Going Medieval Settler Schedule Template
Last updated: July 2026
The schedule panel is one of Going Medieval's most powerful but underused tools. Most players set a single schedule for all settlers and never touch it again. But different roles have fundamentally different needs — a farmer should be awake at dawn to harvest, while a researcher gains nothing from daylight and can work through the night. This guide provides optimized schedule templates for every major settler role.
How the Schedule System Works
Each settler has a 24-hour schedule divided into hour-long blocks. You can assign each block to one of four modes: Work (settler prioritizes assigned jobs), Recreation (settler pursues joy activities and socializes), Sleep (settler rests in an assigned bed), or Anything (settler chooses freely between work, recreation, and eating based on current needs).
The Anything block is the secret weapon of efficient scheduling. It lets settlers self-regulate — a hungry settler will eat, a tired settler will nap, and a bored settler will recreate. Use Anything blocks as buffers between structured blocks to prevent settlers from hitting critical needs mid-shift.
A settler who is exhausted, starving, or miserable during a Work block will still attempt to work — but at severely reduced efficiency. A settler with zero rest works at roughly 40 percent speed. The goal of role-based scheduling is to prevent needs from ever reaching critical levels during work periods.
Role-Based Schedule Templates
Farmer / Grower — “Sun Cycle”
Align work with the crop growth cycle. Harvest at dawn when crops mature. Avoid heavy labor during peak heat in summer.
| Time Block | Activity | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4h - 8h | Work (Harvest & Sow) | Early morning is the best time for harvesting — crops are fully grown from overnight ticks and temperatures are mild. |
| 8h - 12h | Work (Farm Maintenance) | Tilling, fertilizing, and replanting. Bulk of farm labor happens in this block while settler energy is high. |
| 12h - 14h | Anything (Flex) | Flex time. If harvest is done, this becomes free time. If behind on planting, continue working. Adapt to season. |
| 14h - 18h | Recreation | Long recreation block during the hottest part of the day. Prevents heatstroke during summer months. |
| 18h - 22h | Work (Light Farm Tasks) | Evening is for low-priority tasks: hauling harvested crops to storage, checking crop health, minor replanting. |
| 22h - 4h | Sleep | Six-hour sleep block. Farmers work physically — they need the full rest cycle. |
Crafter / Artisan — “Indoor Efficiency”
Two focused work blocks with a midday break. Night crafting is optional and should only be used when production demands exceed daytime capacity.
| Time Block | Activity | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4h - 10h | Sleep | Crafters can sleep later than farmers. Their work is not tied to daylight or crop cycles. |
| 10h - 14h | Work (Crafting) | Prime crafting block. Workshop is warm by midday. Settler energy is at maximum after sleep. |
| 14h - 16h | Recreation | Two-hour recreation break at midday. Short enough to stay productive but long enough to maintain mood. |
| 16h - 20h | Work (Crafting) | Second crafting block. Focus on lower-priority orders or bulk production that does not require constant attention. |
| 20h - 22h | Anything (Flex) | Flex time. Crafters can haul raw materials to their workshop, eat, or socialize based on current needs. |
| 22h - 4h | Work (Night Crafting) | Advanced crafters can work through the night on complex recipes. Keep a brazier lit in the workshop for light. |
Hauler / General Labor — “Always Moving”
Short, frequent recreation breaks are essential. Hauling is the most physically demanding job — exhausted haulers move slowly and eat more food.
| Time Block | Activity | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 0h - 6h | Sleep | Midnight sleep block. Haulers do not need to align with sun cycles — they work when there are items to move. |
| 6h - 10h | Work (Priority Hauling) | Morning haul: move freshly harvested crops from fields to storage, deliver raw materials to workshops. |
| 10h - 12h | Recreation | Short recreation after the morning haul rush. Haulers burn energy fast — keep recreation frequent. |
| 12h - 16h | Work (General Hauling) | Midday haul: move crafted items from workshops to stockpiles, deliver building materials to construction sites. |
| 16h - 18h | Anything (Flex) | Flex time. If hauling queue is empty, haulers can eat, socialize, or assist with low-skill tasks. |
| 18h - 24h | Work (Cleanup Hauling) | Evening haul: clear battlefields after raids, move trade goods, redistribute items between stockpiles. |
Soldier / Guard — “Always Ready”
Soldiers should be productive settlers first, fighters second. The schedule must accommodate both roles — training in the morning, labor in the afternoon.
| Time Block | Activity | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 0h - 6h | Sleep | Night sleep. Guards should be well-rested to fight effectively. Sleep deprivation penalties apply to combat stats. |
| 6h - 8h | Work (Equipment Check) | Morning routine: repair damaged armor, sharpen weapons, craft arrows. Soldiers should maintain their own gear. |
| 8h - 12h | Work (Training) | Training block: practice at archery targets or melee dummies. Consistent training builds skill even during peaceful periods. |
| 12h - 14h | Recreation | Midday recreation. Soldiers with low mood suffer combat penalties — keep them happy. |
| 14h - 18h | Work (Light Labor) | Afternoon labor: soldiers can haul, build, or craft when not needed for combat. Keeps them productive during peace. |
| 18h - 24h | Anything (Standby) | Evening standby. Most raids arrive during daylight but having at least one guard alert at night is insurance. |
Builder / Miner — “Dawn to Dusk”
Maximize daylight hours for outdoor construction. Underground miners are not constrained by the sun — they can work any time of day.
