We have some important news to share with you today about the ongoing development of the game.
The final gameplan and core game is now at a stage where we can work towards a full release of the game. All of the major features still to come are being worked on simultaneously and are in most cases intertwined. Due to the way these features are reliant on each other it no longer makes sense to continue with our previous plan of releasing smaller updates that ultimately won’t work well as standalone features.
Due to this we have decided that the next major release will be the full release. This will allow us to focus on integrating all remaining features into the game and delivering a more polished, higher quality game. It will also have the added benefit of reaching the full release sooner so that you can get the best gaming experience and enjoy Foundation to its fullest.
We know you will all want to know how soon, however, we don’t have a release date to announce at this time as we still have plenty of work to do, but do know that development is progressing well. Foundation is an ambitious game, and we will of course keep you updated with any news as soon as we have more to share.
Early Access Adopters
For all our Early Access backers, this doesn’t mean we won’t be releasing any updates before the full release. On the contrary, we will continue to work on bug fixes as well as Quality of Life (QOL) features and improvements, based on community feedback, so that we can improve on the core game experience in preparation for the final release. With this in mind, we will be announcing our next QOL update soon!
A BIG Thank You!
Foundation’s development journey has been an unbelievable experience made so much better by all of you, the fantastic community, that has helped us along the way. We would like to thank every Early Access adopter for supporting us and helping us deliver a high quality game that we wanted to create and also one that you want to play for many years to come. We continue to welcome all feedback from the community and we can’t wait to unveil the full release of the game for you all to enjoy!
This version brings forth significant changes to the game, including a brand-new Desirability and Beautification experience. We’ve also implemented multiple Quality of Life (QOL) improvements in response to community feedback such as the sub-building flow. Without further ado, let’s get down to the details!
New Desirability System
Desirability represents the overall attractiveness of an area within your village and is at the heart of this update. In the past, the Desirability of an area was quaternary: low, average, high or very high. We’re changing this formula to a more binary approach where you have a better control over housing quality.
Housing Quality
The first thing you’ll notice when clicking on a house are new Housing Quality details, the first one of which is to be located within a Residential Area. Furthermore, in order to upgrade, a house will need the following:
Desirable Neighborhood (away from noisy and dirty environments)
Beautification Area (close to buildings or decorations that provide a Beautification bonus)
Villagers of Commoner status or higher looking for such a house
Housing Quality factors
Village Embellishment
As part of the new Desirability system, you’re now encouraged to beautify your village with the help of decorations. Decorations contribute to the creation of Beautification Areas, which are needed to upgrade houses from low to medium quality.
Each decoration applies its own Beautification radius according to a combination of their visual footprint and quality. Adding multiple decorative elements next to each other will increase the Beautification Area by merging their area of effect.
A new Beautification visibility layer has been added so that affected areas can be easily identified.
Beautification Areas merging and expanding
Housing Degradation
Housing Degradation is a new mechanic introduced in Update 1.9.6. Rather than being only able to upgrade, houses can now also degrade in quality. This happens when one of the criteria under Housing Quality is no longer met. Note that this is something you are able to control, when you decide if an area has the requirements for higher house quality or not.
Example of a housing requirement that is no longer met
Changes to Needs
Foundation was always meant to remain a calm and pleasant experience where you can play at your own pace, so it was important for us to ease down a bit the pressure of filling the needs of your villagers, especially when you have your first Commoners. As such, we’ve separated the Needs in two main categories:
Essential Needs – must be fulfilled, else they trigger a shortage leading to a Happiness penalty
Additional Needs – will not trigger a shortage unless they’ve been fulfilled once
This will allow you to progress at your own pace, without the pressure of your villagers leaving because of unfilled needs. Note that once filled once, the additional needs will trigger a shortage if they are not met anymore.
In the same vein, we’ve reduced the amount of information displayed in the villager window, to keep the most relevant information.
Essential and additional needs grouping introduced in 1.9.6
Other Improvements
Improved Monument and Sub-Building Experience
Following player feedback, we’ve made a number of changes taking aim at monuments and sub-buildings’ navigation.
New monument windows
Resources and Progression Tabs Modifications
The Resources tab (F3) from the Book has been simplified for easier identification of tradeable resources. Icons to purchase and sell resources are now disabled by default and only enabled if players have access to a trade route that either purchases or sells said resource.
Updated Resources window
You will also notice that the Splendor cost of each Estate unlockable from the Progression tab (F5) is now displayed in their tooltip, even if the requirements have not been reached yet.
Great Hall Influence cost
If you haven’t already, give our latest Devlog a read if you want to learn more about what’s next for Foundation.
