Norland News

[p]Hello everyone.[/p][p]We’re rolling out a hotfix for the latest patch.[/p][p]Huge thanks to all of you for the bug reports![/p][p]Also, just a small reminder: your review on Steam is like a sip of fresh Flavorful Ale for us! Thank you in advance!

Patch notes:[/p]

• [p]Fixed a bug that could cause an AI faction’s own support army to be present in a city it was attacking [/p]
• [p]Mercenaries with expired contracts will now automatically leave their squad on the local map. Mercenaries whose contracts have expired and who are not currently on the local map cannot be rehired until they return home [/p]
• [p]Characters will now experience jealousy only toward people present on the local map [/p]
• [p]Fixed a bug where some social actions on the global map (e.g., seduction) did not work [/p]
• [p]Fixed a bug where characters became jealous of their lovers’ relatives; [/p]
• [p]Аlso fixed an issue where notifications about the same rivals appeared every two hours [/p]
• [p]Removed the “Malnutrition” trait and thought, which were applied if the character’s hidden satiety value fell below 20 [/p]
• [p]Low REST values will no longer prevent characters from performing work tasks, since this is a hidden parameter not visible to the player[/p]

[p]Hello everyone.[/p][p]Today we’re rolling out Patch 42 to the main branch, adding a number of fixes and improvements. Nothing revolutionary, but that only makes next week’s patch more interesting.[/p][p]Here’s what we’ve adjusted compared to the current beta:[/p][p][/p][h3]Interface and hints[/h3]

• [p]Fixed the template for displaying residents’ thoughts in tooltips[/p]
• [p]Fixed incorrect selection of statistically strong positive thoughts for the residents’ hint[/p]
• [p]Character behavior and tasks[/p]
• [p]Fixed a bug where characters would automatically wake up and get out of bed after loading a morning save, which prevented them from gaining inspiration[/p]
• [p]Fixed a bug where an incapacitated lord could not be carried to the stone hall if one bed slot was already occupied[/p]
• [p]Fixed a bug where a character’s menu would not open if they had a training task while the teacher was not present on the local map[/p]
• [p]Growing up now resolves the issue of “the child does not receive training”[/p]

[h3]Economy and balance[/h3]

• [p]Fixed a bug where residents could buy nectar at any set price, effectively creating money out of thin air[/p]
• [p]Fixed a bug where the “Offering to the King” action could cost 0 resources[/p]
• [p]Player policies will no longer require attacks on the player’s hostile vassals[/p]

[h3]Battles and world map[/h3]

• [p]Characters in an army can no longer catch fire or receive burns from burning fortifications (gates, towers, etc.)[/p]
• [p]Fixed multiple bugs in the battle simulation on the world map, where city garrisons and other factors were not taken into account when calculating victory chances and balance of power[/p]
• [p]Archers now fire more slowly in simulated battles, and damage to gates and towers is dealt twice as fast — simulation results are now closer to manual battles[/p]
• [p]Fixed a bug where retreating using the world map button with a vassal’s or ally’s army counted as an automatic victory[/p]
• [p]Fixed a bug where editing an existing army allowed adding a lord who was already part of another army[/p]
• [p]Fixed a crash that could occur after burning down the city of an alliance or vassalage leader[/p]
• [p]Fixed the NO error that occurred when appointing a younger lord as a knight[/p]
• [p]Fixed a bug where the “Puppet Uprising” button did not work[/p]

[h3]Sound[/h3]

• [p]Fixed a bug where battle preparation music would play simultaneously with battle music during a cultural uprising[/p]

[p][/p][p]And here are the Patch 42 contents (the remaining improvements compared to the main branch):[/p][p][/p][h2]Full Changelog[/h2][h3]Buildings and Assets[/h3]

• [p]Updated assets for buildings with plazas — Hall, Altar, Den, and Market. The plaza now occupies the entire building area without a half-tile margin.[/p]
• [p]Characters can now enter the Temple through any door, not just the lower one.[/p]
• [p]Updated model for the Chancellery.[/p]

