In the West, not much is popularly known of the struggle that brought Communism to power in China. Some would say, it is a matter of general disinterest, while others point to the decades of deliberate obfuscation being Beijing government policy. Today, this part of this history comes alive at your fingertips as we aim to shed some light on the tale of the Chinese Civil War. With its many battles and heroes, it is among the most consequential and dramatic of our modern era.



One of those colorful characters that participated in this struggle, is a man called Zhu De. A person of some military skill, well educated and a regional Warlord, he was initially inclined toward the Nationalists rather than the Communists. Yet, Zhu De eventually embraced Communism under the sponsorship of Zhou Enlai - abandoning his previous ambitions in favor of a life dedicated to self-sacrifice. It is this change of heart that eventually led him down the path towards founding and becoming the Commander-in-Chief of the People's Liberation Army and the architect of its victory over the Nationalist Kuomintang.



If you select Zhu De, he will serve as a voice illustrating the military symphony of the Chinese Civil War. His strategy heavily emphasized proper logistics, long-term results, and above all - loyalty. It was his tactics of grand feints, deferred results, and asymmetric engagements that historically tipped the scales in towards the Red camp. Depending on the distribution of influence and force across the map, the general presents you with numerous challenges and opportunities for furthering the interests of the Soviets and putting your own mark on history.



It all starts with the arrival of Zhu De, a chain of narrative and decisions that perfect exemplify what we are aiming to achieve in Terminal Conflict: a detailed Cold War simulation with historically plausible outcomes with a large amount of variation. Below you can see how the Zhu De chain of events is designed.



When Zhu De is selected as an active character the game instantly checks for the historical conditions that can trigger decisions related to him. Most of them are connected to the control of certain regions, and most of them trigger a decision that has a larger scale narrative and gameplay consequence. Let's play one example of how this could unfold.

Being in a proxy war, with Zhu De sent by Mao as your liaison officer to the Chinese Liberation Army, you will have to makes some thoughtful choices when the conditions are as favorable as you can make them.



Being a warlord, Zhu De can attract quite the company. Speaking in his favor is one thing but it is ultimately you that decides.



After a long series of battles, an opportunity to savor victory may present itself. While it may seem a mere philosophical matter, the effects are quite real.



Your strategic play on the short term and the long term will matter as there may also come a time when the mainland is all but secure - save for an island bastion of the Nationalists. Leaving Taiwan for last maybe a low-risk strategy but potentially with the long term effect of keeping the enemy out of reach. Consolidate your position or perhaps the moment has come to remove the enemy once and for all?



Now, is your opportunity to follow Zhu De's path and see if the life and works of a legend can be improved upon. The triumph of the Chinese Communist and that of the Soviet Union is yours to forge.



Mighty Cheers,
Leif 'Greatexperiment' Miler and Alfred 'Zeress' Frendo-Cumbo

*********************************************************

Upcoming Development
I) NEW tutorials are in productions and the official MANUAL is soon going into print! Halls are busy in Washington and Moscow!

II) People's interests decision chain is in the works for the USA faction and is in full production.

III) KIM IL-SUNG: A Communist Ideologue and Supreme Leader will rise to power like the living Sun to establish a People's Republic like never seen before and the first Communist dynasty. Or will his life be cut short and his reign curtailed by US regional power?

AI

• AI has now gotten a new ability and will correctly score all used effects
  
• Fixed an issue where the leaders would not be correctly recruited
  
• AI now properly checks if a particular region can be targeted by Leader abilities
  
• AI leader recruitment now values focus needs
  
• Fixed an issue where the AI wrongly looks at focus prioritizations targets
  
• Fixed an issue where the AI did not use correctly 0 cost Leader abilities
  
• Tweaked Juche ability for AI use
  
• Added a new balancing where we slightly increased the favor for interest and increased leader power score
  
• Various other smaller AI tweaks

GAME

• Fixed an issue where the Sea Unit Movement in non-focus theaters is now correctly allowed if you already have a friendly sea unit in your enemy-controlled region
  
• Fixed a memory leak issue caused by texture allocation
  
• Failed maneuver attacks into focus theaters no longer incorrectly charge
  
• People interest
  
• Unable to DISEMBARK into non-focus theaters where the opponent has a presence in the target region
  
• Fixed Tito's Ability Samoupravljanje wrongly having an EndTurn value of 2, instead of 1 and Samoupravljanje now correctly grants 1 influence instead of 2
  
• Fixed an issue where you were awarded twice the amount of decisions in case of one-sided disarmament

FOCUS

• NEW RED DRAGON RISING: Enabled the ability to select and play the Chinese Civil War where the USSR can use Peng Dehuai or Zhu De
  
• Selection of 'Hollywood Investigation' now activates 'Red Scare' & 'Joseph McCarthy' policies and now requires selection of both Red Scare & McCarthy for completion
  
• Completion or Failure of 'Hollywood Investigation' now activates 'Olympus Rising'
  
• Politics of Poverty now requires that the Marshall Plan NOT be enacted

POLICIES

• NEW MERCHANTS OF LIBERTY (USA Sub-Saharan Africa): Spend 3 MILITARY to place 1 INFLUENCE for each of your opponent's MILITARY interests.
  
• NEW RED DAWN RISING (USSR North America): Set MILITARY to 3 to add 1 USSR ARMY COMMAND to COMMAND RESERVES.
  
• Charles 'Lucky' Luciano renamed to C. 'Lucky' Luciano to better fit condition and effect notification boundaries
  
• 'Olympus has Risen' now fires as soon as the flag CIAActive has been set to 1
  
• Fixed an issue where characters would disappear after a selection

DECISIONS

• The Promised Land: Fixed second options to better reflect the bonuses and the text AND adjusted its effect order to meet standards
  
• America's Playground: now triggered by Enforce Monroe Doctrine as well as America's Playground Focus
  
• Havana Conference: now triggered by Enforce Monroe Doctrine, America's Playground Focus, LITEMPO, Spy Network, and Havana Crime Conference Focuses
  
• Disabled Charles 'Lucky' Luciano from the start, instead he is activated by Havana Conference
  
• Money Trail: Fixed an issue in the that was causing an error when Option 1 or Option 2 was selected and Option 1 can no longer be selected if the CIA has already been created
  
• 'Olympus has Risen' no longer activates 'Joseph McCarthy' Policy
  
• Fixed an issue where you were able to remove the SUPPORT ability twice from David Ben-Gurion
  
• Fixed an issue where some triggers were incorrectly set up in the Chinese Civil War and where one of the change interests was causing an error
  
• Updated the independence decision for Ürümqi
  
• Updated text wording for The Long Telegram
  
• Fixed Idi Amin making a comeback tour with the USA despite being official with the USSR
  