Changelog
New
Houses now have House Quality requirements to upgrade, which are displayed in their building window:
Desirable Neighborhood
Beautification Area
Villager of Commoner (or above) status looking for such a house
Tooltips have been added to the the house window UI
Buildings providing Beautification now have a Beautification Area. The range is based on the decoration’s Beautification value and its visual footprint
Noisy or filthy buildings can create an undesirable area, which affects Neighborhood Desirability. Such is the case for the following:
Brewery
Butchery
Cheesemaker
Charcoal Hut
Dairy Farm
Fisher’s Hut
Gold Smelter
Hunter’s Hut
Iron Smelter
Quarries
Sawmill
Sheep Farm
Stonecutter Camp
Stonemason Hut
Upgraded houses can now revert to a prior level if their Desirability requirements are not met. This happens after reaching a deadline and only if players don’t remedy to the situation
Added the following visual filters:
Beautification
Undesirable Neighborhood
Needs are now split into two categories:
Essential Needs (must be fulfilled)
Additional Needs (facultative)
Contextual help
Housing Quality
Beautification
Prosperity
Help menu:
Beautification
Important notification : Equipping your soldiers
Update
Renamed the “Comfort” need to “Housing”
Localization
Help menu
Desirability
Housing
Balance
Legacy Desirability (House Placement)
Pre-1.9.6 Desirability (Legacy Desirability) has been specialized into a system that dictates Villagers where to settle
Beautification no longer provides Legacy Desirability
The following buildings provide Legacy Desirability:
Village Center
Churches (except Chapel and Abbatial Churches)
Market Stalls
Tavern’s Service Counter
Well
Villagers now follow these rules:
They settle in Residential Areas
They settle close to the Village Center
They aim to settle close to Need providers
They aim to settle close to their Workplaces
The Desirability Visibility layer has been removed
Decorations’ Costs & Effects
As Beautification Decorations no longer provide Legacy Desirability; costs and Beautification values have been modified:
Village Tree Beautification value has been increased from 1 to 2
Village Tree upfront cost has been increased from 7 to 20 coins
Tall Banner upfront cost has been reduced from 25 to 20 coins
Fountain upfront cost has been reduced from 330 to 320 coins
Plant Arch upfront cost has been reduced from 82 to 80 coins
Knight Statue upfront cost has been reduced to 320 coins
Sheep Statue upfront cost has been reduced from 325 to 320 coins
Cypress upfront cost has been reduced from 47 to 45 coins
Large Wall Banner upfront cost has been reduced from 90 to 80 coins
Polished Stone Arch upfront cost has been reduced from 50 to 45 coins
Stone Gateway upfront cost has been reduced from 85 to 80 coins
Stone Arch upfront cost has been reduced from 25 to 20 coins
Grand Fountain upfront cost has been reduced from 730 to 720 coins
Elegant Fountain upfront cost has been reduced from 255 to 245 coins
Marble Basin upfront cost has been reduced from 415 to 405 coins
Elegant Stone Arch upfront cost has been reduced from 130 to 125 coins
Polished Fountain upfront cost has been reduced from 135 to 125 coins
Elegant Tree Planter upfront cost has been reduced from 82 to 80 coins
Large Tree Planter upfront cost has been reduced from 127 to 125 coins
Elegant Post upfront cost has been reduced from 47 to 45 coins
Polished Basin upfront cost has been reduced from 135 to 125 coins
Large Font Beautification value has been decreased from 6 to 4
Large Font upfront cost has been reduced from 190 to 80 coins
Small Font upfront cost has been reduced from 190 to 180 coins
Elegant Balustrade upfront cost has been reduced from 47 to 45 coins
Simple Tree Planter upfront cost has been reduced from 22 to 20 coins
Polished Planter upfront cost has been reduced from 22 to 20 coins
Wall Fountain Beautification value has been increased from 2 to 5
Wall Fountain upfront cost has been increased from 25 to 125 coins
Quatrefoil Basin upfront cost has been reduced from 50 to 45 coins
Masterpiece Beautification
Masterpiece parts now yield Beautification in addition to Splendor at no extra cost
Automated Fountain
Automaton Tower, Columns yields 1 point
Marble Basin yields 1 point
Marble Steps yields 1 point
Automation Tower, Spire yields 1 point
Automaton Tower, Fountain yields 1 point
Bird Automaton yields 1 points
Jacquemart yields 2 points
Fountain Sculpture
Fountain Pedestal, Quatrefoil yields 1 point, plus 1 point per tiling
Fountain Pedestal, Hexagonal yields 1 point, plus 1 point per tiling
Axe Lady, Gold yields 3 points
Laborer, Gold yields 3 points
Shoveler, Gold yields 3 points
Pickman, Gold yields 3 points
Axe Lady, Marble yields 2 points
Laborer, Marble yields 2 points
Laborer, Gold yields 2 points
Shoveler, Gold yields 2 points
Quatrefoil Basin yields 2 points
Octogonal Basin yields 2 points
Gem Encrusted Cross
Large Pedestal, Hexagonal yields 1 point, plus 1 point per tiling
Small Pedestal, Hexagonal yields 1 point, plus 1 point per tiling
Small Pedestal, Square yields 1 point, plus 1 point per tiling
Large Pedestal, Square yields 1 point, plus 1 point per tiling
Cross of the Faith yields 10 points
Stepped Base, Hexagonal yields 2 points
Stepped Base, Square yields 2 points
Knight Statue
Octogonal Plinth yields 2 points
Octogonal Pedestal yields 1 point
Small Octogonal Pedestal yields 1 point
Alcoved Pedestal yields 1 point
Square Plinth yields 2 points
Large Pedestal, Square yields 1 point per tiling
Blue Banner, Swallowtail yields 1 point
The Vainquisher, Gold yields 5 points
The Peacekeeper, Marble yields 3 points
