Happy Holidays, everyone!

We’re excited to share that Norland is participating in the Winter Sale at 35% off. Check it and other games out at the Hooded Horse Winter Sale.

Hooded Horse Winter Publisher Sale 2024[gtm.you1.cn/storesteam]

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We're hard at work redesigning the local map geometry, including redrawing cliffs and rocks to ensure walls align seamlessly with the landscape. Here's what we've recently released:

Patch 27 introduced major updates to diplomacy, like bribing bandits to attack rivals and reworked peace treaties that added new layers of strategy. We’ve also made balance changes to keep the mid-game more engaging, alongside other improvements based on your feedback.

Meanwhile, Patch 28 brought 13 new cultural knowledge entries, incognito guests with hidden motives, and a customizable key binding menu for improved control. The redesign of local map geometry is also underway, with walls, cliffs, and rocks being redrawn to better integrate with your cities.

https://gtm.you1.cn/games/1857090/announcements/detail/4476110102203465819
https://gtm.you1.cn/storesteam/news/app/1857090/view/539965930024730676

Hello guys,

A hotfix for an unpleasant crash when loading and a couple of tweaks.

• Added a hint for the event “A free lord is waiting to be hired.”

• Free lords will now visit the player’s city no earlier than the 5th day.
  
• The default scenario is now set to “No Scenario.”

• Fixed a bug where the game could not be saved after a seductive guest arrived if the player’s city had a lord with the “Lustful” trait.
  
• Fixed a crash when loading old saves where bandit camps could still exist in regions with destroyed cities.

Hey guys,

We are releasing the promised roadmap feature today: 13 new unique cultural knowledge entries.

Alongside this, we’ve revamped the knowledge system on the global map, adding new incognito guests and releasing a key binding menu.

We also apologize for the delay with the walls. Issues with aligning them to the landscape — specifically to rocks — have necessitated redesigning the local map’s geometric structure. As a result, we are redrawing our rocks and cliffs and making many other changes. However, we’re confident that the final result will impress you.

As always, all saves are compatible.

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• Neighboring Knowledge: Neighboring cities almost always possess unique knowledge you lack. This knowledge will now appear in the list.
  
• Scholar Lords: Lords in neighboring towns with the majority of knowledge will gain the unique Scholar title, making them distinguishable. You can engage them in wise conversations to exchange knowledge, invite them for this purpose, or even abduct them.
  
• Book Theft: Stealing books holds more strategic value.
  
• Unique Cultural Knowledge: The most powerful cultural knowledge entries are now part of a distinct set. These are unavailable through the Holy Caravan and can only be obtained from neighbors or the visiting book trader, Scriptonic.

This update also introduces Incognito Guests — a new type of character with hidden stats and secret intentions, which may be either positive or negative. Currently, there are four possible roles for incognito guests.

In the settings menu, you can customize controls and hotkeys. Owners of AZERTY keyboards have frequently requested this feature.

This update includes various fixes, improving the behavior of armies and characters on the global map, as well as addressing more mundane issues like the broken recruit scroll in the army menu.

[expand type=details expanded=false]Gray Contracts - Makha
Using trade slang and intermediaries will allow you to reduce the church tax on trade contracts.

Demand Expansion - Makha
The skill of selling goods to those who don’t need them ensures an increase in local demand for all goods.

Narrow Font - Makha
More compact writing reduces the use of Paper when creating books.

Sanctity of Power - Tanaya
A theological treatise explains how Mother Sophia's grace can be revealed to earthly rulers.
By the grace of the Church, your king will be able to receive a holy Blessing (requires good relations with the Matriarch).

Sophia’s Protection - Tanaya
A set of arguments that convinces the Church to grant the protection of the Loving Family (usually reserved for young noble houses) to your province for a limited number of days.
Requires good relations with the Matriarch.

Apology of Divorce - Tanaya
While the Loving Family does not approve of divorce and usually requires very good relations with the Matriarch, this knowledge will lower the requirements, convincingly proving the necessity of divorce in exceptional cases.

Repentance in Hatred - Tanaya
An ancient rite of repentance for the sin of hatred that grants absolution to the seeker. The rite allows the Bishop to reconcile the chosen lord with all their enemies.
Requires good relations between this lord and the Bishop.

A Fresh Start - Kaiden
A description of a special Kaiden rite that allows removing all negative traits and thoughts from a bandit when recruiting them into the army.

