Manor Lords’ AI-controlled towns are starting to take shape
By Marco Wutz
Among the most-requested features in medieval city-builder Manor Lords is the inclusion of AI-controlled on the map. At the moment, players build their own settlements in solitude with bandit camps being the only AI-controlled structures popping up in the landscape. But that’s changing. Developer Slavic Magic has given the community a big update to mark the game’s first full year in Early Access and AI-controlled towns are the biggest item on the agenda.
“The AI can now build and run its small village,” the developer stated. “A lot of work was done to make sure the AI could use the plot tool properly. We're still working on improving its city planning skills and will soon start working on its trading capabilities and farming.” That’s a big step forward and brings the implementation of the feature that much closer.
Though Manor Lords started as a solo project by Slavic Magic, the success of its Early Access release – and the resulting pressure – has led to a sizable team forming around the game. The team now consists of eight additional developers to stem all the work, plus some external help.
Naturally, AI-controlled settlements aren’t the only dish in the oven. Slavic Magic is cooking a new records screen to show detailed information about the production and consumption of all resources in each region. Approval will be rebalanced a bit, making it so that past events have less influence on the population’s current mood.
A big addition to the game will be the upkeep system. In the future, some buildings will require you to supply materials for maintenance, so you’ll need a steady flow of tools and other goods. “We are also working on a system where you can increase upkeep and work efficiency as well,” the developer teased.
Additional buildings are being planned, too: The Quarry will be able to mine unlimited stone on rich deposits, while the Lime Kiln will provide you with lime, which is going to be needed for the more advanced stone constructions in the game — stuff like castles.
Speaking of which: Castles apparently are quite the challenging prospect for the pathfinding system of the game.
“It's a bit foolish, but we're trying our best not to do what games often do to help units find their way, which is make walls thicker and passages wider. Instead, we try our best to keep the scale realistic — narrow passages, tiny doors. It's like the medieval constructors wanted to purposefully make it harder for large groups of soldiers to navigate around the castle,” Slavic Magic mused.
Other upcoming updates include camera optimizations, a progression rework, UI refinement, river fishing, updates to some castle pieces, and prettier resource nodes on the map.
“It’s been a wild year, and I’m looking forward to showing more as things get ready,” the developer concluded.