• Major overhaul of the Weapons Program's decision effects and Research Breakthrough renamed to Future Generation Progress as well as Scientific Advancement & Triumph of Soviet Industry now require at least 10% progress to trigger
  
• Updated Weapons Program with randomized values setup and so that they become a lot more dynamic and balanced its bonuses further
  
• Weapons Program advancement decision framework added
  
• Random chance of progress assigned to all options in production-related decisions, and Opt. 1 in experimental X for WeaponsProgram
  
• Updated Weapons Program definition of Enemy Blueprints
  
• Weapons Program sabotage cost set to -1 Elites, sabotage amount to 5%
  
• Egg Fried Rice: Updated triggers to better match the correct conditions for Mao's son decision

EDITOR

• Standardized the use of editor terms for ease of usage, like De/Select, etc
  
• Matched terminology as it is used outside the editor, like war -> war zone
  
• Clarified the special field to be more succinct

OTHER

• Fixed an issue where theaters rendering in focus management could potentially cause game instability or crash
  
• Various memory optimization for the game
  
• Fixed some typos and minor issues with the text
  
• Pruned old flags and imagery

The French are glad to die for love,
They delight in fighting duels.
But I prefer a general who lives
to field these armored jewels.
Fighters or bombers are quite continental,
But tanks are a military man's best friend!

A deeper modernization is beginning as the Ministry of Defense initiates the design of a new tank as we implement a new set of decisions. A warm welcome to this week's development diary about the brand new decision chain for the tank weapons program with the equivalent on the US side!



Unlike unconventional research and development (the Space Race and Nuclear Technology) that is at your direct control in the State Affairs menu, conventional weapons development is under the control of the Defense establishments. They will recommend when needed, an overhaul of the tank models, represented by focuses in your terminal. The objective with all weapons program focuses is simple, with the stated goal to have the program reach 100% completion for the tank model to successfully enter service at the end of the timeline, granting you Victory Points.

The Military will love for nothing else then you picking these, providing one military interest to you each turn for your domestic politics and potentially fuelling research in unconventional tech.



Naturally, along the development cycle of anything new, there is always the chance that you discover something magnificent, like an experimental powertrain, turret and many more.



These can, of course, be used to upgrade your current design but will cause 10% of your progress being devoted to retrofitting them, potentially risking delays and the completion of the program before the focus ends. That said, if you know that this model is not going to be completed, you might as well just invest it all into the next coming model, instead of upgrading the one you already know is a failure.

These kinds of projects, with a lot of eyes and ears, and potentially loose lips, will have your opponent trying to benefit from or sabotage your development. Preventing you from reaching 100% completion on your weapons program will render your progress on anything but research breakthroughs valiant but ultimately wasted.



As the enemy's agents are at work, your opponent is given three crucial choices for all their discoveries:

1. Continue monitoring the developments - low risk, slowly increasing their knowledge of the program
   
2. Attempt to urgently acquire the blueprint - a 10% chance to gain the blueprints but yields no other knowledge otherwise
   
3. Attempt to sabotage your development - yields nothing in terms of advances towards a blueprint, but knocks off 10% of your progress

Should your enemy succeed in getting hold of your blueprint, they will get up to 25% ahead of the competition at the end of the focus as they get to keep a quarter of all their Research Breakthrough progress for THEIR next focus model.



Keep safe and make sure to TANK your scientists for their great work!

Mighty Cheers,
Leif 'Greatexperiment' Miler, Alfred 'Zeress' Frendo-Cumbo and Gellert 'GFK' Keresztes,

*********************************************************

Upcoming Development
I) ZHU DE: Marshal Zhu De, the founder of Communist China's mighty People's Liberation Army is making his entrance into the terminal. The red carpet has been prepared and his story-line has advanced into beta testing, undergoing final balancing.

II) People's interests decision chain is in the works for the USA faction and is in full production.

III) KIM IL-SUNG: A Communist Ideologue and Supreme Leader will rise to power like the living Sun to establish a People's Republic like never seen before and the first Communist dynasty. Or will his life be cut short and his reign curtailed by US regional power?

AI
NEW major update to the way the AI handles Leaders
AI now uses calculates and uses Leader abilities

GAME

• Garrisoning of forces after disarmament is now once more working properly
  
• Full review and rebalancing of The China Card scenario
  
• Fixed an issue where selecting Peng as a Policy for China would cause an error
  
• Fixed an issue where the first Maneuver with an Army Command of a two-step move would incorrectly not cost any PEOPLE
  
• Fixed an issue that would cause Press + Hold for 2 seconds to sometimes not function properly
  
• Fixed an issue where selecting the last focus in FOCUS MGMT would cause an exception

FOCUS

• NEW! Focuses can now yield specific effects outside just VP
  
• Expriging focuses will now be shown properly even for your own focuses, not just the enemies
  
• Fixed Focus checks being part of an ALL trigger, and thus unable to allow for two triggers to pass at the same time

POLICIES

• USA NEW! (Available if Mao's power grows to 15 or more) INEVITABLE SCHISM: ---CHINA, EAST ASIA. Set all USSR CONTROLLED regions to 2 USSR INFLUENCE.
  
• Removed the military cost for recruiting the Chinese liaison officers (Peng, Zhu, Lin)

DECISIONS

• Fully rebalanced the bonuses for the Chinese Civil War
  
• The China Card will now need to be completed in 9 turns, up from 5
  
• Setup completed in anticipation of the implementation of Zhu De
  
• Updated the Strident horse Decision chain regarding Mongolia
  
• Chinese Civil War decisions will now take into consideration the posture you've selected before firing giving you much more variation in outcomes (Arm/Disarm)
  
• Divided up the Chinese mainland battle into 4 zones (North,West, East, Taiwan)
  
• Added Decision for Rallying forces by Peng in the North
  
• Added Decision for Communist Tactical Victory added for Peng in Lanzhou and Ürümqi in western Muslim regions of China
  
• Red Dragon Rising narrative and narrative for the Chinese Civil War can now be triggered by focusing on The Death of John Birch, Taiwan Strait Crisis, Red Dragon Dance or The Great Leap Forward
  
• The Arrival of Generals will correctly take focuses into consideration
  
• Standardized the description text for Korean Character Cho Man-sik

EDITOR

• Fixed an issue where copying a decision in certain circumstances would cause an exception to be given by the game
  
• Updated the FocusTargetTheater creation to set the standard focus as North America (being the first theater)
  
• Decision with Display set to NONE will no longer show in-game Message log allowing for hidden decisions to work in the background

OTHER

• Updated the imagery for all China Card decisions

The nuclear deterrent is a key element of the Cold War. Fair to say, when playing multiplayer, we've noticed that humans tend to be more careful with nuclear tensions. As such we've been working hard on improving the AI response in this field and from now on, if you start pushing the AI into a corner a new system is getting into play - The AI-driven Apocalypse. The great equalizer of mutually assured destruction.



