"August" Patch Notes

[2K Greg]

Hey guys,

I'm very happy to bring you the latest version of the patch notes for our upcoming patch to Civilization V.

I'm calling this the "August" patch out of convenience, but until I actually have an ETA for you, please don't assume anything

Without further ado:


[UI]

• Prevent creating duplicate great people by lagging the free great person UI.
  
• Yield modifiers of buildings from policies are now shown in the tooltip of that building in the choose production UI.
  
• Production tooltip in City View now displays the production penalty (usually -10%) for when the player has too many units than they can support.
  
• The checkboxes for the mini-map panel now correctly reflect the state of the options (even if these options were toggled while the panel was hidden).
  
• Unhappiness is now broken down between regular population and population from puppet cities.

[GAMEPLAY]

• Slightly reduce the bias to sneak attack.
  
• "City must not be in Plains" requirement for Stone Works now functions properly.
  
• Killing Barbarians inside a City State's borders with a ranged unit now correctly rewards the player with influence.

[TACTICAL AI]

• Found and corrected a likely cause of having the AI send Great Generals out unescorted to "defend" tiles.
  
• AI will avoid using land units for an operation if they are currently on a different continent than the muster point.
  
• If attacking over land, add extra emphasis to nearby targets (reduce the chance that the AI will bypass closest cities).

[MULTIPLAYER]

• Multiple out of sync causes found and fixed.
  
• Add an Invite button on the Staging Room screen for the host.
  
• Add a network message when force-quitting the game. Should eliminate the tedious wait for a network timeout when a player quits like this.
  
• Host can now change the game set-up options in the lobby (except DLC) after a group has been gathered.
  
• Player can now manually save a game while in multiplayer.
  
• Player can now “un-end” their turn in multiplayer. This includes performing any new actions, like giving a unit a new order, opening a city screen, or clicking on the "Please Wait" button after previously ending their turn.
  
• Ping times now displayed in the Player List UI (click the player list to expand, exposing the ping times, and then click again to hide them).
  
• Hot-Seat: City State screens now update properly when switching players.

[BALANCE]

• Pyramids now grant 2 free workers when built instead of 1.
  
• Brandenburg Gate now gives 15 XP to units built in the city in addition to the Great General.
  
• Taj Mahal now gives 4 Happiness in addition to a Golden Age.
  
• Seaport now gives an additional gold on sea resources and increases naval unit production by 15%.
  
• Harbor no longer increases naval production by 15%.
  
• Aristocracy now gives 1 happiness per 10 citizens in a city in addition to 15% production towards wonders.
  
• Landed Elite now gives 2 food and 10% growth in the capital (stacks with Tradition Finisher).
  
• Trade Unions now reduce road/railroad maintenance by 33% (up from 20%) and adds 1 gold to Harbors and Seaports.
  
• Balance tweaks to New World scenario.

[MODDING]

• Installed Mods panel (in Mod Browser) will now display which mods have updates available online w/ a link to view that entry.

[BUGS]

• Multiple minor bug fixes.

[builder680]

Any chance Coal will be re worked (spawn locations)? Seems to always be just outside of my borders every game. Or maybe that's intended? Seems odd if so, but meh. Possible it's just "observed" behavior and I just don't notice when it DOES spawn (get discovered) inside my borders, but it seems frequent enough (not 100%, but very often) that I believe it's an actual occurrence.

Also, Krakatoa spawn is almost always out of range of any city to work.

On a side note, is it just me, or does Liberty seem almost mandatory (free Settler + Worker)? Especially in a Marathon game where that saves you 50-60+ turns per unit at the beginning sometimes. Seems not to be any other 'good' choice early, at least in those cases.

Other than that, cool looking stuff in the patch.

[bronzeager]

ooh...a lot of common complaints addressed. and some work given to multiplayer! I like what I see...

[Zyffer]

Thanks 2KGreg! I'm assuming like before, this isnt the complete list? Pleased with some things i see under the multiplayer section but i've really got my fingers crossed that some more items are gonna show up under that heading.

