Clanfolk News

- Fixed bug where if already selected on an entity and then select a bed, the ownership key icon was missing from the top of the selection panel.

Hi Everyone,

[h3]Update 16 is now live![/h3]
It has certainly been a while since Update 15. I will explain what has been happening. Long story short, I got very excited about a new idea.

So Update 16 was already quite large and ready to go by mid December, but then I wanted to squeeze in "just one more thing..." I really need to learn not to do that. Anyhow, I have been working on a World Map since then, and it has become a major feature. So big in fact that is has eaten all of my attention for the last three months.

In my last couple Progress Updates I have gone into great detail about the World Map as it has developed into a major new system. I encourage you to take a look at the posts linked next to get a better idea of what is coming in Update 17.

Initial World Map Announcement with High Level Details
https://steamcommunity.com/games/1700870/announcements/detail/499437972949565609

This is where the World Map is as of today
https://steamcommunity.com/games/1700870/announcements/detail/532092240505341127

So last week I did some time estimation, and it looked like the World Map would be about mid-May before it would be ready for a release, and it made no sense to hold back all this working stuff any longer, so I switched gears and got Update 16 finished up.

Let's get started, there is quite a lot to cover. :)

[h2]New Stuff![/h2]
(See sections below this outline to see further details about each category)

[h3]Nature:[/h3]

• Flooding - Some areas of the Map will now Flood! Increased Fertility, but also Increased Risk.
  
• Lightning Upgrades - Dangerous Lightning! (Off by default.)
  
• Caves and Rocky Overhangs - Places to take cover and keep things dry early on.
  

[h3]Difficulty Modes:[/h3]

• Clanfolk Classic - This is the Clanfolk you know.
  
• Nature's Wrath - Nature is out to get you. Mistakes are deadly.
  
• The Long Haul - This is more of an epic pacing to suit a double lifespan.
  
• The Lean Years - Resources and trade are more scarce. Starvation is likely.
  
• The Works! - This mode activates ALL other difficulty modes. It is very difficult.
  
• Custom - This mode is set whenever you set toggles yourself.
  

[h3]New Objects/Items:[/h3]

• Customizable Pet Tombs - These work like the Human Tombs and have new Glyphs!
  
• Baby Toys and Toyboxes - Cute, and more Toys to come.
  
• Dried Berries - Preserve those Berries for Winter!
  
• Traditional Turnip Lanterns for Samhain - Spooky and Fun.
  
• Bluebell and Thistle Wall Hangings - New Wall Decoration Options.
  
• Planting Bluebells - They just look too nice, so plant them where you want :)
  

[h3]Player Feedback Improvements:[/h3]

• Missing Item Alert Upgrades - Alerts understand reservations now, better more accurate info.
  
• Reservation Viewer - See exactly where Clanfolk are going and why.
  
• Smart Missing Supply Viewer - Makes it much more clear why some things are not being built.
  

[h3]Other/Changes:[/h3]

• World Based Saving - All Save Games are collected into world folders for file management at a playthrough level.
  
• Smarter Cats and Rats - Tom and Jerry mode activated! Cats are much more effective.
  
• More - See the "Other/Changes" Section for more.
  

[h2]Flooding:[/h2]

• Flooding will occur on Flood Plains when there is heavy rain for extended periods of time.
  
• Flooding will naturally decrease as the ground dries out over the course of a couple days.
  
• The Positive of Flood Plains is that they have better soil and provide a better growth rate.
  
• Floods also provide free fertilizer.
  
• The Negative is that when the Flood Plains are Flooded, the Deeper the water, the more damage will be done to some crops.
  
• Note: Some crops/plants are flood resistant. This is shown in the planting menu.
  
• So Flood Plains are excellent for growing crops, except then they re flooded, but that it the risk.
  
• A Flood Plains Slider is added to World Settings.
  
• Added a Flood Plain Overlay to the Map Preview Screen, to the Right of the New Map Button
  
• New maps Start with some Initial Fertility on the Flood Plains from previous floods, can be seen on the fertilizer overlay
  
• The Water Overlay will also show Flood Plains as Green Areas, but as they fill up, they will turn blue
  
• The Growth Rate Overlay, ALSO shows flood plains, but sometimes in Red, in cases where the ground is flooded, the growth rate will become negative and shown as red.
  
• Flood Plains will slow down movement when flooded.
  
• Anything built on the flood plain will be built on raised ground, aside from Tilled Soil which will get flooded.
  
• So Roads on Flood Plains can work like bridges in times of flooding when movement is otherwise very slow.
  
• The Grasses and Trees on the Flood Plains will show up greener due to the higher fertility, also clear ground on the flood plains will have some undergrowth to show the result of previous flooding.
  