[h3]Interface and Notifications[/h3]

• [p]Added an on-screen notification when a lord gains a romantic rival.[/p]
• [p]Added a new filter in the Relations menu: “Spouses and Children.”[/p]
• [p]The mercenary recruitment menu now displays soldier equipment; four mercenaries will have starting weapons and armor.[/p]
• [p]Mercenary tooltips now show whether their contract has expired.[/p]
• [p]Added tooltips and status messages for “Preach” and “Study Knowledge” actions, explaining their function and why they can’t be performed right now.[/p]
• [p]If the player cannot cancel a command, the tooltip now specifies the reason.[/p]
• [p]Added detailed explanations for why certain tasks cannot be forced.[/p]
• [p]Fixed icon and number alignment in tooltips (e.g. gold amounts no longer break into separate lines).[/p]

[h3]Character Behavior, Orders, and AI[/h3]

• [p]Conspiracy activities are now marked as important — the player cannot override them.[/p]
• [p]The cancellation event for conspiracies now includes the initiator’s name.[/p]
• [p]Guest traits Schemer and Duelist are now displayed at the top of the trait list.[/p]
• [p]Reworked the guest role “Duelist.”[/p]
• [p]Tasks assigned by guests now appear in the task list of both the executor and the target.[/p]
• [p]Duels are no longer considered “bad” — relations with the Matriarch won’t worsen if the duelist isn’t from the player’s faction.[/p]
• [p]Updated the activity selection algorithm: bad mood or low hunger/sleep/rest no longer fully block actions; they’ll just happen less frequently.[/p]
• [p]Task priority is now divided into three levels — assignment (low), self-initiated (high), and player command (highest).[/p]
• [p]Knowledge study tasks now have higher priority so they aren’t interrupted by other lords.[/p]
• [p]Dates are now only canceled when sex begins, not when the date starts.[/p]
• [p]The Date button now checks for nervous breakdowns.[/p]
• [p]Characters having a mental breakdown can no longer carry others.[/p]
• [p]Guests with the Lothario role no longer flatter — they now spend time seducing.[/p]
• [p]Guest tasks can no longer be forced.[/p]
• [p]Removed the old character menu code (previously used for animals). Animals now use the standard character menu.[/p]
• [p]Many orders now use the treasury instead of lords’ personal funds.[/p]
• [p]Added a flag for “problematic” houses with negative comfort.[/p]
• [p]Added positive and negative thoughts based on the distance between home and workplace.[/p]

[h3]Needs, Traits, and Actions[/h3]

• [p]Added a new Need task button — “Drink Alcohol,” shown when a character has the Alcohol Addiction trait and wants to drink.[/p]
• [p]Added “Drink Nectar” for the Nectar Addiction trait.[/p]
• [p]Added detailed explanations for why a character cannot perform an assigned “Study Knowledge” task.[/p]
• [p]Added “Play Dice” for Gambler characters who aren’t currently thinking about playing.[/p]
• [p]Reworked the needs satisfaction buttons (Eat, Sleep, Bribe Peasant for Sex) — they now appear only if the character has the matching trait and thought.[/p]
• [p]Added explanations for why “Play Dice” cannot be performed.[/p]
• [p]Inspiration is no longer gained from fulfilling a dream; it now appears when a lord wakes up with mood ≥ 90.[/p]

[h3]World, Crime, and Events[/h3]

