Jump to content

All Activity

This stream auto-updates     

  1. Today
  2. Sir Windows
    It was in a Stronghold 4 discussion by the German video games journal GameStar. They got to talking about the castle life aspects of the game and one of the journalists mentioned that the feasts/kitchen animations are still missing.
  3. Benyamin Benyamin joined the community
  4. Yesterday
  5. Lady Ivonne
    @ Sir Windows What a relief! Where are these animations mentioned?
  6. balusokk2022@gmail.com balusokk2022@gmail.com joined the community
  7. woswos woswos joined the community
  8. Zaepasta Zaepasta joined the community
  9. KANAL HAPËSI KANAL HAPËSI changed their profile photo
  10. aliali aliali joined the community
  11. Humanity Humanity joined the community
  12. Sir Windows
    @ EaglePrince @ Lady Ivonne by the way coming back to the castle life topic. Apparently the kitchen and feasts inside the keep will be animated after all. The current demo is simply missing the animations.
  13. Ocelotto Ocelotto joined the community
  14. Last week
  15. EaglePrince
    I agree, although, if it's a SH1 prequel, and SH1 doesn't have any of those... However, maybe they plan to add that within a DLC.[emoji14] Sent from my motorola edge 50 fusion using Tapatalk
  16. all_ex all_ex joined the community
  17. MoMo MoMo joined the community
  18. Lord CLassico Lord CLassico joined the community
  19. 牢中神~ 牢中神~ changed their profile photo
  20. Sir Windows
    I've got to wonder if the mercenary camp will make a comeback. It's been absent from the demos and I don't believe it's mentioned anywhere in the previews. Hopefully Firefly didn't decide to cut it. With the game set on the British Isles again there's potential for Irish, Welsh, Viking or Scottish mercenaries for sure.
  21. EaglePrince
    That sounds amazing! Sent from my motorola edge 50 fusion using Tapatalk
  22. Sir Windows
    Good catch! The same section also mentions that tunnelers are back as well.
  23. EaglePrince
    One perk of that bug was that, once the guards catch some number of criminals, no more peasants would turn to crime. I think the maximum number of criminals was 7. Then I would delete those workplaces, build them again, and from then on everything would run smoothly - no other workers would surprise me by turning to crime. (I'd just continue playing as if I had seven workers fewer, and with that negative popularity effect I already mentioned.) Well, it is an interesting thing with Stronghold 2 - you could build an expensive blacksmiths workshop, then wait for the first sword, and then the blacksmith turns to crime. When the universe is just not on your side!😀 Anyway, I was happy to find out about the patch!😇 And now, I'm looking forward to see how Stronghold 4 is going to turn out.
  24. Lady Ivonne
    @ EaglePrince Absolutely — Stronghold 2’s immersion in castle life was the real magic, with gong, rats, and crime just adding flavor! Hoping Stronghold 4 at least carries that spirit forward...
  25. EaglePrince
    I agree with your point @ Lady Ivonne , however, I just don't think that we love Stronghold 2 because of cleaning gong, catching rats and capturing criminals; but because of all the other stuff about the castle life that we displayed in detail. I mean, I'm just a messenger. I like Stronghold 2 the way it is, together with the rats, gong, and criminals - I'd usually tell people "just build everything you need for that, and you won't need to think about that at all". Even if you start playing with a small amount of gold, you don't need to take care of any of that in the beginning; it starts showing up as you make your promotions. That makes it even easier. That being said, I'm pretty sure SH2 would be as successful game as it was with or without gong, rats, and crime. I also like what you wrote about SHW. I haven't played it enough, but I had a similar feeling. Another story about crime in SH2. When I was a kid, and got SH2, I didn't have internet, and I was stuck with a version (1.2 I think) where there was a bug with the courthouse: it would become full of criminals, who would still be causing a large negative popularity effect for the rest of the game. I didn't know about later patches that fixed the bug, but I had kept playing anyway.😄
  26. Lady Ivonne
    @ EaglePrince I do understand your perspective — I came from the same RTS background, with games like Ancient Art of War (1984), Age of Empires II (1999), Stronghold (2001) and Stronghold: Crusader (2002). So I know what you mean about wanting mechanics that support competition and tactical fighting without too much distraction from upkeep. That said, the Stronghold series has always attracted more than one type of player. Over time I have become a hybrid player, also enjoying the base-building side in games like Stronghold 2 (2005) and Manor Lords (2024), where creativity and optimised castle life are just as rewarding. It is worth remembering that the Stronghold series deliberately caters to different playstyles: Combat / war campaigns, missions and skirmish mode for players who thrive on RTS military victories. Economic / sim campaigns, missions and free-build mode for those who enjoy base-building castle design. The challenge is not about striking a middle ground, but about ensuring both sides are fully supported without compromise. Stronghold: Warlords (2021) showed what happens when the balance slips — some RTS players felt restricted by its slow military buildup, while some builders found its stripped-down castle systems shallow. I even gave up blogging about a castle in Stronghold: Warlords because the mechanics did not sustain creative play. So while your concern about balancing “reward” vs “punishment” mechanics is valid from the RTS angle, there are also players who enjoy managing those systems as part of their castle-building creativity. The beauty of the Stronghold series is that it has always tried to serve both groups — and I think Stronghold 4 will shine most if it fully commits to serving both sides.