[h2]Lightning Upgrades:[/h2]

• Lightning is highly attracted to Mountains (but people are safe inside)
  
• Large Trees will attract lightning more than roofs
  
• Roofs will attract lightning more than people
  
• People will attract lightning more than base ground
  
• Non Flammable Roofs will not transmit lightning damage or catch fire (Mountain, Stone, Tile)
  
• Flammable Roofs will transmit lightning damage, but will not kill a unit protected by the roof (Unit at strike point will be knocked out)
  
• Livestock under flammable roofs can still die when struck, but it is less likely than out in the open.
  
• Units in neighbor tiles under a Flammable roof will be hurt, but will not be knocked out. (they will have a fire to fight most likely too)
  
• Units outside can die from a lightning strike, and the further from the strike point, the less likely a fatality will be.
  
• So the higher the point on the map, the more likely lightning will strike it, BUT a strike is not guaranteed at that point, just more likely.
  
• Building between mountains or in forests can provide decent lightning protection. (But beware of forest fires)
  
• Straw roofs are very dangerous out in the open.
  

[h2]Caves and Rocky Overhangs![/h2]

• When generating new map, sheltered areas will now appear in the mountains.
  
• In most places, there will only be small rocky overhangs of one or two tiles, enough to place a fire out of the rain for example.
  
• More rarely, caves will also appear that travel deeper into the mountain. There is not a lot of space inside caves, but the there tends to be enough to set up a few bedzones out of the rain.
  
• The higher the Mountain slider, more and deeper caves will appear.
  
• This addition should also make Heavy Rain/Snow mode much more tolerable early on because it will be possible to find a sheltered place to cook meals.
  
• There can be quite a wide variety in how the cave complexes develop and there is no hard limit on size, so some world seeds may have some pretty spectacular ones.
  

Difficulty modes have been added to provide new themed challenges for long time players.

• These new modes can be opted into in currently running games via Settings/Difficulty.
  
• After starting a new game, difficulty settings become Locked. (until unlocked via Settings/Difficulty)
  
• To Unlock Difficulty, double click on the lock icon at the top of the Difficulty Panel.
  
• Once Unlocked, Difficulty cannot be Re-Locked. This is to preserve the integrity of future achievements.
  
• Difficulty toggles are built such that turning them on or off will not break your play through, the most important thing is to have fun.

[h2]New Modes:[/h2]

[h3]Clanfolk Classic[/h3]
An experience focused on survival and growing the family homestead. This mode will likely be quite challenging until you have survived a few winters. In this mode, all the new Difficulty Toggles are off.

[h3]Nature's Wrath[/h3]
Nature is much less forgiving in this mode. Any mistakes will likely mean death.

• Heavy Rain/Snow Mode
  This mode will make Rain and Snow much more likely, and Storms will continue longer. The precipitation will be heavier and the breaks between storms will also be shorter. There is also no three day fair weather period when starting a new map. The Weather will be much harsher than normal, beware.;
  
• Extra Flooding
  Flood Plains will take longer to dissipate, and will also cause more damage to crops.
  
• Epic Storms
  This mode adds Large Storms that can last multiple days. Lightning is also intense during these Epic Storms.
  
• Dangerous Lightning
  Lightning will set flammable roofs on fire. Lightning will also damage or even kill units near the strike point. Clanfolk under stone or mountain roofs will be safe from the lightning.
  
• Colder Winters
  Winters will be much Colder, requiring more heating and warmer clothes.
  
• Chilling Winds
  Clothing will be less effective at maintaining body heat and blocking wind chill.
  
• High Flammability
  Fire will spread much more quickly, especially along flammable roofs. Ground moisture and rain is also less effective at slowing down fires. Keep plenty of water jugs available, and large connected structures are now dangerous.
  

[h3]The Long Haul[/h3]
Clanfolk at an Epic pace. This mode is tuned for a much longer gameplay experience.

• Slower Plant Growth
  Plants will take twice as long to grow, requiring larger farms and careful management.
  
• Slower Skill Progression
  Skills will increase at 25% of the normal rate. Specializing workers to specific roles will be important.
  
• Work Takes Longer
  Work tasks will take twice as long to complete.
  
• Longer Lifespans
  Humans, Pets, Livestock, and Wildlife will age at half the normal rate
  

[h3]The Lean Years[/h3]
Resources are slim and hard to preserve. Don't expect traders to come to the rescue. Starvation will be a major threat and building will take time.

• Fewer Traders
  Traders will only arrive half as often.
  
• Scarce Resources
  Harvest and Resource Extraction Tasks will only produce half the normal yield.
  