• [p]Thugs can now rob the Hall, not just lord houses.[/p]
• [p]Vagabonds now steal the most valuable non-equipment resources from warehouses and flee town; guards will attempt to stop any bandit leaving after a crime. If caught, all stolen goods go to the player’s warehouse.[/p]
• [p]On Peaceful difficulty, a bandit camp will appear in the player’s province on Day 4 (once per save).[/p]
• [p]After migration due to war ends, a bandit camp may appear in the player’s province if none exists.[/p]
• [p]Bandit camps now attack every 3–5 days instead of 4–6.[/p]
• [p]If a camp has 7+ bandits, one may join incoming migrants.[/p]
• [p]The “Church is Displeased” counsel will no longer appear if “Matriarch Enraged” is active.[/p]
• [p]Forest bandits attacking the player’s city will now steal gold from the Hall instead of resources.[/p]

[h3]Economy and World Map[/h3]

• [p]Book prices doubled.[/p]
• [p]Reworked letters from unique guests, prophecies, and Inquisition warnings — now end with “Click to read the message.”[/p]
• [p]If a vassal has walls, their military power counts as doubled when calculating rebellion chance. During rebellion, other vassals with relations < -25 will join with 100% chance, < -15 with 50%.[/p]
• [p]Walls also double perceived strength in the “Might of Liege’s Army” thought.[/p]
• [p]Removed the “Trade Agreement” thought (it’s now covered by daily trade relations).[/p]
• [p]Vassals of different cultures now gain a negative thought toward their suzerain; if the culture is hostile, the effect is stronger. Added a tooltip warning about this when vassalizing.[/p]
• [p]Tribute offerings now scale with the AI’s total army value.[/p]
• [p]Added a new quest: “Demand to Remove Tribute.” It can appear if a vassal’s strength ≥ 50% of the player’s and relations < 0.[/p]
• [p]Added “Remove Tribute” and “Restore Tribute” actions in vassal cities on the global map.[/p]
• [p]Kings now gain a positive thought toward neighboring rulers of the same culture who are under a foreign king’s rule.[/p]
• [p]Allies now send 100% of their troops (up from 70%) to assist other alliance members, keeping only a garrison behind.[/p]

[h3]Food, Addictions, and Misc. Balance[/h3]

• [p]Added negative thoughts from consuming flour and carrots (lords and soldiers only).[/p]
• [p]The turnip thought is now 1.5× stronger and lasts twice as long for lords and soldiers on all difficulties.[/p]
• [p]The meat thought is weaker and shorter.[/p]
• [p]Alcohol thoughts are now half as strong for lords.[/p]
• [p]Fixed bugs where characters rarely developed alcohol addiction from beer or moonshine.[/p]
• [p]Fixed hangovers triggering only after beer, not moonshine or ale.[/p]
• [p]Reduced flowers per bush from 3 to 2; daily regrowth chance lowered from 10% to 6.6%.[/p]
• [p]Brewing now produces 1 ale per 1 flower and 1 hop (previously 2).[/p]
• [p]Added negative interest modifier between characters with different counts of Holy Rings.[/p]
• [p]Dice game stakes raised to 100 coins; win/loss thoughts now last 24 hours (up from 4) and are stronger.[/p]

[h3]Misc. Fixes[/h3]

• [p]Fixed a bug where ongoing global map orders were canceled after loading.[/p]
• [p]Changing preferred social stratum now triggers job recalculation.[/p]
• [p]Fixed king culture icon position when zooming out on the world map.[/p]
• [p]Fixed error when pressing Q or E while all lords were on the opposite map layer.[/p]
• [p]Fixed missing tooltip for “Punish” order when no scaffold was built.[/p]
• [p]Fixed task progress indicators not appearing until reopening the city menu.[/p]
• [p]Fixed lord capture and execution logic — lords no longer consider executions “dishonorable” if ordered by the king.[/p]
• [p]Fixed self-targeting tasks (deposit/withdraw money, punishments).[/p]
• [p]Fixed reward desire persisting after a character became king.[/p]

