Want to help test version 1.0.2?

A beta of the new patch (version 1.0.2) is now available on Steam. To get it you can opt into the beta by right clicking on the game in the Steam Library, select properties, and then pick the BETAs tab. You can switch to the Beta version 1.0.2.

While I’ve tested loading a bunch of save games from before the patch, I’d recommend backing up your save games before overwriting them. The new save games won’t work with the previous version of the game. Saves are located in Documents\Banished\Save\

If the community can give some feedback on the patch and make sure everything is working properly, that’d be great. If no major issues come up during testing of the patch, it will be come official in the next week or so and installers will be sent to all distributors.

In response to previous comments on whats changing in the patch, I’ve made a few more fixes and changes to game balancing:

* Citizens are now more effective at fighting fires and putting them out.

* When fires break out, citizens fighting the fire now run at high speed.

* Citizens working in an area where a fire breaks out will now be interrupted to help fight the fire.

* Fixed a bug that caused non-laborers to not fight fires.

* Citizens fighting fires will only be interrupted by sickness, freezing, or starving.

* Citizens will now only search for water in an area around the fire. Far inland areas need wells for fires to be fought.

* Increased the number of citizens that can fight a single fire to 50.

* Increased the area of effect for citizens fighting a fire.

* If enough water is brought to a building on fire, the chance of the fire spreading is lowered.

* Fixed a bug that caused buildings on fire not to be high priority.

* Fixed a major slowdown in large towns when fires break out.

* If citizens are already walking to get food at a distance location and become starved, they’ll now interrupt the walk and get food at the closest market or storage barn.

* If citizens are working far from home and become hungry, they’ll eat food from their home as if they brought food with them. This will not interrupt the current task. If no food is available at home they will interrupt the walk and get food at the closest market or storage barn.

* Because citizens can eat from home when far away, they can better deal with freezing, and visit a warm place when needed.

* Fixed a bug that caused citizens not to warm up when eating at home in some cases.

* Citizens now won’t be assigned far away tasks without a specific profession (pickups, gathering, clearing, etc) unless the tasks have been around for a long time, or haven’t been assigned to someone local. This keeps citizens far away from walking across the map in most cases.

* Citizens now limit the distance they’ll walk in the winter when it is very cold.

* Tombstones now decay in 4-6 years instead of 13-17.

* Existing tombstones have had their decay time reduced by half.

* The trading post volume was been increased to 60000. This allows larger auto purchases to occur without overflowing storage. Existing trading posts need to be removed and replaced for this change to take effect.

Here’s the rest of the changes already posted: