasmal Ritual

• Mass Phantasmal Ritual
  • Increased from 3 Thralls/100 CP to 4 Thralls/150 CP
  • Lowered Status Resistance from -3 to -2
  • No longer stacks with Status Resistance lowering from Phantasmal Ritual

• The various abilities that allow casting extra spells per turn in Combat now no longer stack with each other, limiting the player to 2 spells per turn.
• Units with the hidden ‘Doomed’ Property that are intended to die at the end of Combat can no longer be revived by ‘Resurgence’
• Link effects like “Enchain Mind" and “Limited Seal" now have a priority equal to the unit using it. Since a unit can only have one link active at a time, a higher prio means that higher tier units can remove link effects from lower tier units but not the other way around. So the Progenitor Golem (Tier 5) using its Limited Seal on a unit means that the Umbral Mistress (Tier 4) cannot use its Enchain Mind on that unit.

We have reworked the way factions are chosen during Game Setup. Ruler Settings are now additive allowing for more control over which factions appear in your games. If insufficient Rulers are available for the chosen setting Library Rulers will be used as a Fallback.

• Custom Ruler Setting no longer includes Library or Pantheon Rulers
• Added a Library Rulers Setting
• Added a Pantheon Rulers Setting
• Pantheon Rulers can now be set to appear as a Hero or a Ruler
• Pantheon Rulers can now be excluded from appearing as a Hero or a Ruler

• Added name variations for each Eldritch Relic damage channel infusion in the item forge. So a relic with fire damage now has the Fire Spike ability instead of the generic Mind Spike ability.
• Removed Eldritch Relics from being included in the pools for generated Rewards.

• When opening the Resource Browser it will now show which Mod is currently being worked on, and allows you to search only through modded resources. Leaving the search blank will show a list of all resources that have been modded (either from the game itself, or added by the mod)
• Improved compatibility for mods when we move resources between packs. In the past it would only apply the mod if the resource was still in the exact same location, now it will locate it and apply the changes there.
• The Resource Editor is now better at detecting the active mod if the folder name is different from the .acp filename.
• LevelEd will now load in mod resources when opened through the PackageManager

Multiplayer

• Fixed an Out of Sync that could occur when releasing a city as a vassal
• Fixed an Out of Sync that could occur from independent units not evolving
• Fixed an Out of Sync that would occur when destroying a City
• Removed Food Upkeep/Income from CRC Checks

Combat Takeover

• Added support for Combat Takeover to apply to multiple AI Sides.
• Fixed an issue where Combat Takeover did not work while the player is the defending side.
• Fixed an issue where a Combat Takeover request would be sent to player's already involved in the combat.
• Fixed an issue where Combat Takeover would always trigger if you were in a team with an AI player and that AI is involved in the combat.
• Fixed an issue where Combat Takeover was not available during Retry in Hot Seat games
• Various fixes related to showing which stacks are enabled in the take over window.
• Potential fixes for crashes that could occur when accepting/rejecting a Combat Takeover Request
• Fixed that Combat Takeover was not available during Retry in Hot Seat
• Fixed the leader portrait showing the wrong leader when using Takeover in Hot Seat.

• The Pantheon Enabled settings in advanced setup have now been split up into three different settings:
  • Enable Ascension Traits
  • Enable Ascended Transformations and Skills
  • Enable recruiting Pantheon Rulers as Heroes (disabled in multiplayer)
  • Regardless of these settings, you can now always ascend your ruler at the end of the game.

Arcalot

• Added a Custom Tooltip to explain the relation changes between Serena & the Covenant
• Added additional clarification that entering the Dreamroot Oak does not require the army to stand on the Province Centre.

Astral

• Tome of Warding
  • Unit “Phantasm Warrior”
    • Reduced HP from 70 to 60
    • Reduced Defense from 6 to 5
    • Melee Strike - Reduced damage 6 Physical/6 Lightning to 6 Physical/4 Lightning.

