The Battle of Polytopia - Zoythrus™

"Where do Polytopians go when they die? No one knows for sure, but the Vengir believe that souls of the dead pass through the Gate of Power to Hirkthr, the Underworld. To remember their fallen, the Vengir hosts a huge Skull Party where they wear the cranium of their favorite relative."

Hello Polytopians,

In this post, we’d like to tell you more about the Vengir! Pushed into the wastes by their peers, the Vengir have been festering on their rage, pain, and hate for many years, waiting for the time to strike back! Armed with swords, savage Rhino-Pigs, and their fanatic adoration of combat, the Vengir have called together their war bands to take back what they deem to be theirs.

They ride the ravenous Rhino-pig:


And eat the toxic Thxando Mushrooms:


The Vengir begin the game with the “Smithery” technology, and start with a Swordsman instead of a Warrior. This Swordsman, as well as the power to train more from the start, outclasses the starting units of any other tribe in the early game. This, of course, is balanced out by their starting terrain, which has much lower rates of early resources in exchange for larger amounts of advanced resources.



Rush and Pillage! The Vengir excel at early conquest, and can easily get the jump on tribes who have the misfortune of starting adjacent to them. The Vengir are designed to snuff out weak neighboring tribes, then use their lands and resources to fuel their war machine, further slaughtering their fellow Polytopians all the way to victory. Although, on the flip side, they can easily run out of steam if countered early on, as the wastelands they begrudgingly call home can’t foster much of an economy without support from conquered lands.

If you like a tribe that is fueled by brutality and a need for vengeance, or simply want to help the underdog win for once, then the Vengir are the tribe for you!

-Zoythrus
Oct 29, 2020
The Battle of Polytopia - MidjitooDesktop
It’s the spookiest time of year again, and we’d like to highlight some of that spookiness that goes on in The Battle of Polytopia this time of the year.

First, to celebrate the start of the Steam Halloween sale, from the 29th of October to the 2nd of November, we’re putting the game on sale! At a 35% discount, this is a great time to pick up the game or any DLC you’re missing!

In addition to the sale, you can help the Vengir celebrate their mysterious Skull Party by building the Gate of Power, which will allow your troops to decorate themselves with the skull masks they brought from home just for this very special occasion! This can be activated throughout the entire month of November!

This Vengir Skull Party event only applies to the Steam Moonrise edition, and will be temporary, so make sure you don’t miss out!
The Battle of Polytopia - Zoythrus™
Hey Polytopians!

Just a small changelog today fixing a few small issues!

-Zoythrus

Changelog:
- Added ability to see pending friends in the player picker
- Various bug fixes
The Battle of Polytopia - Zoythrus™
Hey Polytopians!

Just a small changelog today fixing a few small issues!

-Zoythrus

Changelog:
- Fixed an issue causing Kickoo to sometimes spawn with only one fish
- Fixed an issue with some tasks not updating upon completion
- Improved the replay experience when playing the same game on multiple devices
- Various bugfixes and improvements
The Battle of Polytopia - Zoythrus™

"When the reigning Quetzali 'All-Feather' dies or resigns, a successor is chosen through the Tichitelxi Ceremony. With offerings of food in hand, Quetzali children hope for selection by the Bird Gods - a shimmer of light from the Pillar of Ixquezel at the Temple of Ixte'wop."

Hello Polytopians,

In this post, we’d like to tell you more about the Quetzali! The Quetzali are a pious people devoted to the will of the Bird Gods and the defense of their cubistic jungles. Even though they adopt an outward policy of security and diplomacy, they are more than willing to lift their shields and ride their Qui-Qui birds into battle at a moment's notice!

They ride the fleet-footed Qui-Qui:


And eat the ever-reliable Qorn:


The Quetzali begin the game with the “Shields” technology and start with a Defender instead of a Warrior. The Shields technology allows them to train more Defenders from the start and gives them a defensive leg up on their competition. With the large amount of forests in their territory and access to Defenders, the Quetzali excel at entrenchment.



Defenders are slow, but work as a mobile wall, and are able to function as a frontline defense for your weaker units, such as Archers or Mind Benders. While they might not be great on offense, their high HP and defensive value can work wonders for you if they’re positioned properly. Another, often overlooked benefit of Defenders is how effective they are for use in a navy. Since naval units use the HP of their base unit, and Defenders have 15HP, they’re a cheap unit to build sturdy boats with.

If you like a tribe that can hold any line they choose, or just want to spend your life surrounded by the majesty of birds, then the Quetzali are the tribe for you!

-Zoythrus
The Battle of Polytopia - Zoythrus™
Let’s Talk About Moonrise on Mobile
You might be wondering, “Where is the Mobile Moonrise update?” We thought it’d be a good time to talk a bit about our plans for the near future.

Moonrise…but on your phone!
Even before the success of the recent Moonrise release on Steam, we’ve been talking about bringing all of the new, spiffy features onto your mobile devices, replacing the game you have now with this newer, shinier version. We are working very hard to complete this, as we want everyone to experience the cool new features, like random matchmaking, the new Creative mode, larger maps, and mirror matches.

Why is it taking so long?
The main challenge lies in figuring out all of the minor details related to getting the game to work well on mobile. Compatibilities, bugs, optimization, stability, migrations, and all other sorts of these nitty-gritty aspects. While they might be small, they are numerous, and working out the multitude of these issues simply takes time - sometimes longer than initial estimates.