To start with, the AI isn't overly aggressive on launching nukes - no one would be, yet it's a lot more aware especially when cornered. The first step is that it will start to figure out and compare the size of the arsenals between itself and you, the so-called "missile gap". It also compares possible launch vehicles available for both you and for itself, along with regions most likely to be targetted. So think twice about what units you field, or not field.

Another thing the AI now keeps in mind is how the population will react (Interests Backlash) at the onset of launching a first-strike. After all, a good leader plans carefully for victory. Ultimately imagine how the world would look once nuclear winter sets in, as the AI sure will. Once the dust settles, a victory; even if it is a pyrrhic one is worth preparing for if provoked.



In each focus, where the Doomsday Clock is increasing and tension is in the air, MIRVIN will now consider carefully about pushing the big enticing red button. - "Alea iacta est" - the die has been cast. Also remember, if you push the AI too far and its future becomes increasingly bleak, it will and can, just as it's real life counterpart, prefer mutually assured destruction to a guaranteed total loss.

To remind you and give you a better overview of current standings, our engineers have equipped your terminal with an updated report at the end of each focus. Displaying all relevant progress towards victory make good use of it!



Where does that leave humanity? Is there a more peaceful future? It's up to you to find out as we hope you enjoy this MIRVIN update.

Best regards,
Lennart Berg

*********************************************************

Upcoming Development
I) WEAPONS PROGRAM: Looking to makes tanks? Have you always wanted a sweet T-72 or what about an M60 Patton? The tank weapons program has advanced into beta testing, undergoing final balancing.

II) ZHU DE: Marshal Zhu De, the founder of Communist China's mighty People's Liberation Army is making his entrance into the terminal. The red carpet has been prepared and his story-line is in full production.

III) People's interests decision chain is in the works for the USA faction.

AI

• NEW Major update to calculations for Nuclear Apocalypse in terms of scope and calculation
  
• AI now considers possible launching vehicles - nuclear triad
  
• AI more susceptible to tension and pressure for launching a nuclear war
  
• AI more likely now to conduct first-strike

GAME

• Updated the formatting of Save Games to better reflect it's content
  
• Added a warning system when you are about to deplete a domestic interest to more easily avoid Mismanagement
  
• Fixed an issue where Press and Hold 2 secs was not working as intended
  
• Fixed an issue where unit deployment (DEP) marker would not clear in certain situations
  
• Fixed an issue where Press and Hold 2 secs on the theater map in FOCUS MGMT would incorrectly not produce it's assigned notification
  
• Adjusted a People interest cost that would incorrectly be ignored when maneuvering an Army Command outside of your focus theater
  
• Adjusting wrongful sorting of units for procurement in State Affairs
  
• Fixed an issue where the Options between Warning and the logistics where not correctly separated
  
• Updated the Transit unit ability for Army Commands to correctly state that the ability is Passive

FOCUS

• During Focus selection and Arm/Disarm Posture selection the reions that are part of the selected focus' conditions now blink for easy identification
  
• Updated the Kalashnikov Comrades focus where it no longer requires Soviet presence in Yugoslavia
  
• Added Calderon's character power to Calderon's Return Focus
  
• Fixed an issue where selecting FOCUS MGMT when the last focus ends would cause an error

POLICIES

• Added the current value to the notification for easy overview of your characters
  
• Ferrer and Guardia Charac imagery has been added
  
• Condensed some character names with initials
  
• Updated Batista's, LeMay's and Molotov's characters
  
• Chiang Kai-shek is now a character
  
• Cho Man-sik , is now a character
  
• All character image names have been updated and standardized
  
• Changed Olympus has Risen from 131400 to 131401
  
• Harry Anslinger changed from 29041 to 130100
  
• Charles 'Lucky' Luciano changed from 29143 to 130200
  
• Sherman Fowler changed from 29040 to 130300
  
• Bill Summers changed from 29039 to 130400
  
• Larry Franks changed from 29038 to 130500
  
• Sergey Zakharin changed from 29488 to 230350
  
• Nikolai Avilov changed from 29487 tp 230450
  
• Veronika Avilova changed from 29472 to 230550
  
• Liliya changed from 29473 to 230650
  
• Vadim changed from 29474 to 230750
  
• Alan Gareau changed from 29032 to 130600
  
• Helen "Holly Rochs” Rochester changed from 29026 to 130700
  
• General Lester Dunford changed from 29027 to 130800
  
• James "Whizzy" changed from 29028 to 130900
  
• Kolya Ilyich Kuznetsov changed from 29475 to 230850
  
• Dima Orlov changed from 29486 to 230950
  
• Joseph Toll changed from 29476 to 231050
  
• Rodion Malinovsky changed from 29484 to 231250
  
• Robert McNamara changed from 29037 to 131000
  
• Yitzhak Rabin changed from 29544 to 131200
  
• Yasser Arafat changed from 29594 to 231350
  
• Ariel Sharon changed from 29543 to 131300
  
• Allen Dulles changed from 29035 to 131400
  
• John Foster Dulles changed from 29031 to 131700
  
• Patrice Lumumba changed from 29694 to 231550
  
• Arseny Zverev changed from 29483 to 231650
  
• Vasily Garbuzov changed from 29482 to 231750
  
• Alexei Kosygin changed from 29481 to 231850
  
• George C. Marshall changed from 29034 to 131500
  
• Joseph McCarthy changed from 29033 to 131600
  
• Zhou Enlai changed from 29893 to 231950
  
• Ivan Alexandrovich Serov changed from 29480 to 232050
  
• George F. Kennan changed from 29030 to 131800
  
• Panteleimon K. Ponomarenko changed from 29479 to 232150
  
• Yekaterina A. Furtseva changed from 29478 to 232250
  
• Pyotr N. Demichev changed from 29477 to 232350
  
• Rafael A. Calderón Guardia changed from 29194 to 232450
  
• José Figueres Ferrer changed from 29142 to 131900
  
• Anastasio Somoza Garcia changed from 29141 to 132000
  
• Clark Clifford changed from 29029 to 132100
  
• George Schultz changed from 29025 to 132300
  
• Henry Kissinger changed from 29024 to 132400

DECISIONS

• Corrected an issue where the weapons program would not fire correctly
  
• Renamed Zhu De decision chain content
  
• Peng Dehuai, Lin Biao and Zhu De assigned their new policy IDs
  
• Idi Amin decision chain has been updated

EDITOR

• Decisions with Display set to NONE will no longer be shown in the notification message log (but can still be found in the game log file)

OTHER

• Fixed an issue that was causing the faction text to be colored incorrectly

Ideologies, leaders and momentous decisions in a battle where Communism and Capitalism can transform the world, the Cold War is a politically incredibly rich and interesting period. It is a strategic chessboard that continuously evolves from one theater to another but with the added benefit that both players can, at any moment, wipe the board clean with a devastating nuclear apocalypse. This is both the challenge of the historical era and the beauty of playing a good historically plausible game.

