@Herius solid patch. Doesn't break anything and sets up future changes, well done.
Love the pitch reset fix. Love the AI Psyche change.
I don't know how the bushes changes will play out, perhaps we can get some nod from you guys that if it doesn't work out well it can be reverted. Bushes provide a lot of good tactical gameplay in areas that are wide open and hostile to foot forces.
Something to consider with blacklisting, which I support because TC should be meaningful and enforcing laws is a part of that. At the same time, the game increasingly favors very large wealthy TC guilds. That's ok, organization, power and wealth should matter, Yet it's vital to understand Individuals targeted by these groups have fewer and fewer paths of recourse. We don't have ladders, large guilds do not have sufficient vulnerabilities to individuals or small groups, walls are extremely effective and costly. I think it's important to view the game from the individuals perspective and understand just how much power the mechanics you guys are creating provide a group of people over others, with no downside or increased vulnerability. An empire ruling over a population that resists and rejects the leadership should be rare, in MO, it is the rule.That's an unrealistic and un-fun imbalance that won't help this game grow.
Individuals and small groups need affordable means of fighting back and disrupting the growth of large guilds. The vulnerabilities to towers is good, but if individuals and small groups can't disrupt, say, the Tephra mining operation of a large guild, there is no meaningful resistance.
Mounted strength requirement is a very good change. It may increase viable weapons by a couple, but as is well understood, without changing the dismount system, a heavy blunt weapon will always be the meta. Would be nice to get to a place where swords, lances, spears, axes, clubs, are all used to kill each other while mounted instead of a gear/skill/equipment race to dismount each other.
Well done and welcomed surprise patch!
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No balancing for skill tree 
