While it may not be achieving the dizzying player counts it was when it first hit Steam, Manor Lords continues to tick over very nicely indeed. The medieval strategy game does have a big update on the horizon though that could see a few more players return. However, after teasing what was to come in the update earlier this week, Manor Lords’ lead dev has had to do something I’m sure he didn’t expect: deny that some of its new content is made by AI.
Sure, Manor Lords lets you design your own coat of arms for a flash of individuality, but you’re limited to just a small selection of pre-made portraits when picking the face of your character. To give players a bit more choice, the upcoming update will add some new portraits into the strategy game, alongside other features like fishing lakes and crossbows.
These portraits are really well drawn – if anything, they’re probably a bit too good, given that they spend most of their time in a tiny circle frame in the corner of your screen. However, the conversations around AI-generated art and assets in videogames recently are, understandably, leading to a bit of skepticism around what might be genuine and what might not.
As was spotted by GamesRadar, one Manor Lords fan on Reddit says that the new portraits “look kinda AI generated.” However, the game’s developer Greg Styczen has waded into the thread to straighten things out. “There is no way to AI-generate this quality yet. No need to insult Beata by assuming it was,” he says in a reply.
Alongside the additions mentioned already, this major update will also shift Manor Lords over to Unreal Engine 5. This should “bring a host of improvements and allow development to proceed even better going forward,” according to the preview post.
While there are plenty of other medieval games out there, few are achieving the levels of popularity Manor Lords has. If the idea of crafting your own settlement appeals to you, then be sure to also check out the best city building games around.
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