Explanation about some updates and some notes :
I advice you to start a completely new game to make all new updates effective. Some updates needs a completely new game but of course you can continue your old savegame too. That will not be problem only you cannot see some new additions in that case.
By the way forget stealing 15.000 thalers of Cossacks after now during their special mission or making caravan trade with lots of velvets easily and make tons of money by that way quickly.
(Edit : By the way player can still steal that money (15.000 thalers) but now he will lose relation and cossacks will be enemy to him if he does not give money to its owner in time(30 days after village elder gives money). In past version nothing was happening if player gets that money from village elder (quest was becoming succeeded at that point) and if he does not give it to related lord.)
Lots of bugs, lacks or logical mistakes like above example are fixed. If some of you are used to make money by using some small tricks they can be not confortable at first times because of some updates, but making that much money should not be easy.
For another example : Go and ask for best trade options in town menu, you will get logical answers with available items now.
In villages basic items like porks, fruits, wheat, cabbage, beef and chicken are cheap. Buy them from villages and sell in towns/castles to make fast profits.
Especially I wait your feedbacks about new merchant caravan & trade system. Now if you want to make caravan with X items from any town, that town need to have X items in its marketplace. After caravan starts its travel player do not have to follow it. But it can be looted during way if you leave it alone. You can decide how many guards will protect caravan and if you want more guards then you have to pay more caravan expense. Select 8-12 guards for escorting your caravan if you want to leave it alone. If bandit parties are greater (average 10-20) because of your level, then select 12-20 guards. If you want less caravan expenses, then select 1-3 guards and accompany your caravan by right clicking it. Also when caravan go out from starting town X items are removed from town marketplace. Items at town marketplaces/village werehouses refresh at every 3 days. Center prosperities now determines number of items available at that center's marketplace.
All production amounts for towns/castles/villages are revised. Every town has good production at 2-3 items only and marketplace stocks are generally full with these items. Castle productions are effected from productions of nearby towns. And only items which that town/castle/village has good production amount are cheap at that center. Other items are more expensive than world average. Player can make trade by himself or by caravan. He have to select best option. Both options can be best in different situations. If player buy items one by one they will be more expensive after each item buy, because prices are not stable as most of you know. Disadvantage of caravan trade is you have to pay expenses for guards and caravan master. Advantage of caravans are you will buy all items in caravan with lowest price. For example if you buy 20 smoked fish you have to pay (20 x first_smoked_fish_price + caravan_expenses), otherwise if you want to make trade by yourself without using caravan you will pay different costs for your 1st smoked fish (cheaper) and last smoked fish (more expensive).
You can collect volunteers from villages until your party size become 12.
You have different village elder quests now. You can use them when you have shortage of money.