• Expiring Cold Rooms/Refrigeration
  No Permanent Ice Jug Cold Rooms. Ice Jugs will remove a maximum of -12C, and Mountain Roofs -5C from the World Temperature. So, once the World Temperature is 12C (or 17C under mountain roofs), Ice Jugs will begin to Melt. ween 0C and 5C Foods are Cooled and lose quality half as fast. By Mid-Summer Cold Rooms will have melted, so plan accordingly.
  (In this Clan we obey the laws of thermodynamics!)

[h3]The Works![/h3]
Totally Unfair and Unforgiving. A very long game full of hardship and misery. In this mode ALL difficulty toggles are active.

[h3]Custom[/h3]
Custom mode is activated when the player sets the Difficulty Toggles to whatever states they desire. Play however you want :)



[h2]Customizable Pet Tombs[/h2]

Now your loyal companions can have the rest they deserve.

[h2]Baby Toys and Toyboxes:[/h2]

• There is now a Straw Doll that can be used by babies to increase their fun.
  
• The Straw Doll can be stored in a Toybox (or a tool stockpile if nothing else available)
  
• Babies will not put away toys when they drop them near a toybox. This was added for increased realism :)
  
• Work on this new baby toy system is still in progress, but I think it is too cute to not show it now.
  
• I am hoping to add a cranky state to the babies for them the babies fun gets too low. This could potentially cause mood loss to those around the cranky baby.
  
• I am also thinking of adding a variety of toys which can each provide an early boost to skill experience for related skills.
  
• These are just ideas right now though, but could be fun gameplay wise.
  

[h2]Dried Berries![/h2]

• Berries are dried in the Tile Peat Stove and last 12 days. Preserve those berries!
  

[h2]Traditional Turnip Lanterns for Samhain[/h2]

• These new lanterns can be used year round and work as a lighting decoration like Rushlights.
  
• There are 4 lanterns which will be picked randomly based on where they are placed.
  
• Each lantern also has unique lighting to match the face on the turnip :)
  
• Enjoy the spookier nights!
  

[h2]Bluebell and Thistle Wall Hangings[/h2]


[h2]Planting Bluebells[/h2]




[h2]Missing Item Alert Upgrade:[/h2]

• Items that are being carried or that have been reserved are now considered used by the alert system.
  
• What this means is that the missing item alerts (red icons on jobs, and right side of screen alert) are much more responsive.
  
• This means an increase in work efficiency as we will know items are running out sooner.
  
• An example case is: 10 wall sections to build, but only 5 bricks available, in the old system all 10 sections show as ready to build until those 5 bricks are used up somewhere.
  
• In the new system, once one of those sections has the bricks reserved, ALL the other 9 sections show that they are missing bricks.
  
• So those cases where there are people standing around for seemingly no reason should be hopefully resolved with this change. It will be apparent that resources are missing now.
  

[h2]Reservation Viewer:[/h2]

• For many jobs, they have multiple parts, either multiple wall sections get built for a wall, or ingredients are needed for crafting. Now we can see how these tasks chain together better.
  
• When clicking on a Clanfolk, their path will show as before, but in some cases, the next destination is also shown. This can be very useful information.
  
• Example: clicking on a Gatherer will show the item they are going to gather as well as the destination storage for after collection.
  
• Also clicking an item like meat, or clicking on an object like a cooking fire will ALSO show who has reserved these items. This will allow you to tell if someone is currently going to do something with the item/object.
  
• Even storages work this way, so if you click on a storage object and any of the items within the object are reserved, a line will be drawn to the reserver.
  
• So the end result is a lot more clarity on what is currently being done and how.
  
• I really wish I added this three years ago now as it is pretty handy.
  

[h2]Smart Missing Supply Viewer:[/h2]

• Logic to show missing critical supply ingredients on world objects that mimics what it looks like with missing build queue items.
  
• Right now I am limiting this system to the crafting resources like Branches, Coal, Hay, Logs, Stones, Straw, and Clay which tend to get overlooked.
  
• Using this system for complex foods is likely not desirable as it will probably always be showing something missing for one of the many food recipes, leading to confusion.
  
• Note, I will turn this on for Eels since it is a very early ingredient and this system will help new players a lot.
  

[h2]World Based Saving[/h2]

When starting a new game, now there is a World Name. This will be used to collect all the saves from one playthrough together in one directory.


[h2]Smarter Cats and Rats:[/h2]

• Cats are now much more persistent in catching rats. They can dig them out of hiding if they see them hide and can also chase them room to room.
  
• Rat logic upgraded to try to find hiding spots where the cats cannot see them.
  
• The Cat/Rat chases can go on for quite a while sometimes all over the homestead. It can be fun to watch now.
  
