Publisher Hooded Horse and developer Slavic Magic have begun issuing frequent interim development reports to keep the community in the loop regarding the state of Manor Lords. Following the recent experimental Beta, the team has logged a massive list of adjustments, including over 130 bug fixes and significant changes to how the AI handles its economy.
If you've been testing the experimental Beta, you know the simulation runs deep, but it can occasionally hit snags with logistics and AI decision-making. This latest status report confirms that the developer is aggressively targeting those friction points. The focus right now isn't just on adding content, but on ensuring the underlying systems—specifically worker logic and resource chains—actually function as intended during long play sessions.
Rebalancing the Economy
Economy is king in city-builders, and the team is implementing dozens of balance changes based on player feedback. These aren't just simple number tweaks; they involve the logic of how your settlement operates. Adjustments cover resource yields, building costs, and consumption rates, but the most interesting changes involve worker efficiency.
For example, the update addresses specific logistical hiccups like tree-cutting logic and the placement of animal housing near workplaces. In a game where walking distance and transport time can make or break your supply chain, optimizing these pathfinding and placement behaviors is arguably more impactful than a simple buff to production rates. If your ox doesn't have to walk across the map to drag a log, your entire construction industry moves faster.
Making the AI Smarter
One of the biggest pain points in early access strategy games is often the AI's inability to play by the same rules as the human player. Slavic Magic has logged over 50 distinct AI improvements aimed at making rival lords more competent. The improvements target:
- Economic Management: The AI should now be better at balancing its own resource chains without stalling.
- Construction Logic: Expect smarter building placement and city layouts from AI opponents.
- Seasonal Planning: The AI is being taught to better prepare for winter, reducing the chances of it collapsing due to poor stockpiling.
When can players expect these changes?
This news comes as part of a new initiative by Hooded Horse to provide more frequent, transparent updates on development progress. While specific release dates for the stable patch depend on the finalization of these fixes, the volume of work completed—including numerous crash fixes and performance optimizations—suggests the team is heavily focused on stability right now. With 130 bug fixes already logged since the Beta began, the next stable update for Manor Lords aims to be a substantial polish pass rather than just a content drop.