Prioritise these Development Points for the best possible start in Manor Lords
What are the best Development Points to unlock in Manor Lords?If you’ve progressed to the point inManor Lordswhere you’ve reached a new Settlement Level, you’ll likely already have seen the game’s Development Points tech tree, accessible by clicking on the name of your town at the top of the screen. Here you can spend Development Points to unlock key passive benefits for your entire settlement.
If you’re unsure where to start within this tech tree, never fear. There are plenty of good options here, but the verybest Development Point upgradesare the ones we’ll reveal to you below. So if you want the perfect start inManor Lords, keep reading.
What are Development Points in Manor Lords?
Development Points are essentially your tech tree in Manor Lords. You can access your available Development tech tree at any time by clicking on the name of your settlement at the top of the screen. Your Development Point upgrades are divided into four sectors:
Each new Development upgrade costs 1 Development Point. You earn a new Development Point each time you reach a new Settlement Level in one of your settlements. A single settlement making its way from a Small Village to a Large Town will net you a total of 5 Development Points. So if you want to unlock new Development upgrades, you need to focus on building and upgrading your Burgage Plots.
As of the current early access version, there are 21 Development Point upgrades in Manor Lords. All of them are useful in different ways, but there are a few absolute essential upgrades to prioritise. Here are the Development Point upgrades we think are the best at the moment in Manor Lords:
Trade Logisticsis always my first Development upgrade in any game, because establishing profitable trade routes is the most important thing that the tech tree can help with in the early-game. Setting up trade routes at a Trading Post can be astonishingly expensive (for example, 576 for Plate Armor), but this upgrade will cap all those costs to a maximum of 25Regional Wealth. Plus, it’s a required tech for potentially an even more important Development Point upgrade: Better Deals.
Better Dealshas got to be the best Development Upgrade in Manor Lords right now. Suddenly, it only costs 2 Regional Wealth to import Eggs, whereas before it cost 12. This is perhaps most important if you need to quickly import equipment for yourarmies. It’s very hard to furnish an army of 20 men with Polearms when each Polearm costs 18 Regional Wealth. At 8 Regional Wealth, it’s a whole lot easier.
TheDeep MiningDevelopment Point upgrade is vital for mid-to-late-game settlements in Manor Lords, because it essentially turns finite resources into infinite resources. Upgrade a Mining Pit into a Deep Mine over your Rich Iron Deposit, and that mine can keep churning out Iron Oreforever. It’s one of the Development upgrades with the longest-lasting effects on your entire settlement.
Trappingis a great early-game Development Point upgrade, and usually the first thing I research after unlocking Better Deals. Just like Deep Mining, it basically turns a finite resource (Meat from Wild Animal deposits) into an infinite resource (Meat from traps anywhere in the forest). It’s a great benefit especially for food in the early-game, because often food is the bottleneck that will prevent you from growing yourPopulationto massive levels.
Heavy Plowis definitely the best upgrade in the Farming sector at the moment. Farming is very important, but it’s a slow process (which is why I’d recommend investing your first couple of Development Points into Trade instead). The Plowing Station upgrade for your Farmhouse is a game-changer, allowing you to leverage your powerful Oxen to dramatically speed up the entire farming process. Essential for large farms.
That wraps up this guide on the best ways to use Development Points in Manor Lords. If you’re looking for more tips to make your settlement as strong as can be, check out ourManor Lords beginner’s guide. We’ve also got guides on how to increaseInfluence,Regional Wealth, andTreasury. Or if you’re after particular resources, we’ve got you covered with our guides onLeather,Sheep,Ale,Clothes, andHerbs.