• Also added bite and threaten noises to the cats to give audio queues when the chase begins.
  
• Fixed Rats in houses sometimes getting an X on them after the cats caught them.
  

[h2]Other Important Changes and Upgrades[/h2]

• Major Optimizations to large clans (100-200+) Though please try to stay below 40 people. Homestead simulator, not city simulator :)
  
• Added 2 Extra World Building Points!
  
• Added Refrigeration State! (Cooled) state to food between 0-5C This halves the quality loss rate. Needs new cooling mechanic turned on in difficulty settings.
  
• Advanced Shader (Off) mode upgraded to allow Grass and Rock Shadows! (This makes playing on a laptop/pc without geometry shaders much more attractive to look at)
  
• Dried Mushrooms now last 20 Days instead of forever.
  
• Ice Jugs take 2x as long to freeze and thaw.
  
• Reworked the FPS cap so that it detects the native screen refresh rate and caps to a value near 60fps, but also a multiple of the refresh rate to prevent tearing. This means that on 144hz monitors, the cap will now be 72 and will look a lot more smooth. I have a 144hz monitor and noticed a big difference when capped.
  

[h2]Road Map[/h2]

There is a lot more to come! Please take a look at the Road Map for further long term details as well.

https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1700870/view/3388412789658793666

Diving back into the code now. Update 17 here we come!

Thanks very much for playing Clanfolk!

Andrew Hume (Blorf)
MinMax Games Ltd.

Clanfolk is part of the Hooded Horse Spring Sale at 50% off! Check it and other games out on Steam.

Hooded Horse Spring Publisher Sale 2025

[h3]Latest News for Update 16[/h3][hr][/hr]Blorf has been hard at work on the World Map, a major feature coming in Update 17. Since its full implementation will take more time, Update 16 is releasing soon with its completed content, while an early version of the World Map will be available on the Testing Branch for player feedback.

Meanwhile, Update 16 introduces new gameplay features, including flooding mechanics, difficulty modes, traditional turnip lanterns, smarter AI behaviors, and more. These additions have been ready for some time and will now be available rather than waiting for the full World Map release.

Once Update 16 is live, the focus shifts fully to Update 17, where the World Map will be completed and expanded based on player feedback.

The World Map system introduces expeditions, allowing Clanfolk to seek training, clear out threats, and engage with the world beyond their homestead. In this example, a poorly built Charcoal Kiln prompts the discovery of training opportunities but Outlaws suppress access. To proceed, the Chief must send an Expedition to deal with them. Expeditions take time, present different challenges, and can result in rewards or hardships before Clanfolk returns with new knowledge or resources.

A Charcoal Kiln can be seen in the bottom right, preparing to produce charcoal. This version operates at 50% efficiency, making it slow and poorly made, with possible loss in count or quality. It represents the kind of kiln built by someone with no experience in charcoal production.

Once the new charcoal is made, the Clanfolk will recognize their inefficiency and see the potential for improvement. This realization will lead them to seek outside training, opening the possibility for better techniques.

With that realization, the Idea for training appears on the map. Players can click on the Idea in the Announcement, access it through the Ideas Panel, or open the World Map to find a place to learn more about Charcoal Kilns.

Clicking the Announcement takes us to the World Map, but the Charcoal Training expedition can’t begin—it’s being suppressed by outlaws nearby. To access the training, the Clan will need to form an Expedition to clear them out first.

If you'd like to see more from the Update 16 preview, check it out here.
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1700870/view/532092240505341126

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1700870/Clanfolk/

Hi Everyone,

I wanted to give a quick update about the World Map and Update 16.

There is a great deal of content ready for Update 16 that has been held back as I work on the World Map. I think it makes sense to release the completed content now instead of waiting until the World Map is also in a fully complete state (which will take another couple months.) So I am prioritizing getting Update 16 released now and then focusing on the World Map for Update 17.

So here is the Plan:
1. Release Update 16 as soon as possible. (Likely within the next 10 days)
2. After Update 16 is live, release a new Testing Branch which contains an in development version of the World Map so I can get player feedback as I work toward Update 17.
3. Release Update 17 around the middle or May which will feature a fully functional World Map.

So Testing Branch users will still get their hands on the World Map very soon, but in this way I can also stop holding back the Update 16 content for people not on the Testing Branch.

I apologize that the World Map has taken as long as it has. I am trying to build the World Map to be as engaging as possible. The World Map is a very complex system and reworking the interface/flow multiple times really ate up the days.

Next, I will show a series of World Map development screenshots to give an idea of what I have been up to!

After that, I have a listing of everything that is soon to arrive with Update 16.


