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[mihkelt]

Doubkeprp thanks for your feedback! At what difficulty level are you playing? And the default map size? What caused you to not win most often?

[mihkelt]

Doubkeprp at what difficulty level and map size do you play? If you need tips check out this let's play:






Anyway


Update:
Download for Windows

Download for Mac

Download for Linux




Attacking enemies, respawning resources!
* Enemies attack you now quite actively
* Resources and enemies respawn
* You can build walls
* Major balance and performance improvements
* UI improvements and bugfixes

[mihkelt]

Update:
Download for Windows

Download for Mac

Download for Linux




Bugfixes, balance changes!
* Enemies attack 50% less often
* Fixed a bug where mermaids and other creatures could travel outside of map. This also improves performance, as when it happened it caused performance issues.

[mihkelt]

Soon there will be a graphics update!

[takfpbi]

What sort of feedback are you looking for?

A few random thoughts after playing for a bit:

Accessibility is a strong point. I was able to figure things out pretty easily. Maybe try to get it down to one setup screen and then go to the game though.

Bug: I got attack warnings when there was no attack. Or maybe it just didn't go away when the attack was defeated? I like the announcement, though. Didn't care for the annoucements about level-ups.

It's not very fun to play this without a proper mouse, i.e. with a trackpad. There's no satisfaction in the controls, and it's slow and not very interesting. It did work though, at least on the default difficulty, since I didn't get attacked unless I attacked someone else first, so it didn't really matter how slow I was. It's kinda nice that the game accomodates that, but I don't think it plays to it's strong points. Probably not much to be done about people who are silly enough to play without a mouse.

It would obviously control better with a mouse, but it still doesn't seem like the control itself would be terribly satisfying. Everything is so boingy, and it seems hard to select exactly what you want. I didn't find a way to select something and then add units to that selection. I didn't find hotkeys for control groups, if there were any. I didn't find a way to quickly select all the fighters in an area without getting the workers. Having a way to select all of one type of unit greatly incentivizes building only one kind of unit so they are easier to select. Especially because it seems like archers are generally the best thing to build.

I didn't play large enough maps to have any use for the more expensive units, or leveling up, so they were kind of just clutter. Kinda dubious about the value of farms, or whatever leveled up workers can build. Tactics/strategy seems like just basic RTS execution, and mostly about focus fire with archers, since it's too boingy to really block with guards (I think). I don't think enemies have any real economy that you can mess with?

Adding units and graphics is probably fun, but I would play it as zoomed out as possible, and the game seems to be in the action. I guess most of the excitement would come from big maps with massive boinging action. Maybe focus on on getting it to where the action really ramps up and down in a nice way over the course of the game? Boingy boingy boingy-boingyboingy oohhh yeah... Boingy boingy boingy-boingyboingy oohhh yeah... something like that.

[mihkelt]

Thanks takfpbi! I'm looking for feedback on pretty much anything really, can't have too much feedback

These are great points. I will try to make it more like a good old treadmill difficulty with ups and downs when I get to it. Atm working on graphics.

Controlling with trackpad must be quite bad indeed. I haven't yet added ways to make control groups as I was thinking that it's a very advanced feature and it makes sense to add it once the overall concept is proven.

For better selection control I would think of:
shift + click to add to selection or if unit is already selected then shift+clicking it would remove it
ctrl + click selects all units of that type
ctrl + number to form a group
shift + number to add to a group
number to select the group

[NEM907]

Love the game. Really there's not more to say. Maybe better AI?

[cutandreil]

Hi!

Several months later, I test your game again ^^.
Here's the new feedback :
- I haven't found how to repair the towers
- I haven't understand how ennemy kingdom work.
It look like they work like us (get reinforcement) but they don't gather resources, and is there a limit to how many unit they get in reinforcement?
- A thing I love to see is ennemy kingdom that work like, gathering, expanding and fighting together.
I know they expand, but it doesn't feel like a rival kingdom, more like a random threat.

[quantumpotato]

How do my people collect gold? I have a storehouse but they won't pick it up.
EDIT: I figured out you could select the units and target them places. But they still move very randomly.

I like the concept and the knockback with circles seems cool. The apparently random moving AI is confusing to me - as is when I place a building, it appears randomly in the circle -- this gave me the impression that you couldn't micromanage the units at all.

I think more control over the units would be neat. Let me pick a worker and target them on a specific tree or farm. Let me arrange my units in a formation and move them and not see them separate into a mess so I can form strategies based on what the enemy has.

[mihkelt]

Thanks for suggestions. I'll try to improve the controllability at some point The AI-s are fairly random at this point. Improving their sense of reason sounds like a good idea too. They have spawner buildings, which bump out units and every once in a while they send all the units in a circle to attack any neighbouring circle that is not theirs.

The towers don't have repair button but you can heal them with the healer Repairing would make more sense I guess.