  27. Isaiah
    The steam page does mention moats, so I imagine they will be in there. It looks pretty cool, but I'll probably wait and see before trying.
  28. EaglePrince
    I am indeed optimistic. If they are going to use the same engine as for SHC2 and SH Warlords, then my guess is that they learned from all their mistakes. They made SHC after gaining experience from SH1, and now they do it after gaining experience from SHC2 and SHW. Fingers crossed![emoji1696] @Lady Ivonne I think that players liked that additional stuff that would reward you, like the lord's kitchen, clothes, candles for church, etc. On the other hand, crime, rats, and gong are there only to punish you; you need to dedicate some place and resources inside your castle for cleaning those, and you can't ever count on having the popularity impact of those three consistently at +0. I can defend those three "baddies", since, once you build them, they just do their job. And you simply don't dedicate some +2 of your positive popularity impact on covering a few rats, criminals, and gongs now and then, which in the end costs you stiker gold. But that's how you do it if you want to focus on fighting just in Crusader. Sent from my motorola edge 50 fusion using Tapatalk
  29. Sir Windows
    Being able to look inside the keep would certainly be nice. Hopefully it'll get added later on as from the previews it's possible to look into the treasury and watch the clerk count coins like in SH2. Not sure about the kitchen, but I'd assume it's the same.
  30. Lady Ivonne
    @ EaglePrince I like your optimism about Stronghold 4 focusing on the series’ strengths. Stronghold 2 gave us a wide spectrum of mechanics — some loved for immersion, others debated as chores, hence different fans valued different parts of that spectrum. My ultimate hope is that Stronghold 4 carries forward all of Stronghold 2’s traditions, but adapts them in ways that respect player preference. That could mean letting players toggle systems on or off based on which they valued, or redesigning divisive mechanics like gong and rat management into more streamlined or automated versions. Either way, the goal is to retain immersion without forcing what is not valued onto players. If Stronghold 4 achieves this flexibility, it really could blend all of both traditions.
  31. EaglePrince
    Well, if they removed gong, rats, and crime, most players would like that change. Even most of those who like Stronghold 2, in my opinion. That would be like taking the best from both games. I'm looking forward to this new Stronghold. Sent from my motorola edge 50 fusion using Tapatalk
  32. Lady Ivonne started following A Brand New Stronghold Reveal Is Coming This Week!
  33. Lady Ivonne
    From what I have seen in the various Stronghold 4 video previews, the game looks more like a refined continuation of Stronghold 3’s design philosophy, which itself built on Stronghold 1’s roots but with a full 3D presentation. Stronghold 4 appears to carry forward features from Stronghold 3 such as dynamic weather changes, along with the honour system that was first introduced in Stronghold 2. It is also worth noting that Stronghold 3, Stronghold Crusader 2, and Stronghold Warlords all share the same Vision engine, which underpins their common technical foundation. However, some of Stronghold 2’s distinctive mechanics have not been shown in previews so far — like gong and rat management, and immersive cutaway views of castle life such as feasts, dances, and activities in tower interiors. That suggests fans of the Stronghold series will find the familiar castle‑building and warfare foundation intact, while Stronghold 2 fans will be especially attuned to whether the castle‑life simulation elements they valued make a return in Stronghold 4. If those features do reappear, Stronghold 4 could blend the best of both traditions; if not, Stronghold 2 remains a rich experience for those who enjoy exploring castle life in depth — something I have continued to chronicle through my own castle project (blog).
  34. Sir Windows
    So far it looks like they took inspiration from SH2. The honour system, the lord's kitchen, treasury and ranks are all back. No gong, rats or crime by the looks of it though. Also, unit collision is in! I believe it was in warlords as well but not sure any more. Hopefully moats are going to come back as well. There's going to be a steam demo on June 23. Sir Longarm, the rat and snake confirmed to be returning characters. I guess the pig and wolf are going to show up as well. Looks pretty exciting so far, especially since it's the first Stronghold set in Europe with a skirmish mode in twenty years (hard to believe SHL came out so long ago).
  35. EaglePrince
    They announced Stronghold 4 this evening. Seems exciting! I'm not sure, from the trailer, it feels like the old Stronghold with Stronghold Crusader 2 & Stronghold Warlords engine? Disappointing if that would mean no moats in the new Stronghold, although I like the idea of going back to the original theme. They especially need to get back to it because of Stronghold 3, which they messed up. Also, my guess is that we won't have a unit collision. Sent from my motorola edge 50 fusion using Tapatalk