This is a walk through of a currently working scenario. This story follows the Clan as they go from realizing that their Charcoal Pit needs improvement, to then dealing with some outlaws interfering with the local Charcoal Burners, to finally getting the training required to upgrade their Charcoal Kilns.

Note, much of the art is still place holder as my focus has been systems and UI flow. As you will see, there is a LOT of flow to deal with. But I did my best to make it painless from the player's perspective.

[h2]Walkthrough Start[/h2]



At the bottom right of this picture there is a charcoal kiln that is about to generate some charcoal. This version of the Charcoal Kiln has only 50% efficiently. It is slow, poorly made and there may even be some count or quality loss for the final product. This is the kind of Charcoal Kiln that someone who has no experience with Charcoal Kiln's builds.



Once the new Charcoal is made, the Clanfolk will realize that their methods are not all that effective and outside training could improve them. This will give the Clanfolk the idea to look for potential training.



There it is, the Idea to get some training on the map! Now we can click on the Idea in the Announcement or in the Ideas Panel, or even just open the World Map to find a place to learn more about Charcoal Kilns.



Clicking the Announcement took us to the map, but we could not start an expedition to learn the Charcoal Training because it is being Suppressed by Outlaws nearby, this means that the Clan will need to form an Expedition to clear them out!



Next we click on the Outlaw Event, and we have Chief Orders available to deal with them.

Each Map Event can define multiple possible Chief Orders to deal with the Event. In the picture above, we can see that Negotiating takes quite a high minimum persuasion skill. There are also expedition slots for potential backup. The Chief needs to decide what type of expedition to send as well as its configuration. Once the Expedition leaves, the members are set and will potentially deal with a variety of different challenges, risks, and rewards.



Next selecting the Attack Order, there will be a different set of Expedition Slots with different requirements. This also shows the Expedition Planning in Family Tree Mode which shows more potential members as well as their location in the Clan structure.



Now that the Expedition is configured, pressing "Start Expedition" will tell the members to leave the homestead and start their adventure.



We can Track the Expedition Progress on the World Map. Once the Expedition arrives at its destination, there will be a Story Event that the Members will need to deal with in some way. This ties directly into the Story Event System, like the Outcast Mother.



Since Expeditions take Clanfolk off of the Homestead for long periods of time, Alerts appear when Expeditions have reached their destination. This allows the player to just play as normal while the Expedition travels instead of babysitting the progress.



Now back to the World Map, select the Expedition on the left side bar (or clicking it on the map) and now there are new options available. How will the Expedition handle interacting with the Outlaws?



The chosen action will take some time. From this point on though we will not interact with the Expedition until they return back home. Hopefully things will go well, but we will now know until they return.



Some time has now passed and if we checked the map, we would be able to see the expedition returning home now that the work is done.



Yes! Shaik and Daniel are a little worse for wear, but they have made it home and Shiak (the Expedition Leader) is ready to give a report to the Chief about what happened. This is when any rewards are received or other explanations of the events of the battle would take place.

After the report, lets take another look at the map!



With the Outlaws gone, the Training Event from the Charcoal Burners is no longer suppressed. The Training expedition will take two days between travel time and the required work. It is important to choose someone who the Clan can survive without for the next 2 days... Beyond that, there is a Coin cost to consider.



The Chief (Player) sends Issbell away for training. After some time has passed, an Alert appears that that the Expedition has arrived. This is another opportunity for player input.



Issbell paid the Coin for training and after two days, she returns and delivers the new crafting knowledge to the Clan.



Reporting to the Chief is complete and the new better in every way Charcoal Kiln is now available!

[h2]Walkthrough End[/h2]

So that is just one example of what the World Map system will eventually deliver.

After Update 16 goes live, I will focus on preparing the full World Map experience for Update 17 using the systems described above. So Update 17 will be all about the World Map.

Once Update 16 is released and I have enough content for a decent World Map example, I will set it live to the Testing Branch. This in development version of the World Map will give everyone a chance to give valuable feedback as we approach Update 17.

[h2]Update 16[/h2]
The new features below have been ready for a while and it is time to get them into players hands. Locking them behind the fully complete World Map does not make sense.

All the following changes are currently available on the Testing Branch, and will become available on the Default Branch once Update 16 goes live.

(Note: The Testing Branch is always available to everyone under Steam/Clanfolk/Properties/Betas)

• Flooding - Increased Fertility, but also Increased Risk.
  
• Traditional Turnip Lanterns for Samhain - Spooky and Fun.
  
• Difficulty Modes - New Very Challenging Modes for Experts.
  
• Lightning Upgrades - Dangerous Lightning! (Off by default.)
  
• Baby Toys and Toyboxes - Cute, and more to come.
  
