Work Priority & Schedule Guide
⚠ DISCLAIMER: Going Medieval has a numbered work priority system (1-5), but the hour-by-hour "schedule" system with sleep/rec/work blocks described below may not exist in Going Medieval exactly as described. "Firefighting" as a separate work type and the drafting mechanic descriptions may reflect other colony sims. Verify priority and scheduling mechanics against in-game UI.
The work priority system powers your Going Medieval colony. A well-configured priority setup means settlers automatically handle tasks in the right order without constant micromanagement. A poorly configured one means crops rot in the field while your farmer hauls rocks. This guide explains the priority and scheduling systems in depth. Data below is based on community experience and is for reference only.
Priority System Explained
Going Medieval uses a numerical priority system from 1 (highest) to 5 (lowest) for each work type per settler. The game also distinguishes between priority levels across all colonists—if two settlers can do the same task and one has it set to priority 1 while the other has it at priority 2, the priority 1 settler will take the task first if available. Understanding priority interaction between settlers is as important as individual priority settings.
| Priority Level | Meaning | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
| 1 - Critical | This task always comes first | Medical, firefighting, primary job for specialists |
| 2 - High | Highly prioritized | Primary job for generalists, secondary job for specialists |
| 3 - Normal | Default priority | Tertiary tasks that should get done when time permits |
| 4 - Low | Only if nothing else to do | Hauling, cleaning, low-urgency tasks |
| 5 - Disabled | Never perform this task | Tasks you never want this settler touching |
The golden rule: every settler should have exactly ONE priority 1 task. This is their primary job. Spread priority 1 tasks across different settlers—never assign the same priority 1 task to multiple settlers unless the workload demands it (e.g., two farmers for a large farm). Overlapping priority 1s among settlers create confusion and inefficiency rather than speed.
Specialist vs Generalist Priority Setup
There are two fundamental approaches to priority configuration: the specialist model and the generalist model. Most successful colonies use a hybrid—a core of specialists supported by generalists who fill gaps.
Specialist Model
Each settler has one priority 1 task and all other work set to 3-5. The farmer only farms. The crafter only crafts. The miner only mines. Advantage: Maximum efficiency in each role as settlers gain skill quickly through focused work. Disadvantage: Fragile—if one specialist is injured or dead, their critical function stops completely.
Generalist Model
Every settler has multiple priority 2 tasks across different work types. Everyone can farm, build, and haul. Advantage: Resilient—if anyone is unavailable, others pick up the slack automatically. Disadvantage: Slower skill progression, lower peak efficiency in any single task.
Hybrid Model (Recommended)
2-3 specialists per critical function (farming, crafting, mining) with priority 1 on their specialty. Remaining settlers are generalists with priority 2 across multiple functions. This provides both efficiency and resilience. Example: 2 farmer specialists (P1 farming), 1 crafter specialist (P1 crafting), 1 miner specialist (P1 mining), 2 generalists (P2 across farming/crafting/mining).
Shift Scheduling
The schedule panel lets you divide the day into work, recreation, and sleep blocks for each settler. Default schedules are serviceable, but custom scheduling unlocks significant efficiency gains. The key insight: not every settler needs identical schedules, and synchronized rest times create downtime in critical functions.
Optimal scheduling strategies: Stagger sleep shifts so at least one settler from each critical function (farming, crafting, defense) is always awake. Example: Half your farmers sleep 22:00-06:00, half sleep 02:00-10:00. This ensures crops get attention around the clock. Schedule recreation blocks adjacent to meal times—settlers naturally socialize while eating, and combining recreation with meals compresses downtime. Assign 2 hours of recreation daily minimum; less causes mood penalties, more is wasted time.
⚠ Schedule Warning:Avoid setting excessively long work blocks. Settlers need to eat, rest, and recreate. Working past fatigue thresholds may cause severe efficiency penalties — a tired settler at hour 10 of work may operate at significantly reduced speed. Shorter work blocks with breaks between them can produce more total output than marathon shifts. Exact fatigue mechanics are unverified against official game data.
Seasonal Adjustments
Work priorities must shift with the seasons. What works in spring may fail catastrophically in winter. Adjusting settler priorities on a seasonal basis is one of the most impactful micro-management practices in the game.
Spring (Planting Season)
Raise Farming to priority 1 for at least 3 settlers. Reduce mining and crafting priorities temporarily. The planting window is short—miss it and you lose an entire season of food production. Construction can wait; planting cannot.
Summer (Growth Season)
Keep 2 settlers on Farming priority 1 for ongoing crop tending. Shift excess labor to construction projects and mining. This is the season for infrastructure expansion—long daylight hours, mild weather.
Autumn (Harvest Season)
Farming back to priority 1 for ALL settlers capable of harvesting. The harvest must be completed before frost kills the crops. Even your crafter and miner should help with the harvest rush. Stockpile all food before the first snow.
Emergency Override Tips
When emergencies strike—a raid, a fire, a food shortage—the priority system needs immediate manual override. Relying on standard priorities during emergencies leads to disaster. These override techniques can save your colony when seconds matter.
Combat emergency: Pause, draft all settlers, and manually position them. Ignore work priorities entirely—drafted settlers follow direct orders. Fire emergency: Set Firefighting to priority 1 for all settlers, then undraft them. They'll automatically fight fires according to the new priority. Food emergency: If food reserves drop below 10 units, set Hunting and Farming to priority 1 for every settler with relevant skills, overriding all other work until food is stabilized. Medical emergency: After battles, set Medical to priority 1 for your best medic and priority 2 for all settlers—untreated wounds worsen over time and can kill settlers hours after the battle ends.
FAQ
Why are my settlers ignoring priority 1 tasks?
Common reasons: 1) The task requires a material that isn't available (e.g., crafting without raw materials), 2) The settler's schedule currently says "Recreation" or "Sleep"—even if it's priority 1, schedule blocks override work priorities, 3) The task is inaccessible (blocked path, locked door, forbidden zone). Check all three before assuming it's a bug.
How do I handle settlers with no useful skills?
Even settlers with poor skills can serve as dedicated haulers and cleaners. Set Hauling and Cleaning to priority 1 for low-skill settlers. This frees up your skilled workers from these time-consuming but low-skill tasks, allowing them to focus on their specialties. A dedicated hauler can significantly increase overall colony efficiency just by offloading hauling from skilled workers.
Should I use the manual work tab or just priorities?
Priorities handle 90% of work management. Use the manual work tab (direct orders) only for: 1) Emergency situations (fire, combat, critical construction), 2) One-time projects that need immediate attention, 3) Correcting priority system oversights. Overusing manual orders defeats the purpose of the priority system and leads to micromanagement fatigue.