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Progression in Manor Lords is tied to how many serfs you can fit into your town or village. Doing this well enough to not make them rebel (basically fulfilling their needs) will reward you with Development Points. These, in turn, can help you unlock technology that might save your small kingdom. You can even make your playstyle and planning revolve around the Development tree in Manor Lords. Here’s how to get more Manor Lords Development Points, along with some tips on where to spend them.
How to Get More Development Points
Each region in Manor Lords has its dedicated Development tree, by the way; progression isn’t shared by provinces. You’ll have to start over with the Development Points in each new region.
Each Development Point you can earn is gated by certain milestones for your town or village. These milestones and their requirements are:
| Settlement Level | Requirements |
| Small Village | 5x Level 1 Burgage Plots |
| Medium Village | 5x Level 1 Burgage Plots 2x Level 2 Burgage Plots |
| Large Village | 10x Level 1 Burgage Plots 5x Level 2 Burgage Plots |
| Small Town | 10x Level 1 Burgage Plots 7x Level 2 Burgage Plots 3x Level 3 Burgage Plots |
| Medium Town | 10x Level 1 Burgage Plots 10x Level 2 Burgage Plots 10x Level 3 Burgage Plots |
| Large Town | 30x Level 1 Burgage Plots 20x Level 2 Burgage Plots 15x Level 3 Burgage Plots |
You must fulfill all those requirements to get to the next stage for your settlement and thus be rewarded with Development Points.
Burgage Plot Upgrade Requirements
It’s easier said than done, of course. Remember that each Burgage Plot consumes one unit of Food and one unit of Fuel, so you also have to scale up your Food production before you can upgrade or make new Burgage Plots.
Thankfully, you can perform Food scaling easily by ensuring each Burgage Plot has a Backyard Extension space for either Vegetables or Chicken Coops. Fuel is another challenge entirely.
On top of the Food and Fuel requirements, you also need to take into account the materials needed for upgrading Burgage Plot levels:
| Burgage Plot Upgrade Level | Resource Requirements |
| Level 2 | 4x Timber |
| Level 3 | 25x Regional Wealth 4x Timber 8x Planks 4x Rooftiles |
So you can’t just upgrade carelessly. Timber and Planks are easy enough to earn while Rooftiles might give you trouble especially if you don’t have access to a Rich Clay Deposit.
Since you’re spending a lot to get those Development Points, you’ll want to be picky. Some of them don’t work if you’re region is lacking something. Meanwhile, others are bugged.
Where to Spend Your Development Points First
I recommend the following nodes in the Development tree. These offer the most returns when you spend your Manor Lords Development Points. I’ll also explain why they can help your town or village and why they’re better than others.
Charcoal Burning
In the later stages of your settlement, around during the Town stage, Fuel is going to be a problem. Such is the case if you have a bustling industry. Firewood won’t just cut it anymore.
So, you’ll want to transition to Charcoal Burning as soon as you can. This way, you can survive Winters more confidently. And if you manage to create a Charcoal surplus, you can sell it for Regional Wealth.
Trade Logistics & Better Deals
You’ll eventually have to use the Trading Post to get materials or goods without relying on long production chains. So you might as well save Regional Wealth while doing it.
Sheepbreeding
If you want to make respectable Regional Wealth with a low investment (merely purchasing a couple of Sheep), then this Development tree node is a must. If anything, it at least lets you save Wealth since you only have to spend 60 Regional Wealth to get a whole flock.
Heavy Plow & Bread (but only if you have green Emmer Fertility)
If you want to make Bread work as a Food supply, the Communal Oven won’t do. Too slow. You’ll want the Bakery (built on Level 2 Burgage Plots). The Heavy Plow is great for ensuring that no crop goes to waste.
Deep Mining (but only if you have Rich Deposits)
To know whether the Iron or Clay Deposit in your region is rich, look at its icon; if there’s a crown on the icon, it’s a Rich Deposit. If not, you’re out of luck– don’t get this Development tree node.
If you’re lucky with your starting position, you can leverage this node to amass Regional Wealth. Your Iron and weapon stocks will practically be unlimited. So is your Clay and Rooftiling supply.
Manor Lords is available in early access for the PC and will eventually be released for