In order to capture this unique blend of geopolitical brinkmanship, Terminal Conflict offers two mechanics under one name, Policies. One is for handling close advisors that bring with them a set of decisions, the so called Characs (short for off-map characters) and the other is for handling Ideas that improve certain aspects of your faction.

Selecting your focus is important as it plays out in a specific part of the world, a theater. Each theater in turn houses a maximum of three selected policies that have a role to play and you can easily see, strategize and substitute them as you see fit during your turn.

To find them, make your way to the FOCUS MGMT or THEATER COM and look in the bottom left corner, next to the interests gauges. Like here with Molotov, Orlov and Serov:



Notice that Characs, just like their on-map counterparts, Leaders, have a POWER value but are distinctly different. While leaders are always leading a foreign nation, are recruited into a designated region and possess powerful abilities that can be activated (such as Chinese Chairman Mao Zedong); Characters on the other hand are usually 'behind the curtains' domestic personalities or lower ranked officials. Without active abilities they only need to be selected to passively provide their assistance and be used (and depleted) to alter narratives and the course of chains of events (such as Chinese General Peng). Selecting him will trigger his Chinese Civil War chain of decisions and events, a chain playable in the China Card single player scenario.



Despite being lower in the hierarchy, remember that a nation is never better than its worst civil servant, so pick yours carefully. It also means Characs will react to your choices and will not like being replaced with other Characs or Ideas costing 3 of their power.

Ideas are part of the same Policy system but they work in a different way. Often, they are very powerful affairs, but once used, they are usually depleted as they provide a precise benefit that most of the time involves a cost and require players to weight different elements in play. As such, substituting an idea with another, or with a Charac, will permanently cause it to be lost.

Here is an example, again in the Eastern China theater:


The Rapprochement idea allows the American player to place a maximum of a whopping 6 influence, equal to the USSR/USA VP ratio. It is clear that this policy, mimicking Nixon move in 1972, has to be timed correctly for maximum effect, possibly considering how the rest of the confrontation is going on in the entire world.

For designing the Ideas we want to capture important moments, ideologies and turning-points that had a deep impact on the history of the 20th century. With Characs and their personalities, here too we aim for a historical plausibility and meaningful impact. Having them at your disposal as another tool in your strategic toolbox imbues the whole gameplay with a strong historical flavor and allows you to experience what it means to lead a superpower of the era.

Cheers,
Alfred 'Zeress' Frendo-Cumbo

*********************************************************

I) WEAPONS PROGRAM: Looking to makes tanks? Have you always wanted a sweet T-72 or what about an M60 Patton? The tank weapons program is on it's way to be finalized and balanced.

II) ZHU DE: Marshal Zhu De, the founder of Communist China's mighty People's Liberation Army is making his entrance into the terminal. The red carpet has been prepared and his story-line is in full production.

AI

• AI Invasion tweaks making the AI more competitive
  
• Fixed an issue where the AI would repeatedly withdraw units causing a crash in single player
  
• Fixed an issue where the AI would wrongfully try to do False Flag operations in Sea only regions

GAME

• New Charac system added, making them appear similar as policies in theaters. This replaces the old flag system that Characs used to used.
  
• When an enemy unit is detected in Theater Com a notification is given as well as a warning sound
  
• Fixed an issue causing withdraw to not remove units properly in certain situations
  
• Updated various notifications for Active and Selected policies
  
• Updated Unit movement notification for units blocked by Leaders and of Leader occupied notification

FOCUS

• Added Strategic Air Command for USA
  
• Added The International Bank for USA
  
• Updated Western Reconstruction to require People instead of Finance
  
• Updated the objectives of Sarawak Insurgency to requiring US regional control
  
• Fixed an issue where the Treaty of Sand Francisco incorrectly required a US Land/Air unit in two Japanese regions
  
• All focus conditions have been standardized
  
• Updated two Focus definitions

POLICIES

• New policy system added. Now you can only have up to 3 policies (Characs and/or Ideas) per theater selected. They can be swapped out for available ones at a cost; in the case of Characs they lose 3 power while cycled out ideas becomes lost.
  
• Idi Amin is now a US Charac that can evolve into a USSR Leader
  
• Added effects for Curtis LeMay
  
• Implement 20+ new Character images
  
• Fixed an issue where using POLITICAL REALIGNMENT would cause an error message and fixed a conditions that should be OR instead of AND
  
• Updated the Red Scare Policy to include McCarthy as selected Character
  
• Kennan has now been converted into a Charac for Scenario 7
  
• Added imagery for Yitzhak Rabin's Character
  
• Fixed an issue where the Red Dragon Rising and Red Dragon Dance policies in China would incorrectly only be available for singular use

DECISIONS

• Added KKE Operations decision to Greek Civil War
  
• Updated decision chain for Tito regarding the Greek Civil War in particular Balkanic Ambitions
  
• Added the possibility to spark Religious wars in Sub-Saharan African theater
  
• Updated various decisions in Scenario 8: The China Card
  
• Appointing Peng now also disable on Mao's death
  
• Updated the Cuban Revolution decision chains

EDITOR

• Fixed an issue that prevented Charac ID selection in the editor for Policy selected

OTHER

• Fixed various typos
  
• Fixed an issue where Southern UK had Unit icons and Influence incorrectly overlapping
  
• Pruned various duplicated art
  
• Fixed an issue where Selected Characs were darkened, instead of lit

As tension rose between the King's government and the Greek communist guerillas, civil war became inevitable. The echoes of gunfire reverberating in the hills and the olive groves, this could all have been so different.

Signing the Percentage Agreement with the Soviets, guaranteeing the United Kingdom a "90 % influence in Greece", the British army tried to disarm the Greek communist resistance movements. Lacking the funds to take care of the situation themselves, the UK government told the United States that they would withdraw financial help within six weeks. From that moment, the Americans became responsible for the situation in Greece.



It's at this point, the US starts to deal with the situation in various ways, including using the Mediterranean fleet to provide support to the Hellenic Army. Meanwhile, the reactions of Yugoslav Marshall Tito and of Moscow can dramatically change the situation.

The Yugoslav leader is eager to help the Greek Communist Party (KKE), dreaming of his own ambitions for the Balkans and turns to the USSR for support.



The Soviet Union must now chose between respecting the Percentage Agreement with the UK by keeping Tito occupied, sending the matter to the Cominform where it can be properly "debated"…or in better terms, delayed. The rise of Tito must not threaten the monopoly of the Soviet Party, represented in by the ELITES. They will be wary of Tito and support those opposing him.

