Age of Wonders III Developer Journals

As promised earlier, Triumph Studios has started to whip up some new developer journals for Age of Wonders III and its forthcoming expansion pack. There are two new journals since the last time we checked in, including a journal on the Disjunction ability and spell mechanics and a journal on "mystical" city upgrades. An excerpt from the latter:

In today's expansion development journal we'll be talking about a new type of city upgrades that we have in the works. These Mystical upgrades unlock unique new and powerful improvements to your town, making a city's location matter more than ever.

The goal with this new feature is to make cities a lot more unique. We got some feedback that right now city upgrades could use more diversity. The class structures vary per class of course, and the tier 3 unit building is different for each race. Then there's the Harbor which you can only build if the city is located next to water. But you wanted more, and we heartily agree!

Something that may give each city a unique focus, or role. Something that can influence your choice of where to found your next city.

This is how the Mystical City Upgrades were born: These city upgrades depend on the presence of particular Treasure Sites in the city's domain. When these Sites are explored and made part of the city's domain, they unlock a new Mystical Upgrade in the production list. These upgrades usually greatly improve a particular type of unit (Pikemen, Infantry, Cavalry, etc.) produced in that city, enabling you to specialize the city according to the unit type boosted by the upgrade. Other Mystical Upgrades unlock an entirely new unit or have effects on the city's defenses. We think this will lead to more variety in the citybuilding part of the game as some upgrades may fit your playstyle, race or class more than others.