Small Bowmen, Marble yields 2 points
Small Knight, Marble yields 2 points
Blue Banner, Round yields 1 point
Lush Garden
Stone Pillar yields 1 point per tiling
Stone Basin yields 1 point per tiling
Bush Pergola yields 1 point
Royal Balm Bush yields 1 point
Stone Planter, Quatrefoil yields 1 point
Pear Tree yields 1 point
Plum Tree yields 1 point
Almond Tree yields 1 point
Stone Planter, Diamond yields 1 point
Almond Espalier yields 1 point
Plum Bush yields 1 point
Stone Fountain yields 1 point
Ogive Bush yields 1 point
Oval Bush yields 1 point
Roses Pergola yields 1 point
Round Bush yields 1 point
Stone Planter, Round yields 1 point
Stone Bench yields 1 point
Officinal Garden
Sunvines Planter yields 1 point
Tailor’s Tongue Planter yields 1 point
Treillis Fence yields 1 point
Royal Balm yields 1 point
Cleansing Fountain yields 1 point
Sunvines Pergola yields 1 point
Crossmint and Pennybane Planter yields 1 point
Cattlegold Planter yields 1 point
Rainmilk and Tailor’s Tongue Planter yields 1 point
Knightworth Planter yields 1 point
Seeling Planter yields 1 point
Royal Balm Planter yields 1 point
Crossmint Planter yields 1 point
Rainmilk Planter yields 1 point
Shrine
Stone Alcove, Wide yields 1 point
Stone Alcove, Narrow yields 1 point
Marble Altar, Wide yields 1 point
Marble Alter, Narrow yields 1 point
Votive Candle yields 1 point
Votive Candles yields 1 point
Indigo Spire Flower yields 1 point
Fragrant Bouquet yields 1 point
Pleasant Bouquet yields 1 point
Cardinal’s Robe Flower yields 1 point
Sunvines Cluster yields 1 point
The Mother of Peace, Marble and Gold yields 10 points
Stone Steps yields 1 point
Stone Bench yields 1 point
Votive Stone yields 1 point
Majestic Stained Glass
King and Monk, Stained Glass yields 15 points
Mother and Child, Stained Glass yields 15 points
Giant Gate
Buttress yields 1 point
Fortified Gatehouse yields 5 points, plus 1 point per tiling
Round Turret yields 1 point
Great Tower, Rounded yields 3 points
Great Tower, Squared yields 3 points
Watchtower yields 1 point
Wooden Brattice yields 1 point
Stone Brattice yields 1 point
Wooden Hoarding yields 1 point
Stone Gate yields 1 point
Small Window, Closed yields 1 point
Small Window yields 1 point
Small Window, Fortified yields 1 point
Wall Banner, Blue yields 1 point
Wall Flag, Blue yields 1 point
Wall Heraldic, Blue yields 1 point
Wall Heraldic, Spliced yields 1 point
Wall Heraldic, Splits yields 1 point
Wall Heraldic, Striped yields 1 point
Lancet Window yields 1 point
Porticullis yields 1 point
Stone Bridge
Beautification values have been removed from the Stone Bridge structure (its decorations still yield Beautification)
Masterpieces’ Costs, Splendor & Ordering
Golden Cross
Large Pedestal, Hexagonal base Splendor yield has been reduced to 2 Splendor
Large Pedestal, Hexagonal base Tools cost has been reduced to 5 Tools
Large Pedestal, Hexagonal base Upkeep value has been reduced to 2 Coins
Small Pedestal, Hexagonal base Marble cost has been reduced to 10 Marble
Small Pedestal, Hexagonal base Tools cost has been reduced to 5 Tools
Small Pedestal, Hexagonal tiling Tools cost has been reduced to 5 Tools
Small Pedestal, Square base Marble cost has been reduced to 10 Marble
Small Pedestal, Square base Tools cost has been reduced to 5 Tools
Small Pedestal, Square tiling Tools cost has been reduced to 5 Tools
Large Pedestal, Square base Splendor yield has been reduced to 2 Splendor
Large Pedestal, Square base Tools cost has been reduced to 5 Tools
Large Pedestal, Square base Upkeep value has been reduced to 2 Coins
Stepped Base, Hexagonal base Marble cost has been reduced to 40 Marble
Stepped Base, Square base Marble cost has been reduced to 40 Marble
Stepped Base, Hexagonal and Stepped Base, Square have been reordered before the other bases.
Knight Statue
Octagonal Plinth base Splendor is set to 2 Kingdom Splendor
Octagonal Plinth base Upkeep is set to 2 coins
Octagonal Plinth base Marble cost has been reduced to 30 Marble
Octagonal Plinth base Tools cost has been reduced to 5 Tools
Octagonal Pedestal base Splendor is set to 1 Kingdom Splendor
Octagonal Pedestal base Upkeep is set to 2 coins
Octagonal Pedestal base Marble cost has been reduced to 10 Marble
Octagonal Pedestal base Tools cost has been reduced to 5 Tools
Small Octagonal Pedestal base Splendor is set to 1 Kingdom Splendor
Small Octagonal Pedestal base Upkeep is set to 2 coins
Small Octagonal Pedestal base Marble cost has been reduced to 10 Marble
Small Octagonal Pedestal base Tools cost has been reduced to 5 Tools
Alcoved Pillar base Marble cost has been reduced to 20 Marble
Square Plinth base Splendor is set to 2 Kingdom Splendor
Square Plinth base Upkeep is set to 2 coins
Square Plinth base Marble cost has been reduced to 30 Marble
Square Plinth base Tools cost has been reduced to 5 Tools
Removed Costs and Yields from Large Square Pedestal as it is stored in the Tiling part
Fountain Sculpture
Fountain Pedestal, Quatrefoil base Splendor has been reduced to 2 Kingdom Splendor
Fountain Pedestal, Quatrefoil base Upkeep has been reduced to 2 coins
Fountain Pedestal, Quatrefoil tiling Marble cost has been reduced to 5 Marble
Fountain Pedestal, Hexagonal base Splendor has been reduced to 2 Kingdom Splendor
Fountain Pedestal, Hexagonal base Upkeep has been reduced to 2 coins
Food Grace Period Delay
Increased Villager Food first consumption Grace Period delay to 180 days
Increased Monastics Food first consumption Grace Period delay to 180 days
Improvements
Monuments
Monuments now have their own category filter in the Build menu
Monuments’ building windows have been cleaned in a bid to enhance the player experience:.