[quantumpotato]

Thanks for suggestions. I'll try to improve the controllability at some point The AI-s are fairly random at this point. Improving their sense of reason sounds like a good idea too. They have spawner buildings, which bump out units and every once in a while they send all the units in a circle to attack any neighbouring circle that is not theirs.

The towers don't have repair button but you can heal them with the healer Repairing would make more sense I guess.

Yeah -- I think if you just removed the movement AI from player units it would be a lot more fun. Let me grab a unit and stand it somewhere, have it attack something that gets too close.. or make me manually target enemies. The random jumping around movements from the workers & units is what really throws me off.

Healer repairing towers would make more sense if the tower & people were of the same material eg all food based or all robotic or something.

[mihkelt]

Ok. I'll consider it

[mihkelt]

Download for Windows

Download for Mac

Download for Linux




Controllability and Save-Load update
+ Fixed save-load issues
+ Added control groups. To create a group select some things and press Ctrl + 1. (Command + 1 on Mac). Now every time you press 1 it selects these units. Double-pressing centers screen on one of the units in the group. Works with numbers 0 - 9.
+ Units are now much easier to control as they run around randomly less often and stand where you ordered.
+ Selecting units in a box now ignores workers if there are any military units available. You can grab the army and go, without worring about accidentally taking workers with you.

+ Worker count is now shown on top left.
+ All things now slowly regenerate hitpoints. To compensate for that some tanky units have lower health:
  Guard hitpoints reduced from 300 to 280.
  Axethrower hitpoints reduced from 200 to 180.

+ Shift + left clicking can be used to add or remove things from current selection.
+ Fixed launcher issue when launcher tried to throw a thing at the launcher itself.

[EyeSeeEm]

It's pretty fun as a light weight strategy game.

Would be nice if it was clear what workers were doing. For example if they would more clearly move back and forth between whatever they are mining and your storage house I'd know what resource each of them is generating. It's unclear to me the way it is now.

All in all great work! Nice simple art-style as well.

[Pandawan]

Love this game!

Only played in Easy for now so don't know about level difficulty, but honestly love it!

Keep up the good work!

Btw, some of the gameplay mechanics are a bit hard to understand like how you have to click on a level 2 character in order to get access to some specific menus.

[mihkelt]

Thanks for suggestions EyeSeeEm and Pandawan! I added them to the list (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1C4gxQg7ssrRwJ0tYtFaw8JPis4EWbw5j2UlikiomIYQ/edit?usp=sharing)




Update: Full conquest mode, AI balancing and fixes
+ Added Full Conquest mode where you need to claim all the circles to win.
+ Can't be attack by multiple circles at the same time on easy and normal difficulties.
+ First attack from AI comes later.
+ Walls belong to who ever owns the circle. No need to destroy all walls to capture a circle.
+ Healers now split up to cover more units faster, instead of trying to all heal the same exact unit.
+ Goblin holes, pits and tunnels can now be destroyed. They are more durable than similar human structures but not indestructible.
+ Red attack warnings disappear after a minute now.

+ Fixed a bug where leveling up creature removed it from control group.
+ Fixed a bug with 2 sets of walls spawning in the starting circle.
+ Fixed a bug that prevented Esc key from opening menu after loading the game.

Download for Windows

Download for Mac

Download for Linux

[mihkelt]

Update: New monsters, boats, farm levels, easier leveling for vampires...

+ Added new kind of water circle with sleeping castles that start spawning monsters when disturbed.
+ Added new enemy types, some of which can make targets fall asleep temporarily.
+ Added boats that can transport things over water. Built by master workers.
+ Farms can grow bigger and give more food. They have 3 levels.
+ Necromancers level up 3x faster.
+ Vampires level up much faster. As a reminder, they have 6 levels.
+ Altars of experience, gold and diamonds are now about 50% cheaper and about 5x less powerful. To make them easier to access and less over powered.
+ All ranged units can now shoot more easily from one circle to another.
+ The odds of being attacked are now more evenly balanced. Most situations where it took forever to be attacked can't happen any more.
+ Unloading a cart or launcher doesn't destroy it any more.
+ Mystery boxes open 4 times faster.

+ Fixed an issue that caused enemy strength to be shown about 80% bigger than it actually was.
+ Fixed a glitch where level 3 necromancer looked like a Necro Tower if it was in water.
+ Fixed a glitch where your unit took a strange path when targeting something with right click while moving.

Download for Windows

Download for Mac

Download for Linux

[mihkelt]

Major update: Added computer players!