Master of the Dagger - Kaiden
An ancient combat art of Kaiden culture.
Combat Skill for all warriors when using a Dagger: +5.

Ointment of Durability - Kaiden
The special formula of this ointment enhances the durability of wood and iron joints, reducing the chance of weapon breakage by 5 times.

Recruits - Kaiden
Old imperial training methods allow inexperienced recruits to gain more experience during training on the Training Ground. Effective until the warrior’s Combat Skill reaches level 5.

Effective until the warrior’s Combat Skill reaches level 5.

Hammer of Bandits - Kaiden
Psychological training in moral righteousness and duty, granting a mood bonus to warriors during battles with forest bandits.

Faith Defender - Tanaya
The tax on warriors will be 30% less.[/expand]
[expand type=details expanded=false]

• Players cannot create an army until they have built a hall.
  
• Lustful lords are now easier to seduce as they show increased interest in the opposite sex. Your hostile neighbors are more likely to exploit this opportunity if you have a lustful lord in your city.
  
• If the target of a robbery wakes up during a break-in (when executing the “rob rings” desire resolution), the fight will be unarmed and end after a few strikes. The resolution will still be fulfilled.
  
• Resolutions last a maximum of 3 days and are triggered only when a lord’s mood is below 80.

[/expand]

[expand type=details expanded=false]

• Fixed a bug where page change did not work in the prisoner's recruitment menu.
  
• Fixed a bug where a lord who had been tied up for kidnapping remained tied after loading the game
  
• Fixed a bug where sex animations in horizontal lord houses were broken, causing one character to stand instead of lying on the bed.
  
• Fixed a bug where enemy squads could get stuck in the hall after robbing it.
  
• Fixed a bug where AI attackers fighting in the player’s city would engage each other upon entering the province if they had poor relations.
  
• Fixed a bug where an ally's request for the player to send troops for an attack transformed into a suzerain's demand after saving and loading the game.
  
• Fixed a bug where the current command in the GUI was not updated after being canceled for an army on the global map
  
• Fixed a bug where AI could repeatedly offer peace to the player even when a quest to propose peace was already active.
  
• In the finance menu, holding Shift now changes values by 10 instead of 5, aligning with behavior in other menus.
  
• Fixed a bug where the player's reinforcements in a village could disappear after a battle if the enemy canceled their attack intention during the fight (e.g., due to the death of the commander-king and a rebellion starting in their city).
  
• Fixed a bug causing issues when loading a battle in an AI city on the global map without defenders.
  
• Fixed a bug preventing the recruitment of peasants into the army if the "A Fresh Start" knowledge was unlocked.
  
• Fixed a crash when clicking on a peasant icon in the family tree.
  
• Fixed a bug where prisoners were not loaded if captured by entities other than the army (e.g., bandits or messengers).
  
• Fixed a bug where messengers sent to establish trade agreements could not complete their tasks after loading the game.
  
• While an AI lord is the target of a kidnapping or assassination task, they will no longer leave their city.
  
• While an attack on an AI city is being prepared, the king of that city and the commander-in-chief will not leave the city (e.g., to visit other places).
  
• Fixed a bug where a lord could leave the city and disappear after their tantrum ended.
  
• A notification about the shortage of workers in the city will appear at 9 AM and only after the 5th day.
  
• When starting a new game, the marker in the construction menu will point to the hall, and after the hall is built, it will highlight other important buildings.
  
• After starting a new game, the marker in the construction menu will not appear for buildings unlocked by starting technologies (e.g., the prisoner barracks in the “Masters” scenario).
  
• Fixed a bug where certain mental breakdowns (e.g., robbery) could reset upon loading.
  
• Fixed a bug where pilgrims would not eat food from their inventories.
  
• Fixed a bug that caused duplication of lords and guests in the character overview panel.
  
• Fixed a bug where in-game time could be controlled from the main menu by pressing certain keys.
  
• Fixed a bug where the assigned action “play with the dog” was not translated into other languages in the player’s menu.
  
• Fixed a crash when loading a save with a broken unique guest.
  
• Dogs now bark less frequently.

[/expand]
As we continue working on Norland, please share your thoughts and feedback. We make sure to read all reviews and enjoy knowing what you enjoy or would like to see!

Come join the community on Discord[discord.com] and Reddit.

Immerse yourself in the world of Norland at a 35% discount as part of the Autumn Publisher Sale running until December 4th.

Norland is a medieval kingdom simulator where you manage a complex society, balancing the needs and ambitions of nobles, peasants, and soldiers. Navigate political intrigue, defend against invasions, and ensure the prosperity of your kingdom.

