@everyone

Hey Everyone!
Venris Here!

I would like to have a chat about update 5.2. SFO III was just updated to work with a new vanilla game update. We did not make any big changes beside small nerfs to Dwarf Deeps. We really like that idea (we began work on a similar system making crypts for Vampire Counts a few weeks ago). But we also think that system is a bit too much for Dawi, which already has a lot of strong features. So for now we increased construction time and costs of all buildings. Chaos Cults and Cathay Caravans on the other side are not touched from vanilla, we may get back to them in future but no changes from vanilla for now as all is good here. Same with Unusual Locations that we really like and hope more will be added in future.

But there is one thing that we really do not agree with. 5.2 update mentions big changes to AI among many other things that should make it more “smart”. While playing now you can see AI more aggressive and harder at the first glance. We went deep into those changes and found out why. Actual AI changes are very minimal to the point of not affecting the campaign at all. The big change that was introduced is the insane amount of cheats that AI received. We are talking about 80% cost reductions for buildings, recruitment or units upkeep. No technology costs, high replenishment, no attrition damage or free experience for units and characters. Those values are almost double from the previous vanilla version and a base when the game begins so with few more technologies that AI researches way faster than players we have a situation when everything is just free. But what really changed that AI has more elite armies is not the fact that it started to move to proper provinces and recruit there, no. AI after the update has NO global recruitment time and cost. Yes, AI can do it for free now and instantly. And things that I just mentioned are not only on Legendary difficulty but on all of them, added to AI stronger the player is (even 3 player provinces can provide 50% reductions for AI). It all causes situations when 1 enemy province can produce an unlimited number of armies. So if you want to win a war you need to wipe out the enemy. Things we really don't like and do not agree as players of Total War. So with all respect, we are not adding AI changes to the newest SFO III update.

As a team we still plan to work on AI improvements and try to make it smarter while giving it less and less cheats. We want more natural situations in campaigns when taking big economic hits actually makes a difference for AI and not be just a festival of cheats. And yes, cheats are needed right now because without them AI does nothing. But we have SFO Mod Menu if you want them for AI, not forced on you on all difficulties.

Next SFO update will be focusing on Vampire Counts.

Venris Out!

- Celestial Dragon Guard, units; fationwide caps doubled.
- Ambusher Druzhina skill fixed.
- Gift of Slaanesh trait fixed.
- Empire models bugs fixed thanks to Snek.
- Small UI fixes.

- Norsca double hunt bug fixed.

- 5.1.3 hotfix

- UI bugs fixes.

- Small hotfix.

- Chaos Shrines, buildings; tier 1 received experience gain for characters factionwide effect from tier 5. Tier 5 units experience gain changed to +25% from +10% factionwide.
- Cathay major settlements will provide Control.
- Some SFO summoned units received benefits from effects but their base stats were nerfed.
- To make Tomb Kings early experience more smooth we added small capacity increase to some units from turn 1.
- Tomb Kings settlements income changed to 250/125 from 200/100.
- Master of the Dead, ability; out of melee requirement removed.
- Nurgle buildings enemy debuffs changed to regionwide from provincewide.
- Nurgle buildings bonuses changed to require 300 growth from 200.
- Nurgle settlements income changed to 300 for major and 150 for minor on all tiers from 100 per tier.
- Miasma of Pestilence, spell; regular cast duration changed to 45s from 30s, -50% mass effect added.
- Children of Nurgle, spell; halve healing but double duration.
- Hand of Glory, spell; +20% movement speed added to basic cast.
- Flock of Doom, spell; duration changed to 10s from 7s.
- Imrik Eagles are back.
- Small fixes here and there.
- Small changes to some Skaven skills.
- Empire army ability is back in campaign.
- Collision attacks fixes here and there.
- Small buffs to Chaos Dwarfs traits.
- As base game shrapnel range UI is still not fixed we added temporary solution for that.
- Ugres rEceivEd +2 WiNds of mAGIC tech.

- Markus Wulfhart, campaign effects; leadership in foregin territory moved from his mechanic to faction effects. Sacking bonus removed from faction effects and factionwide vigour loss reduction added to his mechanic.
- Slayer Pirates, unit; -5 melee defence.
- Black Ark Reaver, SFO hero; +25% projectiles damage.
- Hochland Long Rifles and Nuln Ironsides, units; recruitment time changed to 2 turns from 1.
- All troll units; -10 armour.
- Grape Shot ammunition; -20% projectile damage.
- Tiktaq'to masteries one turn buff effects doubled.
- Officer Squad and Witch Hunter Retinue, SFO units; number of entitites changed to 20 from 12, stats readjusted.
- Elector Count Handgunners, unit; +2s added to reload.
- Several traits wrong scopes fixes.
- Malakai and Daemon Slayer will be able to summon Ancestral Shieldbearers like all other lords.
- Skink Chief no longer have Groms Lucky Banner ability on one of his traits but own ability version. Thanks to GabeSky.
- Several effects typos fixed.
- Kislev inovaction followers effects will give proper values.
- Morathi Daemonettees capacity fixed.
- All landmarks should be properly visible on campaign map.
- Ice Witches can siege again on their frost snakes.
- Small AI buffs to order factions.
- Small base attitude relations adjustments so chaos factions should invite each other to tea party less.
- Norsca hunts should not trigger double hunts anymore. Thanks to Kyle.

- Low corruption will not only give experience against that faction but also 5 leadership.
- Since 5.1 update hide army effect seems to bug out so was removed from everything for now.

- Soul Gdinder of Tzeentch, unit; projectiles damage and accuracy lowered by 20%.
- Fixed Ikit suicide Doom Flayers upgrade vanilla bug. Too big to be left alone.