Down to two tabs: Monument Overview and Sub-Buildings
Upkeep and effects have been moved below the monument’s description
The Edit Building option now shows all Sub-Buildings with their respective Upkeeps and Effects
Players can change the functions of existing Sub-Buildings
Players can add more Sub-Buildings
The list of parts in Preview mode has been simplified to only show the size and the action buttons
The Sub-Building back button has been simplified to only show the Parent Monument’s name
Free Build is now found at the end of all available Sub-Building functions
Book
Resources tab (F3): label icons used for the Buy from them and Sell to them sections have been modified to up and down arrows in an effort to convey trading feedback more efficiently
Progression tab (F5): Influence cost information for Estate unlockable elements is now displayed in the tooltips
Main menu
Players can now sort mods using a Date Updated filter
Other Fixes and Tweaks
Advanced Onboarding Starting Conditions
In addition to previous conditions, the Commoner Promotion Advanced Onboarding now checks for either:
You have at least 30 population
You have a job that requires a Commoner
You have a Serf is ready to be promoted
Decorative Advanced Onboarding now checks for either:
You have unlocked the first Decorative unlockable
You have a Commoner
The quest for the Decorative Advanced Onboarding now requires you to unlock the first Decorative unlockable.
In addition to previous conditions, the Monastery Promotion now checks for either:
You have 10 Manuscripts
You have a job that requires a Monk/Nun
You have reached the Tier 3 Clergy
Fixed incorrect notifications in the the Monastery Promotion Advanced Onboarding
In addition to previous conditions, the Second Food Advanced Onboarding now checks for either:
You have at least 30 villagers
You have a job that requires a Commoner
You have reached the Tier 3 Common Path
Bug Fixes
Churches could only have one masterpiece part
Rare crash with a monk visiting a Hospitium
The ‘Near Riverside’ masterpiece condition wasn’t updated when removing or adding an individual part
Workers didn’t fetch additional resources if they were missing some during a work cycle
Now that the holidays are decidedly behind us, it’s time to think about what the future holds.
There’s little doubt that 2022 will be a pivotal year for Foundation. We know you’re eager to learn more about the game, hence why we’re sharing an exclusive look at what’s going on behind the scenes…and hopefully answer some of your burning questions!
Laying down the cards
After three years in Early Access (time flies!), we are finally starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Looking back, we’re proud of what we’ve accomplished so far, but acknowledge that there’s still a lot of work left to do. Still, we’re confident that we’ll cross the finish line before long.
Our current focus is on Core Game II (1.9), which we’ve actually already talked about last year. We can’t stress enough just how much of a game changer this new release will be. We’ll have more details to share about it very soon. In the meantime, here’s some up-to-date info about the new features being worked on right now by the team for this massive update:
Gameplay Types & Progression
Prosperity
As part of our overhauled progression system, your village will now score points according to various metrics (territories, population, etc.). We’re calling this system Prosperity (which is not to be confused with Splendor). The idea behind it is to allow you, the player, to progress in the game without imposing a specific playstyle. For example, you will be able to progress by focusing on a large populated city, but you’ll also be able to progress by focusing on a prolific monastery. Aiming for higher scores isn’t just for bragging rights: you’ll unlock new buildings and put in place new politics (edicts) along the way.
Estates
The Estates are evolving and will be closely tied to different gameplay types. Each Estate will have their specific advantages over some core features of the game. For instance, the Labor Estate will fare well in villager taxation, the Clergy Estate on luxury resources and the Kingdom—you probably guessed it—on military campaigns. Also, get ready as having a high Splendor with an estate will negatively impact influence with other estates. This is just a quick overview of our intentions. More on that later!
Victory conditions
We know several players would love to see endgame content added to Foundation and 1.9 will deliver on that front. Victory conditions are late game objectives you can complete to score rare player celebrations in Foundation—and their own achievements. Pick one or more victory conditions to track and try to complete all the prerequisites…if you dare!
Narrative
If you’ve been following us on social media, you know we hired a talented narrative designer a couple of weeks ago. Core Game II will be the first occasion to see his work applied to the world of Foundation. What does that mean?
Well…we’re not ready to spill the beans quite yet, but here’s a nugget of information for you: our new narrative events aim to make your experience more open-ended. Since 1.9 redefines our global game progression, we wanted to establish the first step of what we could describe as a “dialogue” between players and Foundation. In that sense, the game will feel a lot more responsive by serving events tailored to your play style.
New onboarding
Core Game II is an opportunity for us to review Foundation’s early game and more precisely its onboarding. Since we’re introducing a lot of new features to the game, it’s important that our tutorials and in-game messaging are on point. We’ve put a lot of effort into explaining our systems and helping players understand the steps they need to take in order to build—and maintain—successful villages.
And more! Look forward to our new blog series that will delve deeper into upcoming features included in 1.9
The Core Game II (1.9) update is scheduled for release in the first half of 2022.
Looking even further
Apart from the work being done on Core Game II, our team is working in parallel on other important additions that will see the light of day before/at release. Here’s a few of them:
Residential Revamp
We are rehauling the residential experience to make it more fluid and informative while improving the game’s overall organic layout. Villagers will still build and upgrade (up to a 3rd level) houses by themselves but through blood, sweat, and tears, they’ll be better at it than ever!
Gone are the days where unused space could really hinder your village’s development. Improvements to our painting tool will help determine more precisely where districts are formed and ensure residential space (as defined by the player) is sufficient. The tool will be able to predict how many villagers can be housed within a specific zone.
Map Generator
We already gave you a glimpse of our Map Generator. Work on this feature has progressed steadily since then and is already showing promising results. We know this is one of the most anticipated features and we want to make it right, hence why we’re keeping things a bit under wraps for now.
New Terrain Biomes
One way to add more uniqueness to maps is by making sure biomes are different enough from each other. How are we going to do it? Well, for starters, we want to improve vegetation a lot—even going as far as having different vegetation depending on elevation. Think leafy on lower altitudes and coniferous on higher altitudes. What we’re not aiming for is to add tropical or desert biomes, as we feel they don’t quite fit with our design.