• Dried Berries - Preserve those Berries for Winter!
  
• Smarter Cats and Rats - Tom and Jerry mode activated.
  
• Missing Item Alert Upgrades - Alerts understand reservations now, better info, more quickly.
  
• Reservation Viewer - See exactly where Clanfolk are going and why.
  
• Customizable Pet Tombs - These work like the Human Tombs and have new Glyphs!
  
• Caves and Rocky Overhangs - Places to take cover and keep things dry early on.
  
• Smart Missing Supply Viewer - Makes it much more clear why some things are not being crafted.
  

Detailed Feature Info:
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1700870/view/4476110102203467099

Thanks very much everyone for your patience! I am working hard to get Update 16 released, and then the World Map on the testing branch soon after.

Andrew (Blorf) Hume
MinMax Games Ltd.

Hi Everyone,

So what the heck have I been up to, and why so quiet?

Long story short. I am adding a World Map to Clanfolk, and it has been a huge undertaking. I didn't want to say anything about it until I was sure that it was going to happen, and now after many design iterations, I can say that it will happen!



Please keep in mind there is a lot of code to make these systems function, but very little art so far, so there is only be programmer art to show right now which is not representative of the final outcome.

The World Map design is in active design/development and may change. The World Map must enhance the experience we already have and not turn Clanfolk into something else.

Note: Playing the World Map will not be a requirement.

So there will be a Single Homestead Mode and World Map Mode option.
Classic Tech Unlocking, Idea Points, and Difficulty Modes will still work with both modes.

As always, everyone can continue to play in their own preferred way.


One of the biggest issues with Clanfolk has been lack of challenge once a Homestead is thriving.

Currently, at the end of year 2, unless the player makes their own goals, there is a sense of "Now What?" It's time to fix that. :)

The goal of the new systems is to allow the Clanfolk to expand into the outside world and to grow a Clan Dynasty that spans many generations AND settlements, each one building on the achievements of their forebearers.

So instead of running out of things to do at the end of year 2, now it will be a jumping off point to a new adventure across the New World Map, Discovering New Technology, dealing with New Events, and building your Clan's Territory and Influence.

• The World Map - This adds Territorial Control and New Tech Progression.
  
• The Expedition System - This allows Clanfolk to leave the Homestead to deal with Events.
  
• The Clan Journey - This is a series of Homesteads established in new Territory with better Tech.
  
• Expanded Tech Progression - Higher Tier Crafting learned from Trainers and Masters on the Map.
  
• Minimum Crafting Skill Requirements - Skill Thresholds required for higher tier crafting and training.
  

These new systems will first go live to the Testing Branch, but that is still at least a few weeks off.

[h2]The World Map[/h2]

The World Map is currently built out of 400 Hexagonal Territories.

Hexagonal Territories (or Hexes) have a Type, like Forest, Peat Bog, Plains or Lake, and can contain Hex Entities.

Note: The World Map will generate differently each time you play.

[h3]Hex Upgrades.[/h3]
These are structures built on Hexes and currently include Settlements and Industries.

Settlements Produce Influence Industries Produce Supplies

All Hex Upgrades have a Level. The higher the level the more or higher tier production.

A new Homestead is a Level 0 Settlement. It will not produce any Influence until it has completed the Level 1 requirement. This is likely a combination of Surviving the first Winter to prove that the Homestead is viable as well as providing some Coin/Material payment to the Crown.

Once a Settlement starts producing Influence, that Influence can be used to maintain control of Neighboring Territory Hexes. So for a Territory to grow, it will require multiple and higher tier settlements to produce the Influence required as upkeep. There will be a lot of Strategy in deciding how and where to grow.

Some Territories contain Industries, an example is Charcoal Burners in a Forest. Charcoal burners have greater Knowledge than the Clanfolk can bumble together themselves. These Industries provide an opportunity for a Training Event allowing for Better Crafting Stations and Items.

New Industries can also be built on Territories, but that requires Supplies and already having the Knowledge required to build that Industry. So Unlocking Higher Tier Tech will require Expedition and Expansion.

[h3]Hex Events[/h3]
A Hex can contain a single event at a time. These Events are the target for Expeditions.

Events connect directly into the Story Event System. So now instead of all events coming to the Homestead, the Clan can reach out into the world and initiate Events themselves. Beyond that, Events on the World Map can trigger future Story Events that come back to the Homestead.

Events can have many types, but currently there are two that I am using as examples. There are Outlaws and Training Events.

The Outlaw event disables all neighboring Hex Upgrades. This can be a serious issue and an Expedition should be sent to deal with them.

