Hey Everyone,

So it's been quite some time since the last release and that feels terribly uncomfortable for me if I'm being honest, but it's been for the greater good of getting this combat update progressed. In the last month the combat update has gone from about 15% done to 28% done and I'm gearing up for getting it to the point where I could potentially pre-release it to be tested and played by everyone which will be exciting.

As for this update, this is a collection of all sorts of side things worked on alongside this month. The majority of this stuff has come from discussion in the community forums/discord/subreddit and bug reports. Thanks everyone who lurks or is active in the community and those who've recently discovered Warsim, it's always very motivational to see all the activity and discussion!

**CUSTOM GAME SETTINGS REWORKED (21 features)**

The custom game option is meant to allow players to start a game that is customised and tweaked to their liking, but in many ways this custom game system was lacking. I've reorganised it a bit and added a bunch of new features such as, the ability to tweak the arena, and to start the game owning Darkdale, Blackmarket, and the Arena. As well as lots more customisation with the bandit horde and bandit gangs.

* Rewrote main text for custom game mode options

* Added new category system for custom game mode options

* Rewrote demon horde custom settings text

* Added indicator of total adventurer groups chosen on the main faction settings screen

* Made minor bandits and bandit horde settings separate

* Added ability to have large minor bandit gangs

* Added ability to have kingdom-like minor bandit gangs

* Added ability to have minor bandit empires

* Added ability to have bandit horde huge (5x default troops)

* Added ability to have bandit horde empire (9x default troops)

* Added ability to have bandit horde small (half usual troops and size)

* Added 30 to the max bandits that can spawn per territory for minor bandit gangs at game start

* Added 8 to the max warlords that can spawn per territory for minor bandit gangs at game start

* Added new option for even bigger demon horde spawn (2500 demons at game start)

* Added indicators of how many demons each option of demon horde size includes

* Removed goblin settings bug option allowing rebels to be disabled

* Fixed troop multiplication issue if you chose large bandit horde option multiple times

* Added the ability to start the game owning the arena (credit Zar)

* Added the ability to set the size of the arena at game start (credit Zar)

* Added the ability to start game owning Darkdale (credit Zar)

* Added the ability to start game owning Blackmarket (credit Zar)

The new main custom screen and it's new categories - https://imgur.com/Ohro3Qd

The new faction settings - https://imgur.com/pxCTi5a

The new bandit horde screen - https://imgur.com/QHiNgfe

Minor bandits custom screen - https://imgur.com/y9Uxoub

New options for the arena - https://imgur.com/I5t1lSn

Blackmarket and Darkdale options - https://imgur.com/jcKe4vX

**BANDIT HORDE FRIENDSHIP (11 features)**

When you have a truce and a good relationship with the Bandit Horde, why not see some benefits of it. Now the bandits may occasionally send you gifts, but much more so if you have a higher relation. Gifts could include, a cut of gold from a raid, some goblin slaves, a new bandit hero as your champion, and more!

* Added chance of Bandit Horde sending you a gift if you have a truce with them

* Added a tiered system with much higher odds of gifts depending on how high your relation with them is (10 tiers)

* Added 'Token of your friendship with the horde' gift

* Added 'Diplomacy instead of Headchopping' gift

* Added 'Enjoy the gold or else' gift

* Added 'A cut of a raid' gift

* Added 'Goblin slave raid' gift

* Added 'Captured knight' gift

* Added 'Bandit welps come of age' gift

* Added 'Random loot item' gift

* Added 'Bandit warlord joins as champion' gift

Bandit Goblin Slaves - https://imgur.com/DUulXCU

A cut of a bandit raid - https://imgur.com/aQtwPIC

Bandit hero for you - https://imgur.com/5XTYRnE

Bandit Welps - https://imgur.com/VO2lJ09

**FRIEND OF THE MERRY MEN (6 features)**

When bandit gangs form, there are many types of bandit they could be. Most are better are recruiting, or more vicious, or steal more, but Merry Men and Honest Men are your more Robin Hood types. TJ suggested having them be recruitable if you had 100 public opinion. Now you'll have the option and if they do join you, there's a chance the leader will offer to join you as a champion.

* Added ability to attempt to recruit minor bandit gang if they are Merry Men or Honest Men and you have 100 public opinion (credit TJ)

* Added 3 acceptance screens for gang joining you

* Added 3 refusal screens for gang rejecting the offer

* Added chance of bandit gang leader offering to join you as a champion if you have free slots

* Added chance of bandit gang leader joining you as a knight

* Added chance of bandit gang leader leaving to roam the world

New option for merry men - https://imgur.com/cgruTJT

They joined me! - https://imgur.com/w0YooiS

**ADVENTURER GROUP REPORTS (4 features)**

I still have a lot of work to do with adventurer groups but this has fixed quite a few issues and made sure adventurer groups actions are visible in game once again.

* Made any adventurer group events involving your own troops now always shop up in your reports

* Fixed 2 text bugs with Blackmarket event with adventurer's groups

* Fixed adventurer group bug that can cause negative soldiers as event kills soldiers instead of knights even if player has no soldiers

* Fixed adventurer group events not being visible in new turn report system

**HIGH SCORE REWORK (5 features)**

A new rework of the high score system, now when the game ends your score total will give you a title. From worst to best they are: Dirt Farmer, Sub-Peasant, Peasant-Like, Failed Lord, Mediocre, Unworthy, Barely Worthy, Lord, High-Lord, Royal, High-Royal, Mighty Ruler, Paragon of Power, All-Powerful, God of the Realm.

