What do custom sprites change?
Custom sprites concern the visual assets used in your world. The official material establishes the documented feature, while the dated gameplay examples help show how that feature appeared in a particular build. Keeping those two evidence types together makes it easier to separate a confirmed mechanic from an assumption based on another game. They let the artwork differ from the default presentation described in the developer's content-sharing plans.
A difference between those versions can explain apparently conflicting instructions without proving that one source is universally correct. If a step or value is not demonstrated in the collected sources, treat it as unverified and check a current developer update before relying on it. That visual customization is separate from defining the simulated meaning of a character, object or building. The distinction is important when creating inhabitants.
A new character image does not automatically establish a race, an NPC template or a faction's population pool. Those are separate editor concepts, even when the final resident displays the artwork you selected. This keeps unrelated editor choices from obscuring what changed. It also gives you a clearer basis for describing a reproducible result to other players, without turning one observation into a guaranteed rule for every save or build.
How are sprites different from icons?
A prelaunch recording shows icon selection as part of configuring an entry. The official material establishes the documented feature, while the dated gameplay examples help show how that feature appeared in a particular build. Keeping those two evidence types together makes it easier to separate a confirmed mechanic from an assumption based on another game. That demonstrates an interface visual rather than proving that the same action replaces an entity's in-world sprite.
A difference between those versions can explain apparently conflicting instructions without proving that one source is universally correct. If a step or value is not demonstrated in the collected sources, treat it as unverified and check a current developer update before relying on it. Treating every image-related field as interchangeable would make an import guide unreliable. The collected material does not reproduce a complete current sprite replacement workflow.
It therefore cannot establish that a particular icon selector is the universal place to import world art. Inspect the actual role of a visual field before assuming it changes how an entity appears on the map. This keeps unrelated editor choices from obscuring what changed. It also gives you a clearer basis for describing a reproducible result to other players, without turning one observation into a guaranteed rule for every save or build.
What else does a custom inhabitant need?
The tutorials connect initial human residents through NPC templates, faction pools and a City Zone. The official material establishes the documented feature, while the dated gameplay examples help show how that feature appeared in a particular build. Keeping those two evidence types together makes it easier to separate a confirmed mechanic from an assumption based on another game. These relationships define which inhabitants belong to the settlement.
A difference between those versions can explain apparently conflicting instructions without proving that one source is universally correct. If a step or value is not demonstrated in the collected sources, treat it as unverified and check a current developer update before relying on it. Artwork can be part of their presentation without replacing the configuration that makes them available to the simulation. Culture, religion and faction identity are additional layers of the worldbuilding system.
None should be inferred solely from a sprite's appearance. A visually distinct character is not automatically a separate class, a new culture or a functioning city population source. This keeps unrelated editor choices from obscuring what changed. It also gives you a clearer basis for describing a reproducible result to other players, without turning one observation into a guaranteed rule for every save or build.
How does this apply to buildings?
Housing provides a useful concrete comparison. The official material establishes the documented feature, while the dated gameplay examples help show how that feature appeared in a particular build. Keeping those two evidence types together makes it easier to separate a confirmed mechanic from an assumption based on another game. The exterior building art is separate from the House template that defines housing behavior and the House POI that places that function on the map.
A difference between those versions can explain apparently conflicting instructions without proving that one source is universally correct. If a step or value is not demonstrated in the collected sources, treat it as unverified and check a current developer update before relying on it. Changing the building's appearance alone does not prove that residents can live in it. The same reasoning helps when combining custom art with reusable content.
A prefab may provide configured editor data, while a sprite supplies a visual asset. Before deciding that a custom building works, inspect its functional setup instead of relying on the image or a screenshot of the completed scene. This keeps unrelated editor choices from obscuring what changed. It also gives you a clearer basis for describing a reproducible result to other players, without turning one observation into a guaranteed rule for every save or build.
What technical specifications are confirmed?
The sources collected for this question do not establish exact pixel dimensions, transparency rules, animation layout or a universal supported file extension. The official material establishes the documented feature, while the dated gameplay examples help show how that feature appeared in a particular build. Keeping those two evidence types together makes it easier to separate a confirmed mechanic from an assumption based on another game. They also do not verify a filesystem import directory or a complete current menu path.
A difference between those versions can explain apparently conflicting instructions without proving that one source is universally correct. If a step or value is not demonstrated in the collected sources, treat it as unverified and check a current developer update before relying on it. Those details should remain unspecified rather than being borrowed from another game's art pipeline. Older editor logs are useful historical evidence that custom visual configuration was part of development.
They are not sufficient to guarantee that the same interface or asset requirements remain unchanged in every later build. For a practical current import question, identify your build and the editor field involved, then seek a confirmed specification instead of reshaping artwork to an invented template. This keeps unrelated editor choices from obscuring what changed. It also gives you a clearer basis for describing a reproducible result to other players, without turning one observation into a guaranteed rule for every save or build.
Sources and verification
This answer cross-checks developer and Steam material against independent reporting or gameplay footage. Details from older demos are identified as historical because interfaces and availability can change between builds.