Mandate Order · published
After the last update, we continued to receive a lot of player feedback. Some players requested less talk about the "difficulty of development" and more concrete content; others continued to raise issues regarding logistics, warehouses, resource flow, farms, wells, recruitment, performance, and beginner tutorials. The Pioneer Group was also very active this week. There were nearly 2000 discussions in the group, with "resources" being the most frequently mentioned word. F9 reporting, optimization, buildings, warehouses, post stations, enemies, walls, chariots, save files, logistics, crashes, and other issues were also frequently discussed. We are reading all this feedback. However, this update doesn't want to reiterate all the issues. This week, we want to focus on two things: the beginner system and farm systems. They seem like different modules, but they are actually addressing the same thing: making *Fengsha* more intuitive, easier to use, and smoother to play. It's not about simplifying the system or hiding complex content, but about making it clearer for everyone: What should I do now? What's wrong with this city? Why are we short of food, water, and manpower? Where should I go next to address the problem?
I. Tutorial: From "Play and Learn" to Independent Levels In this demo and beta server, there has been a lot of feedback regarding the tutorial. Some players don't know what to do first;
Some players know to build structures but don't understand why resources are scarce;
Some players can follow the prompts and click through the controls, but don't truly understand the relationship between laborers, storage, logistics, farmland, and combat. This indicates that our original tutorial had two problems: ●First, it taught a lot about "where to click," but didn't explain "why." Knowing where the buttons are doesn't mean players understand why the city functions the way it does. ●Second, linear tutorials and random events easily clash. In *Mandate Order*, the spawn point, resources, terrain, enemies, and events all change. Players follow the tutorial while being interrupted by random events, making the experience chaotic. Therefore, subsequent tutorials will be separate. A new "Tutorials" entry will be added to the main menu, placed at the same level as major entry points like Sandbox Mode. Players can access the tutorial page at any time and see their progress on each tutorial level. Upon first entering the game, if you haven't completed the basic tutorial, the system will provide a recommendation: you can either go to the tutorial first or directly enter the game. If you choose to skip, we won't keep popping up to bother you. The tutorial entry will be retained, so you can return at any time if you want to catch up later. The new tutorials will use an independent level system. Each level focuses on one type of content: basic operations, resource production, laborer work, warehousing and logistics, farm cultivation, combat management, etc. Completing the current level unlocks the next one. Each tutorial level will also have its own independent save file, separate from other save files. You can continue the mission or start over. The goal of the tutorials is not to simply take you through the entire process. But rather, to help you understand the city more quickly after entering the game.
(Image shown at this stage, not the final game result) II. Farmland Update: Making "Why the Harvest or Reduced Yield?" Clearer Farmland is one of the most fundamental systems in *Mandate Order*. Spring planting, summer cultivation, autumn harvest, and winter storage are not just about visual atmosphere; they are the foundation for a city's survival. However, in the old version, the farmland system lacked intuitiveness in several aspects. For example, players might encounter:
Spring has arrived, and people have been assigned, but why isn't the planting finished? Summer maintenance has been ongoing, so why is the autumn harvest low? How exactly is fertility deducted? Is it due to water shortage, manpower shortage, or decreased fertility causing the reduced yield? Why is it that even though many fields have been planted, there's still not enough food? These questions shouldn't be left to players to guess. Therefore, this update to the farmland system will focus on three things: reducing status effects, simplifying fertility settings, and displaying expected yields in advance. ●First, we will merge the spring "cultivation" and "sowing" processes. Previously, a single farmland might simultaneously have three statuses: some land had been cultivated, some had been sown, and some hadn't been cultivated. This works in principle, but in actual gameplay, it makes farmland status very complex. Especially if players haven't maximized their farming progress or slightly missed spring, it becomes difficult to determine whether a field has actually been planted. Subsequent spring farming will be unified into "cultivation tasks." Once the laborers complete the cultivation tasks for their assigned fields, those fields will directly enter the planting phase. This reduces the number of statuses within the farmland, making it easier for players to understand their current progress. ●Secondly, the fertility system will be simplified. Previously, fertility involved many fragmented rules, making it difficult for players to directly determine why a field's yield decreased. Subsequent farmland will use a "fertility value." This value will be determined by the land region you choose when building your farm. In other words, where you initially build your field is itself a management decision. The better the land, the higher the initial fertility; planting will decrease fertility; fallowing will restore fertility. This narrows the source of fertility to fallowing, reducing the understanding cost. ●Finally, we will add an "expected output quantity." This isn't already stored grain, but rather an estimated harvest based on current planting conditions, fertility, and summer maintenance. Summer watering, pest control, and fertilization all affect the final autumn yield. The farmland panel will try to display these effects in advance, allowing players to see whether insufficient water, manpower shortages, or inadequate maintenance are causing a potential decrease in this season's harvest.
(Image shown at this stage, not the final game result)
III. They address the same problem: making the system more understandable. The tutorial and farmland seem to be different directions. But they both address the same problem: making the system clearer and more intuitive. *Mandate Order* will continue to provide in-depth war-building simulation. We won't flatten all aspects like logistics, livelihood, farmland, conscription, and city defense into a single button. However, depth shouldn't mean being difficult to understand. Our future adjustments will focus on providing clearer feedback for each system. IV. That's all for this time. In this issue, we focused on synchronizing the tutorial and farmland. These features may not be as immediately noticeable as new unit types or buildings, but they will determine whether *Mandate Order* can become easier to learn, manage, and suitable for long-term play. Thank you to every city builder who has provided thoughtful feedback in the demo, comments section, and community. Many of your questions are being transformed into concrete design adjustments and system reworks. We will continue to build this city more steadily and clearly. —The Mandate Order Development Team
May 2026
AboutMandate Order: *Fengsha* is an Eastern war-building simulation game. In this turbulent era where "nations have no fixed borders and daily survival is uncertain," you will play the role of a "city defender" guarding the frontier—building fortifications brick by brick, managing craftsmen, integrating diverse strategies, and managing a small nation's warm and humane survival amidst the power struggles of great naions. ● Add to your wishlist to receive updates and testing notifications first: 发送