Alternatively you can directly deploy Red Army troops in Greece in order to retake control of the situation, even if it can put your forces in Western Europe in an exposed forward position.

Letting Tito act, the situation can develop outside of Moscow's control, as in his quest for self reliance, Tito may agree to a Western peace plan and abandon the KKE. Then again, the Americans might choose to invade Yugoslavia in order to get rid of Tito altogether or perhaps, the good old fellow might slip in the shower assisted by some CIA concocted soap.



Achieving the latter option will all require strategic use of your on map troops or a lucky strike by using intelligence. As this process is a difficult one, accomplishing this objective within the focus turn limit will grant more victory points. Greece must not be forgotten however, otherwise that extra advantage would be entirely negated. Should Tito have been eliminated, however unlikely, Yugoslavia will still try to get involved but naturally from a Soviet point be much easier to control.





Once the Communists have secured Greece, the American will have to consider a tactical retreat. However they will also be offered the opportunity to make a come back and reconquer the country.



With the failure of the American counterattack, the Greek communists Yugoslav and Soviet forces can parade side by side in the streets of Athens.



This decision concludes the Communist side of the war. Should the Americans have deployed boots on the ground for the conflict, they will crush the forces of the KKE as the guerillas stand no chance without outside communist support.

Similarly, opposing the communists, the monarchist militias and Greek government will reconquer the country as long as the Americans are providing much needed support. At the end of the day the conflict will have to end and the region can finally be rebuilt. Fortunately for the Greek peasants, Missouri has a surplus of mules that can replace lost beasts of burden and kick-start the Greek economy.



For a full overview please see the following chart:


Best Regards,

William "Thiking_waffle" Bois d'Enghien

*********************************************************

POLICY SYSTEM: The update will bring more details into the improved policies. Besides the main character of on-map Leaders in the game, historical characters (off-map) are going to be making a grand entrance. McCarthy, Molotov, Batista are among some of the many awaiting to sway your favor.


AI

• Better management of disarmament INFLUENCE placement, turn estimate should be fixed for root ANY conditions
  
• Fixed an issue where the AI would not properly take some INFLUENCE issues into consideration
  
• Various AI selection improvements

GAME

• Corrected various victory conditions not rendering #EnemyFaction in their own color
  
• Added logic for policy replacement
  
• Added enemy detected sound effect
  
• Molotov related triggers updated in yEd
  
• A CHINA CARD: Scenario 8 updated with new text
  
• BALANCE OF POWER: Scenario 10 updated with new material

FOCUS

• Updated Focus Treaty of Osimo triggers now require only Presence instead of Control
  
• Updated the Free Territory of Trieste
  
• Corrected Sarawak Insurgency Focus to the right Theater

POLICIES

• Previously implemented policies have been updated
  
• Preparatory implementation of various Policy Characs

DECISIONS

• 'THE HAWKS NEST' - Added Government interests chain for USA
  
• Setup set for Chiang Kai-shek
  
• Chinese Civil War reorganized for Main Game
  
• Updated and standardized narrative decisions for Chinese Civil War
  
• Updated Zhu De decisions
  
• Updated decision chain for the Free Territory of Trieste
  
• Improved dynamics of the Greek Civil War
  
• Improved and shortened the narrative text for several decisions for the Greek Civil War
  
• Tito Decisions bonuses reordered for better overview
  
• Standardized effects not to grant more than 1 Turn / option as to not tilt the balance in favor of one faction to heavily

EDITOR

• ImmediateEffects for Characs fire when a Charac becomes Selected
  
• Added optionsl CharacPower property to Decisions
  
• Added PolicySelected, CharacPower decision Triggers
  
• Added ChangePolicySelected, ChangeCharacPower, SetCharacPower decision Effects
  
• Decision json now loaded in a single dictionary instead of being split up in decision/narrative/policy list
  
• Editor correctly references decision entries instead of creating new ones when f.e. accessiong decision IDs of already existing but edited decisions

OTHER

• Adjusted texts where turns are used for easy comprehension
  
• Fixed various typos

Barely have the guns fallen silent over Europe when a new conflict looms in the horizon. A very different one, one of proxy wars and infamous spheres of influences. A product of a way of thinking where might makes right and where the large powers decide the fate of the smaller ones.

Introducing Focuses in the game, we wanted to make this core mechanic communicate more clearly what is to come in terms of possible decisions, policies, leaders and more. Leading a superpower, each faction selects a focus and completing its objectives within a set of turns will earn you prestige in the form of Victory Points. Preventing the enemy from completing their focus can also be equally be rewarding.

Let's look, for example, at the Greek Civil War, one of the randomized starting points you can seek to embark on during the first timeline (1946-1950).



It all begins with the focus choice, the leftmost arrow-like shape, both for the USSR (in red) and for the USA (in blue). For "the Return of the King", the colored circle inside the focus's arrow-like shape indicates the interest that is involved the most (green for government).

In turn, they connect a web of black arrows linking events and possible outcomes depending on the choices you make. For this Focus, with Greece in the balance, the US objective is either to gain 3 influence and peace in Greece OR to get the USSR influence lower than 1 while stationing an American Army Command in the country. The USSR is fighting in the short term to prevent that, though thwarting this possibly short term US effort might not be part of their strategy. Sometimes it can be more rewarding to play the long game and use a short term opportunity to align conditions for something better down the line like the focus ‘Balkanic Ambitions’, should it be available in that timeline.

Hexagonal shapes represent narrative events that set the scene and provide both historical context and hints on the course of actions to take.

Rectangular shapes, on the other hand, are those decisions where you get to select between alternative courses of action.



Decisions alone are only a part of the picture. You will have to act on the field of battle, as to declare peace you need a mutual disarmament. Yet, arms races can be a quick option for making use of Army Commands, Fortify ability to increase your influence by one for the relatively cheap cost of 1 turn. Therefore, going for an Arms Race, declaring warzones, destroying enemy units and with Tito in the picture, the USSR gets another ace up its sleeve.



A seasoned general will tell you, focusing too much on a single zone means winning the conflict and losing the struggle. Remember that objectives are multiples as the different theaters still net you points for control at the end of each timeline. The Cold War is an exciting and interconnected affair and focuses are one of several excellent tools on your way to world domination; also remember there is always the option to make a feint and then move pieces for a mate on this nuclear chessboard

*********************************************************

This has been our biggest accomplishment yet in the history of developing Terminal Conflict. We hope to see you as we settle in for a wild Cold War ride that would make Dr Strangelove giggle of excitement.

With all the main features being in we would love to get feedback on the balancing as well as on the content and the main focus for our team next is the 'Greek Civil War'. Keep an eye on the news and expect a full development diary from William Bois 'Thinking Waffle' d'Enghien soon!