[zephyrtr]

NEAT! Not the biggest patch in the world, but a LOT of fixes to Multiplayer will make a great deal of people very happy. Glad to see some AI tweaks as well. Change to Trade Unions sounds great, and Aristocracy as well! And wow Wonders really are looking Wonderful now. With a capital W.

I expect there will be more additions to the list as they come in. Can't wait to see what else there is.

[dukeisaac]

...? Ok. I am really hopeful that there will be more add ons to this list, because really, this addresses none of the diplomatic issues (currently the biggest flaw to the game) and barely any changes to multiplayer. No MP stability, the AI is still unbalanced between SP and MP (despite what 2k says). There is some tactical Ai improvements, but ill hold my breath before getting happy. Really disappointing.

[istry555]

Any chance to tweak the MP AI diplomacy? The last patch was supposed to bring MP AI up to the same level as SP AI--and in many ways it did improve them and I'm grateful--but MP AI players still do not contact human players completely destroying the diplomacy system in those games. I know it's probably not in the next patch, but if you could pass on that MP AI still does not contact human players to the developers I'd be grateful (because all those other MP fixes are great and I'd love to get a mixed game going).

[dukeisaac]

The first entry under multiplayer is all about MP stability

There is a proverb in French which says: " M'a le croire quand m'a le voire".

[2K Greg]

No MP stability

The first entry under multiplayer is all about MP stability

[Machturbo]

I'm liking the buff to Brandenburg gate, Aristocracy, and Landed Elite.

I'm not liking lack of more Diplomacy options, modifiers, and responses (for players, as in "I can't give you this gift right now, but ask again later and I may be able to.")

[Sneaks]

Thalassicus better start getting checks from Firaxis soon.

[Jazzterisk]

Thanks for another patch but like others, I am disappointed by the lack of improvements to diplomacy. I can only hope that such changes will be included in an expansion.

[Maddin1929]

please implement a more active AI in multiplayer =) declaration of war is not enough. They should behave like in singleplayer A friend and i always play online with some AI and a Fix in that way yould be really great.

[Snerk]

Coolio. But IMO this game could use an expension pack more than a patch right now.

[Hamhawk]

Finally some mp improvements. Not much, but all very much needed 9 months ago. Still no word on animations, mods, full dlc compatibility, or turn based mode, but it is a start

[dieffenbachj]

Improved naval and land AI, some multiplayer stability, some multiplayer saving...

My review of this patch notes list is "Good stuff, but why isn't there more?"

I wasn't exactly expecting multiplayer animations on this list but... I was at least expecting "multiplayer AI can approach you with deals", which is kind of a big ****ing deal in MP.

Oh well. Greg always ends up increasing the list by like 25% before the actual patch, I'll be patient. Hopefully some major fixes like that are going to happen, so I can finally play multiplayer Civ.

[Jacsó Benjámin]

I love the balance tweaks! All the wonders will now be viable, save the Great Wall, which I really think needs to be addressed. The tradition buffs are also welcome, because I have just noticed in the past game how it became slightly weak.

Besides this, the last major core gameplay element that needs to be addressed is the prominence of navies, and the non-AI, non-MP part of the game will be very near perfect--much better than in IV, in my opinion.

[MadDjinn]

hmm.

So far, not too bad.

I'm not sure the changes to Tradition will ensure it's as effective as Liberty, but it's getting a little better.

for MP
not a bad start, but we really need a decent MP architecture. The end turn bit is finally gone (hopefully bug free) so that will definitely make a few people happy.

the Seaport still needs to have its hammer cost dropped by 50-75 to make it balanced. In the locations you'd actually build it, there aren't many hammers and the rush cost is larger than the value you get.

for:
Trade Unions now reduce road/railroad maintenance by 33% (up from 20%) and adds 1 gold to Harbors and Seaports.

Does this mean that any city with a harbour and seaport gets 2 gpt? Why not just reduce the maintenance cost of each by 1?