Materium

• Tome of Rock:
  • Unit Enchantment “Obsidian Weapons” - Now grants an additional +1 Physical damage (+2 for non-repeating attacks)

Shadow

• Tome of Corruption:
  • City Structure “Throne of Insidious Whispers”
    • Reduced Insanity duration from 3 turns to 1 turn
    • Now correctly mentions it can only be built in the throne city.

  • Unit “Umbral Mistress”
    • Fury - Reduced the duration of Insanity from 3 Turns to 1 Turn.

• Updated a number of texts to make the type of Free City a text insert instead of always linking to the Free City game concept so we can dynamically fill it in (and support "Umbral Dwelling") for texts in PvE war coordination and trade.
• The Fallen Bastion event in the Castle Ruins ancient wonder in the Umbral Abyss has an option to pay mana without explaining that it would remove the Rampant Umbral Taint combat enchantment, this has now been added to the button’s tooltip.
• Umbral Dwellings now more frequently ask to declare war on other Rulers during demand events. Before this was a very low chance of happening if there were Free Cities available, now it’s about 50/50 if both a valid Free City and Ruler can be found.
• The Umbral Thralls race now has 1 less Society Trait randomized each playthrough, as their innate “Umbral Thrall” Society Trait takes 1 of their spots. Before this change they had 3 society traits which normally isn’t allowed.

Eldritch Pact Spells

• World Map Spell “Pall of Gloom” - Can no longer terraform Uninhabitable Provinces into Gloom Terrain.
• World Map Spell “Umbral Rift” - Now targets a sector in the Umbral Abyss rather than a single hex.
• Combat Spell “Umbral Exile” - Any Independent Units exiled to the Umbral Abyss will now die instead of being moved to the Umbral Abyss.

• Bone Dragons & Reapers are now always considered Magic Origin
• Unit Passive “Curse Eater” - Now disables the unit has the Burning status effect
• Unit “Abductor” - No longer able to Abduct invulnerable Units
• Unit “Phoenix”
  • Increased HP from 110 to 120
  • Increased Defense from 4 to 5
  • Charge Strike - Now has a 90% chance to inflict Burning
  • Overheat
    • Increased damage from 20 to 22.
    • Changed from a 90% chance to inflict Burning to Guaranteed.

• Alignment waning has been changed so it will only wane upwards towards your starting alignment when below that amount, instead of always waning upwards towards 10 alignment.
• Duration pins for all outpost operations are now enabled and visible for everyone, so anyone can notice that an upgrade is being built and how long it will take to complete without having to select the outpost.
• Free Cities can no longer take over nodes that are on a different layer than they own a province on.
• Echo Casting, the Mystic Attunement World Map Ability, can no longer be used multiple times on the same Spell.

AI

• Fixed an issue where the AI would stall during their turn
• Fixed an issue where AI would not initiate an Attack after completing a Siege.
• Fixed a slow down in AI processing
• Fixed a crash that could occur while refreshing Unit Properties
• Fixed a crash that could occur when resolving AI Missions.

Art

Units & Transformations

• Fixed an issue where Serena would become super buff when riding a Warhound
• Fixed an issue where Toadkin Skeletons had Hooved Legs
• Fixed an issue where the Bow was positioned too far from the Hero’s back while mounted.
• Fixed an issue where Lizardkin Eyes would show in front of the Masks of Primal Animist & Primal Ancestral Wardens
• Fixed an issue where Bone Dragons did not fit properly in the Event Scene during “A Lease on Unlife”
• Fixed an issue where the Wings from Demonkin would penetrate Unit Torso’s
• Fixed several inconsistencies between Gloomstrider & Frostling Transformation
• Fixed an issue where the “Reveler’s Heart” Minor Transformation did not replace the legs while using the Archmage Attire
• Fixed an issue where Gloomstrider Transformed Units would not hold Greatswords correctly
• Fixed an issue where Ranged Units did not hold their arrows correctly
• Fixed an issue where Skeleton Archers with Wightborn were fleshier than normal
• Fixed inconsistent sizing of heads for Supergrowth
• Fixed an issue where Mature Splitterling would not be properly centered during events.
• Fixed an issue where Unit on Dread Spider Mounts would have their outfits in off positions
• Fixed an issue where the head of a Pyromancer was detached for Lizardkin

