Viking Conquest 1.04 Patch Released

Hello all!

After a couple of weeks in beta, we have decided to push this patch out for a full release.

Thanks to everyone who helped out with testing and reports for this patch! Hopefully this patch brings the game into a much more stable state and you enjoy some of the new features, which include:

For the server hosters and non-Steam users, you can get the latest version from the Viking Conquest Downloads Page.

Here is a changelog for the latest version (1.04)

NEW:
-Added new MP mode: Warlords
-Added shield bash
-Added the option to leave a battle and win it when every enemy is running away
-Added hair underneath helmets
-Added multiple entry points for towns
-Added the possibility of your refuge being attacked
-Added info to inform player how the horse can be called
-Added option to switch off shield bash
-Added surgery skill system
-Added a maximum to troops in refuge
-Added traits to ship battles
-Added traits for jarls
-Long axes are 1- and 2-handed axes now
-Added unique 2-handed-axes
-Added thunderstorm always with rain
-Added the ability to train your soldiers in your lair using either normal or alternative upgrade routes
-Added a higher risk for axes to break while blocking (wood shaft)
-Added the ability to improve relations with faction lords by giving them gifts
-Added the ability to release a prisoner for potential honor gain or loss
-Added the ability to ask your prisoner lords to convert to your religion for freedom
-Added the ability to execute a prisoner
-Added the ability to hire your prisoners one by one
-Added the ability to put together a band of masterless men out of your prisoners and send them to fight one of your enemies, or raid his village (one-time event)
-Added standard bearers and hornmen to troops tree
-Added new scene props
-Added throwing spears and Ragnar's Seax to the character model when they are equipped
-Added the option to attack a village that belongs to a faction you are not at war with
-Added the possibility to split your fleet
-Added coastal assault for Dorestad
-Added feature to embark and disembark together with your lords from any location if you are marshal
-Added new features to right click on one's own fleet to find the nearest landing point if one is next to the coast
-Added mutiny
-Added new improvements for castle: church and brewery
-Added ability to send your companions on relation improvement trips (with various outcomes)
-Added new lady quests to improve relations with all ladies (not just unmarried ones)
-Added lords quests
-Added new scenes: Bal Dara, Bal Magh, Dorce Ham, Middels Ham, Oxena Ham, Ham Ham, Tref Erth, Tref Reghed, Donne Ham and Vebjorg. New multiplayer scene replacing Forest Hideout
-Christian priests now travel from monastery to monastery instead of patrolling
-The Norse now don't use slings
-Now you are forced to enter into some scene where you find a new mate with space in your party for him/her
-Power draw now only starts at 4 if you are a hunter
-Character button and sheet button on the tool bar don't do the same thing any more
-Now you can sell as many ships as you want in a coastal town
-Blocking skill has been removed from some small axes
-Tweak village/castle prosperities
-Removed the slave trader from ports. Now they will appear from time to time depending on the settlement
-Finish map trigger overhaul
-Masterless men can now loot villages on their own
-Strategy camera and order panel now are in separate buttons
-Stopped some parties from spending too much time on the sea
-Player cannot be victorious in "Sven attacks the fleet" mission any more
-Changed the character size to fit other agents' in the campaign map
-Reduced the number of messages that shows casualties in battles to improve the vision of the player.
-Restore lost rents, village conversion and enslavement
-Shorten overly long player dialog buttons

IMPROVE / BALANCE:
-Improved ship movement, management and traveling
-Improved recruitment system
-Improved the collision meshes from MP scenes that allow agents to walk through some walls
-Improved decapitated heads
-Improved access to classic menu
-Improved colors of the kingdoms to be more legible
-Improved longport hideout difficulty
-Improved tournament weapons balance
-Improved campaign map
-Improved amours balance
-Improved troop names to be smaller and historical
-Improved the siege system
-Improved the training system
-Improved several info panels to give a more accurate and fuller explanations
-Improved missile weapons balance
-Improved the use of seaxes
-Improved performance
-Improved the ammunition system while you are on a ship
-Improved stamina balance
-Improved prisoner prices
-Improved generated garrison strength
-Improved bandit distribution through the campaign map
-Improved the appearance of hoods with helmets at the same time
-Improved decision consequences after conquering a settlement
-Improved Viking aggressiveness
-Improved formation and division system
-Improved elite troops weapons resistance
-Improved NPC speed in scenes and battles
-Improved castle/town food stores
-Improved the casualties system
-Improved trade penalties for some more items
-Improved the cost of low level mercenaries
-Improved battle trophies system
-Improved the ship label to make it more visible and easy to find
-Improved the campaign banner optimization
-Improved the morale system both on land and sea
-Improved sea speed system for player and NPCs
-Improved ship icon when player have several ships
-Improved the music quality and behavior
-Improved the kind of weapon used by troops
-Improved the character icon
-Improved path-finding
-Improved scene trigger management
-Improved sailors impact on sea traveling speed
-Improved some long text buttons
-Improved keyboard entry management for extended battle menu
-Improved tree movement
-Improved axe-meshes for more variations
-Improved spear-meshes for more variations and better performance
-Improved shield-meshes for better size-variations and performance
-Improved bow-meshes for better visuals and more variations
-Improved some helmet-meshes for included nasals