The Training Event is only available at Industry Hex Upgrades. The level of possible Training is equal to the level of the Industry Upgrade. So Level 1 can teach the Skilled Tech Tier, and Level 2 (much more rare) can teach the Master Tier. (The Basic Tier is always available for the Clanfolk to figure out themselves as they always have)

So imagine if an Outlaw Event was neighboring a Training Event, the Training Event would be offline until the Outlaws were dealt with using a hand picked Expedition.

[h3]Hex Modifiers[/h3]
Hex Modifiers are applied to some Hexes when the World Map is built. An example of this would be a Dense Forest Modifier.

This Modifier could make Outlaws much harder to find, or make the Charcoal Burners have a higher Charcoal Output.

The goal of the Modifiers is to make some Hexes more attractive than others when deciding where to expand territory.

[h2]The Expedition System[/h2]

Expeditions travel to Hex Events. Expeditions are groups of Clanfolk that are picked by the Chief (player) to handle certain roles to deal with an Event. The Expedition will leave the Homestead and will not return until the Event has resolved.

Each Expedition Role will have a related skill level requirement. Only Clanfolk with enough skill can be given the Role.

Only some of the Roles are required to be filled for the Expedition. Here are some examples.

A Trade Expedition must have a Trader, but it does not necessarily need Haulers, or Guards. Without the optional roles filled, the Expedition's options will be limited in cases where a problem comes up that requires one of those skipped roles. Like if the Trader runs into Outlaws for example but has no Guards. The Chief (player) must decide how many Clan members to commit to an Expedition vs keeping them back to maintain the Homestead.

As an Example, to select a Clanfolk as a Trader, there would likely be a required minimum Persuasion skill of 6. If a Clanfolk with even higher Persuasion was picked, there may be further benefits as the Trade Event progresses.

Another Expedition example would be fulfilling a Conscription request from the King. In a case like this, the Expedition Event would have a required number of roles to be filled by drafted soldiers. The Chief would have to decide who to send and face the relationship consequences within the Clan or to send no one and face consequences from the King. The Soldiers would be away for some period of time, but would eventually return likely with increased skills and perhaps positive or negative quirks.

Expeditions fill roles like Training, Protecting Territory, Exploration, Building Upgrades/Roads, and the most important role, creating new Settlements!

[h2]The Clan Journey[/h2]
The overall goal with the World Map is to allow the Clan to create multiple settlements where each previous settlement contributes to the Clan's Influence and thereby territory size. Territory grants resources and access to new Higher Tier Technology training.

So each new Homestead will retain all the Idea Unlocks from previous Homesteads, but they will also be able to develop in their own unique ways due to new tech becoming available as territory expands.

Previous Settlements will also be able to be Upgraded to higher levels via the map, becoming Villages, Towns, and perhaps even Castles given huge amounts of supplies from other territories. These upgraded settlements will in turn produce more Influence allowing for even more expansion.

I think players will care a lot more about Events taking place near and impacting previous Settlements they built with their own hands.

Another nice side effect of this system is the potential for previous Clan members to come visit new Settlements. Most of the Clan will likely be left behind when establishing a new Settlement, but they should still be able to grow older and come for an occasional visit.

[h2]Expanded Tech Progression[/h2]
The World Map will introduce a new flow to how Tech Unlocks. We will retain the current learning by doing model, but also accept that some technology needs to be learned vs spontaneously created.

Examples of this would be the Spinning Wheel and Loom. These are advanced tools that would need to be taught to the Clan. However, the more primitive methods for creating items would still be something that a Clan member could invent themselves.

This leads us to the concept of Tech Tiers. The Basic Tier unlocks like it always has, by doing. An example of this would be a very simple pit charcoal kiln. It is not very efficient, and it takes a while to cook, but it does still produce charcoal. With some training (from an Event on the Map at the related Industry) then the Clan can learn to make actual Clay Charcoal Kilns (what we have now) With even further training, there may even be much larger Charcoal Ovens that could even take logs.

So more territory and exploration means more and better technology. Clanfolk can still get by at a basic level on their own but just like in the real world, they need to spread out to learn new and better ways to do things.

What this also means is that each subsequent Homestead will look a little different. The first ones will be very primitive, but over time the Clan will learn higher Tier Tech that looks better and behaves in more advanced ways.

This also means that building will change. Some building techniques will need to be learned. The Straw and Wattle Walls are likely to start getting some use now early on. Brick making would also come much later.

This new system will add a lot more of a long term flow to the technology unlocking and also solve another common complaint, being overwhelmed with tech unlocks early on. Now there will be time to use new stuff before it becomes obsolete.

