Welcome the darkness…
Discover what lurks in the spaces between spaces in Age of Wonders 4: Eldritch Realms, which opens up the Umbral Abyss, a new layer of the map where corruption runs rampant and horrors beyond comprehension wait to consume all that is good in the world. Along with a new map layer we are happy to introduce 2 new forms, 3 new tomes, new event system and many other pieces of content!
And that’s not it — Free Mystic Update is also here featuring a brand new AI takeover mechanic, Mystic culture rework and many QoL changes!
New Map Layer - The Umbral Abyss: New tactical combat maps, unique locations to explore, and new independent factions of Umbral dwellers wait for players who can withstand the hazardous environs!
New Ruler Type: Ancient beings of terrible power, the Eldritch Sovereigns have been corrupted by the Umbral Abyss and possess a unique Thrall spell casting mechanic. Choose your path as an Eldritch Sovereign ruler and decide between Dominating your foes, Manipulating the flesh or Wild, chaotic magic.
3 New Tomes: Tighten your grasp with the Tome of the Tentacle, turn your enemies’ strength to weakness with the Tome of Corruption, or drive back the darkness using the Tome of Cleansing Flame.
New Event System: Mini-crises threaten all rulers at once in the Cosmic Happenings, a series of events with unique tactical maps, units, and mechanics - and powerful rewards!
2 New Forms: Swarm into battle as a faction of Insects, or lead the return of the Syrons from Age of Wonders’ past!
2 New Story Realms: Return to Athla and come to its defense in epic clashes that will determine the fate of the world.
So Much More: 2 new mounts, 3 new Realm traits, 2 new Realm templates, 5 new premade rulers, 6 new music tracks, and a gloomy, unsettling new interface skin all await you in the Eldritch Realms!
When starting a new Game you can now choose to venture to an Unknown Realm. At the start of the game all Realm Traits are hidden and are gradually revealed throughout the session. Unknown Realm Traits can also be added to Custom Realms, these traits are automatically replaced with a random trait in-game and hidden until revealed.
With the Control AI Allies option enabled, a Player will automatically take over the units of any AI allied forces during Manual Combat that match the chosen settings. By default any manual combat including Vassals will give control to the Player.
When Multiplayer Takeover is enabled in multiplayer games, players are able to step in and take over AI controlled units in manual combat against other players. If multiple players agree to take over, the system picks one at random, prioritizing the players who have the worst diplomatic relationship with the human who’s already in the combat.
The Mystic Culture has been reworked and now supports three different Mystic Schools that specialize in particular aspects of spellcasting. The School of Attunement is the default Mystic subculture and is closest in function to the pre-existing Mystic Culture. The School of Potential specializes in experimentation and heavily favors spellcasting over conventional combat, while the School of Summoning instead relies on immensely powerful Astral Origin units to deliver them victory.
We’ve done a review of Unit pacing and Culture Presence throughout the game and made several changes to improve Unit Viability and Culture Relevance. In its current iteration, there exists a pretty rigid tier system, which results in higher tier versions of a unit role always outclassing those of a lower tier. The changes we made aim to let Tier 1-2 (and to a slightly lesser extent T3) units be viable options for their roles in the mid/late game with the right investment.
Since launch we’ve expanded the Pantheon Tree with new thematic Items as well as an entirely separate tree of Item Forge Unlocks. With all this new content in mind we’ve done a review of the pace at which Pantheon Unlocks become available and the amount of XP/Points are awarded throughout a session.
Read the Full Patch Notes here
Keep you and your magical realms up to date with the latest add-ons for Age of Wonders 4.
The Expansion Pass includes Dragon Dawn Content Pack, Empires and Ashes Expansion, Primal Fury Content Pack, Eldritch Realms Expansion as well as Archmage Attire outfit pack.
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