It's here! This latest update has many new improvements, bug fixes, balancing, performance improvements and additions to the editor.. For those of you who have been playing the pre-release, thank you very much for your feedback and patience. Multiplayer is now available for version 1.28, also.

Highlights of this update include the adjustments to arms and oil to make oil more of a relevant and valuable resource, better combat reports, improvements to priorities and choices the AI makes, and a lot of game balancing based on your feedback.

Complete release notes are HERE

This pre-release update affects only the launcher. The issues around Direct X and fogging should now be fixed.

Note new version number for Launcher:
Launcher: v1.28.37085.221
Game: v1.28.35116.170 (unchanged)

We've posted an update to the 1.28 pre-release. Changes are mostly content balancing for arms/oil consumption, some unit tweaks, and AI work. We hope to have reduced some of the micromanagement from the naval gameplay introduced by the idle arms/oil feature - let us know what you think!

As is already probably clear to everyone, we are not releasing "The Great War" in 2012. We are making great progress on it, but we are determined to only release when we feel the game is ready to go. We aren't there yet. We will have more details about the upcoming beta as soon as possible. In the meantime, we will continue to add improvements to MHII.

Thanks for all your feedback and support!

We've posted an update to the MHII 1.28 pre-release. We did a lot of work on the game balance and AI in the wake of the addition of Idle Arms and Oil consumption for units. We also fixed some game and AI bugs that were causing problems with production and supply. We will continue to work on balance but I think you will find this a much improved experience. And we improved the data in the Combat Reports!

Updated release notes here.

We've posted the first 1.28 pre-release and the focus has been on AI and game balance. Give it a try and let us know what you think - full release notes here.

After a month of waiting, Steam users will now be updated to version 1.27. (See previous blog post for 1.27 details). Part of this delay was due to the fact that Steam has updated to a new system they call "Steamworks" which allows developers more direct access to their games. This is very good for all Steam users, since it means we will be able to update them at the same time as GHQ and all our other channels. Another benefit is that Steam users will now be able to access our pre-release updates (Referred to as Beta on Steam). So stay tuned, because it won't be long before the first 1.28 pre-release build will go live, with some improvements you've been asking for!

New FEATURES! New CONTENT! New SCENARIO!

This massive game update includes significant improvements to the game engine, new game features and many, many new additions to the game editor, making it much easier for modders to create custom scenarios. Now virtually all aspects of the game are moddable, from terrain and regional infrastructure to adding new armies, cities and nations. Further, the time it takes to create mods is significantly reduced, with controls that allow for one-click duplication and a new "paint" function that lets players easily alter all kinds of properties instantly right on the map.

The release of update 1.27 also coincides with the release of a brand new scenario, "Height of Power". Beginning in early 1941 just prior to the historical invasion of the USSR by Germany, this scenario lets players begin with global war well underway. DOWNLOAD IT HERE

A very special thanks to all the members of our community who have been playing the pre-release versions and giving us feedback. We could not have done it without you!

The entire list of Release Notes is HERE

Yet more stuff added. Prior to this, Textiles was the only single-resource wealth producer. This was great if you had extra Coal, but what about those nations with excess Oil or Metals? Now you can generate wealth by having your cities manufacture and sell Petroleum (oil) and Wrought Iron (metals). There are also more fixes for puppets and colonies, and for alliances, all based on feedback from our forum community. There are also lots of updates to allow us to get the game into the Mac App Store, which is critical to going live with the 1.27 official release.

Thanks everyone. Your help is invaluable!

Full Release Notes HERE

We are currently turning our attention to improving the Multiplayer Service, and we'd like your help. Please check out the questions below and share your experience using the service:

1. Are you having problems finding players and setting up a multiplayer game?

2. Have you been able to play a game using the asymmetrical service? If not, what went wrong?

3. Have you finished a multiplayer game? If not, why?

4. Have you had connection problems? If so, could you reconnect and continue playing?

5. Anything else you want to share? Perhaps suggestions for the interface?

When reporting any issues, it is hugely helpful if you tell us the following:
- Your Operating System
- Your version of Sandstone (found in Add/Remove Programs, under "Version" column)
- Whether or not you are behind a firewall
- What Anti-virus Software you are using
- Your overall connection speed

If you run Debugview and it doesn't show anything game-related that is causing a problem, that still helps. It tells us that the problem is related to the web service and not the game.

Thanks! The more feedback we get the better the experience will be for you.