The moment you've all been waiting for - Diplomacy! It needs no drumroll or further hype because it is finally here! This update adds a whole new technology to research, which finally makes the entire tech tree symmetrical (and adds Diplomacy stuff, of course)!

So, regardless of whether you've been following our posts on Diplomacy or this news is completely new to you, we'd like to give a quick rundown on what this technology adds.


Become friends with former enemies…until one of you calls it quits. Teammates cannot attack one another and can share roads.

With Tribe Relations systems, players can evaluate which tribe they can become friends with. Colored bubbles offer detailed explanations of what the tribes think of them.

View the location of the Capital City of any tribe you’ve encountered. Capital Vision will also take effect when players meet someone new, thus aiding them in making tactical decisions.

Diplomatic buildings which can only be built in other tribes' capitals when players are not at war with them. Embassies reveal the surrounding eight tiles and provide monetary rewards every turn, with greater rewards between allies.

These infiltration specialists are trained in the arts of subterfuge and clandestine operations and arrive armed with two new abilities: Stealth and Infiltrate. Cloaks are invisible to enemy units until they perform an action, and using them to infiltrate a city will create a horde of Daggers!

Rebels incited to action by the Cloak to attack an enemy city. Daggers are the ultimate surprise attack, guerrilla warfare units, meaning enemies won’t retaliate when they pounce.

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With that being said, we're also doing a 25% discount on the game and all DLC! Yep, a full 25% discount!!!! If you were looking for a good time to get the game or some DLC, this is the time!

Now, what are you waiting for? The Update is probably fully downloaded on your device by now, so now you have no excuse not to play it....unless it isn't done yet or you were hoping to see the proper changelog, which we've posted below:

New Diplomacy Tech:
- Peace treaties, create alliances with bots & players
- Cloak Units, invisible to enemies, can infiltrate cities and create Daggers
- Dagger Units, used to assault cities
- Embassy, built in players' capitals, income for both
- Capital Vision - see all capitals
- Tribe Relations - see what your friends think of you

Balancing:
-Clear Forest moved to Forestry, earning 1 star instead of 2
-Knights hp reduced from 15 to 10, price reduced to 8 stars
-Kiton hp reduced to 15
-Swamp provides 1 population again
-Smarter & more fun bots

This unmoving countdown represents the time when Diplomacy is going to be released to you, the public, but relative to some point in the near past when we simply screenshotted the promotional webpage!

Yeah, you heard us right, we're finally releasing Diplomacy! After YEARS of development, Diplomacy will move out of beta and right to your fingertips (or cursor-tips, if you're on Steam) regardless of whether or not you were in the beta!



When was this countdown counting down to? Some point in the near future!!!! We'll also be closing the beta program for Steam at that time, too.

If you want to see the moving, real time countdown to Diplomacy, as well as the rest of the snazzy things on our promotional webpage, just head to https://polytopia.io/diplomacy

Already in the beta or just want someone to talk to about this? Head to our official Discord by clicking this sentence!

-Zoythrus

Hello Polytopians!

You might have noticed two recent updates for the beta, and we'd like to give you some more details on what they entail.

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Update 2.2.0.7514

This build doesn't contains replays

- Chopping was moved to Forestry tech
- Update Daggers graphics
- Improved AI behaviour
- Added info button in Riots messages
- Update broken peace and destroyed embassy popups
- Added "Hostile" state when peace is broken
- Added info popup when player cannot establish embassy or send peace treaty
- Removed diplomacy actions from bottom menu, now they are only available in tribe info popup
- Adjust animations when placing and destroying embassies
- Invisible cloaks are not revealing by splash attacks now
- Prevent possible diplomatic contacts with nature
- Update camera zooming when revealing player's capitals
- Other UI improvements

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Update 2.2.0.7703 (the current version)

- Added diplomacy translations
- Added new message when get peace offer from unknown tribe
- Added touch feedback on all sliders
- Small UI improvements in Game Stats screen
- Improved relation buttons appearance
- Improved tribe button appearance
- Improved Tribe Info popup
- Improved Elyrion names
- Improved detect skill design
- Fixed attacking players right after breaking the peace

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Remember, if you'd like to test Diplomacy, just use the beta access code "TestDiplomacy"!

