Publisher Hooded Horse and developer Long Jaunt have released a road map for their noble house simulation game, Norland. The plans stretch from now until October, outlining what will be added to the Early Access title.
This month will have focus on optimization, graves, and archers. September is more optimization, ranged towers, and “unique guests.” Finally, October is when we’ll see city walls and gates, barons, and usurpers.
I’m not sure how barons will come into play, but another tier of noble would definitely be appreciated. Usurpers sound interesting since Norland’s big gameplay hook is a Rimworld-like system of generation where stories develop from a chaotic interplay of the game’s mechanics.
I previewed Norland before its Early Access launch. I found that it suffered heavily from a lack of balance and progression. I wasn’t alone, as the Steam reviews show that it has a 77% positive “Mixed” rating. However, the developers have taken community feedback and made significant changes over a vast number of patches and updates (they’re on patch 17). I haven’t jumped back in to see how it affects my opinion of the game, since I want to let it marinate for a bit, but I have seen some of the issues I had with it get adjusted.
It’s hard to say if Norland will eventually become recommended playing – and city walls aren’t going to be the fix it needs – but the developers are clearly listening and putting in the work to get it in shape. And to be clear, it isn’t that bad, it just isn’t where it needs to be. The core concept of Crusader Kings meets Rimworld is a tantalizing one, and there are some great ideas found in the execution, so hopefully, it won’t be long before it reaches its potential.
Norland is available now for PC via Steam Early Access.
Published: Aug 12, 2024 11:38 am