[p]Hello everyone, this is Dmitry.[/p][p]Today’s beta build doesn’t include any new features (some of our team members are currently on vacation), but it brings major balance updates. To be honest, some of these changes are quite experimental — even I don’t fully know how they’ll play out across different scenarios — so I strongly encourage you to play and share your feedback.[/p][p]Behind some of these improvements is a large amount of optimization and rewritten code, especially in how lords behave. Those annoying moments when a lord suddenly abandons his nearly finished knowledge study to do something random should now be gone. Also, every task’s tooltip now shows why a lord can’t perform it at the moment.[/p][p]We’ve also made a number of updates to global map politics. Your vassals will now be less loyal to you — especially those of a different or hostile culture — and to maintain their goodwill, you’ll be able to revoke tribute payments.[/p][p]In addition, there are many changes to criminal behavior, forest bandits, and prisoners, as well as adjustments to food and alcohol balance. Vagabonds will now steal more valuable goods and try to escape — and guards have learned to chase them down, so the city gates now act as chokepoints (a good spot to post a guard!).[/p][p]On the bright side, we’re getting very close to finishing the new map generation system, and the maps are turning out much more interesting than the ones I assembled manually. They still need integration into the game, but I expect we’ll release them next month.[/p][p]And before you dive into our legendary patch notes, don’t forget to leave a review on our page and join the beta branch to help us continue improving the game experience for everyone.[/p][p]All saves are compatible.[/p][p]Thank you.[/p][hr][/hr][h2]Full Changelog[/h2][h3]Buildings and Assets[/h3]

• [p]Updated assets for buildings with plazas — Hall, Altar, Den, and Market. The plaza now occupies the entire building area without a half-tile margin.[/p]
• [p]Characters can now enter the Temple through any door, not just the lower one.[/p]
• [p]Updated model for the Chancellery.[/p]

[h3]Interface and Notifications[/h3]

• [p]Added an on-screen notification when a lord gains a romantic rival.[/p]
• [p]Added a new filter in the Relations menu: “Spouses and Children.”[/p]
• [p]The mercenary recruitment menu now displays soldier equipment; four mercenaries will have starting weapons and armor.[/p]
• [p]Mercenary tooltips now show whether their contract has expired.[/p]
• [p]Added tooltips and status messages for “Preach” and “Study Knowledge” actions, explaining their function and why they can’t be performed right now.[/p]
• [p]If the player cannot cancel a command, the tooltip now specifies the reason.[/p]
• [p]Added detailed explanations for why certain tasks cannot be forced.[/p]
• [p]Fixed icon and number alignment in tooltips (e.g. gold amounts no longer break into separate lines).[/p]

[h3]Character Behavior, Orders, and AI[/h3]

• [p]Conspiracy activities are now marked as important — the player cannot override them.[/p]
• [p]The cancellation event for conspiracies now includes the initiator’s name.[/p]
• [p]Guest traits Schemer and Duelist are now displayed at the top of the trait list.[/p]
• [p]Reworked the guest role “Duelist.”[/p]
• [p]Tasks assigned by guests now appear in the task list of both the executor and the target.[/p]
• [p]Duels are no longer considered “bad” — relations with the Matriarch won’t worsen if the duelist isn’t from the player’s faction.[/p]
• [p]Updated the activity selection algorithm: bad mood or low hunger/sleep/rest no longer fully block actions; they’ll just happen less frequently.[/p]
• [p]Task priority is now divided into three levels — assignment (low), self-initiated (high), and player command (highest).[/p]
• [p]Knowledge study tasks now have higher priority so they aren’t interrupted by other lords.[/p]
• [p]Dates are now only canceled when sex begins, not when the date starts.[/p]
• [p]The Date button now checks for nervous breakdowns.[/p]
• [p]Characters having a mental breakdown can no longer carry others.[/p]
• [p]Guests with the Lothario role no longer flatter — they now spend time seducing.[/p]
• [p]Guest tasks can no longer be forced.[/p]
• [p]Removed the old character menu code (previously used for animals). Animals now use the standard character menu.[/p]
• [p]Many orders now use the treasury instead of lords’ personal funds.[/p]
• [p]Added a flag for “problematic” houses with negative comfort.[/p]
• [p]Added positive and negative thoughts based on the distance between home and workplace.[/p]

