Stronghold is a historic real-time strategy game developed by Firefly Studios. While the game focuses primarily on conquest and expansion through military pursuits, Stronghold does provide space for economic strategy and development: there is both an economic and a military campaign to be played and both are discussed in the game manual. The game takes place in Medieval Britain around the time of AD 1066, though, since there is sometimes no time limit, scenarios can continue to hundreds of years beyond this date.
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Der Kornspeicher ist voll Sire!
good game shame its very buggy especially if you want to play online
I played it a few times but never finished it. I really liked the setting, castles and knights were totally my thing as a child (yeah ok, actually that's still the case^^) and building my little fortress step by step was really fun. But I had almost no interest in the campaign back then. I just wanted my medieval fantasy. But I could imagine playing through the whole thing again.
You may have crushed my soul, but you'll never have my boots.
my review on steam from 30may23:
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albeit it freezing my pc (which i might have fixed now via compatibility options) this game is still the most aesthetically pleasing castle builder i know off.
many modern entries look to goofily 3dish. the isometric 2.5d look and the general gritty yet pretty art direction make this timeless, both visually and sonically, and its not (just) nostalgia speaking. albeit i wish there would be an option to make higher walls or build on walls (its somewhat possible in the map editor). the economy sim is satisfying enough to keep u concentrated on castle building instead of deep micromanagy economic mechanics occupying your mind the whole time and combat is fun enough but much better in the skirmish focused succesor stronghold crusader. i consider the free building function and (real life castle) invasion sim maps the most superior aspect of this entry .
the reason why i focus on form rather then content in this review is because i think a castle builder should be mostly an aesthetical effort then anything else since the whole reason why i personally play this game is to get lost in medieval melancholia.
cause this games isn't truly 3d it feels almost like painting castles rather then building them.
and what better thing can there be then this to be able to survive another day in this capitalist realist hellhole.
_
albeit it freezing my pc (which i might have fixed now via compatibility options) this game is still the most aesthetically pleasing castle builder i know off.
many modern entries look to goofily 3dish. the isometric 2.5d look and the general gritty yet pretty art direction make this timeless, both visually and sonically, and its not (just) nostalgia speaking. albeit i wish there would be an option to make higher walls or build on walls (its somewhat possible in the map editor). the economy sim is satisfying enough to keep u concentrated on castle building instead of deep micromanagy economic mechanics occupying your mind the whole time and combat is fun enough but much better in the skirmish focused succesor stronghold crusader. i consider the free building function and (real life castle) invasion sim maps the most superior aspect of this entry .
the reason why i focus on form rather then content in this review is because i think a castle builder should be mostly an aesthetical effort then anything else since the whole reason why i personally play this game is to get lost in medieval melancholia.
cause this games isn't truly 3d it feels almost like painting castles rather then building them.
and what better thing can there be then this to be able to survive another day in this capitalist realist hellhole.
You will learn to love archers