''Stronghold'' is a historical
real-time strategy
Real-time strategy (RTS) is a Video game genre, subgenre of strategy video games that do not progress incrementally in turn-based game, turns, but allow all players to play simultaneously, in "real time". By contrast, in Turn-based strategy, turn ...
video game developed by
Firefly Studios
Firefly Studios Limited (also stylized as FireFly Studios) is a British video game developer based in London. Formed in August 1999 by Simon Bradbury, David Lester, and Eric Ouellette, the company focuses on historic real-time strategy games for ...
and published in 2001 by
Gathering of Developers
Gathering of Developers, Inc. (shortened as G.O.D. or GodGames, and branded as Gathering between 2003 and 2004) was an American video game publisher based in New York City. Founded by Mike Wilson and associates in January 1998 and originally b ...
for
Microsoft Windows
Windows is a group of several proprietary graphical operating system families developed and marketed by Microsoft. Each family caters to a certain sector of the computing industry. For example, Windows NT for consumers, Windows Server for serv ...
and
Mac OS X
macOS (; previously OS X and originally Mac OS X) is a Unix operating system developed and marketed by Apple Inc. since 2001. It is the primary operating system for Apple's Mac (computer), Mac computers. Within the market of ...
. The game focuses primarily on conquest and expansion through military pursuits but also has prominent economic and infrastructure development elements. There is both an economic and a military campaign to be played and both are discussed in the game manual. In the English version, the game takes place in
Medieval Britain
During most of the Middle Ages (c. 410–1485 AD), the island of Great Britain was divided into several kingdoms. The following articles address this period of history in each of the major kingdoms:
*England in the Middle Ages
**Anglo-Saxon Engla ...
around the year 1066; however, since there is not always a time limit, scenarios can continue hundreds of years beyond that date.
''Stronghold'' was a commercial success, with global sales above 1.5 million units by 2004. As well as earning many favourable reviews from reviewers such as ''
PC Gamer
''PC Gamer'' is a magazine and website founded in the United Kingdom in 1993 devoted to PC gaming and published monthly by Future plc. The magazine has several regional editions, with the UK and US editions becoming the best selling PC games ma ...
'' and
GameSpy
GameSpy was an American provider of online multiplayer and matchmaking middleware for video games founded in 1996 by Mark Surfas. After the release of a multiplayer server browser for the game, QSpy, Surfas licensed the software under the GameS ...
, the game continues to boast a large community, who edit and create various material through the in-game Map Editor/Scenario Creator. The game's popularity led to several sequels: ''
Stronghold: Crusader'' (2002), ''
Stronghold 2
''Stronghold 2'' is a real time strategy computer game released in April 2005 in which the player develops a stronghold in the Middle Ages. It is the sequel to ''Stronghold'', released in 2001, also by Firefly Studios.
The game engine was enhanc ...
'' (2005), ''
Stronghold Legends'' (2006), ''
Stronghold Crusader Extreme
''Stronghold: Crusader'' is the successor to Firefly Studios's 2001 real-time strategy video game ''Stronghold''. ''Crusader'' has much in common with the original ''Stronghold'', but differs from its predecessor in the fact that the game is no lo ...
'' (2008), ''
Stronghold 3
''Stronghold 3'' is a 2011 real-time strategy video game for Microsoft Windows developed by Firefly Studios and published by 7Sixty. The game is the seventh in the series after several spin-offs, including a remake, '' Stronghold: Crusader Extrem ...
'' (2011), ''
Stronghold Kingdoms
''Stronghold Kingdoms'' is a Massively multiplayer online real-time strategy game video game with a Medieval castle building theme. It was developed by ''Firefly Studios'' and based upon their commercially successful and popular ''Stronghold'' se ...
'' (2012), ''
Stronghold Crusader II'' (2014), and ''
Stronghold: Warlords'' (2021). The original game received a high-definition re-release in 2013.
Gameplay
In ''Stronghold'', the player takes the role of a lord in a medieval kingdom. The goal is to create a stable economy and a strong military to defend against invaders, destroy enemy castles, and accomplish various mission objectives.
''Stronghold'' contains several modes of gameplay, with both combat and economic missions. The main game mode is the military campaign, which is based upon a map of
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
and
Wales
Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...
. The backstory to the campaign explains that the king was captured and held for ransom while invading a neighboring barbarian kingdom. Four lords take control of the kingdom, dividing it into their personal territories. The player is represented by a young, inexperienced commander whose father is killed in an ambush by one of the villains. He is helped by two lords who remain loyal to the king. The player must regain control of the kingdom by reconquering counties from rival lords one by one. The player has to defeat each of the four lords in the campaign, receiving help from the king once he has been successfully ransomed mid-game. An economic campaign is set after the main campaign in which the player reconstructs parts of the kingdom. The player is given goals to complete against a variety of obstacles, such as
bandits
Banditry is a type of organized crime committed by outlaws typically involving the threat or use of violence. A person who engages in banditry is known as a bandit and primarily commits crimes such as extortion, robbery, and murder, either as an ...
and fire.
