A big one. Heroes and the neutral side of the map got most of my time, and a lot of units finally have 3D models.
Crashes on phones
Matches could crash the browser tab by running out of memory, worst of all on phones. The game now stays inside a limit that suits your device. My first attempt, shrinking the downloads, did nothing at all (why).
Heroes and items
- Ultimates at hero level 10, on their own hotkey
- Gear rolls levels and random bonuses, and some items trigger effects when you hit
- The backpack goes from 9 slots to 30
- Creep camps guard parts of the map, alongside mercenary buildings and item shops (neutral camps)
- The Gambling Den, a goblin shop where you pay for a random item in the slot you pick (loot)
Damage and armour
Every attack has a damage type now, and every unit an armour type, with elemental upgrades to research on top. Twelve damage types against eight armours sounds like homework, so the aim was that you only need to remember a few (how). Buildings are tougher too.
Campaign and new players
- Boot Camp, a skippable tutorial with Dwarf and Goblin versions and a voiced advisor
- A balance pass on the Dwarf campaign, and an optional dungeon interlude for Borin
- Heroes keep their items between missions
- Bosses mark their big attacks on the ground, so you can get out of the way
3D models
A batch of Dwarf and Goblin units and heroes have 3D models now, plus 74 ships, siege engines, flyers and traders. Machines were far easier to make than anything with legs (why).
Smaller things
- The AI can attack on island maps. It used to walk to the shore and give up
- Multiplayer games that fall out of sync now stop and say so, instead of carrying on wrong
- Most icons repainted in one style, and oil looks like oil instead of blue water