AI

• AI is now slightly less Assassination happy
  
• Made the AI slightly more likely to conduct naval invasions

GAME

• Victory/Defeat messages updated to a new format for easier reading
  
• Fixed an issue that gave players of certain Windows-OS locales huge changes to influence by effects
  
• Fixed an issue that caused 'End of Timeline' effects to perpetually stall the game in the timeline it was first fired in
  
• Fixed an issue that caused 'End of Timeline' effects to incorrectly apply to both factions
  
• Fixed the incorrect shortcut icon being used
  
• Fixed an issue where nukes would draw out of Africa when being launched out of the Arctic
  
• Fixed an issue where Algeria and Morocco had support from the incorrect faction
  
• Increasing POL to a level where friendly POL makes a region CONTROLLED will automatically trigger a warzone if a hostile Land/Air unit is present
  
• Fixed Interest values being only partially lit (needs verification)
  
• Fixed Doomsday tracker incorrectly displaying as 0 despite being maxed when navigating from FOCUS MGMT to the world overview
  
• Any focus that requires you have at least X of any interest now also require that you have Y or less of the counter-interest
  
• Fixed the notification for dual disarmament mentioning the doubling of turns
  
• Fixed an issue that caused the disarmament circles to draw in the new FOCUS MGMT screen
  
• Fixed the max turn counter not updating immediately if increased
  
• Fixed a rare issue where an exception would occur for specific flag notifications
  
• Fixed NOT being incorrectly appended to triggers & effects that have a custom description
  
• Save Games are now saved in LocalLow\StrategyMill\Terminal Conflict (or your OS equivalent)
  
• Fixed an issue that caused surrendering to not always grant a loss or win to the respective players
  
• Fixed an issue that causes the sound effect of all travelling nukes to play on top of each other if you skip the apocalypse
  
• Fixed an issue that was causing Out of Focus movement to cost 2 PEOPLE if a double move was done
  
• Added Click & Hold notification for focuses, stating the turn and interest gain for it

EDITOR

• Fixed an issue where several triggers did not consider THIS
  
• Adding a SetFlag trigger in the editor now presents of list of existing flags, instead of a field for typing
  
• Fixed Interest notification condition displaying #INTERESTNAME with incorrect target faction color
  
• Fixed Terminal Conflict configuration incorrectly called Arpanet2 Configuration. Please note that this will reset your resolution and window settings
  
• Fix to buttons not showing up properly in the editor

FOCUS

• Added new focus system, along with editor
  
• Focuses with 3 turns will now disappear from selection after that selection round. These focuses are indicated by their titles flashing and cycling with EXPIRING
  
• Focuses will decay at 3 per round of focus selection
  
• The above 2 points can be edited in GameVariables for modding
  
• Manually skipping a focus selection will reduce the amount of turns left on all of your faction's focuses by 3
  
• Added base focuses for all theaters
  
• Fixed Full Employment giving ELITE instead of the correct PEOPLE interest
  
• Fixed Ba'ath Party theater being WEEU instead of the correct MIEA
  
• Fixed Cultivate Relations mentioning CENTRAL AMERICA incorrectly
  
• Fixed several issues with focus conditions
  
• Updated PAIGC Rebellion Focus Image
  
• Several focuses and their related decision chains have had their triggers adjusted
  
• Fixed the incorrect interest being assigned to Building up the Party
  
• Fixed FocusMGMT not remembering your Focus/Theater choice
  
• Fixed an issue that caused 'Expiring' to flash too quickly for focuses
  
• US Grain sales now has its conditions split into USA and USSR, instead of using target ALL to avoid confusion
  
• Fixed Détente 501 missing a theater in its condition
  
• Fixed various typos

DECISIONS

• USSR PEOPLE interest crisis chain added
  
• USSR ELITES crisis chain added
  
• Plan of Partition chain now only triggers during a MIEA focus, instead of both MIEA and WEEU
  
• (WIP) Added USSR GOVERNMENT crisis to MainGame
  
• Made it so priority decisions now always display before other decisions on the same turn
  
• Fixed an issue where priority decisions would not fire on turn 1 if a unilateral disarmament occurred
  
• Fixed a typo in the Long Telegram (805) description
  
• Fixed Free Territory of Trieste chain firing after it has been dissolved
  
• Fixed an option in Political Favors 13354 that was extending past the decision box
  
• Added Return of the King decision chain
  
• Added Balkanic Ambitions decision chain
  
• Made several decisions now require a specific focus is chosen to start
  
• Fixed News portion of decisions being in the incorrect color in certain cases
  
• Fate of Germany chain now only triggers if the Focus 'Soviet Reparations 456' or 'Building up the Party 451' is chosen
  
• Many other decision chains that would fire immediately at the start of the game have now been attached to their relevant focus, similar to the one above
  
• Fixed an issue in the Fate of Germany decision chain where multiple, different versions of duels of fate could fire at the same time
  
• Fate of Germany 5358 now can also trigger from Treaty of Zgorzelec 454 and An Iron Curtain 458
  
• Greek Civil War Implemented
  
• Tito now properly set up and activated by Brotherhood of Unity
  
• Softcoding code has been optimized

SINGLE PLAYER

• Added missing decision flags in various scenarios
  
• Fixed most issues with Wargames not working as intended after the new Focus System implementation
  
• Added the Focus Image for Scen. 8

MULTIPLAYER

• Fixed an issue that could cause the UI to display as the incorrect faction during matchmaking
  
• Fixed the challenge mode connection counter incorrectly freezing when it runs out
  
• Fixed an issue that caused the timeout notification to incorrectly appear as soon as you attempt to connect in MP
  
• Fixed an issue that caused the winner of match to not get a victory screen when the defeated player quit out of the game during focus selection

LINUX

• (Linux) Fixed an issue that caused sound to not play correctly
  
• (Linux) Fixed an issue that caused the configuration to not display properly
  
• (Linux) Fixed the incorrect architecture being used for builds

OTHER

• Fixed a typo in MIRVIN's introduction
  
• Fixed Interest values being only partially lit
  
• Changed the shortcut to open the console from \ to ^
  
• Various other smaller bug fixes

During a speech when all were expected to stand, a small group of PEOPLE failed to do so. Security forces immediately dealt with the threat and once more it turned out to be a number of desperate citizens. The organizers apparently fled the scene and are at large but authorities reassure the populace that the proper order will be restored and justice will prevail.

*********************************************************
SUBJECT: The Joker

From: The Committee for State Security (KGB)

We previously noted these malcontents as a source of trouble. It seems we were too cautious after all. Once more, it might be worth bothering with them. General Secretary, we're ready to deal with the matter as you see fit.

