We have new features on Beta to test. These features are part of our CoW 1.5 initiative, but because they are not affecting the gameplay, we will release them to live already after a short beta testing phase of 2 weeks. The live release will happen on 26th of November.
Sound & Music
We implemented sound effects and background music into the game, for more immersion. Have a listen and tell us if you feel that some sounds are too loud or too quiet or if you feel that certain sounds are missing, e.g. for specific actions or buttons. There is also a toggle in the game settings to turn sound on and off.
Note: Sound works much better in the advanced graphics version, as there the volume of certain sounds change depending on how far your screen is away from the source of the sound, making the experience very dynamic. In the old graphics version (Canvas) this info is sadly missing, making all sounds displayed at full volume on the map. (maybe gets fixed later)
Vehicle Graphics Update
We updated the unit graphics for vehicles to improve the look and feel of the game. We also added faction specific vehicle skins where they were missing. The graphics for the other units will be updated in future updates.
Map colors
To improve the look and feel of the game we changed the map colors in the advanced graphics version, especially in the relation view mode, where we felt the initial look was "too much blue". Therefore the relation mode received a different color palette. Water and fog of war color also got a bit lighter.
Daychange adjustments
We implemented a daychange timer in the upper right corner in the PC version and in the bottom right corner in the mobile version, so that players know at all times when the next daychange will happen. We also changed the time of daychange to the time when a game round started, for newly created games. This means future rounds will not have their daychange always on midnight CET, but on the time when the round was created. The visible daychange timer should help with that switch. This is done for 2 reasons: a) decrease alot of server load and b) remove disadvantages from players in certain time zones who always had the day change at very unpopular times.
AI adjustments
Popularity with Elite AI should not drop as fast anymore, resulting in less early war declarations from AIs. Also AI should now build less units which it cannot use well, like Airplanes and ships, and build more units which it already leveled up alot.
Unit Layouting
In the enhanced graphics version unit images on the map push each other away a bit so that images don't overlap anymore. This should help with seeing and selecting armies in crowded areas.
Hope you like the changes and happy testing!