Accessibility
We strive to make Foundation more functional, accessible and enjoyable by all types of players. Expect even more accessibility options in the future, including improved colored text contrast and colorblind-friendly signs/feedback.
Modding
We will continue to support the modding community. One way to do so will be by exposing more real-time interactions, but we also plan to let modders edit the user interface (UI), among other things.
Quality of Life (QOL)
Delivering a smooth gameplay experience has always been a top priority for us. On that point, we can say this year will introduce a number of interesting QOL changes, included but not limited to: more tooltips, improved handling of panels and ESC key behavior, new Book shortcuts and UI customization (resize).
We are doing everything in our power to get Foundation our of Early Access before the end of 2022. We will keep you updated as we go.
We hope you’ve been enjoying the user interface update we pushed last June. We know you’re eager for even more Foundation content, which is why today should be of particular interest to you as we officially launch the 1.8 Fall Update to shake things up!
New Buildings For All!
One of the most widely requested features for Foundation is the addition of new buildings for your settlements. You’ll be glad to know that the team has been hard at work to introduce not one, but two fresh production buildings for the game: the candle workshop and the common wares workshop!
Candle WorkshopCommon Wares Workshop
Sharp-eyed players will also notice “Citizen” promoted villagers now have a second “Goods” need under their status. In addition to common clothes, they will now require common wares to be 100% satisfied. Talk about being entitled!
Construction Step Bundles for Added Immersion
While looking at ways to improve Foundation, it became apparent that the construction process for buildings needed work. We’ve asked ourselves how we could create a more logical and immersive experience. Before 1.8, builders would try to complete their tasks and stop if resources were insufficient. Now, they have to gather the required materials to the construction site beforehand. Only then will they be able to start working.
To go into more details, materials will be brought following the bundles’ order, to complete them as fast as possible. If a bundle is missing a material that is not in inventory, then the transporter will start to bring the resources for the other bundles.
Building parts’ progression can be easily seen by hovering over the construction progress bar
Construction steps allow more flexibility for your city planning with the added benefit to be more in line with what you’d expect from working on buildings. You can start with the foundation of, say, a church, and come back to it later in order to complete work on the next step. This way, you’re never stuck in a rut!
The Ins and Outs of Stockpiling
One feature we recognized as in need of improved communication relates to stockpiling.
This feature allows you to prevent villagers from using resources by toggling the stockpiling function on or off in the resource panel. Or, alternatively, directly in the resource list of the Book. Very helpful when looking to complete delivery missions!
With 1.8, we have improved this communication with a warning when there are missing resources in a workplace due to stockpiling. Additionally, the stockpile icon now shows over resource icons in other panels and windows such as workplace inventories.
New stockpiling presentation within workplaces
Even more QOL changes
Each new update is a chance for us to optimize the overall gameplay experience and refresh our existing systems. The 1.8 update is no exception. Here’s a preview of what’s in store for you the next time you launch Foundation:
Added related resources in the villager needs tooltips
Added tooltips on information module checkboxes
New trader blocked notification
Added inventory for all workplaces in condensed view
Improved inventory issues feedback
Building panels remember collapsed groups of parts
Estates layout is now more compact
Confirm renaming with Enter key
And more!
The new Needs tooltip in all its glory!
Continued support towards the modding scene
Modding is close to our hearts. We enjoy how imaginative some of you are with Foundation. Get your creative juices flowing, because 1.8 introduces custom mandates for bailiffs! You heard that right: thanks to mods, bailiffs are no longer limited to gaining influence or inspecting mineral deposits. We can’t wait to see what you’ll end up with!
Previously, one of the only ways to contact modders was through the report tool—which proved to be a problem, as it’s not designed for this. Starting with 1.8, we fixed this by adding web links to all mods so it’s easier for you to connect with mod creators. The new link will open a browser where you can comment and get help directly from the mod creator.
Weblinks to Mod.io in Foundation
We also added a dropdown filter for your mods. Rejoice!
Mods dropdown in Foundation 1.8
We are eagerly looking forward to hearing from the community about the 1.8 update for Foundation!
1.8 Changelog
add: Common Wares Workshop add: Candle Workshop add: Additional parts can be unlocked for these buildings add: construction step bundles add: new tooltips add: new resource icons add: workplaces condensed view now displays a combined inventory (condensed view) add: “trader blocked” notification add: confirm renaming with Enter add: collapsed masterpiece parts groups are remembered through all building panels add: construction bundles topic in the help menu add: tooltips and localization for building parts “Locate” and “Destroy” buttons
update: community localizations improve: stockpile communication improve: storage issues feedback improve: hyperlinks style improve: buttons (red/disabled/small) improve: compacted estates layout improve: now communicates max instance of a part improve: dynamically update when unlocking building parts
fix: wooden keep doors fix: info module buttons
Modding
add: custom mandates for bailiffs add: debugging tools add: weblinks to mod.io add: mods dropdown sorting add: expose wax resource
improve: minimized text cutoff in mod buttons that were too short
Modding Wiki
Modding documentation and changes can be found over on the modding wiki.
It’s been a little time since our last communication but this does not mean we have been resting on our laurels. We know you are all eagerly anticipating the new UI and the improvements that will come with it.
An update on the UI rehaul progress
The very first phase of the new UI implementation is nearing completion. With that said, we would like to share with you some of the work that has been involved with creating the new UI, and to let you know what has been going on in the background for the past few months.
Late last year, we teased you all with some sample images of our UI rehaul. These initial images were conceptual and only a taste of what to expect. Since that time, our UI/UX designer and a good chunk of the team have been busy implementing the full redesign in-engine.