*********************************************************

Having a little fun here, but the point of the matter is that from this week forward you need to be as careful with your PEOPLE interests as the USSR. They will no longer be as forgiving regarding your tussle for domestic political dominance.

Speaking of interests, we've introduced a lot of fixes to help improve the game as well as a new standard for Decisions that make them easier to overview and understand.



Discover the flavor and the story-lines with a format and a setup that is easier to read, follow and act upon.



Domestic Policy chains have also been updated to new standards to match. We hope you will enjoy the hard work by Leif "Greatexperiment" Miller, Jonathan "Indyclone77" Bagley, William "Thinking_waffle" Bois d'Enghien and Alfred "Zeress" Frendo-Cumbo Jr. and the softcoding department.

As for a sneak peek towards what is in production next, you simply need to look back a development diary for a solid clue. Focus Management, I'm looking at you!

This is Early Access at it's finest and it is confirmed for those wondering, a New Minister of Culture being added in on the Soviet Side - Panteleimon Kondratyevich Ponomarenko, so keep an eye out for him and others in upcoming Development Diaries.

I hope you enjoy your Terminal Thursday today!

Signed,
THE DONALD

(March 27th, 2019 - April 11th, 2019):

AI

• Fixed AI being able to move reorganizing units

GAME

• Saving a game no longer triggers a win/loss screen
  
• Fixed winner not getting the game over screen
  
• Fixed the length of the DLC enabling decisions to fit better
  
• Uruguay's political affiliation is no longer a secret to the world and can be seen as normal in Theater Com
  
• Fixed 'Consumer of Last Resort' not appearing for player's without DLC
  
• Save games and profiles are now saved in the correct folder. This will cause both of these to reset (we apologize for any possible loss of previous save games).
  
• Fixed an issue where retreating units were being able to attack

EDITOR

• Fixed various issues in the editor to streamline the UI

Decision

• Domestic Policy chains are much easier to follow with the ease of identification and on which domestic interests behalf
  
• New standard to make it easier to overview and understand decisions implemented

Multiplayer

• No longer able to accidentally start a scenario in a CM queue

Policy

• Fixed 'Northern Neighbors' having the wrong icon
  
• Fixed Icon for 'Purging the Apparatchiks
  
• Various policy adjustments

Scenarios

• Various updates and bug fixes for SCN 7, SCN 8 and SCN 10
  
• Fixed an issue where the interface was blocked in SCN 8

Other

• Fixed a bug that was causing errors when sending troops across theaters from Central European - Eastern Zone to Central European - Western Zone
  
• Fixed an issue caused when Nehru is recruited
  
• Fixed an issue where John F. Kennedy's ponies were on separate line in the archives.

Rumors intercepted by the Committee for State Security (KGB) mentions that generals participating in the coming May Day Parade are plotting to overthrow the government in order to restore the position of the army. The business of waving to the crowds can be risky, with so many armed men and the ambition of those of rank on visit to the capital. The power of celebrations, amusement or dread and fear? In our glorious Soviet Union, there can be a world of difference between the fine line of May Day night and that of the second day morning after.

The USSR Military has finally taken their prominent seat at the table of power. Strike a balance to avoid a military takeover and command the interests of the powerful Military to triumph.

Say what? Life getting in the way of Geopolitical mastery? No longer!



We're happy to bring out the second phase of the save game feature as save games are now available starting this build in Terminal Conflict. Play any single player game in Wargames Mode, take a break and the pick up at the turn where you left off.

Being an Ironman feature the game doesn't allow for manual saving, instead it will save at the end of each turn. Being in development, we hope to get as much feedback on it as possible, as to make the feature flawless. The plan is to roll out the save game in three phases and thus the tinkering at the toy-shop is already diligently working towards implementation for multiplayer games.

In addition, we've greatly expanded the availability of policies and polished them further and changed their role as all policies are from now on single use with no cool downs. In return more will be made available, to highlight one much sought for policy on the Soviet side:

PURGING THE APPARATCHIKS: Spend 3 GOVERNMENT to block your opponents next activated Policy.

Also, we're eagerly implementing certain key domestic US and Soviet political figures as policies. Expect more details in the coming weeks as the Design team finishes its review of Policies and FocusMGMT. Check out the latest screenshots and make your voice hear!

Now we are actively working on the coming major update of the Focus Management, which will introduce OBJECTIVES to the Focuses! For a taste of what that might look like take a sneak peak at these mock-ups and leave us a comment on what you would like to see on the Steam Forums!

A)


B)


C)



GAME

• SAVE GAME FEATURE (implemented)
  
• Linux: fixed an issue where the Linux version of the game could not be launched. This is due to the 32-bit support having phased out in order to accommodate the 64-bit.
  
• Unity Version updated to 2018.3.9f1 for better stability and performance

Units

• Fixed an issue where movement with Submarine Fleets could be exploited for having been to the ARCTIC

Fog of War

• Fixed an issue where Submarines could potentially give away the position of otherwise hidden units.

Decisions

• Flower Power decisions now added to the start up decisions
  
• You can now add the ability to show unit sprites in decision/narrative decisions Example:
  #USAARMYCOMMANDNAME (shows USA: Army Command Icon + "ARMY COMMAND" text)
  
  #USSRARMYCOMMANDNAME (shows USSR: Army Command Icon + "ARMY COMMAND" text)
  
• Fixed an issue where the Master Menu did not properly activate it for DLCs.
  
• Fixed various Bug fixes
  
• Updated Typo Fixes

Notifications

• Printing speed made faster throughout the game making the overview a lot quicker.
  
• Updated how Army Commands are marked when being offloaded from

Hi there Terminal Conflict fans! My name is Simon J Donovan and I am one of two Music Composer's working with Strategy Mill. I joined the team to give life, musically, to some of the world leaders in the game.

Thomas Edison has said that "Genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration". I think this quote very much applies to music composing. I have started tons of pieces that I couldn't finish, but looking back at them I found that I was trying new ideas/orchestrations/devices that I hadn't tried yet. This is a really important and often very frustrating part of the whole process during your formative years, but stick with it. You're assimilating everything you have listened to, everything you have been influenced by and trying to make it your own.

I was born in Dublin, Ireland and currently reside in the Bay Area, California. My passion for music started when my Dad introduced me to the guitar at a young age and all the great movie & TV themes of the 80's, from Star Wars to Star Trek, from The A-Team to Knight Rider. Further musical exploration ensued when I started to listen to the great Classical Music composers. It revealed to me the power of the orchestra and it's living & breathing ability to express so many different emotions. Some of my favourites, were Tchaikovsky, Dvorak, Vaughan Williams & Aaron Copland. A few years later my exploration of the guitar continued when I started playing in friends' bands, steeping myself in Rock, Progressive Rock & Metal. I had the music of Guns n' Roses, Soundgarden, Nirvana, Metallica, Steve Vai & Joe Satriani on full blast!

