Norland News

[h2]Hello everyone,[/h2][p]Dmitry here.[/p][p]Today we’re rolling out the second (but not final) part of our summer update — architecture and how buildings influence one another. The new army menu isn't here yet, but it's going through final polishing.[/p][p]First, I want to say that all saves are compatible. However, since we’re changing the level topology, some buildings will be removed from the map and placed into the construction menu, from where you’ll need to place them again — for free, of course.[/p][p]You will also receive wood and gold as compensation for relocating other buildings and roads.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][h2]New residential buildings[/h2][p]We’re removing the peasant family house, the dormitory, and the soldier barracks, and introducing a universal residential building for these types of subjects (In other words, warriors now live in these residential houses, but there is a checkbox that prioritizes assigning suitable housing to warriors.)[/p][p]This new housing type has three variants, each with five levels. The first three increase capacity from 2 to 6 people, while the last two increase housing comfort, which affects residents' mood. These last two levels are similar to individual peasant houses but serve up to six people (though overall, the new residential buildings house fewer people).[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][h2]New hall and Lord's townhouses[/h2][p]The hall has been expanded and now includes a throne, kitchen, and a royal bedroom (though we haven't yet taught the king to sleep there). [/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]We have also added new lord residential houses, expanded them by adding a reception room and a larger marital bed. Spouses also don’t live together yet, but that’s coming soon.[/p][p][/p][h2]New market and tavern[/h2][p]In the narrow, walled medieval city, streets were tight, and the social architectural unit was the plaza. We’ve now added plazas with a market and tavern.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]You’ve already seen the new warehouses and the builder camp. New buildings will now be added regularly.[/p][p][/p][h2]New map grid[/h2][p]Since building sizes have increased, we’ve doubled the construction grid size. Buildings placed very close together won’t block residents completely, but moving between them will slow them down, and they’ll seek wider streets.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][h2]Building influence on housing comfort[/h2][p]Housing comfort now depends not only on the building’s quality but also on its neighbors — other housing, the hall, and social buildings add comfort, while industrial buildings reduce it.[/p][p][/p][h2]New map topology[/h2][p]After talking to the community and keeping in mind the reduced population density per square meter, we’ve significantly cleared space in the center of almost all game maps. We also moved some of the mines a bit closer to the center. Build with peace of mind.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][h2]Political system improvements continue[/h2][p]The politicians’ behavior algorithms have once again been improved. We’re continuing to tweak them, as this is an experimental feature and requires iteration.[/p][p]Thanks everyone — we’re looking forward to your feedback on the new features.[/p][p][/p][h2]Auto-Knowledge Learning[/h2][p]By community request – when assigning a lord to study knowledge, there's now a checkbox for auto-learning. If enabled, the lord will automatically begin studying the next available knowledge once the current one is finished.[/p][p][/p][h2]Full changelog:[/h2][h3]Building[/h3]

• [p]A grid is now displayed while building roads. Blocked tiles are highlighted during building placement.[/p]
• [p]Roofs are now visible during building blueprint placement.[/p]
• [p]Soldiers now settle in peasant houses. A checkbox “Prioritize for warriors” has been added to residential building menus.[/p]
• [p]Building shape selection for residential buildings is now done via a subcategory in the construction menu.[/p]
• [p]Free building placement mode is enabled when loading a save.[/p]
• [p]All starting local maps and the tutorial map have been updated — old buildings replaced with new ones.[/p]
• [p]All old buildings have been rebuilt so their entrances cannot be blocked by placing another building too close.[/p]
• [p]Neighboring buildings now affect the mood of the residents.[/p]
• [p]Players will receive +500 gold and +100 wood when loading a save to help with relocating buildings.[/p]

[h3]Balance[/h3]

