Rise of the Settlement – Dev Diary Community Update #18

Greetings, Settlers 🏛️

This winter break turned into an intense development sprint. Even though it’s been a while since the last update, a lot has changed in Rise of the Settlement.

I’m happy to announce version 0.0.8, bringing major new systems, advanced production chains, UI improvements, balancing cycles, and important groundwork for the future.

Below you’ll find a full overview of what’s new, improved, and current limitations.

✨ Major New Features

🔹 Auto-Assigned Stat Points

A new Development Path system allows professions to grow automatically based on your choices.

• Two supported stat assignment directions:

  • Max out stats

  • Follow perk requirements

• Players can define how each profession develops its stats

• Once a development path is set, all settlers of that profession follow it

• On every level-up, the system checks the path and assigns stat points automatically

This significantly reduces micromanagement while keeping progression intentional.

🏗️ Advanced Production & New Technologies

Advanced production has been introduced, expanding the settlement’s industrial depth.

Craft Specialization Unlocks:

• Oil Press

• Saw Pit

• Thread Workshop

• Pottery Workshop

Metalworking Unlocks:

• Bloomery

• Forge & Anvil

• Component Workshop

• Blacksmith Workshop

Leatherworking Unlocks:

• Tannery

• Leather Workshop

• Leather Atelier

Tailoring Unlocks:

• Fabric Workshop

• Tailor Workshop

Carpentry Unlocks:

• Carpentry Workshop

• Woodcraft Workshop

Each building comes with new production recipes, and new resources were introduced to support these chains.

This is an important step toward clothing and equipment systems, which are planned but not yet implemented.

🔁 Additions to Existing Technologies & Production

• New production buildings:

  • Hemp Farm added to Farming

  • Olive Farm added to Horticulture

• Added new production recipes:

  • Hemp processing now mirrors flax production chains

• Leather production has been reworked and adjusted

📜 Building Details UI Enhancements

Based on player feedback, building details were reverted to a parchment-style UI with side tabbing.

Changes include:

• Production statistics moved into the Production tab

• Recipe input/output details now appear on mouse-over, saving space

• Building upgrades are now displayed as a single card

• Boosts are shown in a horizontal list instead of vertical

👥 Population & Economy Foundations

This update introduces several behind-the-scenes systems that lay the foundation for deeper simulation:

• People Wages Each person now earns coins based on their work

• Settlement Wealth (foundation) A global settlement wealth concept is now possible

• Society Classes (early stage) Added internally, but not yet fully exposed to the player

  

• Production Guilds People working in the same profession are grouped into guild-like communities

  

These systems will become more visible and interactive in future updates.

⚠️ Current Limitations

Please note the following limitations in version 0.0.8:

• Old save games are no longer compatible. This update introduces and restructures several core systems. Because of these foundational changes, backward compatibility with older saves cannot be guaranteed. These adjustments were necessary to support new mechanics and future expansions.

• Tools are currently not consumed, even though they appear in the needs list. This is a temporary state while the surrounding economy and consumption systems are being reworked and balanced.

• Seasonal effects (winter / summer) do not yet affect consumption. Seasonal modifiers are intentionally disabled for now to allow proper balancing alongside the newly introduced systems.

As development continues and new features are layered on top of these foundations, similar structural changes may be required in the future. While this can be inconvenient, they are made to ensure the game delivers a stable, coherent experience and plays as intended.

🔧 Improvements

• Updated all building icons

• Improved UI scaling across a wide range of screen resolutions

• Building upgrade progress is now shown directly on building list cards

• Exclamation marks highlight buildings with unassigned workplaces

• Improved recipe input/output display on mouse-over

• Added new production quests (more coming later)

• Added several new professions — all buildings are now linked to a profession

• Balanced multiple production chains for healthier settlement progression

• Adjusted feast quest requirements

• Improved chronicle text for several events

• Moved Pit Kiln from Digging & Fire to Fire technology only

• Fixed multiple tooltip texts

• Improved display of consumed resources in building lists

• Improved daily settlement consumption logic

• Performance improvements related to static asset loading

• Improved auto-assignment logic to select random eligible workers

• Missing input materials are now shown on active production cards

• Adjusted people’s needs to match the new system

• Added hemp seeds to the Fiber Farm objective

🐞 Bug Fixes

• Fixed health not correctly reflecting HLT stats

• Fixed technology names displaying internal IDs instead of proper names

• Fixed boost remaining time display (UI)

• Fixed incorrect formatting of production progress

• Fixed production progress getting stuck when hourly contribution exceeded requirements

• Fixed incorrect sharing of work units when inputs were missing

• Fixed shaking numbers on the overview page

• Fixed overlapping workforce texts on the overview page

🪶 Final Notes

Rise of the Settlement is still early in its journey, and while there’s plenty of room to grow in terms of visibility, playability, and community reach, my belief in this project remains strong.

I see this quieter period as an opportunity. It allows me to focus deeply on strengthening the core systems, expanding meaningful content, and refining what the game truly delivers, without rushing or compromising the original vision.

I started this game with a clear goal: to build a deep, systemic settlement experience where progression, people, and production genuinely matter. Every update, including 0.0.8, is a step toward that foundation.

I’m fully committed to continuing development and investing my time and energy into shaping the game the way I envision it.

The road is long — but the foundation is now stronger and more confident than ever.

🎮 Join our community: 👉 Discord Server

Let’s continue this journey together.

— Luki