Alert! All experience players should make sure training mode is turned off or some of your mini match opponents will not be able to attack you (when you are winning). If your opponent is experienced and you can’t attack, tell them to turn off training mode. Sorry about that ! I’ll make training mode not usable by experienced players next update.
Musket Smoke version 1.82 is done. This is what made the cut:
• New Player Training zone, replaces extra unit handicap.
• Upped free mini-matches to 7.
• Campaign now awards 1 ELO point for each battle win (but not wins from fallbacks).
• Fallback button is removed for the rest of the round when a unit attacks.
• SF Mortar removed and replaced with SF Cavalry.
• Cannon Showdown loses 1 Siege Cannon.
• The Breach also loses one Siege Cannon.
• Tiny dead body graphic from ‘Whhzi I the Clam’ and his friend ‘Halphas’.
• Removed Duke roster limits.
• Blocking muzzle smoke removed from all artillery.
• Rain comes to every online battle on the 16th round.
Bug Fixes:
• Erratic units after fallback.
• Full replay removed from a completed solo matches.
• AI in longer attacks itself after winning a battle.
• Pressing replay button twice in a row caused an issue.
The New Player Training Zone: Some Details
- Special training mode for Mini Match only.
- Anyone can use it, rank doesn’t matter.
- Disables your opponent attack ability when they have a higher score at the start of any round.
- If activated before match is created then it also removes all bases.
- After you gain 5 points, the mode ends but lost bases do not come back.
- If you activate the mode on round 3 or later, you can play with bases.
- Button currently also toggles 4 extra cavalry in Campaign match.
Light Rain Concept. A toe dip in the water as this is quite a dramatic change. The current implementation is very minimal and is mainly just a test. It’s also acting as a soft round number limiter or a hint that it’s time to wrap up the battle. The concept was supposed to encourage the use of powder weapons more offensively, rather than defensively. We will see how it goes. So on the 16th round of every mini-match, all powder weapons stop working due to rain. Rain will be improved later if we like this update and decide to keep it.
In the campaign, since the round counting is now slower and different from Mini Matches you will still see it as round 16 but technically you have twice as much time in the campaign before the rain comes.
Alert: There is a bug that I just noticed. When attack is disabled for Artillery it also disables melee attack (which is wrong). I will fix this quickly in 1.83 update. Soon. I might even just remove rain for now.
Campaign Changes:
- Two Siege Cannons removed (should promote more aggressive play).
- SF Mortar swapped with SF Cavalry (should liven up half a dozen battles).
- Blocking Smoke removed from Artillery muzzle fire.
- Can’t fallback after attacking within a round. If you want to fall back after attacking, then you have to wait until it’s your turn again and do it before attacking.
- 1 ELO point is now awarded for each battle that earns an objective win. You get nothing if you win by forcing a fallback. You also get nothing if your opponent decides to fall back before you achieve your victory.
- Round Number Counting reset after each battle, and slower.
- Rain comes on the 16th round and renders all powder weapons useless.
Mini Match Changes:
- New Player Training Zone, replaces extra unit handicap.
- Roster enhanced for Dukes (now everyone has the same roster).
- Blocking Smoke removed from Artillery muzzle fire.
- Rain comes on the 16th round and renders all powder weapons useless.
Great for new players:
- The New Player Training Zone will help our new players get some killing experience and remove some hesitancy with trying your first online match. This is a much better handicap than having an extra cavalry unit.
- 7 free mini-matches will help a new players get more online action after they realize how fun online matches are. This will also help grow the daily activity.
It’s nice to see some players embracing the Mentor Match Concept so well, but it seems the feature is still not popular yet. I’m curious if the training zone will help that along or not. Technically it should, but you never know how things play out with most people.
Alert: Experienced players with multiple games going should not turn on the training zone to play around with because it will prevent opponents from attacking you when they have a better score. It can’t be applied to just one match, it affects all your Mini Matches. Also having it on might give you bonus handicap units in some campaign matches as well.
So some dramatic changes that should really shake things up. Plus a few serious bug fixes. If you find yourself not liking something then shoot me an email and let me know. This game is a product of our collective interests.
Musket Smoke 