-Zoythrus

"The Luxidoorian Emperor always sets the “hottest fashion” which all Luxidoorians try to emulate, even if it’s impractical in the hot sun. The current Emperor prefers turbans, but the last one loved shawls"

Hello Polytopians,

It's the Luxidoor Tribe Moon, a whole month dedicated to celebrating the Luxidoor, our favorite money-grubbing snobs!

Not enough Luxidoor in your life? We're having discounts on all Luxidoor merchandise at https://shop.midjiwan.com until May 31st!

Now, tell us what you think about the Luxidoor in the comments!

P.S. Thanks for the art, Beauxtron!

-Zoythrus

“I have no friends, so I’ll have to make my own!” thought a lonely ∑∫ỹriȱŋ citizen to themself before enchanting a unicorn into the first Polytaur. Ever since, Polytaurs have been a beloved part of ∑∫ỹriȱŋ society, often as cuddly companions, cheap labor, or steadfast soldiers.

Hello Polytopians,

It's the ∑∫ỹriȱŋ Tribe Week, a whole week dedicated to celebrating the ∑∫ỹriȱŋ, our tree loving friends!

Besides giving the ∑∫ỹriȱŋ some love, we're also donating proceeds from purchases of the ∑∫ỹriȱŋ toward planting some trees and saving the planet! (If you've already bought them, you can donate here.)

Not enough ∑∫ỹriȱŋ in your life? We're having discounts on all ∑∫ỹriȱŋ merchandise at https://shop.midjiwan.com until April 22nd!

Now, tell us what you think about the ∑∫ỹriȱŋ in the comments!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/982201/The_Battle_of_Polytopia__ri_Tribe/

P.S. Thanks for the art, Aetholis1!

-Zoythrus

Hello Polytopians!

We’ve got a relatively small update for you that should (hopefully) improve the multiplayer experience! So, without further ado, let’s talk about these new features.

With this update, we’re adding “Boot Camp”, a tutorial to help new players understand the basics of the game. While not exactly an in-depth look at the game, this tutorial goes through how to harvest resources and train units. It will be the first game you play when you first install Polytopia, but can be played again by going to “New Game” > “Boot Camp”.


Now, friends who are currently playing Polytopia will have a small green dot next to them, so that you can see who is actually going to respond to the myriad of game invites you plan to send them.



And to make this multiplayer invite spam easier, you can now start a game from their friend profile, which will start a match and automatically add them to it.



As you can see, the friend profile has been expanded to show details including ELO, and these will show even if you’re not friends with them!

Not only can you now see who is online, we’ve also given you more tools to properly stalk them by adjusting the “Taking a turn” text during a match.

When your opponent is actively playing Polytopia and is in the match, you’ll now see this:



And if they aren’t in the match, you’ll see this:



So, here’s the proper changelog for this update:
- Added new "Boot Camp" tutorial, which will play as either your first game or if you tap "Boot Camp" when creating a New Game
- Online friends (green dot near player name as indicator that he is online, second thing is that
- Players can now see when other players are making a move in real time
- Players will receive notification when someone is kicked or resign from the game
- Steam notifications are now required to be turn on for online multiplayer on pc
- ELO is shown on friend’s profile
- All information that were showed for friends (played games, number of friends, elo etc.) are now also showed for all players
- Players can now start game directly from the friend profile to have it already invited
EDIT:
- Fixed visual issues on Linux and Mac

"Climbing a big rock isn't hard, can't anyone do that?" Yes, maybe a small band of people, but what about an army of people? The Xin-Xi don't just climb mountains for fun, but have perfected the science of managing troop formations, defense, logistics, and supplies around these steep summits.

Hello Polytopians,

It's the Xin-Xi Tribe Moon, a whole month dedicated to celebrating the Xin-Xi, our favorite mountaineers!

Not enough Xin-Xi in your life? We're having discounts on all Xin-Xi merchandise at https://shop.midjiwan.com until April 30th!

Now, tell us what you think about the Xin-Xi in the comments!

P.S. Thanks for the art, u/Dapperfrog1864!

-Zoythrus

Sorry for the delay, everyone! We've finally posted the patch notes for both the latest public and beta build.