FIXES:
-Fixed bug that made you appear in an island you can't leave without a ship after become prisoner
-Fixed issue that make troop get stuck at the front of some ships when they land in the shore
-Fixed issue that make banners troop don't make use of it during the battle
-Fixed some issues in Aescesdun storyline part
-Fixed several storyline quests conversations and scenes
-Fixed free ship customization
-Fixed bandit lair
-Fixed Hadrian's wall bug that allowed you to kill them all
-Fixed season switching
-Fixed conversations that never start
-Fixed wrong troop portrait in Kingdom report
-Fixed agent typing
-Fixed hero wealth
-Fixed garrison not shown in the settlement menu
-Fixed collision meshes from Saxon towers
-Fixed bug that makes some jarls do nothing
-Fixed resolution of duels while besieging a settlement
-Fixed troll scene and dialogs
-Fixed axes thrust attack empty values
-Fixed crossbows troops that never make use of the crossbow
-Fixed impossibility to assign captured settlements to one's jarls
-Fixed issue that make your soldiers get stuck on some bridges
-Fixed the confusing menu when you attack "Sea Kings" from an allied kingdom
-Fixed quarter issue about leaving prisoners alone inside
-Fixed continuously alliance between kingdoms
-Fixed Doccinga scene
-Fixed battle size visual option
-Fixed bug with tournament master conversation
-Fixed issue that made decapitated soldier survive the battle
-Fixed ferry used while you are on a escorting a caravan mission
-Fixed missing scene props
-Fixed the cause of a lord who don't want to leave his town/fort
-Fixed sally out and starvation in sieges.
-Fixed kingdom jarls that never switch to a new one
-Fixed free movement right before the army reach Aescesdun during the Aescesdun battle
-Fixed the cloning of jarls after the storyline ends
-Fixed too big relations consequences after plundering
-Fixed script problems that make troops get stuck in some battles
-Fixed some banner textures
-Fixed visually duplicated recruits in recruit menu
-Fixed issue that made the Followers camp button build a refuge
-Fixed Solveig scene consequences
-Fixed icon of kidnapped girl during mayors mission
-Fixed consequences of been attacked while you are plundering a village
-Fixed issue that make your jarls not follow you when you get into the sea
-Fixed traits effect that make dead camera appear continuously
-Fixed the commander options before the battle
-Fixed spawn point in Norway that make you get stuck at the very beginning of the sandbox
-Fixed the cattle movement through the sea
-Fixed the weapon brokenness system
-Fixed the loot amount after a battle
-Fixed the passive behavior about sieges of allied jarls
-Fixed wrong weapon reach information
-Fixed bug that made you lose all your ships when you lose a naval battle
-Fixed a situation when 3rd person cam started for non player agent
-Fixed invisible head of player in the kill cam
-Fixed a icon problem on the sea
-Fixed the frequency of finding new landing points
-One fix and some small improvements for monastery looting
-Fixed special seax carry position
-Fixed small UI for too many options in the town menu
-Fixed some options in admin panel not working correctly
-A lot other minor fixes.

HOTFIXES:
-Adjusted shield bash times
-Adjusted price of prisoners
-Raise income of castles
-Reverted Nad Sword scabbard
-Fixed Brynie neck rigging issue
-Other minor fixes
-Improved decapitation blood particles.
-Add tutorial menssage in Funeral mission.
-Improved sea battle sounds.
-Balanced ship sea travel speed.
-Balanced missile weapons.
-Fixed besiege icon around town when traveling on water.
-Fixed rain sound loud and sounds in towns.
-Fixed hideout problem.
-Fixed relations problem with women and hormen in your party.
-Other minor fixes.
-Fixed trader caravan spawn problem.
-Fixed stuck merchants.
-Fixed party size info screen.
-Fixed hoods in first person problem.
-Fixed bandits joining nearby battle problem.
-Other minor issues.
-Fixed weekly report budget getting overfilled.
-Rebalanced companion attributes
-Adjusted bard music