| Time Block | Activity | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4h - 10h | Work (Mining & Building) | Dawn start. Miners should reach the mining site before the sun is fully up to maximize working hours underground. |
| 10h - 12h | Recreation | Late morning break. Mining and building are heavy labor — two hours of rest prevents exhaustion. |
| 12h - 16h | Work (Construction) | Afternoon construction block. Above-ground building benefits from daylight. Underground mining can continue regardless. |
| 16h - 18h | Anything (Flex) | Flex time. Use for hauling construction materials or scouting new building sites. |
| 18h - 22h | Recreation + Social | Long evening recreation. Builders and miners work the hardest jobs — generous recreation prevents mental breaks. |
| 22h - 4h | Sleep | Six-hour sleep. Physical laborers need full rest cycles to maintain work speed the next day. |
Researcher / Scholar — “Night Owl”
Stagger the researcher's schedule to be offset from the rest of the colony. This ensures someone is always at the research station pushing progress.
| Time Block | Activity | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 6h - 12h | Sleep | Late sleep schedule. Researchers can work at night since research stations rely on candlelight or braziers, not the sun. |
| 12h - 16h | Work (Research) | Afternoon research block. The research station is usually warm by this time. Settler is fresh from sleep. |
| 16h - 18h | Recreation | Short recreation. Researchers do light work — they need less recovery time than physical laborers. |
| 18h - 24h | Work (Research) | Evening and night research. A researcher working through the night generates research progress while other settlers sleep. |
| 0h - 2h | Anything (Flex) | Late-night flex time. Can eat, socialize with night-owl settlers, or continue research if close to a breakthrough. |
| 2h - 6h | Recreation | Pre-sleep recreation. Winding down before a late-morning sleep ensures the researcher starts the next cycle with full mood. |
Seasonal Schedule Adjustments
The above templates assume temperate conditions. Seasons require adjustments:
- Summer: Add extra Recreation blocks during the hottest hours (12h–16h). Settlers working outdoors in summer heat gain the Heatstroke debuff quickly. Move outdoor work to early morning (4h–8h) and evening (18h–22h).
- Winter: Shorten outdoor work blocks and extend indoor work. Farmers should switch to indoor crafting or hauling — there is nothing to harvest. All settlers need 7–8 hours of sleep in winter versus 6 in summer due to cold stress.
- Spring / Autumn: The template schedules above are designed for these seasons. Spring is planting season — farmers need extended Work blocks. Autumn is harvest season — add extra Work blocks for farmers and haulers during the 4h–8h window.
FAQ
Should I stagger sleep schedules across the colony?
Yes, but not for every settler. The main benefit of staggered sleep is that someone is always awake to respond to emergencies — raids, fires, mental breaks. A practical approach: split your colony into two sleep groups. Group A (guards, night researchers) sleeps 0h–6h. Group B (farmers, builders, crafters) sleeps 22h–4h. This creates a two-hour overlap where everyone is awake for meals and socializing, while ensuring coverage 24 hours a day.
How do I handle settlers with the Night Owl or Early Bird traits?
Night Owl settlers gain a mood buff when awake at night and a penalty during the day. Assign them to the Researcher schedule immediately — it naturally aligns with their trait. Early Bird settlers gain a mood buff in the morning. Assign them to Farmer or Builder schedules, which start work at dawn. Do not fight trait-based preferences — lean into them for free mood buffs.
How many Recreation hours does a settler actually need per day?
The minimum is 2 hours of dedicated Recreation for a settler with normal mood and standard needs. Settlers with negative mood traits (Pessimist, Neurotic) need 3–4 hours. Settlers with positive mood traits (Optimist, Iron-Willed) can function on 1 hour. However, Recreation is also when settlers socialize and build relationships — and strong relationships provide powerful mood buffs. A generous 3–4 hour Recreation block pays dividends in colony-wide mood stability and relationship formation, even if it appears to reduce productive hours.
Implementation Tips
- Start simple. Create three schedules on day one — Farmer, Crafter, and General — and assign settlers roughly based on their skills. Refine into the six role templates above once your colony has 8-plus settlers and roles are clearly defined.
- Name your schedules clearly. The game lets you rename schedules. Use descriptive names like “Farmer — Harvest Season” and “Crafter — Night Shift” so you can switch schedules with one click per settler when seasons change.
- Watch for the “Exhausted” status. If a settler frequently shows Exhausted during work blocks, they need more Sleep or more Anything time to self-regulate. Do not ignore exhaustion — it cascades into slower work, worse mood, and eventually mental breaks.
- Raids override schedules. When a raid appears, draft all combat-capable settlers immediately. The schedule system respects the drafted state — drafted settlers will fight regardless of what their schedule says. After the raid, return them to their normal schedule.
Last updated: July 1, 2026. Schedule mechanics verified against Going Medieval experimental branch. Schedule system has been stable across recent updates; no major changes expected.