Our tentative plan is a release during 2020, barring any sort of freak events, like a Gaami invasion or a spontaneous Ai-Mo festival in the office.

And what about the future?
During the times where we all have to wait for an update, we’re regularly asked “Is this game still being updated? Are we getting new content?” The answer is simple - yes! We’ve got some pretty cool things in store that we’re excited to show you, such as the new “Diplomacy” technology after “Shields”, improvements to multiplayer functionality, reworks, a new tribe, and tons of other stuff we can’t talk about yet! While these new features won’t be in the Moonrise update, they will follow afterwards, as we’d like to make sure that the new update works flawlessly before we start sticking in new stuff. Big patches like this one are all about establishing a new, solid foundation - one that we’ll build a nice, pretty house on top of.

We know that waiting is hard, but we can assure you that great things are coming. Moonrise will usher in a new age for Polytopia - one more accessible, fun, and amazing than ever before! The wait will pay off, and before you know it, you’ll be partying on Massive Dryland maps and navigating the chaos of a 15 player Quetzali match, all from your phone!

Is there a place to get my other Moonrise questions answered?
Well, my friend, I’m glad you asked! Our Moonrise FAQ has been updated with common questions relating to the mobile update, so we encourage you to check it out by clicking this link!

-Zoythrus
The Battle of Polytopia - Zoythrus™
Hello everyone! We've got a new list of patchnotes!

By popular demand, we've increased metal and mountain rates across the board, as well as helped out Xin-Xi and Quetzali by providing them more metal. Please tell us what you think of this change in the comments!

-Zoythrus

Bug Fixes:

- Added map type to game summary and tribe picking
- Fixed an issue that enabled Navalons to capture unowned villages
- Fixed an issue that caused the replay to continue playing behind popups
- Fixed an issue with underflowing currency when upgrading a city beyond level 10
- Fixed an issue where players became a bot’s tribe in multiplayer
- Fixed kick/resign related issues
- Various UI and crash fixes


Balance Changes:

General:
- Mountain spawn rate increased: .15 -> .2
- Metal spawn rate increased: .5 -> .85

Xin-Xi:
- Mountain spawn rate increased: 1.5 -> 2
- Metal spawn rate increased: 1 -> 1.5

Quetzali:
- Metal spawn rate increased: .1 -> 1

The Battle of Polytopia - Zoythrus™

"The Hoodrick are known throughout the Square for their baked goods. Quissberries can be made into pies, cobblers, tarts, fritters, breads, jams, and a multitude of other delightful confections, and even their enemies have to agree that no one can bake like the Hoodrick."

Hello Polytopians,

In this post, we’d like to tell you more about the Hoodrick! The Hoodrick are crafty folk known for their skills with a bow. When they’re not baking cakes and taming Hooxe, they’re sending a rain of arrows upon unsuspecting foes!

They ride the hardworking Hooxe:


And eat the delicious Quissberry:


The Hoodrick begin the game with the “Archery” technology and start with an Archer instead of a Warrior. The Archery technology provides them with the ability to train more Archers as well as a defensive bonus for all units in forests. Having ranged units and plenty of forests means that the Hoodrick are often very difficult to siege.



With the power to make Archers immediately, the Hoodrick can easily outrange early enemies and use those Archers as support for stronger units later on. Also, due to their terrain having a strong bias for forests, on top of the easily defendable spots, the Hoodrick have some additional versatility if they can manage to research the Forestry technology as well.

If you want a tribe that can snipe their enemies from miles away, or just want a peaceful life munching on sweets under the shade of a tree, then the Hoodrick are the tribe for you!


-Zoythrus
The Battle of Polytopia - Zoythrus™
Hello Polytopians!

We've gotten some concerns about the game not functioning properly, and so we're releasing a patch that should correct these issues. If you're still having graphical glitches or other errors, please inform us in the Steam discussions.

-Zoythrus

Changelog:
- Fixed an issue that could prevent the game from loading some graphical assets and sprites
- Fixed an issue that enabled destroying and rebuilding of monuments
- Various replay improvements
- Various UI improvements
Aug 11, 2020
The Battle of Polytopia - Zoythrus™


"The Mausoleum at Ojibake is the final resting place of Mubehasi the Undefeated, the legendary leader of the Oumaji hordes and unifier of the Seven Oumaji Clans. The nearby tower holds the records of their mighty reign, and ensures that the memory of Mubehasi lives on in the hearts of all Oumaji."

Hello Polytopians,

As our last weekly update for a little while, we’d like to tell you more about the Oumaji! The Oumaji are desert nomads famous for their Shebron husbandry and skill in the saddle. Known for their penchant for lightning-fast raids and guerilla tactics, the Oumaji are a formidable foe.

They ride the enduring Shebron:


And eat the nutritious Sajaa cactus:


The Oumaji begin the game with the “Riding” technology, which provides them with a free Rider instead of a Warrior and the ability to train more from the game’s start. Since Riders have the Escape skill, hit-and-run tactics are the bread-and-butter of early Oumaji strategy.



With the power to make Riders immediately, the Oumaji have an unprecedented ability to scout around the nearby land and capture cities faster than anyone else. Of course, due to how the costs of new technologies will rise with every city, you have to be careful to not back yourself into a corner where you can’t purchase any more.

If you want a tribe that lives a fast-paced life in the saddle, or just want a peaceful life resting in the shade of an oasis, then the Oumaji are the tribe for you!


-Zoythrus
...