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Terra Nova 4X v1.0.0 Released

12d
#1
Today I am posting a major update to the My Colony Universe themed 4X strategy game Terra Nova 4X, bumping the revision up to v1.0.0 and bringing a ton of new gameplay mechanics and UI improvements to the engine! Let's see what is new.


First of all, even though I am now calling the game v1.0.0, I still do not consider it to be out of beta or to be a final release. I wanted to publish the game to the Windows Store, and Windows Store packages need to be >= v1.0.0, and so I increased the version just to keep everything uniform. So don't be fooled, the game still is not done yet, lol.

Gamepad control input has been significantly improved in this release, and at this point the game is now 100% controllable using a gamepad. I ultimately plan to publish Terra Nova to the Steam Deck, and so solid gamepad support is a must. If you have a gamepad, please feel free to test the game out and let me know how I can improve on the controls.

Previously, it could be difficult to determine empire borders based on the dotted lines on the world map. With this new update, zooming out will now apply a semi-transparent color fill to all faction controlled tiles, allowing you to easily see which faction controls what territory.


The Diplomacy screens have been completely revamped in this release, and diplomatic options have been expanded. On the general diplomatic overview screen, you will now see all players grouped by sections (allies, at war, neutral, and defeated), along with their relationship rating towards you. You can use this general information to help decide what diplomatic steps to take with which players.

When you select a faction you wish to conduct diplomacy with, the new Diplomatic Options screen will give you a more detailed overview of your one-on-one relations between the other faction, including what factors go in to their opinion of you.


Several new diplomatic options have been added to this release, which have the potential to greatly change how the game is played.

You can new Gift Money (bribe) to other players in order to attempt to smooth out rough relations. You may also be able to convince a hostile opponent to back off a bit by "greasing the wheels" with gift money.

In addition, Terra Nova now gains the Open Borders diplomatic agreement, allowing players of different factions to travel through each other's territory. Previous, the only way to walk past an opponents territory was through war. Years of open borders will build friendly relations and trust between factions, but they can also be used for devious surprise attacks, so make sure you keep an eye on your territory and know who your friends are!


Next, Alliances have now been added to the game, along with the new Allied Conquest victory condition. Alliances can completely change the trajectory of the game, and have the opportunity to be either a blessing or a curse, depending on how the game plays out.

Having strong allies will afford you a degree of protection against stronger enemies, as allies will (generally) come to your aid in the event of a war. Not always though. If you end up in a war where the combined power of your alliance is severely outclassed by your enemies, your ally might instead end up brokering a peace deal with your adversaries and ending the alliance. The engine takes several factors into account, including your combined military strength, and the level of diplomatic relations between all parties involved. So while allies will generally have your back, there are indeed situations where they will instead cut in run during your time of need.

Likewise, allies can also get you tied up and bogged down in their reckless diplomatic schemes. If one of your allies decides to act belligerent and get himself into a conflict, you will be given the choice to either honor your alliance and join the war effort, or to cut ties and break the alliance. Just know that the other factions on Terra Nova will take notice to a player who is frequently dishonoring his agreements and obligations.

And of course, the new Alliance feature also has the chance of causing the entire planet of Terra Nova to break out into a massive global conflict. One stupid move by a rogue faction could trigger a chain of entangled alliances and plunge the entire game into chaos.

In addition to worrying about new diplomatic scenarios, the concept of city Corruption has been added to the game. The further away a city is now to your capital, the higher it's level of corruption will grow. I added the new Small Security Station structure which will lower corruption in a city, but I still need to add more anti-corruption structures to the game.


Having a high level of corruption in a city will lower its gold generation and slow down it's construction/production times.

Terra Nova 4X v1.0.0 is out now on the web and should be hitting both Android and Windows in the coming days, so feel free to check it out and let me know what you think. The next step is to expand the tech tree, add more units and buildings, and release the game on iPhone.

Enjoy the update!

#terranova4x
Owner of Ape Apps, LLC
11d
#2
I love the update, but I still need to improve my gameplay skills in this.
16h
#3
I played this new version yesterday, I must say it's really fun to play and there are many features that have been updated in this version.
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Ape Apps, LLC is an independent software development company founded in 2010 by Brandon Stecklein. Over the years, Ape Apps has published over 400 apps and games across various platforms. You can get in touch with Brandon on Twitter or by leaving a post on his wall @bastecklein
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