• [p]Reduced the strength of the positive thought from the Matriarch after destroying a bandit camp.[/p]
• [p]Gift thoughts are now stronger and last longer.[/p]
• [p]Bishops now receive a thought if there are no temples.[/p]
• [p]The “Empty Pockets” thought has been removed.[/p]
• [p]Caravan sale prices can no longer be negative.[/p]
• [p]Starting number of rings reduced to 5.[/p]
• [p]Hall food storage reduced from 300 to 250.[/p]
• [p]After the 7th bandit appears in a camp, a bandit with Command skill 7–9 may appear.[/p]
• [p]Bandit camp gear has been rebalanced.[/p]
• [p]Bishops now arrive with 500 gold.[/p]
• [p]Amount of wood from a chopped tree increased by 30%.[/p]
• [p]Road cost is now calculated per tile — each tile costs 4 coins.[/p]

[h3]Other[/h3]

• [p]At 23:00, the economy report now includes a list of resources bought by residents from the caravan trader.[/p]
• [p]Warehouse overflow tips will not appear until a hall has been built.[/p]
• [p]Peasants and soldiers will buy medicine, food, and alcohol from the caravan trader if they can't find them in public distribution or local markets. Expensive goods like meat or ale are only bought if the character is wealthy (>45 coins) or no cheaper alternatives exist.[/p]
• [p]Traits “Greedy” (7 days without gold) and “Contemptuous” (10 days with 500+ gold) now depend on gold instead of rings.[/p]
• [p]Fixed a bug where old saves would show sell orders in the economy tab after loading.[/p]
• [p]Fixed a bug where lords could gain a nickname after a victorious battle even if they didn't participate.[/p]
• [p]Fixed a bug preventing players from sending certain lords and troops to the world map due to false uprising conditions.[/p]
• [p]Uprising quest now checks relationship status before the daily tick at 11:00 — resolving relations in time prevents the uprising.[/p]
• [p]If a bishop rebels, transferring the crown to another lord cancels the rebellion.[/p]
• [p]Recruited peasants receive their recruitment fee directly. Mercenaries receive one-third of their recruitment fee.[/p]
• [p]Auto-learning knowledge: checkbox added to lord assignment menu.[/p]
• [p]Fixed a bug where ropes and scaffolding wouldn’t display when building rotated structures.[/p]
• [p]Buildings can’t be demolished or moved while a fire is active in the city.[/p]
• [p]Fire no longer spreads to buildings that are not on adjacent tiles.[/p]
• [p]In the “A Lord Is Ready to Leave” quest on the world map, gold is now used instead of rings to persuade a foreign lord.[/p]
• [p]Hint for converting a lesser lord into a free lord now shows gold cost instead of rings.[/p]
• [p]Lord rewards are now paid from the treasury, not the king's own funds.[/p]

[p]Hello everyone,[/p][p]Another beta version update, which we planned to release last Friday, but some things needed reworking.[/p][p]The main change: politicians' actions will now be more noticeable to you, and characters will buy goods from the Holy Caravan if you haven’t provided them. For example, if you supply alcohol, they’ll buy it themselves.[/p][p]Additionally, they’ll purchase luxury goods like meat and ale if they have enough money (more than 50 coins).[/p][p]We’ve also strengthened bandit camps in the later stages. Maybe too much - give it a try.
[/p][h2]Full list of changes:[/h2][p]
- Caravan sale prices can no longer be negative.[/p][p]- The starting number of rings has been reduced to 5.[/p][p]- The 23:00 economy report will now include a list of resources purchased by residents from the caravan trader.[/p][p]- Poor residents will no longer purchase luxury food or alcohol if they received any food or alcohol that day.[/p][p]- The advice about an overfilled warehouse will not appear until the hall is built.[/p][p]- The food storage capacity of the hall warehouse has been reduced from 300 to 250.[/p][p]- After the 7th bandit is present in a bandit camp, a bandit with a command skill of 7–9 will appear.[/p][p]- The possible equipment sets for bandits in camps have been adjusted.[/p][p]- Fixed a bug where the player couldn’t send their troops or certain lords to the global map due to an incorrect rebellion check.[/p][p]- The “Greedy” trait (7 days in a row without gold) and the “Contemptuous” trait (10 days in a row with 500+ gold) have been converted from rings to gold. Tooltips updated accordingly.[/p][p]- Fixed a bug where rotated buildings under construction didn’t display the rope and scaffolding correctly.[/p][p]- The loyalty check for the vassal rebellion quest now happens before the day’s rollover at 11:00 — if the player manages to restore relations at the last moment, the rebellion will not trigger.[/p][p]- The “Empty Pockets” thought has been removed.[/p][p]- If a character receives ale from distribution, they will not buy beer or moonshine; if they receive beer, they will not buy moonshine.[/p][p]- Improved tooltip about resident trade with the caravan trader.[/p][p]- Hired peasants will receive the full recruitment cost in their pocket. Hired mercenaries will receive one-third of the recruitment cost.[/p][p]- Peasants and soldiers will buy medicine, food, and alcohol from the caravan trader if they cannot obtain them from distribution or the local market. Expensive resources like meat or ale will only be bought if the character is wealthy enough (>50 coins) or no cheaper alternatives exist.[/p][p]- Adjustments made to political figures.[/p]

