Keep yourself updated!
First and foremost, if you would like day-to-day updates about development. The place to go is Aegir Games Facebook Page and Aegir Games’ Discord Server where there are daily discussions and playtesting of the game. There is also a collection of Kickstarter Updates with in-depth information about the game development over the past year.
Targeting Charts
"It fills me with pride and satisfaction" to say these are now done, thus completing the last part of the actual development of the game. You already know about them and you know what they can do from reading the Solo Rules, but …
You better prepare,
You better be brave,
You better not DoW them,
or they’ll be digging your grave,
Lethal Bots are coming to town
You're checking a chart,
and rolling the dice,
They're gonna find out who's been naughty (by taking their rightful lands)
or wise (by gaining too much Prestige)
So, now you're aware,
You heard my advice,
Stay out of trouble,
They're not playing nice,
Ruthless Bots are coming to town
They are at the end of the Scenario Booklets, both in the Standard and Deluxe Edition booklets (bots for Western and Eastern Europe respectively). For those who do not know, the Targeting Charts are a way for the bot to select their next victim, whether it is for brutal bloodshed (Military) or persuasive pressure (Diplomatic).
Beautifully crafted 9 Standard Edition Bots: AustriaBot, CastileBot, EnglandBot, FranceBot, PortugalBot, NetherlandsBot, Brandenburg/PrussiaBot, DenmarkBot, AragonBot.
And then, 12 more Deluxe Edition Bots: KalmarBot, MuscovyBot, OttomanBot, PolandBot, SwedenBot, VeniceBot, MamlukBot, BurgundyBot, LithuaniaBot, HungaryBot, BohemiaBot,
NovgorodBot.
Some of the extra "wealth" in the Deluxe Edition
Reminding you: Sometimes there are so many people active in the PDF links that get frozen, one solution is to use the link in incognito mode when opening any of the links, another one is logging out (if you already logged in). If you have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed, you can open the rulebook directly there once you clicked the link one time.
Here are some of my favorite highlights:
We have re-mastered the classics, AustriaBot, CastileBot, EnglandBot, and FranceBot, now with extra care for themselves and extra teeth against You. We have worked on efficiency (e.g. EnglandBot may now target "All Realms in IRELAND" at once), punishment of overextending players (Any "Owner of..."), targeting of players that are gobbling up too many HRE Electors, and lots more! Check them out yourself, and leave us some comments.
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Yes, you are aware of the big ones doing big things, but what about for example PortugalBot? Did you think you had problems in mainland Europe? Now you have problems in all the Distant Continents as well, thanks to its focus on Colonizable Territories.
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Spain? What could that be? I only know about the revolutionary AragonBot, who crushed the French, inherited Burgundy and Naples, then turned Revolutionary, both politically and industrially. They made the Trastámara family into coats for the bourgeoisie, you throw away nothing in Aragon.
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Ah, waiting for the Burgundian Succession Crisis to inherit some nice waterfront real estate? BurgundyBot has something to say about it! *rattling sounds*
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Hussites are on the loose! BohemiaBot brings the "heat" in heathens, making that already stressful HRE business even harder for the Emperor. Could they claim the Emperor title for themselves? That's for you to suff… enjoy!
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Now that we are at it, LithuaniaBot has something to say about the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, they just called and told me it is the Lithuanian-Polish Commonwealth now, and if I had anything to say, I should talk to … (I had nothing to say, I'm merely a Duchy now)
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NovgorodBot said the same. Between Sweden and Muscovy, they chose both. Novgorod, the new and only Empire of the Icy North.
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The tumultuous history in Egypt is over. Finally, the MamlukBot uprising has taken away puny human politics and made an efficient war machine that will unify North Africa, the Middle East, and Anatolia under one true Caliph (CaliphBot? I'm writing that down for expansions …).
Rules and Solo Rules, Final Edits
The final version of the Solo Rules almost made it into this update but is still a couple of days away from completion. This version incorporates all adjustments based on feedback given by the community, and it is currently being scrutinized by our US-based professional editor. Stay tuned!The main rules are back from the editor, and we are going through the edits and their last comments at the moment. No major changes on the cards this time. Mostly fixing language and clarifying a few things. We'll publish them as soon as we get through these, for you to have a final look before they go to print.
Now, what else is left?
A handful of Events and Milestones are getting some very minor amendments due to Rules revisions. Then we'll export the print files, and Panda Game Manufacturing will give us a timeline.---------------
Bayonets and Backup
Eivind & Víctor @ Aegir Games