Hooded Horse Autumn Publisher Sale 2024[gtm.you1.cn/storesteam]
https://gtm.you1.cn/storesteam/app/1857090/Norland/

This week marks the start of the Steam Autumn Sale, as well as the 2024 Steam Awards. If you’ve been enjoying everything Norland has to offer, we hope you’ll show your support by nominating it for this year’s Most Innovative Gameplay award.


We're committed to fixing bugs and expanding the game through the benefit of all of your wonderful feedback. For a more detailed look at what we’ve been doing in each update, here are the patch notes from the last few months:

Patch #1 (bug and crash fixes, better lord moods)
Patch #2 (Balance, Bug Fixes, New Player Friendliness)
Patch #3 (balance, bug fixes)
Patch #4 (Fleshwolves event fix, bug fixes)
Patch #5 (stability, balance, improvements)
Patch #6 (encyclopedia, monogamy, bug fixes)
Patch #7 (balance, bug fixes)
Patch #8 (Inspection Improvement, Bug Fixes, New Modifier)
Patch #9 (Lord Titles Increased to 6, Bug Fixes)
Patch #10 (Bug Fixes)
Patch #11 (Bug and Crash Fixes)
Patch #12 (New Feature: Lesser Lords Added)
Patch #13 (Bug Fixes, Missing Lords Fix, Restored Burned Villages, and more)
Patch #14 (Knowledge Transfer to Children and Save Hints)
Patch #15 (Combat Mechanics and Some Fixes)
Patch #16 (Bug Fixes)
Patch #17 (Revolution Risk, Hemophilia, Stability)
Patch #18 (Balance, Optimization, Archer Command)
Patch #19 (New Quests, Enhanced AI Behavior, and Bug Fixes)
Patch #20 (Graves, New desires, Balance, Bug fixes)
Patch #21 (Steam Achievements, Nicknames, Hall Moving)
Patch #22 (Archer Towers)
Patch #23 (Crossbows, City Towers, Optimization)
Patch #24 (Squad Healing, Rebellions Halved, and Major Bug Fixes)
Patch #25. Unique visitors, allied attacks, and much more!
Patch #26: New Map, Dynasty Tree, Knowledge Updates, and More!
Patch #27: Diplomacy Overhaul, Mid-Game Balancing, and Bug Fixes!

All that said, we’re just getting started. There’s still plenty more to come for Norland, and we’re so thankful we get to share this Early Access journey with you.

If you would like to support us in this year’s Steam Awards, please click the “Nominate” button at the top of this post to nominate Norland for the Most Innovative Gameplay award.

Thank you again for your continued support,
Long Jaunt

Hello guys,

A small hotfix with a couple of nice QoL improvements that will help you understand why lords sometimes refuse to carry out your tasks.

• Fixed a bug where, on the day after starting a new game, an arrow appeared pointing to the construction menu but did not lead anywhere.
  
• If a lord cannot go to work due to low satiety, fatigue, or rest needs, a bubble with the corresponding desire will appear above the lord.
  
• When checking determination in the character menu, the determination icon will now be displayed in the Desire panel, and the tooltip will indicate which desire triggered the determination.
  
• If a character has already consumed alcohol today but their Rest need is ≤ 25, they will be allowed to drink more alcohol.
  
• Fixed a bug where recruiting the only prisoner into the army did not remove them from the list of available prisoners for recruitment.

Hello guys!

In this patch, we’re adding the ability to bribe bandits on the global map to attack your neighbors (while also allowing neighbors to bribe your bandits), reworking the mechanics of peace treaties and offerings to kings, and introducing balance changes to make the mid- and late-game stages more engaging.

Many of these changes came directly from your feedback and reviews, showing how much your input helps shape the game. Please continue sharing your feedback and thoughts -- we're listening!

New Features

• AI Bribes Bandits: AI factions with a relationship of -15 or lower toward the player can now bribe a bandit camp in the player’s province to attack their villages or cities.
  
• Player Bandit Bribes: Players can now bribe bandits in other regions to attack. This can be done once every two days.
  
• Bandit Camp Growth: Bandit camps can now grow to include more bandits. From the 8th bandit onward, they may acquire light armor. A watchtower is added for every 10 bandits in the camp.
  
• Offering to the King Rework: The "Offering to the King" action now requires resources corresponding to the target's culture instead of paying 200 coins.
  