Norland is part of the Steam Summer Sale at 35% off! Check it and other games out in the Hooded Horse Summer Sale. Down below is a recap of the Politics and Economy BETA update. Now live in the beta branch with a release set in July.

Hooded Horse Summer Publisher Sale 2025

[h3]Big Summer Update Pt. 1 – Politics and Economy (BETA) Recap[/h3][hr][/hr]In case you missed it, the first part of Norland’s summer update has landed in the beta branch, introducing political power struggles, a new economy system, and major improvements to storage, salaries, and UI. It’s just the beginning of what’s planned for July.

[h3]New Political System[/h3][hr][/hr]Lords can now become politicians if their loyalty drops, spending gold to gain influence over other rulers, warriors, and clergy. If they grow powerful enough, they’ll demand the crown and rebel if refused. Alliances and military support now depend on personal loyalty, ambition, and past actions, bringing real political tension to your local map.

[h3]Economy Overhaul[/h3][hr][/hr]

• Lords now use gold for all transactions, from buying gifts to funding influence campaigns.
  
• A new Economy menu merges production and finance into one screen for easier control.
  
• Food and alcohol can be directly distributed, with sales and salaries unlocked via research.
  
• Migrants and warriors bring gold, making internal trade viable and strategic.
  

[h3]City and Storage Improvements[/h3][hr][/hr]Warehouses now have capacity limits by category. Food spoils, weapons are secured in armories, and new buildings like the Granary and Builders’ Camp reshape how you organize your city. You’ll also see links between buildings, worker homes, and resource access, helping you plan more efficiently.

[h3]Balancing and Quality-of-Life Tweaks[/h3][hr][/hr]

• Buildings no longer burn permanently and can be repaired.
  
• Rebels are limited to politicians; heirs and low-loyalty lords won’t act independently.
  
• Population mechanics, field costs, and religious ceremonies have been rebalanced.
  
• Vagabond spawns are capped, and character wealth now affects thoughts and behavior.
  

Read the full changelog here:
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1857090/view/508457851982709117

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

Take command of a medieval kingdom in Norland, now 35% off as part of the Hooded Horse Summer 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 Summer Publisher Sale 2025

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

[h2]Hello everyone,[/h2][p]In this beta update, we’ve improved the initial resource conditions, adjusted warehouse capacities, and made the early game more welcoming overall.

