There is not a lot of strategy in tactical combat right now but what exists is totally ignored by the AI. If you have more movement then the enemy you should not be ending your turn within their strike zone, stay just outside of it so you get first strike next turn. High movement units can also run up the flanks to threaten their ranged units. Really damaged units that belong to actual players should avoid combat so that they have a chance to survive and grow levels. Brad has mentioned he doesn't like the AI retreating it's ranged units but I think it's fine as long as the AI still has some melee units. Maps are small enough that it's impossible to really pull with ranged units anyway. It's disappointing when every tactical fight is just the AI running up the middle in a disadvantageous headlong rush at me. The AI seems to like heavy damage but low armor units and since they always rush up the middle and give me first strike I can easily focus fire and wipe out those glass cannons in that first turn. That's a huge advantage when I'm facing the AI, huge. Even if the armored units stopped a tile ahead of the glass cannons it would prevent me from focusing on them.

Great stuff, you have really polished the visuals.

I especially like the new font in TC!

I notice that Frogboy builds an iron mine and crystal mine almost immediately. In Beta 3 that would be a bad idea if they went into the city build queues, because there's nothing to spend those resources on. I wonder if we will get new early-game items that actually use those resources now?

Also, doesn't the ogre use blunt damage? Stoneskin should not help you anything against an ogre because they do blunt damage only.

I liked how the icon for the city overlay on the strategic map changed after you selected "town" as upgrade. A neat detail.

The first time I really noticed this is while I watched the video. I thought "Wow, that sound is annoying, what sound can I replace it with.

BTW, the sound is called "Found_Jewels1" if anyone wants to replace it.

Awesome. Love the amount of official posts coming out at the moment. I have played beta 3 since I found that the pillar of fire breaks the game - I hope that has been fixed. Can't wait for beta 4 to come out.

It sounds like a bad sound effect from Windows 95.

Interesting, Brad.  I wonder if you can show us a diagram or help page on the ways cities can now exclusively develop.  I think we're all interested in how Essence will play out, too.

It's the same sound effect that's always been in there for that.  Feel free to suggest a different one and I'll pass it on to Derek.

Other odd choice I noticed was grouping champions. Isn't this something you *never* want to do until you're in a really tight spot because there is such a cost to xp? Or has that changed in Beta 4? Or was I always wrong?

Yay more videos! Also, the wolf didn't use its ability during auto-combat. Some neutral monsters also miss opportunities to use their ability as well, please look into this.

I think the sound effect is fine, it sounds like treasure to me. 

Brad, you have a very loud mouse click.  It's loud enough to have an echo!  

I think where your sound settings are different from mine, it was really noticeable for me. I changed mine to a sound from AOW Shadow Magic, the one when you get gold on the map.

still no information on city levelup screen /sigh

Really like what's shown here in the video.

Still a little hesitant to the idea of having all resources from an outpost directed to a city (as opposed to having to choose 1 or 2 of them), but I suppose that's how empires are built.

Looking forward to putting in some game time this weekend.

I haven't been following the forums in a few months, but Beta 4 is looking very interesting. Can't wait.