Animations & PFX

• Fixed an issue where the Brand PFX would appear inside the Unit Model during Combat
• Fixed an issue where the Enchantment PFX on the Animist Staff would be offset
• Fixed an issue where Unit Models would stretch incorrectly while using the “Pull” Ability at 4x Animation Speed
• Fixed an issue where the Rider would also perform a Attack Animation when using the Spider Mount “Web” Ability
• Fixed an issue where Greatbird Unit Portraits were frozen during Combat
• Fixed an issue where Bow Animations did not play correctly on Greatbird Mounts

Combat

• Fixed a crash that could occur when using Boon Stealing on repeating attacks
• Fixed an issue where Units would sometimes miss New Turn Events resulting in various issues such as failed removal of timed effects.
• Fixed a Crash that could occur due to a mirror mimic still having a marker property from a marker that had been destroyed

Events

• Fixed an issue where the Primal Culture quests wouldn’t trigger if your troops have already ventured into the world on turn 1.
• Fixed an issue where Souls were used as Event Resource instead of Thralls.

Factions

• Fixed an issue where “Rulers are Generated” would result in all Rulers having Underground Adaptation.

Free Cities/PvE Diplomacy

• Fixed an issue where a war with a Free City could end when that city increased in tier.
• Fixed an issue where armies from Vassal cities that were attacking an umbral dwelling would not capture and destroy the umbral dwelling but would walk away after defeating the defending army.

Happenings

• The Presence Of property icons on the Scourge units now have the correct icon in the style of properties, rather than the combat enchantment icon.
• Fixed an issue where Major Happening foreshadowing events would sometimes not appear.

Interface

• Fixed a crash when opening a quest for which the city quest giver was razed

Text & Descriptions

• Fixed an issue where the Healing Spire skill from Tome of Sanctuary would say it would place 12 towers.
• Fixed an issue where Confessed and Condemned combat enchantment in event tooltips for Secret Temple ancient wonder events showed up wrongly as the Condemning Surge combat enchantment.

Controller

• Fixed an issue where entering Tooltips would reset listboxes to their currently selected location.

Item Forge

• Fixed an issue where the Awaken Flora ability on Item Forge Staffs were used as the default selected ability, causing accidental activation of the ability when trying to move into flora terrain.

Spells

• Fixed an issue where AoE World Spells would not be correctly blocked by Spell Jammers
• Fixed a crash that could occur when casting Astral Travel.
• Fixed an issue where Domain of Death created Zombies for Enemy Sides.

Story Realms

Grexolis

• Fixed an issue where the third introduction event would not appear if Order was the highest Affinity.

Umbral Abyss

• Fixed an issue where, if you opened a different interface while having the War Confirmation screen through an event, you could exit the event prematurely with no effects. This primarily could happen during Umbral Dwelling demand events
  • The fix was to remove the confirmation screen, now instead you’ll see the consequences of declaring war in the event button tooltip. Clicking the button immediately declares war

• Fixed an issue where Umbral Demons were wrongly immune to Poison.
  
• Fixed an issue where Silver Tongued would make items in the Umbral Dwelling Shop free
  

Units

• Fixed an issue where Pyre Templar units with Aspect of the Root enchantment had their main ability shifted around.
• Fixed an issue where Golems and Undead Units did not have Heartless

World Map

• Fixed an issue where Uninhabitable Mountain provinces in Land maps sometimes contained forests in their center hex, which allowed Free cities to annex them. Which should not be possible.

Get Eldritch Realms Now:

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2401860/Age_of_Wonders_4_Eldritch_Realms/

"New DLC when?" we hear you cry. We asked Twitter, but all it replied was "Grok grok grok"

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