Other game modes are single-mission combat and economic scenarios, where the player has to complete either military or economic goals. A
siege
A siege is a military blockade of a city, or fortress, with the intent of conquering by attrition warfare, attrition, or a well-prepared assault. This derives from la, sedere, lit=to sit. Siege warfare is a form of constant, low-intensity con ...
mode is also included in the game, where the player may attack or defend several historical castles. Free build mode is another game mode; here the player has the option of building a castle without any objectives. More scenarios can be created for the game using the in-game
map editor
In video games, a level (also referred to as a map, stage, or round in some older games) is any space available to the player during the course of completion of an objective. Video game levels generally have progressively-increasing difficulty t ...
.
Combat
''Stronghold'' does not use a
rock paper scissors
Rock paper scissors (also known by other orderings of the three items, with "rock" sometimes being called "stone," or as Rochambeau, roshambo, or ro-sham-bo) is a hand game originating in China, usually played between two people, in which each p ...
system for
game balance
Game balance is a branch of game design that is described as a mathematical-algorithmic model of a game’s numbers, game mechanics, and relations between the two. Game balance consists of adjusting values to create a certain user experience. Play ...
, instead opting for a "soft-counter" system.
Combat in ''Stronghold'' is based on a strength and
hit point
Health is an attribute in a video game or tabletop game that determines the maximum amount of damage or loss of stamina that a character or object can take before dying or losing consciousness. In role-playing games, this typically takes the for ...
system. There are a variety of unit types in the game, with each successive unit being stronger, and hence more expensive, than the preceding unit, in general. Even though the expensive units are stronger in combat, all units have abilities that are necessary to defend the castle, both
melee
A melee ( or , French: mêlée ) or pell-mell is disorganized hand-to-hand combat in battles fought at abnormally close range with little central control once it starts. In military aviation, a melee has been defined as " air battle in which ...
units (such as the basic spearman and the stronger swordsman), and ranged units (such as archers). The game also contains support troops such as engineers, who provide additional combat options such as constructing siege engines. Unlike some other strategy games there are no counters for units, and units do not take up space, allowing them to overlap each other. Several non-combat characters can fight against enemy units, although most have no ability to fight. Injured soldiers remain injured for the rest of the game—there is no healing system—and since the lord is the central figurehead of the player's kingdom, despite being a powerful fighter, the game is automatically lost if he dies.
Simulated fire
Fire plays a main role in the ''Stronghold'' storyline, as in certain missions, igniting
pitch is almost necessary for survival. There are also certain trigger events that can start fires. Fires spread very quickly, and a flaming building can ignite people or other buildings. Fires will only go out if all sources of fuel are consumed, or if the fire itself is extinguished by fire watches. Fires can spread over small boundaries of water.
In most RTS games, fire appears on buildings as an indicator of damage; for example, if a building is damaged enough it might catch fire, though it may not necessarily sustain damage from that fire. In some games, such as ''
StarCraft
''StarCraft'' is a military science fiction media franchise created by Chris Metzen and James Phinney and owned by Blizzard Entertainment. The series, set in the beginning of the 26th century, centers on a galactic struggle for dominance am ...
'', some buildings damaged to a certain extent will catch fire and continue to take damage from it until they are repaired or the fire destroys them. In ''Stronghold'', buildings that are damaged by siege weapons or are torn down will not catch fire; instead, they lose hit points until they collapse, with the indication of damage being visible signs of cracks and damage throughout the building. However, boiling oil pots, if destroyed, will start a small fire where they were built.
Contrary to many RTS titles where fire plays a secondary, "eye candy" role, fire in ''Stronghold'' is an actual gameplay element. For instance, the player is subtly encouraged to build wells against enemies that like to use fire attacks.
Map editor
An in-game map editor was included with the game. Rather than incorporating a proprietary scripting language, the editor has a
WYSIWYG
In computing, WYSIWYG ( ), an acronym for What You See Is What You Get, is a system in which editing software allows content to be edited in a form that resembles its appearance when printed or displayed as a finished product, such as a printed d ...
interface designed for use by all users.
HD re-release
In 2013, an updated version of the game was released on
Steam
Steam is a substance containing water in the gas phase, and sometimes also an aerosol of liquid water droplets, or air. This may occur due to evaporation or due to boiling, where heat is applied until water reaches the enthalpy of vaporization ...
, featuring support for modern operating systems, higher resolutions, and Steam cloud saves.
