Not much to say about my game; it´s quite easy to play on “mild” with farming; no need for a lot of micromanagement opposite to “harsh” or seafarer. That´s perfect! Something for everyone!
I just loaded the summary of my first impressions. I will make some further comments.
Of course; I like it, like all other versions of the North. This version has further developed the start in “old days”. The Viking design buildings are beautiful.
It would be nicer if the starting buildings at “villager” were”frame houses” instead of the log cabins. You can´t build any more log cabins early (unless you are very lucky with the merchants) and if you want the “Viking look” of the village, you need to replace them; not nice. Now, it is good that you have the workshops from the start but since you can´t grind flour in them anymore, they aren´t quite so useful as they were. I used them at the beginning to make wadmal and clothes but since you need a tannery (and iron fittings) anyway to make use of the wool, it´s no big deal to also build a tailor.
The Iceland scenario; seafarer is clever and can develop further to a real challenge.
The amount of birches (or rather the absence of birches) is now perfect. You can manage to get enough fuel and wood to build but you need to be very careful and it´s a struggle. It makes a lot of fun and is different from most other games. Also the absence of deer works, it makes the start harder but not impossible.
The trade has developed with a special export port that will make it easier to make a big trade economy and is fun to use even if you don´t trade so much.
These ports work, also when you need to trade a lot for food. In a “heavy trade game” it´s nice that you can make business with all merchants.
I like the development of more complex clothes production and complex building materials for advanced buildings. The balancing is good. There are also a lot of smaller details that have improved the mod. Also buildings that have been there for quite some time as separate mods are now included Still agree.
There are other changes I´m not sure if I like or not. Partly because I´ve played it to little and partly because I see good as well as bad effects. Now after I´ve played a bit more I can say a little more.
The different kind of stones
Why not? I basically like it, even if it could be developed further. First, I must say; in no game, there´s been a lack of small stones. But on the other hand, opposite to a vanilla game, there´s seldom lack of stone in a Nordic game. I also think that it´s a good decision not to give the boulders an own “button”, as I suggested right at the beginning. You only need boulders for the Thingstead at the beginning and maybe if you want to build a crossing over a stream but otherwise it will not be used. The third kind of stone; ashler are also rarely used. I´ve only used it for the temple. That´s a pity. Why not make use of these worked stones in more buildings? It would be logical that stones you pick (or take from a quarry) must be cut before they can be used in fancier buildings. Why not replace stones with ashler in all “modern” buildings?
stone tools for early use Already gone; good.
Christianity only with a bought bible It´s OK now after the Thingstead bring more nomads.
smaller reindeer herds OK, doesn´t hurt.
longer-lasting tools OK, doesn´t make that the game feels easier and I also find that your arguments for this make sense.
heavy turnips and cabbage As far as I have seen it´s all vegetables except beans, not only turnips and cabbage as I thought. I don´t like this and I don´t like your argumentation about calories. Why calories? Why not vitamines? Or some other essential content in food?
I believe you when you say that weight has no importance of how people pick food into their houses. Still, I am sure that it makes trouble by distribution, probably by the vendors. I also see no sense in giving all the food in one category this disadvantage. What does it add to the gameplay? It makes farming of vegetables harder. But why should it be harder to farm vegetables than grain? It´s cheaper to bye than grain but you can process most grain, what you can´t with vegetables (with one small exception). Which evens the value.
Different weight of some goods could add something to the gameplay but only if it´s used in all/most categories to motivate a change to more advanced products. Say; turnips; high output also for uneducated on harsh, weight 3, cabbage; lower output especially for uneducated on harsh, weight 2, sauerkraut weight 1. Or meat and fish. weight 3, smoked and roasted meat and fish, weight 2, salted, weight 1. Something like that.
There are two things I don´t like:
Problems to get enough logs and fuels have limited the development of this settlement. I don´t mind if this would have been in “seafarer” only. But it´s been that way all the game, also after the forests have grown dense. I don´t find that “normal” for a Nordic scenario. If we have one thing here; it´s a lot of forests. If I understand your change log, you have planned some changes here; good.
The changes work. I don´t find it too easy to get enough logs/fuel.
The difficulty to get early nomads. In North 6 I usually built a small chapel as soon as everyone had a house and the basic tool production was working. Here I need to wait for a bible. It´s good that the Thingstead bring nomads, it can be constructed almost as fast as an old chapel. But it looks like the nomads are rare. I need many early nomads to enjoy a real-time game. Otherwise, it becomes too much the same micromanagement year after year until enough children become adult and you can really start to develop your settlement. You can build new sites but haven´t enough people to staff them. I find the year 5-30 boring in such a game. It doesn´t make the game easier if you can grow by immigration during this time, on the contrary; all these people need food, houseíng, tools…
It´s been better but I see no reason that the Thingstead can´t attract nomads on “seafarer”. Alright, there will be no domestic nomads if we are on Iceland but other immigrants from oversea will arrive. They would come there, also without a chapel.
Other notes;
I´m glad that you´ve dropped the “Berry Tweak” and wouldn´t mind if you would drop the “bean tweak” as well.
Something needs to be done about the big markets. They don´t work, at least not in my games.
Good to increase the efficiency of herbalists; especially now with that sweet little healer´s hut.
Finally; WELL DONE! I think it´s “ripe” enough to be released.
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