Weve updated the currently-running optional beta - this will only affect you if you're participating in said currently-running optional beta, detailed in this post.

New Features

• Freeplay teams implemented - AI colonies in freeplay can now be assigned a team (including allied with the player)
• If the player places a marker on an enemy colony, AI allies will join the attack if it deems it sensible
• Allied players ping the minimap when they themselves are attacking an enemy colony to let the player know
• AI allies will join in each other's attacks on enemy colonies
• Conquest victory condition now takes into account allies
• Counterpart colony will now be available to play in freeplay once you beat extra level The Other Foot (you will need to beat it again if you already have done so; difficulty doesnt matter)

Changes

• Royal Guard are now immune to stun, confuse, pickup and execute
• Royal Guard health increased to 200 (up from 120)
• AI colonies now build more rooms and should have a more sensible distribution of ants in their marker groups
• Formica ereptor AI colonies can now build from the entire pool of ants available to them (even those unlocked by editing the save files)
• Formica ereptor AI colonies will now build up to 4 species in freeplay
• Infestation landmark is now defaulted to off
• AI now turns off harvesting and turns on attacking when going into combat with a colony and turns both on when leaving combat with a colony
• AI cheats now have bigger pre-built bases at lower difficulties
• AI cheats now have smaller pre-built bases and higher difficulties
• AI cheats now have more starting resources at lower difficulties

Bug Fixes

• Fixed an issue where switching from evasive worker upgrade would leave the camouflage on
• Fixed an issue that could cause the first wave to have no creatures in Extremis
• Fixed an issue where creatures spawned on lab formicarium 2 after returning from a mission could be stuck slightly in the ground. The previously friendly spiders will now immediately attack; F in comments for spiderbro :(
• Fixed a bug where reloading a freeplay game that has no manual save would cause the map to load in its default setup without workers or queen tiles
• Fixed an issue where an AI colony ants could be carrying eggs on the surface
• If no AI player exists and Conquest is selected a Formica fusca colony is added in freeplay
• Fixed an issue where leafcutters were climbing empty plant leaves
• Fixed an issue that would cause AI colonies to attack player 0 even if no colony exists in the game with that ID (AI ants will no longer attack inactive nests)
• Fixed the revenge mechanic for AI colonies; they will now be more likely to attack a player that has killed some of their ants recently
• Fixed an issue where the whip spider (and other large enemies) could potentially skip the line-of-sight check if switching targets while an enemy is actually visible (stops whip spider attacking ants above it on the ridge)
• Minor improvement to target acquisition efficiency for abilities
• Fixed an issue where only 20 refuse was removed when cancelling a build or upgrade job rather than the full amount that was created
• Check added to prevent save files read-only crash and appropriate error message given to player
• Fixed an issue where resource numbers could appear to float upwards when food drops close to and behind the camera
• Fixed a crash that would occur when loading a level with pre-set leaves