I also have a background in Computer Science and I am fascinated by the interactive side of music in games and the different implementation techniques.There is a definite resemblance between the logical and iterative processes needed to code and to create an audio experience.

Being a part of the team at Strategy Mill has been a tremendous experience. It has given me some great insight into the extraordinarily talented individuals & dedication that goes into creating a video game and the exhaustive array of skills that are needed to make it all happen. This opportunity has not only given me the chance to recreate parts of some of the great national anthems that have been written throughout history, but also explore some world music, from the percussive drums & tribal chanting of Africa to the soulful red hot Latin beats of South America.

Let me give you some examples directly from the game:

This was a fun challenge in transcribing from ear. I personally couldn't find any written score of the Yugoslavian anthem, but I did find a US Brass Band version of it on YouTube. I first got a general idea of what time signature it was in and then started transcribing the instruments (working from outer voice to inner) as best I could. I think it turned out great. It's a really strong, proud piece of music.

Listen to Tito's Soundtrack


This piece was influenced by The Peronist March, "Hail Peron", but the goal was to go with a flamenco, gypsy style for this leader. So I went primarily with guitar to provide the Spanish flamenco flair for the harmony & melody and a bit of Palmas (flamenco hand clapping) to provide some rhythm.

Listen to Peron's Soundtrack


This turned out to be my favourite track. I had never had a chance to write some Cuban Latin music. I went for a cha-cha-cha vibe with the percussion first and then proceeded to improvise over the percussion loop filling in the harmony first with the guitar and then a little melodic flair over that with the trumpets.

Listen to Che's Soundtrack

I look forward to hear what you, think of the audio of Terminal Conflict as I can confirm that each leaders' story-line (just like Mao and Tito currently) will start with their personal tune. It's all part of you getting to know their character and personality.

This is all part of a major updates under way of the FOCUS Management and the way Characters function in the game. (COMING SOON)


GAME

• Enhanced Wargames Scenario 1 - Land Combat is now more informative
  
• Fixed an issue that was preventing the game from launching properly in Linux
  
• Added 'The Big Picture' Scenario - (COMING SOON)
  
• SaveGame Feature rolled out for Beta testers (COMING SOON)

UNITS - ARMY COMMAND

• Added ability MILITARY INTELLIGENCE(Passive): Detects enemy LAND/AIR in adjacent regions when not REORGANIZING
  
• Added ability REDEPLOY: May move 1 extra time when moving through friendly CONTROLLED or DOMINATED region

DECISIONS

• Fixed an issue where US historical Character Anslinger was not getting the correct bonuses
  
• Fixed an issue where Israeli leader Ben-Gurion's abilities would not be properly removed by Soviet support
  
• Implemented a new standard for Decisions. Important elements are now more easy to overview
  
• Fixed an issue where victory would not trigger after achieving 50% control in Wargames Grand Campaign
  
• Fixed several minor issues that could cause the player to be stuck in dialogue with MIRVIN

IN-GAME MANUAL

• The Manual has improved navigation and can more easily be available to the player in the Grand Campaign
  
• Population with imagery has started to clarify even further the game concepts described and more will be added
  
• Expanded the manual with chapters covering all units

TOOLTIPS AND NOTIFICATIONS

• Surrender Option changed to Quit to facilitate the UI for Save Game implementation
  
• Updated notification for Bomber and Fighter Missions
  
• Added tooltips for main menu
  
• Adjusted printout speed of notifications
  
• Fix for Challenge Mode notification
  
• Theater Influence Percentage notification denotes #VALUE with a percentage symbol to better distinguish it from the Theater Influence
  
• Fixed an issue where a capital being moved did not have its text properly colored

The report has been dropped discretely with an little known reporter of a local paper. Whatever happens next, it is clear that the wheels of justice are now in motion. This had to come from someone within close ties to the Administration. Sometimes two words can be the most powerful staying power in politics - "No comment".



That's right folks, we've unleashed the powers of the Elites Interests upon the US Administration, as a player you now have to be a little more careful in your dealings with the Elites. Having too much or too little Elite Interests will now rock the Administration and may leave you with an untimely exit from the world stage.

It is now up to you, to best strike the balance and steer the domestic interests of the United States to enable a foreign policy victory over your Soviet foes.


Here at the Mill we've taken feedback in the way we present information to you the players and we think in regards to the Fog of War and Passive abilities we've made a few changes in hopes it will be clearer what we are trying to convey within the game.

The Army Command now has a passive ability called 'MILITARY INTELLIGENCE' which allows the Command to Passively detect LAND/AIR commands in adjacent regions so long as the unit isn't REORGANIZING or WITHDRAWING. So as long as the unit is READY and/or ENGAGED, it will be able to provide military reconnaissance of neighboring regions.
Enemy units can be (a)UNDETECTED, (b)DETECTED or (c)IDENTIFIED and what that means for you:

• (a)UNDETECTED : Not visible in your Terminal
  
• (b)DETECTED : Represented by Diamond marker
  
• (c)IDENTIFIED : Visible Enemy Unit Icons will be display in your Terminal

Signing off,

THE DONALD and the Terminal Conflict team


GAME:

• Various Bug fixes
  
• Updated Typo Fixes
  
• Fixed an issue preventing Submarine Fleets from leaving the Arctic
  
• Fixed various issues with the Editor
  
• SAVE GAME FEATURE (Coming Soon)

Game Rules:

• Strike & Bombing Mission renamed to Fighter & Bomber Mission respectively
  
• Added Military Intelligence Ability to Army Command MILITARY INTELLIGENCE(Passive): Detects enemy LAND/AIR in adjacent regions when not REORGANIZING
  • When a unit is ENGAGED, they are active in the region combating an enemy unit they will no longer become UNDETECTED
• Redefinition - Enemy units status from now on can be:
  • (a)UNDETECTED : Not visible in your Terminal
    
  • (b)DETECTED : Represented by Diamond marker
    
  • (c)IDENTIFIED : Visible Enemy unit icons will display in Terminal

Decisions:

• DLC Policy Selection Decision 'Master Menu' should now always fire on turn 1, instead of on 2 and 3
  
• 'Duel of Fates' now grants 2 Finance, instead of taking two, for option 2
  
• Improve & make consistent older Narrative Decision descriptions

Scenarios:

• Scenario 1 overhaul (Coming Soon)

USA:

• USA Elites: The Special Council (Elite Interest Mismanagement)
  
• McCarthy is now activated along with Dulles during Olympus has Risen, to allow the usage of Red Scare for the USA

USSR:

• The USSR no longer gets access to Socialist Fraternity on Turn 1, and must unlock it as normal in CEAM (Central America)