If you have played the game and seen the old UI you will be well aware that although it was functional, it was lacking in many places, not particularly intuitive and also not very aesthetically pleasing. As such, the redesign has required major work. Every menu, icon, HUD element, feedback module… it’s a long list… needed to be updated, redesigned and in some instances built from scratch. Such is the cost of progress.
Once the new design foundation (pun intended) was laid out and agreed upon, work could begin on asset creation, whilst in the background, we ramped up work on the engine. What came out of this was a brand new Interface tool (imaginatively called the GUI editor). This tool effectively allows us to build, visualize and tweak the interface without programming (because yes, the old interface used to be generated purely by code). As we progress, we’re constantly making the editor even more powerful, to allow for new features in the game for you, the players.
On top of this we have been making further updates to the engine to allow for enhanced UI visuals including better font rendering, to improve scaling, for the large differences in resolutions throughout the player base.
Much of the new interface is now in place and we are on the final run toward testing, feedback, tweaking and subsequent release. There are still a few elements that need to be worked on, some remnants from the old UI that need to be replaced and we will need to further tweak and improve on the work so far before release.
We know you are eager to see more teasers of what’s to come and of course we wish to oblige…
In other news
The UI has not been the only focus of recent development work. Some of the team have also been working in the background on more long-term goals such as overall art direction and preparation for future content updates.
Some of you may have noticed the changes to the market tents in a social media post some time ago, this was only the start of a broader improvement in the overall art direction. Further work has since been carried out on buildings such as the bakery and in time we will revamp and enhance the majority of the art and assets within the game.
The art team has also been working to design and create tools that will allow for a better way to render environmental aspects and transitions within the game, such as those between grass, sand and rocks. Similarly, they have been looking at ways in which to improve the look and variation of environmental factors such as vegetation, lighting and overall ambiance.
These changes and improvements to the art style will not be part of the upcoming UI but you will be seeing more of them in the future.
We will update you all with an ETA for the release of the UI update in the coming weeks.
Lords and Ladies, we are excited to present to you the Minerals & Craftmanship 1.6 Update, now live on Steam & GOG!
Savegame compatibility warning: 1.5 saves will be compatible but some of your buildings may be removed if they were placed on one of the new mineral deposit sites. Also, note that your builders will now require a Builders’ Workshop.
It’s a big one, so let’s take a look at some highlights of what you can expect in the new update and let you get quickly into discovering the new minerals and crafting up some masterpieces!
WHAT’S NEW
Discover and Extract New Minerals!
New Mineral deposits can be found scattered throughout the maps, containing nice shiny new minerals, from gold-rich veins to glittering quartz nodes. These deposits can be prospected by your Bailiff in order to identify the ore they contain.
Inside the Mineral deposits your Bailiff will find both rare minerals as well as more common ones such as Iron. Once discovered the minerals can be extracted by clicking the deposit and building a quarry.
Extend your Buildings and Build Masterpieces
Buildings can now be extended with new parts. The first building extensions will take the form of crafting workstations that can be added to the Builders’ Workshop. These crafting workstations will allow your builders to craft various objects such as sculptures and stained glass.
Note that Builders’ Workshops are now mandatory for the building of any construction.
Masterpieces are sets of specific parts that can be added into a monument or be built as a standalone building. They are unique creations that will give your village unique perks once built. In total, there are 9 Masterpieces to discover and build.
Each masterpiece will unlock when specific conditions have been met. For example, this could be when your soldiers emerge victorious from a faraway mission.
New Productions
All of the new minerals can be used in production buildings as well as in the new Masterpieces. Further, new production buildings have been introduced to refine these minerals to be ready for use, such as the new Gold Smelter that turns Gold ore into Gold bars, the Glassworks that will work quartz into glass as well as a Jeweler who will make good use of any gold and gems you might find.
Bailiff Mandates
The Bailiff’s role has been expanded and can now undertake Mandates. These mandates will range from prospecting the new resource deposits to gaining influence with an Estate or researching blueprints. Yes, the scholar was unhappy and has now left!
Pathing Inside Buildings
Villagers can now path through monuments! This means that Monks can now get to those inner courtyards and soldiers can protect the pass. Pathing inside buildings will allow particular villagers to enter and exit through separate monument doors. Pathing will have conditions so that only those that should be allowed through can get through.
Visits
Word of your settlement is growing stronger. Not only will there be visits from envoys but there will be new visitors arriving at your village. Pilgrims might visit your shrine masterpiece and one of your monuments, that is perfect for taking in guests, might also receive a visitor under certain conditions.
Even More New Features
As you may know, we are working on a full UI overhaul. In the meantime, you will notice a new notification panel that will help to see warnings of potential issues in your village as well as a log of your missions and quests including currently active quests.
Bridges can now be raised in height as well as length. Yes m’lord, you can now raise your bridges up high, the sky is the limit!
