Manor Lords update brings dung collection and seasonal crops

Slavic Magic has released update 0.8.117 for Manor Lords on the stable branch. The update expands farming with dung collection, fertilizer and seasonal crops, and adds a new artisan and six development perks.

Families can now work as Dung Collectors, gathering waste from pasture animals and taking it to a new building called the Dunghill. The building stores both raw dung and finished fertilizer. Farmhouse workers can apply fertilizer to fallow fields, raising their maximum fertility for just over two years.

Crops are now divided into winter and spring varieties. Wheat and rye grow best when planted in winter, while spring planting produces a smaller harvest sooner. Flax, barley and oats can be planted only in spring. A revised field calendar shows farming activities for the next 12 months.

Fields with selected crops that have not been planted count as fallow, allowing fertility to recover over time. Villagers can plow fallow fields in spring, summer and autumn, although the task has the lowest priority. Crops left in the ground after October now die gradually instead of being immediately forced into rotation, giving players time to harvest part of the yield.

The Fishmonger artisan uses fish and salt to make smoked fish. Six Rural Foundations perks become available when a settlement reaches level three: Experienced Forestry, Woodland Beekeeping, Fish Husbandry, Livestock Provisioning, Practical Tillage and Pastoral Practice. Born of the Alps no longer protects sheep from high elevation and now increases their wool production in those areas.

The update reduces crop growth speed and the rate at which fallow fields regain fertility. Sustainable farming now relies more on fallow cycles than on changing the crop planted in a field. Cows and sheep are easier to breed, while the Deep Mine produces fewer resources. Warbows and crossbows deal more damage, and sheaf collection and threshing prioritize the least available grain types.

Slavic Magic is continuing work on additional perks. Farming changes were prioritized based on recent player feedback. Update 0.8.117 is available now on Manor Lords’ live branch.