Hey everyone,
Endless Legend Inferno is coming to Steam this Thursday, August 2nd! We're very proud to be collaborating with NGD Studios to bring a new life to a game that is so loved by our community. In case you've missed the big announcements, check out our previous blog posts, or better yet, read on as we will be showcasing some of the new stuff bit by bit.
FREE UPDATE CHANGES AND ADDITIONS
First off, we're starting with an oft-asked question: yes, there are bug fixes in Endless Legend coming along with the expansion! What's more, in the tradition of Amplitude-releasing-things, these changes come for free. There's a much longer list that includes fixes, but these are the main important bits:
- Changed savegame and map file extensions to prevent antivirus and firewall software from blocking their usage.
- The game now supports Chinese, Japanese and Korean characters (modding only).
- Changed the way cutscene subtitles are handled (they can now be modded).
- Prioritized factions with special needs when choosing spawn positions to give them more chances of a good spawn.
- Increased the AI priority of faction-specific military technologies for all major factions.
- Cities traded with the Cultists are destroyed immediately as they do when conquered by force in order to avoid Cultist empires with multiple cities.
- Break down of trait-based FIDSI output in tile tooltip for cases where a faction has multiple traits affecting the same currency output.
- Added a notification when playing a new faction for the first time (Kapaku only, for now).
These changes should improve Endless Legend immensely, and solve some issues with returning players. The list including fixes comes on release date! Now let's move on to the new guys in town...
KAPAKU FACTION
Rescued from the brink of extinction after the invasion of their home world, the Kapaku were evacuated by the Concrete Endless and sent to Auriga. They were promised a new beginning on a new planet, but discovering the true intentions of their saviors will pit them against both Auriga’s current denizens and the dark remnants of the Dust Wars.
Overall Rationale
The Kapaku are tinkers and inventors, a race of craftsmen with powerful bonds to earthen energies. Small in size, their resourcefulness and skill led them to create powerful stone golems to use as labors and soldiers.
The Kapaku are a new race uniquely suited to the Volcanic Terrain, able to thrive off it where other races would struggle, and their symbiotic relationships with their golems allows them to exploit more resources more efficiently, fueling their machinery to turn Auriga into a new Volcanic Paradise.
Faction Affinities and Traits
Sub-Rationale
The Kapaku have a unique connection to the Dust Eclipses, borne out of their relationship to the Concrete. They are also very powerful on volcanic tiles and are able to create more volcanic terrain by “volcanoforming” the map, but require sizeable amounts of strategic resources to do so. Their perks should reflect these special bonds, while highlighting their skill as builders and artisans.
Feature Overview
The Kapaku Affinity is Born of Ash: They are able to gather food on volcanic tiles, but can’t get food on any other terrain. Due to their alien diet, they must char and burn what would otherwise be edible food for other factions, but can find ample nourishment in the ashes and minerals of volcanic tiles.
This affinity is complemented by a new capacity shared by all Kapaku units, Inner Fire. This ability gives Kapaku units additional bonuses both in and out of combat for fighting and ending their turn on volcanic tiles. Kapaku units gain bonus damage when fighting on Volcanic Terrain, and they are able to regenerate life normally, ignoring the penalty of Volcanic Terrain. Kapaku armies can also move over Lava Rivers without harm. Now if only there was some way to make more of a given type of terrain…
Fortunately for them, Kapaku have access to Volcanoformation, a powerful technology handed to them by the Concretes that can turn any terrain into volcanic tiles. They are able to use any strategic resource to create and stock Volcanoformers, which can then be placed by their armies anywhere on the map. After a few turns to power up, the device goes off and transforms the tile it’s placed on and all surrounding tiles to Volcanic-type tiles. Enemies can tamper and disable devices, so they must be careful!
In order to tame Auriga, the Kapaku will need as many resources as possible. To that end, they can rely on their Golems to exploit additional tiles for them through a Golem Camp. Camps are a special kind of extension that must be researched once the Kapaku have reached Era II. Each city can build one Camp anywhere on the region – even if it’s not connected to the city – and it will exploit the surrounding tiles as if it were a regular borough. Camps don’t level up nor contribute to leveling up districts, but can be broken up and relocated once the city catches up to them.
Through their voyage with the Concrete, the Kapaku became avid Stargazers, and as such have acute knowledge of the mysterious patterns of Dust Eclipses: They are able to predict them as accurately as the Allayi can predict winter.
Their encounter with the Endless has also instilled in them an Endless Fascination, and while exploring the many ruined temples of Auriga they gain new insights into their mysterious technology. Kapaku search parties gain a small Science boost when exploring ruins, and exploiting ruins yields bonus science.
A master craftsman wastes no materials, and the Kapaku are no different. After some careful study of their enemy’s fortifications (Available in Era III), they are able to apply their Siege Engineering knowledge to repurpose the rubble from felled enemy defenses into usable building materials. Siege Damage dealt to enemy cities is accumulated and converted into Industry Stockpiles.