+ Added computer players! They gather resources, build units and try to take over the world. Computer players don't gain any free stuff or head start compared to human player.
+ Spawners spawn creatures 2x slower to make it more feasible to first defeat the spawned creatures and then the spawner. As opposed to just rushing the spawner and ignoring everyone else, which used to be the only feasible tactic.
+ Boss circles are a little bit easier now.
+ Zombies degrade a lot slower now.
+ Sunken Ruins and Sunken Castle have more hitpoints to prevent them from being taken down quickly before spawning anything.
+ Walls can be deconstructed to gain some wood.
+ Farms don't make sound any more when leveling up to reduce noise.
+ Knight are a lot cheaper now, gold cost reduced from 300 to 180.
+ Horse archer gold cost reduced from 200 to 180.
+ Towers strength rating raised from 20 to 40.
+ Big guard strength rating raised from 40 to 50.
+ Apprentices are now easier to level up. Reduced xp requirement from 1000 to 800.
+ Archers are a bit harder to level up now. Raised xp requirement from 100 to 110.
+ Things are now much less likely to spawn visually inside a wall.


Download on gamejolt: http://gamejolt.com/games/circle-empires/121625

[mihkelt]

Personal traits, building towers and banks, stronger AI
+ Creatures have personal traits now, like +20% hitpoints or 50% fire resistance. So you can select the best people for particular job.
+ Towers are now buildable. Added poison and fire towers. They can be built from level 1 storehouse.
+ Added Bank building that costs quite a bit but gives you a little bit gold every once in a while. This can be built from level 1 storehouse. It has 3 levels.
+ AI's ranged units can now shoot at enemies in another circle without leaving their own circle, making it's use of ranged units a lot better. This applies only to AIs that are not on easy skill level.
+ You can now de-select everything by pressing Esc key. This is particularly useful for going out of second level menus, like master workers build menu.
+ Wizards deal less damage and are cheaper. Reduced wizard's xp recuirement for level 2.
+ Dragon's firebreath has much lower immediate damage but higher burning damage that targets take over time. Reduced dragon's xp recuirement for level 2.
+ Reduced level 1 storehouse health by 50% to make them less effective as meat shields.


Download on gamejolt: http://gamejolt.com/games/circle-empires/121625

[mihkelt]

Easier to get vampires, ghosts, mushrooms + lots of balancing and bugfixes.
+ Difficulty levels that are harder than normal have been reworked. Initial starts are a lot easier but difficulty increases faster in time. Nightmare starting difficulty reduced from 20 to 6. Impossible from 100 to 12. The time it takes before a circle doubles it's strength has been reduced from 1 hour to every 10 minutes. This is capped by the difficulty level. So for example at Nightmare the circles power can't rise above 6x the initial power.

+ Reduced wizards splash radius by 33%. Increased level 1 wizards damage from 22 to 25.
+ Reduced bank gold output by ~60%.
+ Spawners spawn creatures 25% slower.
+ Life Control price reduced from 20k wood to 1k wood. That's the building that sells extra lives and diamond-based mages. Built by level 2 worker.
+ The two mages that can be bought for diamonds are less over powered now. Frenzy mage attack speed bonus reduced from 15% to 5%. Circle healer regeneration bonus reduced from 200% to 50%.
+ Camp price reduced from 7k wood to 1k wood. That's the building that sells vampires, ghosts and mushrooms. Built by level 2 worker.
+ Mushroom have been reworked. Descriptions now say what you get from each mushroom. No need to memorize. Eating mushrooms doesn't necessarely kill the target but deals massive damage. So if you accidentally eat it with level 3 dragon it doesn't die. Prices have been balanced.
+ As Halloween is over, there are discounts for vampires and ghosts. Vampire cost was reduced by 40% and xp requirement for level 2 by 25%. Vampires now have 60% resistance to being knocked back, which greatly improves their ability to suck blood.
+ Reduced ghost's food cost from 1200 to 500.
+ Dragon cost adjusted from 6000 wood and food to 5000 wood and 7000 food. So some of the wood cost turned into food. This makes them more accessible and also makes farming more useful.
+ Healer's now have ranged attack so they wouldn't charge into melee.

Fixes:
+ Controlling where new creatures and buildings spawn is a lot easier now. You can make bundles of farms and build the storehouse closer to a good spot. Fixed a few issues that caused new things to jump to a distant random location in some cases.
+ Computer players now consider walls more intelligently when choosing where to attack.
+ Fixed an issue that caused selected archers to sometimes run towards the target instead of shooting at it.
+ Hand-to-hand units will not charge out of your circle when being attacked.
+ Selecting all ranged unit's does not select Launchers any more.
+ Boats, cards and launchers can no longer gain the trait that allowed them move faster on rough terrain.
+ Fixed animation glitch when moving between circles.
+ Fixed an issue that caused units to lose or gain traits when leveling up.
+ Bugfix: player controlled Carts, Launchers and Boats no longer move to a random circle after picking something up.
+ Bugfix: creatures can now regenerating health normally.
+ Bugfix: walls show correct owner color.
+ Bugfix: higher level walls can be captured now.
+ Bugfix: somewhat reduced the issue of creatures walking back and forth when clicking rapidly to another circle.
+ Bugfix: storehouse level up text does not claim to give new recipes any longer, as it doesn't give them.

Download on Gamejolt: http://gamejolt.com/games/circle-empires/121625