We’re happy to report the first major patch for Civilization: Beyond Earth is now available. This patch, a collaborative effort between Firaxis Games and all of you who took the time to provide feedback since launch, will automatically download the next time you start up your Steam client. If the patch is not downloading, try restarting Steam.

Players affected by the 144hz monitor issue should find that is no longer the case. Another issue preventing achievements from unlocking has also been fixed. And, in addition to fixing these and other issues, Firaxis has also addressed a number of gameplay balance requests from the community – like optimizing trade route yields and doing away with one particular Covert Ops exploit. This is a substantial update, so please take a few moments to pore over the full patch notes below before you jump back into Beyond Earth for one ... more ... turn ...

Unfortunately, the max character limit on Steam prevents us from posting the full patch notes here. For the full patch notes, please visit the Civilization blog: http://www.civilization.com/en/news/2014-12--civilization-beyond-earth-fall-update-now-live/

We’re happy to report the first major patch for Civilization: Beyond Earth is now available. This patch, a collaborative effort between Firaxis Games and all of you who took the time to provide feedback since launch, will automatically download the next time you start up your Steam client. If the patch is not downloading, try restarting Steam.

Players affected by the 144hz monitor issue should find that is no longer the case. Another issue preventing achievements from unlocking has also been fixed. And, in addition to fixing these and other issues, Firaxis has also addressed a number of gameplay balance requests from the community – like optimizing trade route yields and doing away with one particular Covert Ops exploit. This is a substantial update, so please take a few moments to pore over the full patch notes below before you jump back into Beyond Earth for one ... more ... turn ...

Unfortunately, the max character limit on Steam prevents us from posting the full patch notes here. For the full patch notes, please visit the Civilization blog: http://www.civilization.com/en/news/2014-12--civilization-beyond-earth-fall-update-now-live/

We’d like to thank all our fans for the feedback and reports they have been posting and sending in. The team has been working hard on bug fixing and balancing, and as you’ll see in the change list below, we’re close to locking down this patch. We’ll share more specifics for the gameplay changes shortly while the build is making its way through the approval process.

-Firaxis Games


[GAMEPLAY]
• Implementing additional bug fixes for quests.
• Implementing modified quest rewards based on game speed and which turn they were received in.
• Revisiting difficulty level scaling. Increasing difficulty when playing on Apollo.
• Implementing balance pass on Health system (penalties, bonuses).
• Adjusting certain Virtues for balance.
• Implementing overall unit balance pass (strength, production and strategic resource cost, affinity level requirements, location on tech web).
• Implementing leader/sponsor trait balance pass (Kozlov, Barre, Rejinaldo, and Elodie), as well as some seeded start option adjustments.
• Implementing Covert Ops updates and exploit fixes.
• Implementing Trade Route balance and adjustments, including simpler UI.
• Implementing gameplay bug fixes as reported in the community (Quests, etc.).
• Implementing general AI improvements.
• Adjusting Affinity reward ramping when earning Affinity from Quests.
• Adjusting Station distribution, and arrival timing.
• Improving AI, including energy management, tactical management, tech and victory approaches, etc.

[ENGINE]
• Fixing a memory leak that could potentially crash the game (mostly affected MP)
• Correcting screen resolution problems, particularly related to the 144hz refresh rate full-screen (or lack of full-screen) issue.
• Investigating a start-up problem where the game shuts down with an error immediately following the opening movie.
• Investigating crash issues submitted by users, and through Steam crash reporting.
• Adding an in-game option to disable depth of field effect for players that prefer the game without this.

[UI]
• Ongoing updates to in-game text, tool-tips, etc.
• Correcting an issue where actions could be missing from embarked workers (like repairing a pillaged water improvement)
• Adding "Completed" section to city production menu so players know what they just finished.
• Adding advanced touch controls, gesture support, pen support.
• Adding color icons to the tech web (categorized) with an option to disable.
• Better inform players of approaching AI victory, and updated victory/defeat screen with additional information.

[ACHIEVEMENTS]
• Achievements not firing if Max Turns was set in previous games. Also investigating some other possible causes.

[MODDING]
• Fixing quest mod support.
• Fixing 2D leader fall-back image support for all graphics quality settings.

[MULTIPLAYER]
• Fixing an issue that led to disconnects in cases of content mismatch.
• Fixing an issue that was causing available/researched technologies after a re-sync.
• Correcting multiple desyncs.
• Ongoing multiplayer improvements.
• Increasing geographic range of server browser distance filter.

We’d like to thank all our fans for the feedback and reports they have been posting and sending in. The team has been working hard on bug fixing and balancing, and as you’ll see in the change list below, we’re close to locking down this patch. We’ll share more specifics for the gameplay changes shortly while the build is making its way through the approval process.