[Joketa]

I really was hoping they'd fix Legalism. They either need to completely rework it, or make it so that if the city has completed all culture buildings, they'll get the next one free when they tech it. Right now, you'll probably get nothing in your capital if you choose it as your third or fourth policy (unless you're on lower levels and pull something out of your hat to get to Philosophy quickly enough) and that roadblocks the rest of the policy tree.

I do like the changes to Aristocracy and Landed Elite, though. They had weakened both of them too much.

Brandenburg Gate, which I always thought was one of the worst Wonders, actually looks like it has a use now. The Pyramids looks better, especially if you're not going with Liberty.

Seaports definitely got a needed a boost, but I agree that they're still too expensive to build/buy.

hmm.

for:
Trade Unions now reduce road/railroad maintenance by 33% (up from 20%) and adds 1 gold to Harbors and Seaports.

Does this mean that any city with a harbour and seaport gets 2 gpt? Why not just reduce the maintenance cost of each by 1?

Exactly what I was thinking, except isn't +1 gold much better since it gets multiplied by your Markets, Policies, etc.?

[avalon7030]

Please make an option to save advanced game details. Having to click the boxes all the time becomes a pain.

[civdiss]

The first entry under multiplayer is all about MP stability

Any news about turn based play in multiplayer? Even if it is that it will be never added, please let us know

[Jacsó Benjámin]

Any news about turn based play in multiplayer? Even if it is that it will be never added, please let us know

I second this. Also, on an official play-by-email play.

[wingednosering]

Nice patch notes. They seem very bare compared to alot of the other patches, but I'm sure more will be added. Am I the only one that likes Tradition? I've always liked it more than Liberty (although the free Settler is incredible).

I never had a problem with the Pyramids being too weak, but I'm really happy to see the Taj Mahal and the Bran. Gate improved. They were both clearly inferior to the others, especially after the last patch.

For those complaining about MP, just based on what we see here, I'm guessing the main focus of this patch is Multiplayer. I wouldn't be surprised if most of the patch note additions in the coming days/weeks add to that section.

Greg, can we get some more info on the bug fixes? Quite a few of the patch notes seem like bug fixes in and of themselves, but then you have "Multiple minor bug fixes" at the bottom. I'm really hoping this will stop one or both of the bugs I see most frequently.

1) units that 'disconnect' their model from their actual position on the map. Very, very confusing.
2) when using the minimap to view a different part of the game world, certain terrain models (tile improvmeents and units can get stuck too) get stuck on your UI and remain fixed on the screen. It's really distracting and can lead to you thinking "woah, why didn't I notice I had marble so close to me before?" :P

There's also a third that sort of bugs me, although it may be tied to #1: Sometimes when an AI player creates a unit in a city that already has a garrisoned ranged unit, they can attack with BOTH units from inside the city (only for that one turn). Really annoying when it means the difference between victory and defeat.

I'm still crossing my fingers for sped up planes or the ability to disable air combat. I'd also like to see combat animations between turns NOT draw your camera unless they directly involve you or one of your city state allies.

[stealth_nsk]

Any word about fixing units able to defend themselves while swimming?

[wingednosering]

^ Can you be more specific about what you mean? Some units are supposed to defend themselves while swimming and some aren't.

[stealth_nsk]

^ Can you be more specific about what you mean? Some units are supposed to defend themselves while swimming and some aren't.

There's a bug what if unit is able to defend itself, it's actually weaker against ranged attack. It has strength 5 against them, while other units use their regular strength.

[bronzeager]

I really like the buff to pyramids....this was a wonder I often built anyway, but I'll be thrilled to get TWO workers from it! Also, Brandenberg and Taj Mahal, easily being the worst wonders in the game, really need this buff...glad to see it!

[Mega-Dolphin]

One thing that I would like to see is for the MP games list to show which DLCs are enabled for a game. Right now, the screen just has a Yes/No for DLC. Is there a way to see the exact list? If not, I hope it can be added.