Faction Heroes
Sub-Rationale
Kapaku Heroes embody the crafty and resourceful nature of their kind. Their capacities and abilities must reflect both their connection to volcanic terrain as well as their skill as tinkers. In order to make them stand out in spite of their small size, they mount large stone golem “beasts”, making them the first Cavalry Hero in Endless Legend!
Feature Overview
Kapaku Heroes have a lot to unpack in such a small frame. No wonder they ride around in such large golems! Let’s take a look one section at a time: Their Capacities, their Skill Tree and the Cavalry Tree.
Like all Kapaku units, Heroes have the Inner Fire capacity, increasing their damage while on Volcanic Terrain while in combat, as well as granting them Health Regeneration when ending their turn on it.
The Cavalry Class Skill Tree focuses on helping your army hit hard and fast. This helps shore up some of the shortcomings on flame units, that tend to be rather slow, but can be used to devastating effect as a hired hero for more offensive factions!
- Battlefield Vantage: +5 / +5 / +15% Attack on Units on Army
- Agile Mover: +1 / +1 Movement on Units on Army
- Saddle Up: +1 Accessory Slot on Hero
- High Strike: +10 / +10 + / 15% Damage on Hero
- Practiced Strike: +5 / +7 / +15% Initiative on Units on Army
- Stirring Dragoon: +1 / +1 Morale on Units on Army
The Faction Skill Tree for the Kapaku is tailored to provide positive interactions with the new elements introduced on this expansion, as well as helping shore up some of the difficulties that other factions may face when starting in a Volcanic Region.
- Volcanology: +1 Food, Dust and Science / +2 Industry and +1 Influence on Volcanic Tiles
- Heat of the Hearth: +2 / +2 City Approval per City Tiles on Volcanic Terrain
- Blazing Ingenuity: +10% / +10% / +15% Science output on City
- Reclamation Genius: +10% Retrofit cost reduction / Retrofit Anywhere.
- Geomantic Wiles: +1 / +1 Strategic Resources on Deposits exploited by the City
- Bloodboiler: +50% / +50% Attack on Units during a Dust Eclipse.
Faction Units
Sub-Rationale
The twin strengths of the Kapaku are their symbiotic relationship with their golems, designed to be powerful and durable, and their connection to earthen powers, that allows geomancers to buff their allies with the power drawn from where they stand.
While golems charge into battle and hold the front lines, geomancers must plan their movements carefully to place the right effect on their allies at the right time.
Feature Overview
Kapaku armies have three distinct roles to fill: The slow and durable Tier 1 Stone Sentinel marches forward to take the brunt of the enemy attack, while Kapaku support spell casters, the Geomancers, maneuver in the back lines to buff their minions. Meanwhile, the powerful Golem Riders can move ahead and attempt to flank the enemy or attack their ranged units using their powerful charge and sweeping attacks.
Stone Sentinels are the backbone of the Kapaku Army.
- High Defense and Life
- Low Attack, Initiative and Speed
Sentinels wield massive two-handed weapons: Claymores and Battle Axes. Being made of stone, it would seem their makers didn’t see fit to give them the self-preservation required to use a shield.
Sentinels have Inner Fire, are Disease Immune, and being Automatons have no army upkeep. However, given their relatively poor stats they require additional support from Kapakus or Minor Faction units in order to be effective in battle.
Geomancers are spell casters capable of hindering their enemies with their long-range attacks or place different buffs on their allies using the terrain where they stand.
- High Initiative and Movement
- Low HP
Geomancers are support units, able to debuff the enemy using Quarterstaves and Longscepters. They are Fast, and have Range 3 in addition to Inner Fire.
Their Geomancy capacity allows them to cast buffs on their allies based on the type of terrain where they stand, so careful maneuvering is key to make the most out of this units. Volcanic Terrain applies an Attack Boost on the unit, Forest and Frozen Spikes give bonus Initiative, and other terrains apply a Defense Boost. In order to clearly differentiate between these terrains, volcanic tiles have their own decal to be shown during battles (Like forests and frozen spikes) to make it easier to plan your strategy.
Golem Riders powerful cavalry units that charge into battle and are capable of wreaking havoc in the enemy lines, softening them up for the advance of the Sentinels.
- High Attack, Defense and HP
- Average Damage, Low Initiative
Golem Riders can attack from their mount using Longspears, or they can just rely on their mounts' powerful Claws to take care of their enemies. They have several staples of Cavalry Units, such as Fast and Charge, but their Inner Fire combined with Circular Attack make them very dangerous to tightly packed enemies. Properly supported, these behemoths can end battles before they really start.
We hope you have enjoyed this first look at the Kapaku faction, and that you are eager to learn more about the changes and fixes coming to Endless Legend!
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