I've upgraded a lot to do with towns over the past couple day, but still need to correct a few systems, namely resource scanning, before I can up a patch and so wanted to post a bit about it until then.
Building Stages
Buildings now have different stages that they can be upgraded into, for example
Stockpile I can upgrade into ->
Stockpile II ->
Stockpile III ->
Stockpile IV ->
Storehouse I, and so on. These stages will be functional and visual, at times even increasing the height of the building.
Building Resources
I'm mostly doing away with money in the current way that it is used. I do think there are uses for it, but crafting, harvesting, and building upgrades I think will work better using actual resources instead of money. These will go through stages requiring more difficult components, though for now it's just things that you can make out of the normal resources.
Harvesting Outposts
A new type of hi-tech building, these will allow upgraded harvesters to "connect" to distant outposts to gather higher tier resources rather than having to summon new villagers for every tier. Coal mines, and other yet to be added mines will primarily make use of this, requiring only an outpost setup near the mine instead of a whole village to support it.
Resource Scanners
I want to make scanners a craftable object instead of a villager upgrade due to harvesting outposts rendering the need for villagers unnecessary at outposts.
Food and Population
Population is now tied to the Storehouse which upgrades from a stockpile to a storehouse, a warehouse, a depot, and finally a vault. Food must now also be prepared for most villagers, meaning the first type of building you'll generally build is a Forager. There will also be Arable Farmer, Pastoral Farmer, Fisher, Inn (with a cook), and a number of other food based buildings I plan on adding that generate higher quality foods that higher quality villagers will require.
Food will be added without quality and further progression buildings until the more "core" features are in and working with the first patch.
Villagers
This is the biggest change to the system and will not be added until the above are in and working.
Villagers can always be summoned for a small amount of Light, though summoning them in this manner will always summon a Common Villager, with no base skills, and only basic attributes. Out in the world however, I want to add villages with randomly generated villagers that can range from Common to Legendary. A villagers rarity will determine the amount of base skills they start with, and their base attributes. Skills will be able to be learned freely over time, but attributes will be locked in, allowing only player crafted equipment to improve upon the base stats.
Once the basics of villagers are in and working there are a lot of different ways to go with villager interaction. I think the most important being village quests such as "please build this for us" quests, as well as harvesting, crafting, and combat quests to gain some small amount of "reputation" with a village before any of their villagers will agree to join you.
Upgraded buildings and different types of villagers will also then lead to further crafting recipe unlocks and progression.
I have buildings upgrades and resources in and working, I mostly just need to upgrade resource scanning, and will hopefully be able to get a beta patch out tomorrow.