Multiplayer Update

DSS has become the world's largest peer-to-peer multiplayer game! “Don't do it!” - that was the advice I got from my programmer friends, but DSS is a game about dreaming big!

What do you say? Is it fun, or did I fly too close to the sun?!

Online Multiplayer

• Co-op only. Friends only.
• It uses a peer-to-peer network over the Steam API. No external servers are used.
• Players can drop in or out at any time.
• New players will have their own faction that will replace a bot.
• Players can share resources with each other.
• 64-player max limit.
• Players can mix difficulty settings and casual/advanced controls, if you want to play with your children for example.
• You can modify security settings at your own risk.
• Zero protection against cheating.
• The starting positions of players are not balanced.
• The multiplayer will expose your IP address to other players.
• It does not allow mixing of local and online multiplayer (might come later).

Other features

• Location pin - can be placed on the map as both a reminder to yourself and communication with other players.
• Text chat.
• Voice chat.
• Gifted achievements - Players can send rewards to each other in multiplayer. (Not translated, since I still am considering to remove them)
• You can send gold, cities and armies to other factions.
• Plus other optimizations and polish.

Known issues

! Old saves will have some bot flag color drifting.

! Joining from a closed game doesn't work.

! Desync can make soldiers rotate for a moment on the spot.

Supporter DLC launch

Contains some time-exclusive content:

• Social statues - high-five or insult your neighbours.
• Skins for location pins, all for the wins.

What’s next?

I have started on the Map2.0 update. It is a big project that will consume up to a year of work. I made that map twelve years ago, and during the years added more and more ad-hoc solutions on top of it, until it now lacks any flexibility - so it’s time to rip it all out and start over.

To cover up the long wait, I will do a series of quality-of-life updates from my list of popular requests. Hopefully you can forgive me for the lack of upcoming updates, but it will be worth it in the end, I promise!