The List Goes On…
The Minerals & Craftmanship update will also include:
New animations
New modding functions and capabilities
New sounds
New improved grass and cliff visuals
9 new achievements
Plus many fixes and improvements
You can check out the full changelog below:
1.6 Changelog
Gameplay
New features
New: Minerals sources that can be prospected and extracted
New: Production chains related to minerals
New: Masterpieces
New: Productions chains
New: Buildings can now have multiple placeable parts
New: Builder now has his workshop
New: Builder’s workshop can be extended with crafting extensions
New: New unlockable builder’s workshop parts
New crafting feature: craft sculpture and stained glass
New: Bailiff can have mandates assigned like prospecting minerals and influencing estates
New: New notification panel
New: Pathing can now go through buildings that have multiple entrances
Improvements
Add: Completed monument parts activate its function, (no need for an entire monument to be built before it becomes usable)
Add: Gold has been separated in two new resources: Gold Coins and Gold Bars
Add: Improved performance when editing a monument
Add: Transporters will now carry materials to construction sites
Add: New uniformized build flow between buildings and monuments
Add: “getting started” section to help menu
Add: Davenport now sells gems
Add: Allow multiple transporters to carry materials to construction sites
Add: localization
Art
Buildings
New Builder’s workshop and crafting extensions: sculpture, stained glass, jewelry
New mineral sources and quarries installations
New Glass Smelter
New Gold Smelter
New customizable fountain, stained glass
Characters and animations
New miner’s job outfit and animations
New Glass Smelter & Gold Smelter animations
Environment
New grass texture
New cliff texture
Bug fixes
fix: soldier/monks could get stuck on bridges
fix: Wooden Keep Door B
fix: tavern bridge bug
fix: transporters and builders flow (pause & builder allocation)
fix: missing tavern chimney texture
fix: path finding issues when house upgrading
fix: crash when the same game file is empty
fix: crash when closing the game due to unsupported OpenGL version
fix: rare crash with promotion
fix: clear preview on bridge
fix: freeze on clear preview
fix: wooden bridge entrance PATH & slope locator position
fix: showing bulldozer button on destructible building when under construction
fix: mod list disappearing when scrollbar is added/removed
fix: crash when destroying building too close to map edges
fix: rare crash during tax collector collection
fix: drop-down scroll bar behavior
fix: wooden keep stair colliders
fix: a crash in mod list menu
fix: rare crash in workplace list window
fix: building parts are not child of the core part anymore
fix: crash with public lounge function activationfix: crash with
notification window
Modding
Add: mods hot-reload with Ctrl+Shift+R
Add: creation of new asset and data types, and extending existing asset, component and data types
Add: creation of behavior trees and custom behavior tree nodes
Add: access to events
Update: example 02 mod bridge
Update: Remove Mover from Building Part Asset
Update: Batch all Modding logs in a single file to avoid opening too many files
Update: Foundation log file and mod log file are now readable during execution
fix: asset retrieval by scripting ID was not allowed in some cases
fix: VS Code snippets
fix: restore some missing textures
The full modding changelog can be found on the modding wiki.
Let us know what you think or discuss the game with our awesome Foundation community on our official Discord server.
The Minerals & Craftmanship Update will be released on Tuesday, July 14
The 1.6 preview build has now been thoroughly tested and the additional content is coming together. All this means we can today announce the release date for the upcoming Early Access 1.6 update.
Announcing a New Addition: The Masterpieces
In addition to the content previously announced we have also been working on a new feature coming in the 1.6 update… Masterpieces!
Masterpieces are unique sets of parts that will become available via inspirational events that will occur during gameplay. Once obtained the masterpiece parts set will be available to incorporate into any monument, transforming it into a unique monument.
Each Masterpiece can only be built once and will make full use of the new minerals and crafting stations now available.
There will be a total of 9 Masterpieces for you to discover and build in the 1.6 update release. All 9 Masterpieces will come with their own exclusive effects such as the work in progress, Shrine Masterpiece pictured below.
Pilgrims visiting the Shrine
The Shrine will be unlocked via a miracle event and once built will become a place of pilgrimage for people far and wide and will come with the added effect of increasing immigration to your settlement.
New Achievements
To complement the new Masterpieces, each one will unlock a related Steam achievement. This will take the take number of achievements available in the game to 21.
New Animations
As well as all the new content coming in the new update we have also been working to increase the immersion. The 1.6 update will additionally come with new workstation animations to bring the new buildings and content to life.
The Jeweller checking the quality of her workA builder scrutinizing new plansA new statue takes shape
Finally…
If you hadn’t already seen the previously news, here is a brief summary of what you can expect in the Minerals & Craftmanship Update, coming on July 14!
New feature: Masterpieces
New discoverable mineral resources
Bailiff Mandates (Including prospecting for minerals)
Just in time for the weekend, the Minerals and Craftmanship Preview Update 1.6.0.0522 is now Live!
We are looking to gather focused information and feedback on the new content. Therefore, for testing purposes, only the Valley map is available to play in the preview build. To get the full experience of the preview build we have also limited the save files on the preview build so you will need to start a new game that you will then be able to save and load as normal in the Preview.
Note: Custom maps are still available however these will not currently contain the resource nodes that are part of the update.
Mods will also require updating by the mod creators and modding community and will not be immediately playable.
Let us know what you think…
We hope you enjoy the Preview and we would love to hear what you think.
If you would like to send in your feedback you can do so via this feedback form.
You are, of course, also welcome to discuss the game and report bugs as usual on the Steam discussions forums or join us on our Discord server.
Thank you in advance and we look forward to hearing from you and reading your feedback!
Changelog
We have a bunch of new features and content included in this preview build of the upcoming update. You can find a changelog below and more detailed information on some of the new content can be found in our previous announcement here.
Gameplay
New features
New minerals sources that can be prospected and extracted
New production chains related to minerals
Buildings can now have multiple placeable parts
Builder now has his workshop
Builder’s workshop can be extended with crafting extensions
New unlockable builder’s workshop parts
New crafting feature: craft sculpture, stainedglass and jewels (not all available yet)
Bailiff can have mandates assigned like prospecting minerals and influencing estates
New notification panel
Pathing can now go through buildings that have multiple entrances
New customizable fountain
Improvements
Parts that are built instantaneously activate its function, thus, no need for an entire monument to be built before it becomes usable
Church capacity is now considering multiple cores
Gold has been separated in two new resources: Gold Coins and Gold Bars
Improved performance when editing a monument
Transporters will now carry materials to construction sites
New uniformized build flow between buildings and monuments
Art
Buildings
Builder’s workshop and artisan extensions: sculpture, stainedglass, jewelry (not all available yet)
New mineral sources and quarries installations
New Glass Smelter
New Gold Smelter
New customizable fountain, stainedglass
Characters and animations
New miner’s job outfit and animations
New Glass Smelter & Gold Smelter animations
Environment
New grass texture
New cliff texture
Modding
Add mods hot-reload with Ctrl+Shift+R
Add creation of new asset and data types, and extending existing asset, component and data types
Add creation of behavior trees and custom behavior tree nodes
If you would like to take a look at the Minerals and Craftmanship Preview build you can switch over to it via the Steam Betas in your Foundation properties.
