u/Comfortsoftheburrow

I've been loving ML since release in 2024.

There is a glaring design problem (which I'm sure the developers and all experienced players can acknowledge). And also let me say- maybe it's not a problem. After all, city builders/sandbox games don't necessarily need to adhere to certain design pillars. ​

But for the sake of this post, let me explain the 'problem'.

When playing for the challenge aspect, the Baron's first attempt on your region is the final boss. This happens within the first few in-game years.

If the difficulty were seen in a graph, it would start moderate and elevate during those early stages where you're trying to keep your growing village fed through the first winter.

Then the line (of the graph) would remain steady as you need to make the right decisions to put your people in a position to defend themselves. After the first winter, it may seem like the difficulty lessens, but it's somewhat illusory, as you need to be systematic in your preparations for the Baron's claiming your land.

Once the Baron presses his claim, and you successfully defend yourself because you've been methodical and efficient, the line (again, of the graph) takes a dramatic nose dive. And this time, it's not an illusion- there is no challenge left.

I take some of this back- you still need to grow your armies and retinue (and merc pool) to such an extent as to overtake the Baron's final region (which he will give his best effort to defend). But let's be honest- understanding the merc system makes this last bit of difficulty kind of an illusion.

So, what are some ideas that people have that would keep things interesting and keep the line (do I have to say it?) moving up and down and hither and thither?Disease? Internal strife? King's armies?

Ultimately, we all want this game to end up being the best version of itself, and I believe there are ways (somewhere out there) to keep it more engaging throughout the entirety of a playthrough.

After a particularly perplexing episode in season 5, where we were left scratching our heads as Scully comforted Mulder in the closing scene, my 17-year-old calmly expresses, "I'm just here for the 'ship"

Just wanted to say that Manor Lords has the best camera of any game out there. The zooming capabilities, the pitch angles, everything about it. Many times since playing ML, I've jumped into new city-builder type games, and been immediately taken aback by the limitations they've set on the camera controls.

All aspiring (and well-established) city-builder devs need to look at Manor Lords' camera program settings, and just straight-up copy it. You can't get it any better. This is one player noticing it and appreciating it.