Unfortunately, we didn’t have time to rework politicians - they currently operate almost invisibly to you. We’ll fix this (and much more) in the coming days.
[/p][h3]Bandit Camps[/h3][p]We’ve increased the size of bandit camps based on the size of the city in the province (this will make hunting them more rewarding) and added some weapons to their loot, which will be useful in the early stages.[/p][h3]Wise Conversations[/h3][p]Additionally, we’ve reworked Wise Conversation and the related old age and enlightener traits - now knowledge is always transferred, but the recipient must have an intelligence level corresponding to the knowledge.[/p][h3]Seduction[/h3][p]We’ve fixed and enhanced the seduction mechanics. Among other things, if you seduce a king, they’ll owe you a debt of honor… hmm…[/p][h3]Puppets[/h3][p]We’ve also revamped and improved the interface and mechanics for puppets, making them more transparent and useful.[/p][p][/p][h2]Full changelog:
[/h2][h3]Changes to Seduction and Puppet Mechanics[/h3][p]- Seduction on the global map now fulfills the romantic need.[/p][p]- Fixed a bug that prevented assigning a seduction task on the global map if the seducer didn’t have a home.[/p][p]- Puppet and master statuses now hide other statuses in character tooltips and relationship menus. Being “In Love” also hides the “Friend” status.[/p][p]- Added a new "Puppets" category in the neighbor city menu. There, the player can use puppets from that city to commit crimes.[/p][p]- When an AI puppet commits a crime in their own city on the player’s orders and then leaves their faction, the player will receive a notification.[/p][p]- Puppet performers in global map quests now display the puppet icon.[/p][p]- Updated the tooltip for the “Seduction” task. Clicking the event about puppet status change will move the camera to that puppet.[/p][p]- Fixed a bug where a puppet lord could be selected as both the kidnapping target and the performer.[/p][p]- The seducer receives a -50 interest penalty from the seduction target.[/p][p]- The “Seduction” order has been reworked: it can now be performed by the player’s puppets in AI cities. Successful seduction may result in the target becoming a puppet or creating a debt of honor.[/p][p]- Fixed a bug that prevented assigning seduction by puppets on the global map.[/p][p]- A puppet icon is now displayed on portraits of lords in other cities and in the relationship menu if they are puppets of the player’s king.[/p][p]- Puppets stop being puppets if their relationship to the idol drops below +25.[/p][p]- Fixed a bug where the “Gift to the King” order disappeared for the player’s faction puppets.[/p][h3]
Other Fixes[/h3][p]- Children will no longer appear as possible performers for dark deeds.
- When choosing a performer for a task, if they are unavailable, the UI now shows both the reason and the task description.[/p][p]- Fixed infinite ring selling that allowed some characters to accumulate massive amounts of gold.
- The tooltip for hired thugs who successfully kidnapped an AI lord now includes that lord’s name.[/p][p]- Children will no longer gain thoughts about having too little or too much money.[/p][p]- The “Give Dog” action has been moved to the Social category.[/p][p]- Replaced the icon for the “Holy Rings” resource.[/p][p]- Buildings that have reached their construction limit will no longer appear in the construction panel.[/p][p]- Character thoughts now show portraits (without names) if the thought references another character.[/p][p]- An elder now shares knowledge twice during a wise conversation. A character with the “Enlightener” talent can pass knowledge even to unsuitable listeners and has a 50% chance to convert them to their culture.[/p][p]- Fixed the tooltip showing the cost of sermons.[/p][p]- Fixed the tooltip explaining why bribery with gold is unavailable in a province.[/p][p]- The desire for gold has been restored.[/p][p]- The “Gift to the King” icon now shows gold instead of rings.[/p][p]- Hits from pilgrims now generate a positive thought.[/p][p]- Fixed the building menu for the “Builders’ Camp.”[/p][p]- The overfilled warehouse icon will no longer appear above unbuilt or destroyed warehouses.[/p][p]- The number of bandits in neighboring camps now depends on the population of their city.[/p][p]- Bandit camps now provide additional rewards: 0–4 bows, 0–4 spears.[/p][p]- The amount of wood required to build a temple has been reduced from 150 to 100.[/p][p]- Characters carrying resources no longer move slower.[/p][p]- The “Barn” technology is now gray instead of green; the book is granted at game start.[/p][p]- Storage capacity of the hall and barn has been increased; food, herbs, and liquids no longer spoil there unless overfilled.[/p][p]- The amount of starting resources has been increased for new games.[/p][p]- Fixed a bug where 12x speed could activate during the day.[/p]