Choose Foundation (Steam Library)
Click Manage (Cog)
Click Properties
Click Betas (tab)
In the “Select the beta” dropdown choose Preview
(If you don’t see the preview option restart Steam)
Preview build access instructions (GOG)
If you want to take a look at the Minerals and Craftmanship Preview build you can switch over to it via the GOG Betas in your Foundation configuration details.
We are excited to announce that we will soon be bringing you a new update, that we have named, the Minerals and Craftmanship Update!
The update is nearly ready and the full release will come in a few weeks but in the meantime, those of you eager to take an early look will be able to test some of the new features, in an upcoming Preview build!
More news on the preview build and how to gain access will be coming in the next few days.
Please note: Though custom maps are still available, we are looking to gather focused information and feedback on the new content. Therefore, for testing purposes, the preview build is focused on the Valley map.
If you would like to help out and share your feedback with us, then firstly, thank you! All feedback is very important and useful to us and in the development of the game.
Please let us know what you think of the preview build via this feedback form.
Minerals and Craftmanship Update: preview build 1.6.0
We are bringing a multitude of changes and improvements in this update and you can check out some of the highlights that will be playable in the Preview Build, below.
Discoverable resources
One of the biggest and most exciting new features coming with the update are discoverable resources that will need to be prospected to know what kind of mineral they contain. Once prospected, you will be able to build a quarry over the mineral source to extract it. Some of these resources will be common and found in multiple nodes however some will contain more rare minerals.
New buildings capabilities
Prior to this update, there were two building types: single buildings and monuments. In this update, they now all have the same capabilities. This means a single building could have parts added to extend its functionalities. The first single building to exploit this new feature is a new one: The Builder’s Workshop.
At last, builders now have their own workplace! This building will be extendable to add new artisan workshops with crafting capabilities, like the scultpure or stainedglass workshop.
Artisan workshops
Parts that need more detailed, artistic work, like stained glass and sculptures will need to be first crafted in artisan workshops from the extended Builder’s Workshop. These artisan workshops will take advantage of the new resources that will be available to you in the discoverable resource nodes and the workshops themselves will allow you to create all new unique parts and Masterpieces for your village.
Masterpieces
Masterpieces are outstanding pieces of art that need to be crafted by artisans and that will provide a lot of splendor. More details on this soon…
New production chains
The workshops are going to require processed materials that will form part of new production chains. One such discoverable resource you will be able to find is gold ore which will require smelting into gold bars via a Goldsmelter before being used in your artisan workshop
An improved role for the Bailiff: The Bailiff Mandates
The bailiff will be introduced earlier into the game than previously and, for a cost, will be able to accomplish mandates for his lord. Among other things, he will be able to prospect for minerals and study blueprints.
Path inside buildings
One feature we have wanted to push for a while is the capabilities for villagers to use doors that communicate with one another. As such, villagers are now able to path through buildings by entering a door and going out from another. For example, Monks will be able to path through enclosed Cloisters, or villagers will be able to access enclosed courtyards via an inner courtyard entrance/exit but only through buildings that they are allowed to based on certain rules.
Multiple gameplay and feedback improvements
The Minerals and Craftmanship Update is a good time to consolidate on the work so far in the game and as such you will find many Quality of Life improvements some of which you will be able to see in the preview build.
There is now a new notification panel that will make it easier to track quests and keep an eye on issues in your village.
As noted above there are new building capabilities. To keep things consistent, all buildings will be placed and built in similar building workflow fashion to monuments. i.e. Placing a building will require that you also choose to start construction. You can still use shift + click to place multiple buildings which will bypass the requirement to click “start construction”.
We have also introduced another new change to the way you create monuments. You will first need to place a building marker before placing any parts to a monument. This building marker can then be moved and in doing so will allow you to move your whole blueprint before final placement and construction.
Grass has seen improvements in this update with a greater variety to shades and depth giving a more realistic look to grasslands.
Other improvements include cleaning up placeholder text, {img1} as well as new sounds and new animations.
New modding features
The new update will bring some huge features for the modding community which will allow modders much more freedom to create new assets, behaviours and also make changes and extend vanilla components and functions.
The preview build will include the ability to create custom behaviour trees and nodes. This will enable modders to use both our existing nodes as well as define their own nodes when creating new behaviours for villagers.
Custom assets, as well as custom structures, will now be available for use by modders. This means that modders will no longer be confined to using our asset types and can now define their own. Complex data related to these assets and components can then be stored in custom structures.
All of these additions and changes will allow much more flexibility for modding. As an added bonus we will also be opening up our own core components to allow some engine and game structures to be extended. This will allow, for example, new bridge building functions or workplace building functions to be assigned to core components.
Can you imagine the potential horrors, such as an “Antenna farm” mod?!
You will be able to see all the new modding changes in the release notes and changelog here, on release of the preview build.
More to come
Although the preview build is already jam-packed full of new content and improvements we will continue to add more as we work toward the full update release.
In the meantime, stay tuned for more information on the Preview build release coming soon.
