[Update 3 - 0.8.004] Fishing, Butchers, Crossbows, Unreal Engine 5 & Bug Fixes

A new patch has been released to the main branch, combining the work from two prior beta patches. Below is a brief summary of the most significant changes and a full changelog right below it.

Note: The new patch is available on the main branch. If you participated in the pre_release, please remember to set "betas" to "none" to access the update. We recommend starting a new save with the new patch, regardless if you participated in the beta or not.

Mods: Please remove any mods you have before beginning a new save to ensure you can play without interference from an outdated mod.

To discuss the patch, please join the official Manor Lords Discord server.

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[h2]Unreal Engine 5[/h2]

• The game has been successfully upgraded to Unreal Engine 5, addressing multiple stability and performance issues, including random crashes during loading screens and resolution changes.
  
• Improved visuals with new volumetric clouds, a virtual shadow map system for sharper shadows, and enhanced performance through GPU-based LOD handling for instanced components.
  

[h2]New Gameplay Features[/h2]

• Fishing System: Fishing ponds may now spawn on the map with a new resource node, Shoal of Fish. Fishermen can now fish at the Fisherman’s Hut, and fish multiply during spring months. Be careful of overfishing as ponds freeze in winter, and a new Winter Fishing branch can be unlocked to extend fishing year-round.
• Butchers & Food Spoilage: Butchers can now turn surplus livestock into meat, and a new spoilage system has been introduced. Foods like fish spoil faster than bread, and new Salt Deposits can be used to make sausages to reduce spoilage.
• Crossbows & Huntsmen Mercenaries: Crossbows can now be crafted at the Bowyer’s Workshop and equipped by militia and The Huntsmen, a new ranged mercenary unit.
  
• Production Limits & Reserves: Set production limits for different workplaces and reserves for prioritizing specific resources, such as shields or bows.

[h2]Performance & Optimizations[/h2]

• Significant CPU optimizations for late-game scenarios, making large cities run smoother.
  
• Reduced stutter and improved load times for large save files.
  
• Multiple optimizations for crowd animations, pathfinding, unit rotations, and rendering of surface checks to further improve performance.

[h2]Balance Changes & Bug Fixes[/h2]

• Advanced Pondkeeping was introduced to increase pond capacity and limit overfishing.
  
• Various balance adjustments to resource node spawning, deposit management, and food spoilage rates.
  
• Fixed several crashes and bugs, including deer behavior issues, villagers ignoring storage filters, and certain game-breaking edge cases related to saved games and building placement.

[h2]To the Manor Lords Community:[/h2]
Thank you for your continued support and for playing Manor Lords. We'd appreciate it if you could share your feedback through a Steam review — your feedback is invaluable in shaping the game and letting us know how you feel about it.

Greg Styczeń,
Lead Developer, Slavic Magic
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[h2]The Hooded Horse Publisher Sale is here![/h2]
Manor Lords is 30% off in the Hooded Horse Publisher Sale, running until October 10th! You can also find discounts on great strategy titles like Against the Storm, Breachway, Terra Invicta, and more.


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