Norland News

Beta Patch #32. Puppets and Walls Fixes

Hello everyone!

Today, a small patch is coming to the beta, fixing many wall-related bugs and introducing the Puppet Mechanic.

[h2]Puppets[/h2]
If one lord's relationship with another exceeds 90, they enter a puppet and idol relationship.

A puppet will gladly give all their savings to their idol, defend them in a fight, and obey any command—even to kill.

You can turn lords from neighboring cities into puppets, and they will be ready to carry out Dark Deeds for you—kidnappings, seduction, organizing robberies, and more. You can also force a puppet to start an uprising and take power in their city.

Your neighbors and the bishop can also create puppets among your lords to act through them.

Overall, puppets are just the first step toward building hierarchical systems and political power in the game. There's much more to come!

[h2]Other improvements[/h2]

Fixed lots of annoying bugs in the beta – messengers can now be sent on missions again!
Fixed issues with walls and 3D terrain.
Fixed starting maps.
A character should no longer break their weapon if they surrender during a fistfight.

Save 35% on Norland

Take command of a medieval kingdom in Norland, now 35% off as part of the Hooded Horse January Publisher Sale. Manage the ambitions of nobles, the needs of peasants, and the strength of your soldiers. Navigate political intrigue, fend off invasions, and ensure your kingdom thrives.

Hooded Horse January Publisher Sale 2025

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1857090/Norland/

Manor Lords, Norland, and other top strategy games are now cheaper than ever

The past couple of years has seen a real bumper crop of magnificent new strategy games and city builders, and indie publisher Hooded Horse has been scoring win after win. Among their hits are medieval sim Manor Lords, strategic roguelike Against the Storm, colony sim Norland, and deep space RTS Nebulous: Fleet Command. If you've missed out on anything from their catalog, or have any sitting on your Steam wishlist, a spectacular new sale is the perfect chance to grab one or more of them at a low price. Here are some of the highlights.

Read the rest of the story...

Beta Patch #31: City Walls, 3D Landscape, and More Intrigue

Hello everyone,

We’re continuing to update the beta version, and today we’re rolling out the long-awaited walls to the beta channel.

[h2]City Walls[/h2]
They still need some polishing and adjustments to gameplay, but you can already give them a try. Next week, we’ll teach the AI to construct walls on the map, introduce additional threats to make wall-building more justified, and modify the map’s politics (e.g., reintroducing sudden, unprepared attacks).

For now, you can build wooden walls, defensive towers (which are sturdier than watchtowers), and city gates. The functionality of gates will also be expanded in the future — for example, you’ll be able to regulate migration through gate guard settings.

[h2]3D Landscape[/h2]
While developing the walls, we encountered limitations with our current landscape, so we decided to upgrade it to 3D. For now, it’s mostly a decorative feature, but we plan to add gameplay mechanics tied to it (for example, archers will shoot farther from higher positions). The landscape will also be improved artistically — we’ve just hired a new artist to the team.

Before:

Now:

[h2]Slander and Praise on the Local Map[/h2]
We’re continuing to expand the political system. While we’re still testing the puppet mechanics, we’re now adding the actions Praise and Slander to the local map, which were previously available only on the global map. This opens up even more opportunities for intrigue within your province.

All of this will remain in beta for a week or two. We’re looking forward to hearing your feedback and comments on the new mechanics!

Norland at the Hooded Horse January Publisher Sale

We’re excited to share that Norland is participating in the January Sale at 35% off. Check it and other games out at the Hooded Horse January Sale.

Hooded Horse January Publisher Sale 2025

[hr][/hr][h3]Norland Update: New Guest System, Actions, and Terrain Improvements[/h3]

The studio is back in action after the holidays, and there’s much more in store. Stay tuned for exciting updates next week, including the debut of walls in beta and plans for future developments!

Here's what we've added to the beta that you can play right now.[hr][/hr]Reworked Guest System

Guests visiting from neighboring provinces now reveal their intentions shortly after arrival, giving you the chance to decide how to handle them.
Updated roles ensure every guest visit impacts your realm. New roles include:
- Sociable
- Duelist
- Provocateur
- Manipulator
- Gambler
- Seducer
- Puppeteer
- Enlightener
Non-functional and empty roles have been removed, making every interaction meaningful.
Guests will now form an opinion about your hospitality before they leave—so be sure to impress influential visitors, like neighboring kings!

[hr][/hr]New Actions: "Slander" and "Praise"

Use these actions on the local map to influence third parties more easily and add layers of intrigue to your strategies.

[hr][/hr]Terrain and Walls Update

The landscape has been upgraded to three-dimensional terrain for more dynamic visuals (requires a new game to take effect). While still a work in progress, this change sets the stage for further changes.
Walls are in development and set to debut in the beta next week.

Check out the full post here:
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1857090/view/508443903638110489?l=english