Ara History Untold is about to get its first major update since it came up a few months ago. Update 1.1, Invisible Hand is bringing a host of new features to the 4X strategy game.
Ara: History Untold is about to receive its first major update in November 2024 with version 1.1, aka the Invisible Hand update, and it’s packed with features aimed at enhancing player experience, addressing key feedback, and setting the stage for more exciting updates. Here’s a breakdown of what you can expect from the upcoming release.
A major highlight is the new National Economy screen, created to simplify resource management and minimize micromanagement—one of players’ most requested features. This screen enables global control over crafting, setting supply priorities, and automating upgrades through the policy screen. With policies in place, the game automatically checks supplies and applies improvements as needed, significantly reducing manual tasks.
Canada’s first prime minister, John A. Macdonald, embodies disciplined leadership with a focus on government and military growth. His traits reflect a pragmatic and resourceful approach to governance.
His Disciplined trait grants a substantial +50% boost to government and military builds, allowing for rapid infrastructure development. However, his Pacifist trait reduces unit strength by 10% outside your territory, favoring defense over expansion. Additionally, his Woodsman ability enhances timber production from logging camps, ideal for players looking to optimize resources while reinforcing their nation’s defenses.
Another exciting feature is the addition of over a dozen new amenities that cover technological progress throughout human history. These will give players new tools to shape the development of their nations, expanding on how leaders can shape the lives of their citizens. Whether it’s increasing prosperity or improving national stability, the amenity pack is a valuable new set of assets for strategic depth.
Though Ara: History Untold isn’t primarily a war game, combat plays a key role. The new Battle Viewer introduces added depth, displaying how unit types interact and marking an initial step toward making terrain impactful in battles. As this feature evolves, it will offer players deeper insights into the complexities of warfare in Ara, enhancing transparency and strategic planning in combat.
A highly requested feature, unit upgrading, arrives in version 1.1, allowing players to upgrade individual units within an army. No more marching modern armies with outdated spearmen or disbanding units entirely. This feature shows the costs and benefits upfront, helping players make informed decisions when enhancing their forces.
Ara is expansive, and while the tutorial helps new players get started, the team aimed to offer continuous guidance. Version 1.1 introduces a new Adviser system that provides real-time advice based on the player’s chosen leader and paragon, using the narrative event system. In this initial version, advisers appear in a panel, with future updates planned to make them more integrated and visible across gameplay.
Ara is enthusiastically supporting the modding community, starting with modding capabilities in version 1.1. Players can now modify files and implement them directly in their games. Future phases will introduce mod management, sharing, and in-game integration, opening up endless possibilities for those looking to customize and enhance their gameplay experience.
The much-anticipated Earth Map will make its debut in version 1.1. Balanced for gameplay first, the continents are sized such that each nation has a bit of breathing room. The map will bring historical flavour to the game, but it will also ensure fairness for all players, preventing certain nations from having an overwhelming geographical advantage. With more iterations on the horizon, the Earth Map promises to be a staple for fans of historical strategy. The Ara team plans to continue iterating on this map as additional nations are added, and player feedback comes in.
Version 1.1 is just the beginning. The roadmap ahead is filled with exciting updates, including diplomacy improvements, a map editor, naval supremacy, supply lines, and even trade routes. Keep an eye out for what’s in store as the game evolves with each update, bringing even more depth and enjoyment to its players.
David has written for games media outlets for the last ten years. With his first major esports role being with Esports News UK covering mostly UK League of Legends. David is also a member of the British Esports Association and is an advisor to them on World of Warcraft Esports. More recently David has worked for Esports Insider and Red Bull as an esports journalist.
David later became Editor at ESTNN and now leads the current team.