[h2]Minimum Crafting Skill Requirements[/h2]
The new Tech Tier concept works very well with the recent upgrade to the Clanfolk Skills System where there are three columns for each skill. level 0-5 is the Basic Level, 6-10 is the Skilled Level, and 11-15 are the Advanced Levels.

Each Clanfolk's Skill Profile is unique, though it tends to be somewhat inherited from their parents (this makes selective partnering attractive)

So we have Skills separated into 3 Tiers and Technology also in 3 Tiers, so it makes a lot of sense to connect the two.

What this means is that some Items and Crafting Objects will only be able to be Built or be Used by Experts. As an Example, I could probably make a functional drum, I could not make a flute (though I could with a little training. I have no hope of making a bagpipe and probably never would be able to as I am not that mechanically inclined, but some Clanfolk would be (but not all of them, and that is important.)

This is where the Clanfolk skill potential comes in. That Clanfolk that can someday reach Crafting level 11 does not just make items faster, they can also make items others simply cannot make! So Clanfolk become much less interchangeable.

Builders will also have Tiers. So a Basic Builder can only build Basic Objects. Whereas a Master Builder would be the one building Looms, Spinning Wheels, or Cut Stone Walls.

Note: This system currently in the idea stages and I am not 100% sure I can get the AI Brains to accept working this way, but I am going to try. If it does cause a lot of problems with tasks not being completed in a sensible way, I may have to re-evaluate.

[h2]A Few Other Cool Concepts[/h2]
Territorial Expansion will likely only ever be allowed to happen to neighbor territories. So the Clan's territory will be a single blob that grows over time as hexes are incorporated via Influence and Supplies.

New Settlement Map Settings will be based on the tiles surrounding the new Settlement. So for example if the Settlement is on a Plains Tile, but there are 6 Lake Hexes around it, we know that a Settlement at that location is going to have a LOT of water and some grass but very little else.

I chose to use Hexes instead of a grid because what is and is not a neighbor is very clear. An Event on a the center Hex will be able to affect all the Hexes around it. This means as the Clan's territory grows, the player will need to be more vigilant about keeping their territorial house in order or risk important production going offline or loss of influence.

Soon there will likely be Soft and Hard Rock in Mountains. Soft Rock will break with Stone Picks but Hard Rock will not. This will make early mountain excavation a lot more interesting. Learning how to create iron will be one of those key technologies that will have to be sought on the map.

I am also thinking on an Apprentice Mode. Since the skill level will be so important in being able to build high tier items, it may become necessary for Apprentices to shadow older Masters as they work so that there will be someone to replace them when they finally need to be fitted for a tomb.

Together these new systems will hopefully create a unique story of a Clan Dynasty growing from a few confused Clanfolk in their underpants standing by a lake, all the way to a massive and Influential Clan that controls a large portion of Scotland.

[h2]Conclusion[/h2]
So now you are totally up to date :)

As mentioned above, I am still in the middle of active design/development for this system so things may change, but I do feel very good about how these systems fit together right now.

Update 16 will be a huge one. I plan to get the World Map/Expedition/Tech Unlocking into a prototype state for Update 16 with examples of all the new systems working, but still having the Default gameplay setting be what is in there now. Update 17 will be about refining Update 16 based on feedback and adding new content for the World Map and related Systems.

Now I hope it is more clear as to why I have been so quiet. These new systems are all that I am thinking about these days, and I am totally focused on getting Update 16 done.

I am very excited to see how this all finally comes together and thank you so much for your patience!

Andrew (Blorf) Hume
MinMax Games Ltd.

[h2]Update 16 with also contain everything below.[/h2]
(Please click on the link below to read further details)

All the following changes are currently available on the Testing Branch, and will become available on the Default Branch once Update 16 goes live (after more additions and tuning)

(Note: The Testing Branch is always available to everyone under Steam/Clanfolk/Properties/Betas)

Flooding - Increased Fertility, but also Increased Risk.
Traditional Turnip Lanterns for Samhain - Spooky and Fun.
Difficulty Modes - New Very Challenging Modes for Experts.
Lightning Upgrades - Dangerous Lightning! (Off by default.)
Baby Toys and Toyboxes - Cute, and more to come.
Dried Berries - Preserve those Berries for Winter!
Smarter Cats and Rats - Tom and Jerry mode activated.
Missing Item Alert Upgrades - Alerts understand reservations now, better info, more quickly.
Reservation Viewer - See exactly where Clanfolk are going and why.
Customizable Pet Tombs - These work like the Human Tombs and have new Glyphs!
Caves and Rocky Overhangs - Places to take cover and keep things dry early on.
Smart Missing Supply Viewer - Makes it much more clear why some things are not being crafted.

https://steamcommunity.com/games/1700870/announcements/detail/4476110102203467100?snr=2___