HwKeeper
The first week since Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era launched in Early Access is behind us, and the developers at Unfrozen have already shipped no fewer than five patches, responding swiftly to player feedback. In this digest we have gathered the key changes from each of the updates.
Patch #1 (May 1) — Post-Release Fixes (v.0.80.09)
The first patch arrived just a day after launch. The developers fixed an issue where hotkeys would fail to save or reset correctly, and squashed a number of minor bugs the community discovered right after release. The team thanked players for their Steam reviews and encouraged everyone to keep sharing their impressions.
Patch #2 (May 2) — Difficulty Adjustments (v.0.80.10)
The centerpiece of the second update was a retuning of the AI. Many players had complained that on Easy and Normal difficulties in random maps the computer proved far too aggressive. The developers adjusted the AI parameters for random maps and the campaign to make the game more comfortable for a broad audience.
Patch #3 (May 3) — Network Stability and Balance (v.0.80.11)
The biggest patch of the week. Key changes:
- Fixed critical bugs blocking campaign progression
- Fixed errors in AI-player behavior
- Corrected creature and object stats
- Significantly improved network stability: lobby entry, reconnection, and client synchronization
- In multiplayer, retuned turn timers, the "Diplomacy" skill parameters, and the cost of Hive faction buildings
Patch #4 (May 5) — Multiplayer Fixes for 3+ Players (v.0.80.12)
Many players were running into errors when playing with three or more participants — this became the priority for the fourth patch. The developers also reported that they are working on connection problems in certain regions and continued to keep an eye on AI balance.
Patch #5 (May 8) — Gameplay Optimizations and UI Fixes (v.0.80.13)
The fifth patch focused on refining the multiplayer interface and fixing bugs in the "Diplomacy" and "Recruitment" skills. Turn-timer logic in online games was also improved. The developers assured players that the next update will be devoted to further rebalancing the lower difficulty levels and improving network stability.
First-Week Takeaways
Five patches in seven days is an impressive pace. The Unfrozen team is demonstrating its readiness to respond quickly to the community's problems. The main areas of work: AI balance, online stability, and campaign bug fixes.
Full changelogs are available in the forum thread.