FAQ

This is a copy of the FAQ available in the discord server, pruned of information that is no longer relevant. The discord server is available here: https://discord.gg/manorlords

What engine is this on?
Unreal Engine 4. At the moment, there are no plans to upgrade to UE5.

Are you truly working on this alone?
I'm the only permanent studio member, but I do cooperate more and more with freelancers. Sometimes I buy assets to speed up the development (eg. Megascans), and recently I partnered with a professional QA company called QLOC. I also have a publisher – Hooded Horse – who takes care of the marketing and distribution.

When is the release date?
Manor Lords has been released into early access for PC on Friday, 26 April 2024 15:00.

What platforms is it coming to?
Manor Lords will release into early access for PC via Steam, GOG, and the Microsoft store. It will also be available day one via PC Games Pass. An Xbox console version is coming at a later date.

Wait, what, you’re developing a console version?
Currently, Manor Lords is confirmed for PC and Xbox platforms. We will provide additional console information at a later date.

How long will it be in early access for?
How long will depend on things like player feedback and development needs.

Will there be a mode without combat?
Yes.

Are battles on a separate map?
All gameplay is happening on a single map, real-time (with speed controls/pause).

Will there be walls and fortifications? Will there be naval battles? Cavalry?
These are all features I want to add after I launch the initial early access and fix all the problems with base gameplay.

Will there be different cultures? Is there a campaign?
The EA launch version of the game is going to be a single faction and sandbox only. However, exploring different cultures and themes in the future is something I’ve thought about.

Multiplayer?
I want to polish the single-player experience first.

How can I support the project? Can I preorder the game?
If you're here discussing the game and sharing info, you're already supporting me a great deal. Wishlisting on Steam helps a ton, because it raises visibility. If you want to help financially I did set up a Patreon page, but don't worry about it too much: https://www.patreon.com/GregStyczen

Will there be another demo?
There are no plans for another demo at this time.

What is planned for the initial early access build?
Early Access will have:

City-building – Develop your region from a tiny village to a dense town, build industries, unlock development branches, plan and upgrade your Manor.

Army management & battles – Draft villagers, hire and upgrade retinue, and hire mercenaries to fight against bandits and invading lords.

Claims – Earn influence and lay claims to neighboring lands.

A small selection of different modes and scenarios, as well as initial versins of things like policies, and the technology tree.

Can I get access to a closed alpha?
Applications to Closed Alpha stage are now closed.

Will there be mod support?
Yes, but I don’t plan on implementing it until after 1.0, at least.

When did you start developing the game?
I started in July 2017.

What about guns?
If I do them, it will probably be the last of all the things to do, with an option to turn them off for people who don't like them.

What about ?
I’ve thought about a lot of different features and looked at plenty of suggestions from the community. I have an idea in my head regarding what I’d like to do, but I will also be responding to community feedback once the game is out in early access. You can try searching the discord to see if I’ve spoken specifically about the feature you have in mind – I’ve been asked about most things at this point. My preference for the moment is to focus on a modest feature set and then polish it to seven heavens, so the answer to many questions regarding feature suggestions will be “probably after launch” or something similar.

Confirmed things that will not be in the game
Here are some features that have been requested that I can confirm won’t be in the game. This is not an exhaustive list:

No dynasty mechanics

No heroes or leader units

No single-person units in general, for now

No town guard

How can I suggest things to add to the game?
You can suggest it here: https://feedback.manorlords.com/