The deck remade
The village's and the market's evolutions show on the map. Settlers claim the free land around villages, a few tiles every second. Raiders turn to you the enemy caravans and ships passing near your markets. Guards raise 15 men against an enemy army nearby. Fortified villages and towers shoot arrows. The first evolution comes at 1 minute, then one every 2 min 30.
Technology no longer draws roads: it shows on your merchants. A lord who takes it sends two-horse wagons, covered in his colours, and two-masted carracks.
Evolutions you recognise
Each evolution has its icon and comes as a + above the shield it improves. The trebuchet is seen firing, and it destroys armies too.
The tactical view
Hold the space bar: your land in gold, your allies in green, your enemies in red, everyone else in grey, the ground dimmed under them. Let go, and the map comes back.
At sea and in teams
Ships go straight where they go, and a market by the water trades by ship. The share that wins drops from 80 to 50 %, and in team games bots settle beside their teammates.
Sharper
The game now steps ten times a second, at the same pace as before: your orders go out sooner. Its texts, cards and tooltips are shorter and clearer, on phones too.