[h3]Needs, Traits, and Actions[/h3]

• [p]Added a new Need task button — “Drink Alcohol,” shown when a character has the Alcohol Addiction trait and wants to drink.[/p]
• [p]Added “Drink Nectar” for the Nectar Addiction trait.[/p]
• [p]Added detailed explanations for why a character cannot perform an assigned “Study Knowledge” task.[/p]
• [p]Added “Play Dice” for Gambler characters who aren’t currently thinking about playing.[/p]
• [p]Reworked the needs satisfaction buttons (Eat, Sleep, Bribe Peasant for Sex) — they now appear only if the character has the matching trait and thought.[/p]
• [p]Added explanations for why “Play Dice” cannot be performed.[/p]
• [p]Inspiration is no longer gained from fulfilling a dream; it now appears when a lord wakes up with mood ≥ 90.[/p]

[h3]World, Crime, and Events[/h3]

• [p]Thugs can now rob the Hall, not just lord houses.[/p]
• [p]Vagabonds now steal the most valuable non-equipment resources from warehouses and flee town; guards will attempt to stop any bandit leaving after a crime. If caught, all stolen goods go to the player’s warehouse.[/p]
• [p]On Peaceful difficulty, a bandit camp will appear in the player’s province on Day 4 (once per save).[/p]
• [p]After migration due to war ends, a bandit camp may appear in the player’s province if none exists.[/p]
• [p]Bandit camps now attack every 3–5 days instead of 4–6.[/p]
• [p]If a camp has 7+ bandits, one may join incoming migrants.[/p]
• [p]The “Church is Displeased” counsel will no longer appear if “Matriarch Enraged” is active.[/p]
• [p]Forest bandits attacking the player’s city will now steal gold from the Hall instead of resources.[/p]

[h3]Economy and World Map[/h3]

• [p]Book prices doubled.[/p]
• [p]Reworked letters from unique guests, prophecies, and Inquisition warnings — now end with “Click to read the message.”[/p]
• [p]If a vassal has walls, their military power counts as doubled when calculating rebellion chance. During rebellion, other vassals with relations < -25 will join with 100% chance, < -15 with 50%.[/p]
• [p]Walls also double perceived strength in the “Might of Liege’s Army” thought.[/p]
• [p]Removed the “Trade Agreement” thought (it’s now covered by daily trade relations).[/p]
• [p]Vassals of different cultures now gain a negative thought toward their suzerain; if the culture is hostile, the effect is stronger. Added a tooltip warning about this when vassalizing.[/p]
• [p]Tribute offerings now scale with the AI’s total army value.[/p]
• [p]Added a new quest: “Demand to Remove Tribute.” It can appear if a vassal’s strength ≥ 50% of the player’s and relations < 0.[/p]
• [p]Added “Remove Tribute” and “Restore Tribute” actions in vassal cities on the global map.[/p]
• [p]Kings now gain a positive thought toward neighboring rulers of the same culture who are under a foreign king’s rule.[/p]
• [p]Allies now send 100% of their troops (up from 70%) to assist other alliance members, keeping only a garrison behind.[/p]

[h3]Food, Addictions, and Misc. Balance[/h3]

• [p]Added negative thoughts from consuming flour and carrots (lords and soldiers only).[/p]
• [p]The turnip thought is now 1.5× stronger and lasts twice as long for lords and soldiers on all difficulties.[/p]
• [p]The meat thought is weaker and shorter.[/p]
• [p]Alcohol thoughts are now half as strong for lords.[/p]
• [p]Fixed bugs where characters rarely developed alcohol addiction from beer or moonshine.[/p]
• [p]Fixed hangovers triggering only after beer, not moonshine or ale.[/p]
• [p]Reduced flowers per bush from 3 to 2; daily regrowth chance lowered from 10% to 6.6%.[/p]
• [p]Brewing now produces 1 ale per 1 flower and 1 hop (previously 2).[/p]
• [p]Added negative interest modifier between characters with different counts of Holy Rings.[/p]
• [p]Dice game stakes raised to 100 coins; win/loss thoughts now last 24 hours (up from 4) and are stronger.[/p]

