Summary

Norlandis a medieval colony sim that is often referred to as a combination ofRimworldandCrusader Kings 3.As a colony sim, the first steps are building up a small starting village into a thriving city that can eventually serve as the center of a vast realm. With this in mind, players need to knowwhat to build first inNorlandso that they can get off to the best start.

There are some necessary buildings that cannot be skipped, and while some of these, such as a Lumbermill, may appear obvious, other buildings, such as a Library, don’t stand out as vital tobeginners inNorland. It should also be noted that every village will start out with a Hall, three Lord’s Houses, one Dormitory, and a Market. Apart from the Hall, players will need to build more of these eventually, but there are more pressing matters to deal with first.

Lumbermill in Norland

6Lumbermill

Produces Wood

Seeing as Wood is required to construct all other buildings, and it also serves as a resource for many other things, the Lumbermill should be built first inNorland. In fact, Lumbermills are so important that players may want to consider building a second early on.

Lumbermills should be placed near the forest but not too far away from the rest of the settlement, so that workers don’t have to travel far. Eventually, players will want to build roads to speed up travel and increase production, but roads cost gold.

Rutabaga Field in Norland

5Rutabaga Field

Produces Rutabaga, Which Is Eaten & Turned Into Moonshine

Rutabaga is the most basicfood inNorland, and it is also used to produce the most rudimentary alcohol, Moonshine. While players will start their playthrough off with a healthy amount of food and alcohol, it’s best to get agriculture rolling early, so a Rutabaga Field should be one of the first things built.

Players will want to place a Rutabaga Field on a patch of land with high fertility, and they should attempt to position it in a way that will allow additional fields to also be placed on fertile ground down the line. It can be a good idea to save the 100% fertility spots for Rye and Hops Fields, which are ultimately more important once unlocked.

An Altar in Norland

4Altar

Praying At An Altar Replenishes 10% Of Piety

Religion is an important mechanicinNorland, and as with Hunger, Rest, and other requirements, characters must keep up their Piety levels. This is why it’s important to build an Altar early inNorland, as characters who pray at one will replenish 10% of their Piety.

Later on, players will discover the knowledge of Temples, which are far superior in many ways, but the Altar still performs many functions, such ashostingNorlandweddingsand funerals. No workers are required for the Altar and nor does a lord need to be assigned to one to oversee it; it simply functions by itself.

Lords in the Library in Norland

3Library

Lords Can Study & Rewrite Books To Gain Knowledge

The Library is one of the most important buildings inNorlandas it is here that lords study and rewrite books in orderto gain knowledge, which essentially unlocks new technology such as the production of superior goods.

As every settlement starts with a few books, it’s best to build the Library as early as possible, as each book can take quite a few days to study. The study time depends on the Intelligence stat of the assigned lord and how much free time they have. The Library should be placed near to the Lord’s Houses since only they will use it. Players will also want to ensure that they buy a few new books every time the Holy Caravan arrives.

A tavern in Norland

2Tavern

Sells Alcohol To Peasants

While players won’t be able to producealcohol inNorlandright from the off, they should start the game with a decent supply of beer. However, without a Tavern, there will be no way for the peasants to purchase alcohol, and thus, they will become unhappy due to a lack of Rest.

After building a Tavern, players will want to set the price of Beer and Moonshine, and they may also want to toy around with the wages they pay their workers. One should consider setting Beer slightly higher than its base price so that the settlement doesn’t run out of it before Moonshine can be made.

A Dormitory in Norland

1Dormitory

Houses 10 Peasants

If players want toexpand their village, they will need to build more houses for their growing population who will then go on to work. Peasants arrive as migrants depending on the overall mood and other factors, but without living quarters, they will become homeless and unhappy for obvious reasons.

Although players will start with one Dormitory, this only houses 10 peasants, meaning that another should be built fairly early, and in the top left, players can see how many migrants are expected on the following day. Players will need to keep building Dormitories when required until they unlock Peasant’s Houses, which are more comfortable and make the occupants happier.

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