Also, about the Great Wall, is it possible to see if the invading civ has researched Dynamite before determining whether the Wall effect applies? That would allow civs that have discovered Dynamite to avoid the GW effect while civs that haven't will still get the penalty. And it would fix the current counter-intuitive system for GW obsolescence.

I like the improvement to the Brandonburg Gate. Barracks + Armory + Military Academy + B. Gate = +60 experience immediately, which is 3 promotions worth. Combined with that Autocracy policy that gives another 15 experience means that the city can build units with 3 promotions and xp left over. Nice!

Overall I like this patch. Smaller than the ones we've gotten used to, but I expect new notes to be added since I don't expect this patch to be released until the end of August at the earliest.

Additionally: what does "reduce bias to sneak attack" mean? Does it mean the AI won't backstab as much? It's under Gameplay, but as far as I know, there's no sneak attack feature other than in the AI.

[Antarion]

is the bug of the embarked with defense promotion fixed?

[MadDjinn]

one last one (for the moment)

what does this one mean?
Balance tweaks to New World scenario.

It's one of the only good scenarios, though over the patches has been completely changed from where it started. (when Meritocracy had the GP available, it was insta wonder turn 1 for any 'native' civ)

oh, and will they finally fix the minor bug in the tech UI for the scenario? it's a simple fix...

[the man of doom]

Coolio. But IMO this game could use an expension pack more than a patch right now.

thats what DLCs are for

and yay mp patch
onondaga shall be very pleased

[Hawk]

Was really hoping for more diplomacy, but at least the AI are slightly less likely to back stab you! Ah well, "glass is half full", we're one step closer to a perfect game.

[Onandoga]

MP Patch??? 500+hrs of mp gaming and my prayers are answered! woohoo!!!!

Hopefully this will end the stupid, hey 20 seconds left on the timer, ima delcare war on you cuz you cant move your troops, stuff. I hated that.

If you could just do me one favor. In the lobby, when it says 'DLC' and has a yes or no; please, please dont count mongolia as dlc. Everyone has mongolia. EVERYONE. so thus pretty much every single game is DLC. (very frustrating.)

Anyways.
Huzzah! no more resynch crashes. (i hope)

[the man of doom]

how bout a list of DLC that is enabled for the game

[Onandoga]

Btw, as a piece of advice dev team. Release the patch before September 21st. Otherwise you wont hear the end of the 'no mp patch until a year after release...'

(i kid, i kid)

[Jacsó Benjámin]

Am I the only one that likes Tradition? I've always liked it more than Liberty (although the free Settler is incredible).

Oh, I like tradition in that it certainly has its place in some strategies, my only concern was that with the last patch, these strategies became slightly weaker than more expansive strategies involving liberty. In giving tradition a minor boost, the field is probably as equal as its ever been.

[player1 fanatic]

Does this mean that any city with a harbour and seaport gets 2 gpt? Why not just reduce the maintenance cost of each by 1?

Because adding +1 gold is more powerful (it's base for additional % modifiers).

[eastkitton]

Please make an option to save advanced game details. Having to click the boxes all the time becomes a pain.

Me, I only mildly would like this ... but so many people have asked for it ... and it's really not hard to do.

(But I don't see why it should be an option - it just should be the standard)

[Bobweefers]

Love da balances! lol Its gonna make my playstyle overpowered because I always make them wonders, take tradition and now I will be taking commerce

[spfun]

Is the Courthouse big fixed? What about all the animation bugs? Did you fix the bug where city state puppets wouldn't build the culture line of buildings?

Tradition changes - Aristocracy still isn't that great really, Oligarchy is more useful for a wide empire than Tall & Legalism just needs a rework, you have to delay taking it to get any use out of it, many times your forced to take legalism when it gives no benefit what so ever. Tradition just seems to help your capital now with not much else going for it besides One city challenge Or Capital + Puppet culture games.

Like the wonder changes, pretty minor but nice. Seaport changes and commerce changes are also nice. I also like the less random sneak attacks.

Any changes to the building queue system? can i finally queue buildings in a specific line e.g library university public school?