[h3]Misc. Fixes[/h3]

• [p]Fixed a bug where ongoing global map orders were canceled after loading.[/p]
• [p]Changing preferred social stratum now triggers job recalculation.[/p]
• [p]Fixed king culture icon position when zooming out on the world map.[/p]
• [p]Fixed error when pressing Q or E while all lords were on the opposite map layer.[/p]
• [p]Fixed missing tooltip for “Punish” order when no scaffold was built.[/p]
• [p]Fixed task progress indicators not appearing until reopening the city menu.[/p]
• [p]Fixed lord capture and execution logic — lords no longer consider executions “dishonorable” if ordered by the king.[/p]
• [p]Fixed self-targeting tasks (deposit/withdraw money, punishments).[/p]
• [p]Fixed reward desire persisting after a character became king.[/p]

In the last few months, Norland has gotten several updates and a brand new development roadmap. Here's a roundup of all the recent Norland development news that you might have missed.

Norland is also part of the Hooded Horse October Publisher Sale, at 35% off on Steam. Check it out, and the other games that are included in the October Publisher Sale.

[p]Hooded Horse October Publisher Sale[/p]


[h3]Norland News Recap[/h3][hr][/hr]Last month, Norland released a new roadmap that outlines what the development team hopes to accomplish in the last half of 2025.


Their primary goal is to broaden the game, improve the mid-to-late game experience, and make progression feel more interesting and tangible in the long term. They also want to expand the economy, character, and AI systems to add more variety and replayability.

Check out the full roadmap post for a deep dive into these plans:
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1857090/view/500584797655007370
Additionally, Norland has received two significant updates in the last two months.

Patch #40 brought major changes to spouse relationships, removed the loyalty mechanic, and some updates to politics. Perhaps most importantly, it also added carrots as a new food.

Patch #41 implemented the highly requested Developer Mode, where players can tweak various settings, create characters, and so on. This update also added the ability for politicians to stage group conspiracies, further developed mechanics related to public policy, and added a Usurper trait for characters that seize illegitimate power.

Check out the full changelogs for both updates here:
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1857090/view/545620341180858492?l=english
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1857090/view/500585431504521353?l=english
Thanks for reading and happy gaming!

~The Hooded Horse Team

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

[p]Hello everyone. Today we're rolling out a small update to the current version. It mainly includes bug fixes and minor interface improvements.[/p][p]Next week, we’ll aim to release more significant improvements that are currently being tested.[/p][p]Thank you all, we're in touch.
[/p][h3]Here’s the list of fixes:
[/h3]

• [p]Greatly reduced the chance of characters catching fire while extinguishing a blaze[/p]

• [p]Fixed a bug where, instead of showing the percentage of neutral soldier or citizen support, the interface displayed their count[/p]
• [p]Fixed a rare crash: “vertex_submit: Illegal vertex buffer specified”[/p]
• [p]Characters will now choose any available door when entering a church, not just the lower one[/p]
• [p]Fixed a bug where builders might not deliver resources for construction if the building was placed after 6 PM and there were no prisoners among them[/p]
• [p]Added display of average thought strength in citizen thought statistics[/p]
• [p]Fixed a bug where the position of the king’s culture icon when zooming out on the global map depended on the name’s length[/p]
• [p]Fixed a bug where lords who were knocked unconscious in global map battles were considered dead when attaching the thought about losing an AI commander whose army was used in the attack[/p]
• [p]Fixed a bug where all orders already in progress in global map objects were canceled after loading a game[/p][p][/p]