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Empires of the Undergrowth Update: New Features and Changes

The latest update for Empires of the Undergrowth introduces exciting additions to gameplay, balancing changes, and a plethora of fixes and optimizations. [previewyoutube=6tglFD103Ys;full][/previewyoutube] Here's a breakdown of the most significant changes and additions: [hr][/hr]

Headline Features

• New Game Mode: Remix
  • Play almost any level with nearly any combination of ants or termites. Custom colonies adapt to the feeding habits of the selected queen, providing a highly flexible and replayable experience.
  • Accessible from the Arcade section of the main menu.
  • Some combinations are unavailable due to technical constraints.
• Custom Colonies
  • Create colonies with nearly any ant or termite species in the game. Custom colonies adopt traits and worker designs matching their queen.
• New Custom Game Maps
  • Grasslands
  • Drive Them Back (customized for termites or regular ants depending on colony selection).
• Tier 4 and Tier 5 Achievements
  • 8 new achievements for Tier 4 challenge levels.
  • 45 new achievements for Tier 5 challenge levels, now accessible in New Game Plus.

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Story and General Gameplay Changes

Level Changes

• Reduced the stun, confuse, and damage effects of sun spiders, centipedes, and emperor scorpions on Easy and Normal difficulties for fairer balance.
• In 5.2, increased casualties required for victory on lower difficulties, making it more challenging to achieve victory early.

Challenge Mode Changements

• Challenge scorpions now retain their health between days but regenerate 10% daily.
• Scorpions' escape behavior now varies based on combat location (surface or underground).

New Game Plus

• Enemy colonies now start with more workers and resources.
• Increased food storage capacity for enemy colonies in higher settings.

Specific Tweaks

• Matabele revival time reduced from 10 seconds to 7 seconds.
• Fire ant "Last Laugh" ability range increased from 200 to 300.
• Mounted creatures are displaced when large creatures move through nest exits.

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Custom Games

Custom games see significant changes tailored to the mode's unique dynamics:

• Black ant soldiers now cost less to hatch and take reduced damage from single attacks.
• Big-headed ant majors gain an adrenaline ability for damage resistance and speed boosts.
• Leafcutter media ants now cost less and harvest more efficiently, though their health and damage have been slightly reduced.
• Termite landmarks regenerate resources over time and maintain persistent spawn nodes for longer gameplay viability.
• Fire ant Vigorous ability buff reduced in custom games for better balance.
• AI colonies now prioritize building soldiers, especially for black ants, fire ants, and little black ants.

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Other Additions

• Achievements can now be earned in New Game Plus.
• Seasonal levels, like Festive Spider, have updated visuals, music, and weather effects (including snowfall).
• Several extra levels now use custom game stats instead of story mode stats for a more consistent experience.

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Fixes and Optimizations

• Numerous AI improvements, including better handling of underground invaders and more balanced build strategies for AI colonies.
• Fixed issues with Matabele ant medics, subtitles, map resources, and various level-specific bugs.
• Reduced memory usage with on-demand asset loading and minor optimizations for queens and large creatures.

Read the full patch notes here: https://steamcommunity.com/games/463530/announcements/detail/547847869991747855

[ 2025-01-20 22:00:29 CET ] [ Original post ]