-Firaxis Games


[GAMEPLAY]
• Implementing additional bug fixes for quests.
• Implementing modified quest rewards based on game speed and which turn they were received in.
• Revisiting difficulty level scaling. Increasing difficulty when playing on Apollo.
• Implementing balance pass on Health system (penalties, bonuses).
• Adjusting certain Virtues for balance.
• Implementing overall unit balance pass (strength, production and strategic resource cost, affinity level requirements, location on tech web).
• Implementing leader/sponsor trait balance pass (Kozlov, Barre, Rejinaldo, and Elodie), as well as some seeded start option adjustments.
• Implementing Covert Ops updates and exploit fixes.
• Implementing Trade Route balance and adjustments, including simpler UI.
• Implementing gameplay bug fixes as reported in the community (Quests, etc.).
• Implementing general AI improvements.
• Adjusting Affinity reward ramping when earning Affinity from Quests.
• Adjusting Station distribution, and arrival timing.
• Improving AI, including energy management, tactical management, tech and victory approaches, etc.

[ENGINE]
• Fixing a memory leak that could potentially crash the game (mostly affected MP)
• Correcting screen resolution problems, particularly related to the 144hz refresh rate full-screen (or lack of full-screen) issue.
• Investigating a start-up problem where the game shuts down with an error immediately following the opening movie.
• Investigating crash issues submitted by users, and through Steam crash reporting.
• Adding an in-game option to disable depth of field effect for players that prefer the game without this.

[UI]
• Ongoing updates to in-game text, tool-tips, etc.
• Correcting an issue where actions could be missing from embarked workers (like repairing a pillaged water improvement)
• Adding "Completed" section to city production menu so players know what they just finished.
• Adding advanced touch controls, gesture support, pen support.
• Adding color icons to the tech web (categorized) with an option to disable.
• Better inform players of approaching AI victory, and updated victory/defeat screen with additional information.

[ACHIEVEMENTS]
• Achievements not firing if Max Turns was set in previous games. Also investigating some other possible causes.

[MODDING]
• Fixing quest mod support.
• Fixing 2D leader fall-back image support for all graphics quality settings.

[MULTIPLAYER]
• Fixing an issue that led to disconnects in cases of content mismatch.
• Fixing an issue that was causing available/researched technologies after a re-sync.
• Correcting multiple desyncs.
• Ongoing multiplayer improvements.
• Increasing geographic range of server browser distance filter.

Aspyr has announced that the Mac version of Civilization: Beyond Earth is complete and will launch tomorrow afternoon. If you pre-ordered the game through GameAgent, Aspyr's online store, then you'll receive your Steam key sometime tonight. Keep an eye on your email!

More info here: http://blog.gameagent.com/civilization-beyond-earth-mac-linux-dev-update-5

Aspyr has announced that the Mac version of Civilization: Beyond Earth is complete and will launch tomorrow afternoon. If you pre-ordered the game through GameAgent, Aspyr's online store, then you'll receive your Steam key sometime tonight. Keep an eye on your email!

More info here: http://blog.gameagent.com/civilization-beyond-earth-mac-linux-dev-update-5

Aspyr has announced that the Mac version of Civilization: Beyond Earth is complete and will launch tomorrow afternoon. If you pre-ordered the game through GameAgent, Aspyr's online store, then you'll receive your Steam key sometime tonight. Keep an eye on your email!

More info here: http://blog.gameagent.com/civilization-beyond-earth-mac-linux-dev-update-5/

As many of you have noted here, Civ IV base game and Colonization are currently not working in 10.10 due to a python library issue.

After a week of review, this bug is legitimate and we are now officially pulling support for Yosemite until we have a fix for the problem.

Please accept our apology for any frustration this bug has caused. We are working on a solution, but because of the hectic holiday release schedule from Aspyr, we cant give an approximate date as to when that solution will be integrated into the game.

There is a workaround (users have posted it in several spots). It works 100%, but we should advise strong caution when messing with your library files. Make sure you backup your rig with time machine before diving in.

Please let me know if anyone has any questions, and again apologies for the interruption in play on a GREAT game.

UPDATE: A fix is now live. Support now goes back all the way to 10.6. Thanks to everyone for their patience and support.

As many of you have noted here, Civ IV base game and Colonization are currently not working in 10.10 due to a python library issue.

After a week of review, this bug is legitimate and we are now officially pulling support for Yosemite until we have a fix for the problem.

Please accept our apology for any frustration this bug has caused. We are working on a solution, but because of the hectic holiday release schedule from Aspyr, we cant give an approximate date as to when that solution will be integrated into the game.

There is a workaround (users have posted it in several spots). It works 100%, but we should advise strong caution when messing with your library files. Make sure you backup your rig with time machine before diving in.

Please let me know if anyone has any questions, and again apologies for the interruption in play on a GREAT game.

UPDATE: A fix is now live. Support now goes back all the way to 10.6. Thanks to everyone for their patience and support.

As many of you have noted here, Civ IV base game and Colonization are currently not working in 10.10 due to a python library issue.

After a week of review, this bug is legitimate and we are now officially pulling support for Yosemite until we have a fix for the problem.

Please accept our apology for any frustration this bug has caused. We are working on a solution, but because of the hectic holiday release schedule from Aspyr, we cant give an approximate date as to when that solution will be integrated into the game.

There is a workaround (users have posted it in several spots). It works 100%, but we should advise strong caution when messing with your library files. Make sure you backup your rig with time machine before diving in.

I should also note that some users are having success by making sure that Warlords and/or Beyond the Sword are installed on top of the base Civ IV game.

Please let me know if anyone has any questions, and again apologies for the interruption in play on a GREAT game.

UPDATE: A fix is now live! Thank you all for your patience and support.