• Lord Recruitment Costs: Accepting a lord through the "Lord Ready to Leave" quest now requires rings. The number of rings depends on the lord's skills and the difference in persuasion skills between the target and the executor.
  
• Peace Treaty Mechanic: A new peace treaty mechanic has been introduced. The proposer must pay money, the amount of which depends on the relationship level.

Improvements

• Dynasty Menu Update: Starting characters now have deceased parents displayed in the dynasty menu.
  
• Pilgrim Appearance Update: Chains have been added to pilgrims, and their masks have been replaced. All pilgrims must now be thin.
  
• Minstrel Icons: Added different icons for songs in the minstrel assignment menu. While performing a song, a bubble showing the song type will appear.
  
• Elderly Desire Adjustments: Elderly characters can no longer have desires related to sex. Existing elderly characters with such desires will have them removed.
  
• Army Menu Optimization: The army creation menu has been optimized; transferring soldiers into and out of army templates is now faster.
  
• Reward Desire Limitation: The "Reward Someone" desire is now possible only if the player’s faction has at least two lords.
  
• Dog Sounds Added: The dog can now bark and make other sounds.

Balance Changes

• Bandit Bribe Mechanics: Bandits will now refuse to attack the player’s city or villages but can still attack neighbors.
  
• Holy Caravan Price Adjustment: Price increases for random goods now provide a 1.5x multiplier instead of 2x.
  
• Donation Action Changes: The "Ask for Donations" action now reduces loyalty by -30, triggers a stronger negative thought (+25%), and lasts for 12 days instead of 4.
  
• Hardcore Difficulty Adjustments:
  
• The "Hunted Together" thought effect has been reduced from +17 to +12.
  
• The caravaner’s trading skill has been increased from 3-11 to 9-16.
  
• Bandit Thought Adjustments:
  
• The "Spirit of Freedom" thought for former bandits recruited into the army is now reduced to -18 and no longer expires.
  
• Former bandits sold as slaves now receive a -40 price penalty. The minimum slave price after penalties has been reduced from 50 to 25 coins.
  
• City Tower Adjustments: Towers in AI cities now appear after 40 residents, with 1 tower for every 20 residents. Previously, towers appeared at the start of a new game.
  
• Cultural Punishment Adjustment: The "Punished Hated Culture" thought is now limited to one instance instead of three.
  
• AI Heir Rebellions: Heir rebellions on the global map for AI will now begin more quickly after appearing.
  
• Iron Starting Amount: The starting amount of iron in the player’s storage has been increased from 20 to 30.
  
• Bribe Cooldown and Cost: Players can no longer repeatedly bribe a bandit camp while a previous bribe is still active. Bribes now last 5 days instead of 7, and the bribe cost has doubled.
  
• Book Writing Costs: Writing or rewriting a book now requires paper based on knowledge level: 3/6/9 sheets.
  
• Priest Appointment Restriction: The "Appoint as Priest" action for lesser lords is now available only to those born in the player’s faction.

Fixes

• Prisoner Knowledge Tasks: Releasing or escaping prisoners now cancels their knowledge-learning tasks.
  
• Neighbor Relationship Settings: Relationship settings for neighbors not directly bordering the player’s empire are now displayed and applied correctly during the new game setup.
  
• Building Placement Crash Fix: Fixed a rare crash when moving or constructing a building on a spot where a character had previously been removed, burned, or left the local map.
  
• Dog Walk Crash Fix: Fixed a potential crash during a dog walk if its owner left the local map.
  
• Caravaner Trade Menu Bug: Fixed a bug where the trade menu displayed "Offer exceeded local demand" for all resources, even when demand was not exceeded.
  
• Bard Guitar Resized: The bard's guitar has been resized.
  
• Market Trade Statistics: Fixed a bug where gold earned from buyers was not displayed in the "Local Market Trading" category in statistics.
  
• Quest Notification Titles: Notifications about the completion of a quest in an AI city will now be titled "Result: %quest name%" instead of "Result: %city name%."
  
• Army Tax Tooltip Fix: Fixed a bug where the army tax tooltip in the caravaner’s trade menu displayed an incorrect value.
  
• Knowledge Learning Thought Bug: Fixed a bug where a lord gained a positive thought about writing a book during knowledge learning instead of rewriting.
  
• Family Relationship Fix: Starting characters now have proper family relationships.
  
• City Market Bug: Fixed a bug where a newly populated city on the global map began selling and buying rings.
  