Remember that you can play the beta by using the beta access code "TestDiplomacy"

-Zoythrus

2.2.0.7410 Change Log

Both Beta and Public Release:
- Added online status for friends and live status for game turn

Beta:
Balance:
- Reduced Kiton HP (20HP->15HP)
- Mind Benders detects invisible units (there is small dot on unit icon)
- Update riots (now number of Daggers depends on city level and riots prevent income)
- Update Daggers spawn (now they're more spread out, and prioritize areas with defense bonuses)
- Revert Windmill & Mint mechanics (we'll look back into this later, but for now, reverted)

Changes:
- New Cloak & Dagger sprites
- Added relation bar in tribe info screen
- Changed breaking peace logic (now second player cannot attack first player for one turn, but can move units and prepare defense)

Bug Fixes:
- Fixed Mindbenders can't convert Centipede Segments
- Fixed Persist now working properly
- Fixed camera centering when spawning Daggers
- Fixed units can use enemy roads
- New sounds for Dagger attack
- Cloaks now can't infiltrate sieged cities

Known Issues:
- Burn Forest and Destroy have swapped places, but this will be fixed, soon.

So, what's so special about the Special Tribes? Well, they all have a unique set of features that lets you play Polytopia in a completely different way. You will need to learn the game all over to figure out how to make the most out of them!

For example, the Aquarion has units like The Amphibian, Tridention, and Crab that you dont find elsewhere, severely modifying the chivalry branch of your tribe to catch your rival off guard. Or Elyrion where their giants start as vulnerable eggs and then grow into enormous fire-breathing dragons.
And, dont forget the Polaris, which can freeze terrain and enemies to prevent the progression of your foes. And. last, but not least, the creepy-crawly Cymanti. Where you have huge insects at Your disposal and you can create Centipedies that span over several tiles. And it grows longer for its every kill...

Yes, the Special Tribes are truly special. That's why we call them special!

So, If you haven't got them yet, now is your chance to get them at a 50% Discount until March 28th.

Hello, beta fans! We, with help from our lovely friends at Challengermode, have developed a few things that you’ve been asking for! So, let’s take a deep dive into all the new features that should help out our more competitive fans!

Haha, no, dear reader, that’s what we call the new multiplayer time format! Many of you have been asking us for faster games, so we’ve added these new Live Games to satisfy you, which will replace the 5 minute timer option. Somewhat like chess tournaments, Live Games give you a timer of less than 1 minute for your turn at the start, and any time unused rolls over to the next turn. Also, you’ll get additional time for each city and unit you have, so you can get the opportunity to move your massive army across the map without stress, assuming you’ve been taking quick turns. These changes should keep things flowing smoothly, while also putting on the pressure of a merciless turn timer.



What about players who don’t take their turn? Their turn gets skipped immediately, and they’ll have 3 skips total (represented by those white dots next to the timer) before they’re kicked from the game. Any kicked players have their empires sit frozen, unable to do anything unless you attack them, so they’re turned into little more than a roadblock toward victory. :)

Yes, replays! Ever want to show your friends the next time you lose to Midjiwan in a Random Match? Well, now you can! With our new Replay feature, multiplayer games you complete will be saved and can be shared with all the lovely people on the internet!



When watching a replay, you’ll be able to see who’s turn it is, what they can see, their research, and other such things! You'll also get the power to fast forward, rewind, and pause! And, lastly, you can even favorite your most amazing victories and defeats with a handy heart, so they’ll always be around! Each replay is saved to our servers with a link, so all you have to do is copy it and share it around for anyone to see!



While this particular patch will primarily add Live Games and Replays, Challengermode has been laying the foundation for in-app tournaments and events! Yep, sometime in the future, we’ll be allowing you to join tournaments hosted on their platform from within the Polytopia app, itself, and there might even be a chance for prizes! We’ll be talking more about this later as we get closer to it, but for now, know that these ingame events are on the horizon!

If you’re already in the beta program for Diplomacy, then you don’t have to worry about anything. Live Games and Replays have automatically been added to the beta for you.

For everyone else, the only beta open right now is the Steam beta, which has unlimited slots.

Here’s how you get in:
Open Steam > Right-click Polytopia > Choose “Properties” > click “Betas” > Use the beta access code “TestDiplomacy” to join the beta!

We can’t wait to show you all that we have in store for the future! We’ll be adding more to both these new features and to the beta as a whole, so expect bug fixes and balance passes for Diplomacy very soon.

And yes, the changelog:
- Added "Live Games"
- Removed 5 minute timer
- Added Replays
- Additional bugfixes and improvements

-Zoythrus