Manor Lords: Latest Beta Updates and Community Insights
Manor Lords, the ambitious medieval city-building and real-time strategy game, continues to evolve with its latest Beta updates. With a current average player count of 5,339, the game is steadily gaining traction among fans of historically grounded strategy titles. The developers have recently released two significant Beta patches-versions 0.8.049 and 0.8.050-that bring a host of balance tweaks, bug fixes, AI improvements, and quality-of-life enhancements. In this article, we’ll dive deep into the new features, changes, and what they mean for players eager to shape their medieval realms.
Accessing the Latest Beta Builds
Before exploring the patch details, it’s important to note that both updates are currently available on the Manor Lords Beta branch via Steam. Players interested in testing the new features should back up their saved games to avoid any potential data loss. The save files are located at:
%USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\ManorLords\Saved\SaveGames
To access the Beta:
- Open Steam and right-click on Manor Lords in your library.
- Select Properties and navigate to the BETAS tab.
- Enter the password: veryNiceBasket.
- Choose pre_release from the dropdown menu.
- Wait for the game to update and restart Steam if necessary.
Players are advised to disable any mods before switching to the Beta, as mods are currently incompatible and may cause crashes. Feedback and bug reports can be shared on the Manor Lords Steam forums or the official Discord server.
Patch 0.8.049: Refining Resources and AI Behavior
The 0.8.049 Beta update focuses heavily on resource management, AI improvements, and minor collision fixes to enhance gameplay fluidity. One of the standout changes is the addition of Salt and Clay resource spots within Deep Mines. This strategic placement aims to reduce congestion at mine entrances, improving the efficiency of resource gathering and overall settlement logistics.
Resource balancing has seen significant adjustments:
- Rich Deposit Wild Animals have had their maximum size reduced by 18%, making hunting less overpowering.
- Wheat yields decreased by 25%, and Barley by 20%, introducing a more challenging agricultural management aspect.
- Flax yields increased by 50%, encouraging players to diversify their crop production.
- Wheat and Rye fertility calculations were made more linear, with Rye fertility now capped at 1.5 times that of Wheat but not exceeding 100%.
- Dressed Stone and Rough Stone values were lowered, affecting the economic value of stone resources.
Additionally, droughts have been rebalanced to be less punishing, but the previous minimum yield clamp has been removed, meaning fields can now potentially produce zero yield during severe droughts, adding a layer of risk management.
Quality-of-life improvements include the addition of handcart sheds to Granaries, increasing handcart slots to 2 at level 1 and 6 at level 2. Storehouses received similar upgrades, enhancing storage and transport efficiency.
The AI has been refined to better manage the settlement’s hygiene and workforce. It will now build Corpse Pits when corpses accumulate and assign workers to both the Church and Corpse Pit to handle burials, improving overall settlement health and morale.
Patch 0.8.050: Fine-Tuning and Bug Fixes
The follow-up hotfix, version 0.8.050, addresses several minor but impactful issues reported by the community. One notable fix ensures that end wall segments now correctly snap to planned towers within the Castle Planner, eliminating previous overlapping issues that frustrated builders aiming for perfect fortifications.
Balance tweaks include increases in the value of several key resources:
- Rooftiles value doubled from 2 to 4.
- Salt value increased from 4 to 5.
- Charcoal value doubled from 1 to 2.
- Barley has been elevated to a Major Trade resource, while Spices have been removed from trade entirely.
AI behavior improvements continue with smarter resource management:
- The AI will halt charcoal production once storage reaches 1,000 units to prevent waste.
- It will consider constructing additional Granaries or Storehouses when current storage nears 90% capacity.
- Fixed issues preventing the AI from rallying more than once and creating multiple militia squads, enhancing defensive capabilities.
- Corrected AI logic regarding orchard expansions, ensuring sufficient living space to attract migration.
User interface updates improve clarity and usability, including refined descriptions and iconography for the Royal Tax setting both in the main menu and in-game tooltips.
Several bugs have been addressed, such as the independent oxen bug that caused guides to get stuck, and fixes to wild animal breeding speeds that previously scaled incorrectly with the number of settled regions. Resource nodes for fish, berries, and mushrooms have also been stabilized to prevent resource generation issues.
Community Impact and What’s Next
These Beta updates demonstrate the developers’ commitment to refining Manor Lords based on player feedback. The balance changes encourage more strategic planning in resource management and settlement expansion, while AI improvements make the game world feel more dynamic and responsive.
With the average player count holding steady at over 5,300, the community remains engaged and vocal, providing valuable insights that help shape the game’s future. Players are encouraged to participate in the Beta testing and share their experiences to help polish the game ahead of its full release.
Looking forward, fans can expect continued enhancements to gameplay mechanics, AI sophistication, and user interface polish. The developers have shown a clear focus on historical authenticity combined with deep, rewarding strategy, making Manor Lords a promising title for enthusiasts of medieval city-building and warfare.
Conclusion
Manor Lords’ recent Beta updates bring a wealth of improvements that refine core gameplay elements and address longstanding bugs. From resource balancing to smarter AI and better UI feedback, these patches pave the way for a more immersive and challenging medieval experience. Players eager to test the latest features should back up their saves, disable mods, and dive into the Beta branch to explore the evolving world of Manor Lords. As development progresses, the game continues to build momentum, promising a richly detailed and strategically deep medieval sandbox for years to come.