• Faction Name in Events: Fixed a bug where the faction name did not appear in the "persona non grata" event.
  
• Nickname Assignments:
  
  • Fixed a bug where a blind lord received the nickname "One-Eyed" instead of "Blind."
    
  • Fixed a bug where the event about a lord receiving a nickname did not appear.
• Sin Assignment Bug: The sin "Started Terror" is now assigned only to the player’s king instead of the scaffold inspector. The corresponding nickname can also only be given to the king.

Until November 27, immerse yourself in the world of Norland at a 35% discount during the Norland Steam Weekend Deal. Norland is a medieval kingdom simulator where you manage a complex society, balancing the needs and ambitions of nobles, peasants, and soldiers. Navigate political intrigue, defend against invasions, and ensure the prosperity of your kingdom.

https://gtm.you1.cn/storesteam/app/1857090/Norland/

Hello guys,

In this update we've overhauled the global map, added the Dynasty Tree menu, and changed the knowledge transfer system.

We’ve also introduced new unique visitors, adjusted local maps with enhanced customization options, and refined various gameplay mechanics. Quality-of-life improvements and numerous bug fixes improve the overall experience, making for smoother and more immersive gameplay. Also, Norland's Weekend Deal has begun, offering a 35% discount.

• Redrawn City Icons and Objects: Updated visuals for cities and map objects enhance the look of the global map.
  
• Expanded Map Size: The map is now larger, with more realistic geography and proportions.
  
• Cultural City Names and Toponyms: City names have been aligned with cultural themes, and geographical names have been added to improve immersion.

At maximum zoom, the map now shows a political view, using different colors for each state to make the political landscape clearer.

We've updated local maps and adjusted the initial building sets, adding complexity to the terrain for a more challenging experience on medium and complex maps. The AI behavior has also been revamped, making it more dynamic and resolving issues where units would disappear or get stuck in other cities.


The new dynasty interface will allow you to understand family relationships. It includes not only legitimate children but also bastards, as well as the family trees of your neighbors (if you’ve intermarried with them).

• Assigning Wise Conversations: Teenagers can now participate in Wise Conversations and absorb knowledge more effectively than adults.
  
• Continuous Learning: Wise Conversations continue daily until stopped manually.
  
• Knowledge Retention After Death: Knowledge from deceased characters lingers for a set period based on game difficulty, giving you time to pass it on.
  
• Knowledge Overload Warning: A warning appears if a character has accumulated too much unique knowledge, indicating a risk of loss.

These changes should smooth out the situation of sudden knowledge loss and make the process of passing knowledge to the next generation much less routine.

We're carefully reading and listening to your feedback. Please continue sharing your thoughts in Steam reviews -- it's a fantastic way to help us -- and for us to know what you think of Norland!

Changes

• New Unique Visitors: Holy Pilgrims and Archons of the Dead God introduce new interactions, including absolution of sins and sacrificial rituals.
  
• Marketplace Medicine: Citizens can now purchase medicine at the market and give it to prisoners.
  
• Knowledge Transfer Updates: "Wise Conversation" can now be assigned to teenagers, who absorb knowledge more effectively than adults.
  
• Local Map Enhancements: Farms and altars are pre-built, with the hall left unbuilt to allow settlement customization.
  
• Unholy Horde Mechanics: The Unholy Horde now spawns in the province furthest from the player.
  
• Map Label Adjustments: Labels on the global map scale up in size as you zoom out for improved readability.
  
• Reduced Cooldown: The "Wise Conversation" cooldown is now 12 hours instead of 18.
  
• Trait Balancing: Some negative social traits are less severe on easy and medium difficulties, and the "Coward" trait duration is now limited to 10 days.

Fixes

• Storage Interaction: Warriors now correctly retrieve weapons and armor from storage.
  
• Alliance Trade Agreements: Fixed an issue where non-leaders were incorrectly charged for trade agreements within alliances.
  
• Global Map Tasks: Resolved issues with the "Bribe" task and assassinations not completing under certain conditions.
  
• Border Display: Fixed incorrect border visuals when consolidating states.
  
• Battle Mechanics: Enemy troops no longer exit the map in manual battles if the player disbands their troops.
  
• Merchant Visits: Book and nectar merchants remain in the village for an extra evening.
  
• Cooldown Timer: Addressed an issue with the "Wise Conversation" cooldown timer.

The Norland Weekend Deal has begun, with Norland available at 35% off!

https://gtm.you1.cn/storesteam/app/1857090/Norland/