Some gameplay has been tweaked in the newer version, such as an increased unit cap and a battlefield view that allows the player to view the full map from a distance. The game was released for free on
GOG.com
GOG.com (formerly Good Old Games) is a digital distribution platform for video games and films. It is operated by GOG sp. z o.o., a wholly owned subsidiary of CD Projekt based in Warsaw, Poland. GOG.com delivers DRM-free video games through it ...
for a brief time in 2017, packaged with the 1996 game ''
A.D. 2044 ''A.D. 2044'' is a Polish adventure game by LK Avalon, released September 9, 1996 on Windows.
Production
The game is a remake of a 1991 game of the same name developed by R.M.P. Software and published by LK Avalon, released to Atari 8-bit computer ...
''.
Development
The game was announced in November 2000. The title went gold on October 17, 2001.
Reception
Sales
''Stronghold'' was a commercial success, with global sales of 1.5 million units by 2004. It received a "Silver" signification from the
Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association
The Association for UK Interactive Entertainment (Ukie) is a non-profit trade association for the video game industry in the United Kingdom (UK). Ukie was originally founded as the European Leisure Software Publishers Association (ELSPA), and the ...
(ELSPA) for at least 100,000 copies sold in the United Kingdom.
On Media Control's sales chart for the German market, ''Stronghold'' launched at #1 among computer games for the month of October 2001.
The Verband der Unterhaltungssoftware Deutschland (VUD) presented it with a "Gold" award in late 2001,
indicating sales of at least 100,000 units across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.
By the end of the year, the committee had upgraded it to a "Platinum" status, indicating 200,000 sales.
''Stronghold'' remained in Media Control's top 30 consistently through May 2002, placing 14th that month and 10th in April.
After a 19th-place finish in June, it dropped to 27th in July, while the new ''Stronghold Deluxe'' edition debuted that month at #12.
''Deluxe'' proceeded to place seventh and 13th in August and September 2002, respectively.
In the United States, ''Stronghold'' debuted at #6 on
NPD Intelect's computer game sales rankings for the week of October 21.
Holding the position in its second week,
it placed 15th for the month of October overall.
It was absent from NPD's weekly top 10 by its third week of release.
''Stronghold'' ultimately sold 220,000 copies and earned $7.8 million in the United States by August 2006. At the time, this led ''
Edge
Edge or EDGE may refer to:
Technology Computing
* Edge computing, a network load-balancing system
* Edge device, an entry point to a computer network
* Adobe Edge, a graphical development application
* Microsoft Edge, a web browser developed by ...
'' to declare it the country's 95th-best-selling computer game released since January 2000.
Reviews
Carla Harker reviewed the PC version of the game for ''
Next Generation'', rating it three stars out of five, and stated that "Both sim and strategy players will find something to like in ''Stronghold'', whether it's a long military campaign or just creating the largest, most well-run castle ever."
The game received "favorable" reviews according to the
review aggregation
A review aggregator is a system that collects reviews of products and services (such as films, books, video games, software, hardware, and cars). This system stores the reviews and uses them for purposes such as supporting a website where users ...
website
Metacritic
Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted arithmetic mean, weighted average). M ...
.
[ The graphics were praised by a number of reviewers; ]GameSpot
''GameSpot'' is an American video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information on video games. The site was launched on May 1, 1996, created by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. In addition ...
said of the graphics, "The buildings look good, but not great, and the same can be said of the units", adding that "The animations are well done."[ ]IGN
''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...
disagreed to a degree, saying "Animations are a bit choppy", and commented on the overall state of the graphics: "This isn't the prettiest game ever by a longshot, but it's good enough that your eyes won't burn."[ GameZone gave high praise to the graphics, saying that the environments were "wonderful" and commenting on the good animation of the characters.][
GameSpot noted that the "Soundtrack is dramatic."][ ]GameSpy
GameSpy was an American provider of online multiplayer and matchmaking middleware for video games founded in 1996 by Mark Surfas. After the release of a multiplayer server browser for the game, QSpy, Surfas licensed the software under the GameS ...
was neutral on its review of sound, saying that "...the music is nice, if not especially memorable", but also commenting on the "poor voice acting."[
''Stronghold'' was a nominee for '']Computer Gaming World
''Computer Gaming World'' (CGW) was an American computer game magazine published between 1981 and 2006. One of the few magazines of the era to survive the video game crash of 1983, it was sold to Ziff Davis in 1993. It expanded greatly through ...
''s 2001 "Best Strategy Game" award, which ultimately went to '' Kohan: Immortal Sovereigns''. The editors called ''Stronghold'' "extraordinarily creative and unique".
References
External links
Official website
via Internet Archive
The Internet Archive is an American digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It provides free public access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, software applications/games, music, ...
''Stronghold HD''
at Firefly Studios
*
Stronghold Nation
{{Authority control
2001 video games
Gathering of Developers games
MacOS games
Multiplayer and single-player video games
Real-time strategy video games
Stronghold (series)
Take-Two Interactive franchises
Video games developed in the United Kingdom
Video games set in castles
Video games set in the 11th century
Video games set in the Middle Ages
Video games using Havok
Video games with expansion packs
Windows games