* Added breakdown of how points are calculated to the final game score screen

* Reworked system of final score to be lower overall

* Reworked end score to give you a title (of 15 possible titles)

* Added alternate text for each of the 15 titles

* Added bank gold to be counted in end of game point tracker for high score

New high score system - https://imgur.com/zaDVtPn

**MAIN GAME SCREEN INFORMATION (2 features)**

Thanks to a discussion on the Warsim discord you now get a clear indication of visitors and exploration chances from the main screen without having to go in to check

* Added indicator of total throne room visitors on the main game menu (credit Neceros)

* Added indicator of total exploration changes on the main game menu (credit Neceros)

The new main screen notifications - https://imgur.com/S1UVoWF

**BRAWL PIT UPGRADE COST CHANGES (2 features)**

After a discussion with Themastaman it was made clear that 40k of upgrades and sometimes less than 500 gold per turn in profit isn't a good mix at all. I've reduced the prices by a fair bit to make it a bit more balance.

* Reduced cost of Brawl Pit size upgrade from 10k to 5k (credit Themastaman)

* Reduced cost of Brawl Pit Aesthetic upgrade from 10k to 2.5k (credit Themastaman)

**REBUILD DARKDALE DEBUG OPTION (1 feature)**

Entering the cheat 399 will add a new menu to the main screen, in this debug menu the last option (22) allows you to respawn darkdale if it's destroyed.

* Added ability to rebuild darkdale in the debug menu

**GOLD INDICATORS (5 features)**

All of these are places that you can pay for things but couldn't see how much gold you had, thanks for the reports guys!

* Added gold indicator to Soldiers celebrating throne room encounter (credit Minty)

* Added gold indicator to Social Policies law screen if applicable (credit TJ)

* Added gold indicator to gold coin beggar Blackmarket slums encounter (credit TJ)

* Added gold indicator to knightly order founding screen (credit TJ)

* Added gold indicator to Combat Academy screen if upgradable (credit Neceros)

**BUGFIXES (34 features)**

I hate bugs, but I love thick bug fix lists!

* Fixed Dapplogk's cup game incorrectly showing gold gained instead of lost (credit Neceros)

* Fixed diplomat skill check screen showing incorrect numbers

* Fixed sound issue with buying scorpion fighting pit (credit TJ)

* Fixed Blorktorn statue room unexitable bug (credit TJ)

* Fixed double gold indicator (credit Minty)

* Fixed minor bandit gangs able to set up dens in the Blackmarket even when it's ruined (credit u/Smilge)

* Fixed minor bandit gangs able to hire mercs from Blackmarket even when it's ruined (credit u/Smilge)

* Fixed Blackmarket Sudden Death Gambler sound bug (credit TJ)

* Fixed ending goblin celebration removes less relation than enacting it gives with goblin clans leading to relation exploit (credit Prof. Nonagon)

* Fixed Assurak Conversion ritual incorrectly showing 0 cultists converted

* Fixed issue with unowned combat academy showing grand champion training even if you sent a personal champion instead (credit Charles)

* Fixed issue with Blackmarket recapture end of turn event missing a line

* Fixed troop count disappearing from fighting cave beast screen after first fight (credit TJ)

* Fixed 11 text bugs in Southern History Exam (credit TJ)

* Fixed 4 text bugs in Southern Exam passing screen (Credit TJ)

* Fixed text bug with stupid leader vassalisation acceptance (credit TJ)

* Fixed coin of fate special event for peace not resetting sound properly (credit TJ)

* Fixed text bug with trying to speak to smugglers of smuggler's camp (Credit TJ)

* Fixed 2 text bugs with looting smuggler's camp (credit TJ)

* Fixed leaving the completed smuggler's camp screen text bug (credit TJ)

* Fixed text bug with toll paid screen with bridge troll (Credit TJ)

* Fixed 19 text bugs in Golden Lily Pad Tavern dialogues (credit TJ)

* Fixed 14 text bugs with green ale drinking texts (credit TJ)

* Fixed vomit hole text in 3 taverns (credit TJ)

* Fixed text bug with watered down ale (credit TJ)

* Fixed 3 text bugs with using vomit hole (credit TJ)

* Fixed 14 text bugs in sudden death dice game (credit TJ)

* Fixed 5 text bugs in goblin sudden death intro (credit TJ)

* Fixed 9 text bugs in Lone Arrow tavern intro text (credit TJ)

* Fixed text bug in extra strong ale event (credit TJ)

* Fixed text bug in weak ale event (Credit TJ)

* Fixed recruiters not included in wage estimates when changing knights wages (Credit Nico)

* Fixed bug with bar fight starting over spilled milk text

* Fixed 11 text bugs with dice game twelve

**EVERYTHING ELSE (4 feature)**

Some loose stuff that I couldn't fit anywhere else!

* Added indicator of exact relation change with krut and erak when starting or ending goblin celebration

* Removed duplicate name suffix 'Corpseeater' (credit TJ)

* Added new 69420 combination reaction for the secret door in the Blackmarket (credit Themastaman)

* Removed jarring sound from the monster fighting pit (credit Themastaman)

**WHAT'S NEXT**

I'm returning to combat update stuff next week and am going to start looking at the fundementals of having the new combat system merged into the game with the current standard combat. I'm expecting some issues but if I can get it to work I could potentially get this early combat rework released much earlier than previously planned. This will be exactly what I've been sharing in combat update screenshots and posts but not much more than that.

Once It's released I'm looking forward to the feedback and of course from then on any combat update work won't be hidden away but will be released like regular updates. I'm giving myself 2 weeks to get this combat merge done but it could be longer depending on how things go.

I'm excited about the idea of it though!

Thanks for reading and I hope everyone is doing well :)

Huw