Manor Lords: A Guide for New Players

Available since the 26th of April 2024 in Early Access on Steam, Manor Lords has attracted gamers with its tangled gameplay and strategic depth.

Developed by Greg Styczeń, this solo project challenges players with its realistic medieval setting and complex mechanics. To thrive in Manor Lords, it’s crucial to start with a solid foundation to become a prosperous village.

So, if you wonder how to properly start your campaign in Manor Lords, this guide will help provide newcomers with fundamental strategies to manage resources effectively, encourage community growth, and build a booming economy. While there may be multiple paths to success, this guide offers a structured approach great for those new to strategy games.

1. Initial Setup and Priorities

Focus on building critical infrastructure first:

• Storage and Resource Gathering: Immediately construct a granary and a storehouse, followed by a lodging camp and a woodcutter. These facilities are vital for securing the resources necessary for early development.
• Food Supply: Initially, avoid resource-heavy farming and opt for hunting, gathering, and simple agriculture such as growing carrots and chicken. These methods provide a steady and less demanding food source. Simple agriculture becomes available once you build burgage plots.

2. Food Production Timing

Effective food management is essential to prevent starvation and support town growth:

• Strategic Building: Place hunting camps near wild animals and forager huts close to berry sources to ensure food production begins as your initial supplies diminishes.
• Agricultural Extensions: Implement small-scale farming within your burgage plots early on to enhance your food supplies without the complexities of large-scale farming. 

Offering varied food types like meat, berries, and vegetables will improve your community’s approval score.

3. Developing Trade and Community Infrastructure

The marketplace serves as the core of any medieval town:

• Marketplace Construction: Build a marketplace near your residential plots as soon as they are occupied to enable efficient trade and resource distribution. Position it as close as possible to your granary and storehouse to minimize transport times.
• Logistical Support: Incorporate a second ox and hitching post early on, particularly near the logging camp, to streamline production and reduce transportation times.

4. Spiritual and Social Structures

Fostering a cohesive community extends beyond economics:

• Church Construction: Erect a church to boost morale and approval ratings, essential for population growth. 

You will need at least a 51% approval rate and empty burgages to trigger increases in population.

5. Efficient Town Planning

Arrange your town for maximum operational efficiency:

• Proximity: Keep production buildings close to logistical hubs like hitching posts and storage facilities to reduce travel time and enhance productivity.

6. Dynamic Resource Management

Being adaptable in resource management can greatly improve efficiency:

• Monitoring and Adjustments: Consistently monitor and adjust the assignments of each family based on current needs and resource availability.
• Sustainable Resource Practices: Implement sustainable hunting practices; for example, cap hunting at 10 to avoid depleting resources. Collect as many berries as possible before winter when they are no longer available.

7. Expanding Trade and Exports

A strong trading system is crucial for economic growth:

• Early Trading Post: Establish a trading post early to begin exporting surplus resources like firewood and berries, aiding in economic stabilization.

8. Advanced Resource Management Techniques

Refining your resource management can alleviate bottlenecks:

• Optimized Storage: Tweak storage settings in your granaries and storehouses to improve the flow of resources and reduce unnecessary transportation.
• Assign Family: While it’s necessary to assign families to specific tasks for smooth operations, keep some unassigned to handle new constructions.

By following these foundational strategies, you’ll set yourself up for success in the medieval world of Manor Lords. Remember to bookmark this page, as we’ll continue to update it with more tips as the game evolves.