Hello everyone.
Although some features from the previous roadmap are still being tested and refined (namely special guests, barons, and walls), and we will likely need a couple more weeks in November to finish them, we want to share our plans for the next three months:
As you can see, we aim to expand towards new content, not just gameplay features, so that the early game, which we believe currently suffers from repetition, becomes more engaging. I’d like to emphasize that while the new continent maps (and their local maps) will be crafted manually, we will definitely introduce procedural generation for both in the future.
As before, we are only showcasing part of the planned work—what we firmly commit to completing. During development, the need for new systems inevitably arises, so more will be done. Additionally, we will continue experimenting with unique features, though it’s not guaranteed they will turn out well, so we will wisely keep them under wraps until a certain point.
Experimental and relatively large features that will significantly impact the gameplay and balance will be available in the beta channel, which we are also launching today.
All major updates will first be released there. We will then collect your feedback over a week or two, and after making adjustments, the changes will be rolled out to the main branch.
Right now, the build includes the following features:[h3]Major Trade Rebalance[/h3][hr][/hr]Trading will become less profitable in the late game, requiring paper for contracts, but we are lowering the relationship threshold for signing contracts. This means you won’t have to send your king on long diplomatic tours across neighboring lands right from the start of the game.
[h3]Joint Army Attacks[/h3][hr][/hr]You can now summon allies not only for defense but also for joint attacks against your enemies. In a vassal kingdom, such assistance from a vassal will deprive you of tribute for three days — in essence, it’s another form of vassal duty. This kind of help is also possible in alliances, but the relationship between the parties will be considered. On the other hand, your liege can also summon your army.
[h3]Initiating a Rebellion[/h3][hr][/hr]A new political option, beneficial for Alliances. Now, you can start a rebellion in an enemy city to replace an uncooperative king. However, such a rebellion will require your military support, as the kingdom’s army will mainly side with the current king.
Other things requiring testing:
- A warning that your vassal is preparing a rebellion (so you’ll have time to do something about it, such as overthrowing them through the above mechanism).
- Joining an Alliance will cost gold to curb their rapid expansion in certain situations.
- The game will save the composition of the squad you once assembled, so you won’t have to add dozens of soldiers every time you create a squad.
If all goes well, next week, we’ll add the first batch of special guests to the Beta channel—the jester, cultists, an assassin, a dog seller, and so on.
To switch to the Beta channel, go to the game properties (RMB on title in Library) and switch the channel here:
[h3]How to Switch Branches[/h3]
- Go to your Steam Library
- Right-click on Norland in your game list
- Click on "Properties"
- Click on the "Betas" tab
- Click on the dropdown and select the branch you want to switch to
- Select
- *NONE** if you want to revert back to the Stable branch at any point
The Beta channel will also have a separate forum for discussion (found here) and its channel in our Discord (found here.)
Welcome, and we look forward to your feedback (and don’t forget to leave reviews).
Thank you.
