Play Like You Are with Jonn A. Macdonald
Although we rather appreciated Oxide Games' proposal in terms of historical 4X, Ara: History Untold had some flaws, particularly with regard to the readability of resources. Version 1.1 of the game therefore brings numerous improvements aimed at improving playing comfort. In addition, a new leader is available for free : John A. Macdonald. The Canadian Prime Minister enters with capabilities focused on defense and resource management. Its “Disciplined” trait improves government and military infrastructure by 50%, while its “Pacifist” trait reduces the strength of units outside its territory, encouraging a defensive approach. Finally, its “Forester” trait increases wood production, ideal for a resource-focused strategy.
The major innovation of this update is the addition of a national economy screen. This dedicated screen helps reduce micromanagement by making it easier to manage resources, define priorities and automate improvements by equipping manufactured items. Having completed a complete part with John A. Macdonald, focused on production and economics, this tool proves essential for saving precious time. Filtering all factories with one click and quickly modifying manufactured resources is a real advantage. Additionally, enhancements now appear highlighted if you have not enabled auto-enhancement.
A more functional army
Even though war isn't fundamentally a focal point compared to other 4X games, the developers added some fixes with version 1.1. It is finally possible to upgrade individual units, avoiding the need to disband old units, with an overview of the costs and benefits of each upgrade. In addition, the overview of clashes gains depth with more coherent interactions between different units.
Concerning the other additions of “The Invisible Hand”, we have:
- New items to craft : more than a dozen tools have been implemented. These reflect technological advances and enable leaders to improve national prosperity and stability.
- A system of advisors : The new advisor system provides real-time advice based on the chosen leader and paragon, helping players make strategic decisions as they progress.
- Access to modding : The first phase of modding support allows players to modify game files to more easily integrate custom mods. Later, it will be possible to create mods dedicated to management and share them online.
- The world map : It is now possible to play on the world map as we currently know it. This map balances historical realism and gameplay, providing fair positions for all nations. Regular updates are planned based on player feedback and the addition of new nations.
For the future, the developers are already announcing a well-filled roadmapincluding improvements to diplomacy, a map editor, naval supremacy, supply lines and even trade routes.
Ara: History Untold is available on PC via Steam, Windows Games and via Xbox Game Pass.