  36. Earlier
  37. Sir Windows started following A Brand New Stronghold Reveal Is Coming This Week!
  38. Sir Windows
    Hello Everyone! Firefly has announced that they will be revealing a new Stronghold title at the PC Gaming Show this Sunday. Date and Time: Sunday June 7th at 8pm BST / 9pm CEST / 12pm PDT / 3pm EDT Announcement Video: Have fun and let's see what'll be shown on Sunday! Stronghold 4 Information & Features General Information Release date: 2026 Steam demo launch: 23 June 2026 Main Features 22 mission story campaign set before the events of the original Stronghold Skirmish mode featuring 8 AI opponents Skirmish trail Free-build mode Gameplay features Grid based construction system as seen in Stronghold Crusader 2 and Warlords Honour and rank system like in Stronghold 2 Lord's kitchen and royal foods (honey, grapes, wine and four different types of meat) Houses provide honour and can be upgraded for increased output Turnips added as a new basic food type for the general population, replacing meat from previous titles Cheese reworked into a multi building production chain (dairy farm to produce milk and cheesemaker to turn milk into cheese) Daily random events Weather types such as rain and snow Stronghold & Crusader style inns rather than a Stronghold 2 ale consumption slider Three different religious buildings - shrine, chapel and church New weapon types such as short bows and war hammers Moats, pitch traps and killing pits Stone and wooden versions of the barracks New and returning units Armed Peasants, men at arms, macemen, crossbowmen, pikemen, swordsmen and knights return Archer split into two unit types - shortbowman and longbowmen Shortbowmen shoot faster and can set pitch on fire Longbowmen have greater range but slower rate of fire and are unable to set pitch ablaze Sergeant unit armed with war hammers (more information to come) Battering rams, catapults, tower mounted ballistae and tunnellers return Story & Characters Set before the events of Stronghold The player takes on the role of Penryn of Wethel, a shepherd who rises to become a leader during a time of calamity Sir Longarm, Duke de Puce (the Rat) and Duke Beauregard (the Snake) confirmed to return
  39. valeed.m started following Lord_Chris
  40. Asophix started following Crusader Definitive Edition Update - Minor Update
  41. Asophix
    Hello Everyone! SHC:DE was given a small update (v2.7.1), bringing a few options to the AI department: "Aggressive AI Sieging" This Skirmish/Multiplayer option slightly tweaks the siege force troops aggression. When enabled, the AI will send larger forces to attack rivals, as well as stationary troops will be more likely to engage hostile buildings in their close vicinity. The option seems to very slightly alleviate the weakness of the siege AI, where troops waiting to be deployed naively stand around. Custom Lord Nicknames Custom Lords can be added up to 8 nicknames, which will be added in front of the lord's name each. The text.txt file can be added the NICKNAME<1-8> options to supply these titles. Custom Scribe Messages Baldwin & Bullseye - and presumably the final two upcoming lords - have not been provided a scribe notification about them sending a message. As a band-aid custom solution, these can be overwritten willingly. These files are the General_Message<53-56>.wav files (path: Stronghold Crusader Definitive Edition_Data\StreamingAssets\EnglishSpeech\Scribe). As always, you should update your game in order to access and play multiplayer games. Firefly Studios is clearly stepping away from active development so expectations should be set accordingly. Have fun with the game!
  42. Sir Windows
    Certainly fitting as the hawk or hammer would lead a much more competent siege.
  43. EaglePrince
    Hey guys. I haven't been around for a while, until recently. Unfortunately, I've been too busy, though I'll have to change something about that. It just seems like I took too many obligations; sure, it's great to have some additional money, but it really s*cks not have enough free time.[emoji53] That being said, there have been a few good changes. In February, I got married, and in March I became a father. I plan to raise him so that he loves Stronghold games, naturally! [emoji38] However, that exact same thing is the reason why I really think I should cut off some of my obligations - if it didn't matter enough until two months ago, now it matters far more! That additional work had just been affecting me too much. As for Stronghold, I wasn't able to play it enough. For two years, I've had only my laptop, while the desktop PC stayed at my parents. And this isn't good enough even for Stronghold 2 - at least because I feel quite uncomfortable while the fan blows at full speed. Now we plan to buy a new desktop PC.[emoji846] Beside games, I started playing some board games with my friends, which is also quite enjoyable! Those are board games like Catan, Castles of Burgundy, Terraforming Mars, etc. I even played those on my PC as well. Now that @Sir Windows mentioned fixing AI castles, he just reminded me how enjoyable Stronghold Crusader, Stronghold, and Stronghold 2 actually are. Especially when I try to relax after a hard day. Therefore, I better buy that new PC already.[emoji16] On the other hand, the kid is still quite young, less than two months, so I can't expect that I'll be able to play whenever I want, but I'll try to find some balance with that. Sent from my motorola edge 50 fusion using Tapatalk
  44. Lady Ivonne
    Truth be told, the attacker in Free Build mode was only the faceless AI enemy lord. But his pitiful showing begged for a name — and who better than Sir Edwin, master of bungled campaigns in Stronghold 2, to match the defeats? 😁
  45. Lady Ivonne
    Spot on, Sir Windows — the attacker was indeed Sir Edwin! 🤣 In my version of events, he struck twice: escaping after the first siege, but after the second failed attempt his fate was sealed as he was captured — and only then was his true identity unveiled. I kept his identity deliberately cloaked in secrecy throughout the earlier page, with the revelation intentionally reserved for the ‘Sieges of Sarum: Close-ups’ page as a fitting conclusion to his campaign.
  1. Load more activity
×
×
  • Create New...