Stronghold Crusader HD News

Castle builders and fans of feudal taxation rejoice! As part of Steam Next Fest: October Edition and in celebration of almost 200,000 wishlists, we have just released a brand new Stronghold: Definitive Edition demo - Our final playable build before launch!

[h2]👇 Play Now 👇[/h2]
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2140020/Stronghold_Definitive_Edition/

Available exclusively on Steam as part of Next Fest, this demo features never-before-seen-missions - including your first look at our brand new single player campaign. This includes Missions 3 and 8 from the original 2001 Stronghold military campaign, as well as a challenging mission from the exclusive new Definitive Edition campaign. Need a refresher? Then dive into the demo's full tutorial to warm up first.



In addition to both of the original military and economic campaigns, the ‘Jewel of the North’ DE campaign will feature returning fan favourite antagonists The Rat and The Snake. Created by Firefly co-founders Simon Bradbury and Eric Ouellette, these new missions will remain true to the spirit of the first game, while introducing new twists on familiar Stronghold gameplay.

To accompany the release of our final demo, we have also released an in-depth developer diary featuring interviews with veteran series artists. Watch as Darrin and Niall examine the artistic challenges inherent in a project like Stronghold: Definitive Edition:

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
“Being able to go back to [Stronghold] and updating it in some ways but still keeping the original feel in other ways. That I think is what we really all were shooting for,” explains Senior Graphic Designer Darrin Horbal. Reflecting on the game’s summer reveal, Lead Artist Niall Benzie goes on to explain, “When we first released the trailer and the public demo, I was quite apprehensive on how people might receive the changes, but I do believe we have gone a long way in trying to respect the original art”.



Our new Definitive Edition demo will remain available for one week, until the end of Steam Next Fest on October 16 at 10:00 AM PDT / 17:00 GMT. We encourage you to download the demo and leave us feedback! As with our previous demo there is a feedback form embedded in the game's main menu. So please build, besiege and let us know what you think.

We can't wait to share more DE news as we approach launch on November 7th - So stay tuned for more Stronghold goodness in the coming weeks!

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Our Gamescom Stronghold: Definitive Edition campaign reveal provides an exciting first look at parts one and two of The Jewel Campaign, in which players march across the devastated English hinterland in search of Sir Longarm's captured kin. A side story running in parallel to the military campaign released in 2001, The Jewel Campaign is designed to challenge veteran players of the 20 year old series with new twists on familiar Stronghold gameplay, while also extend the story of the original castle sim. Crafted by Firefly co-founders Simon Bradbury and Eric Ouellette, these new missions will be playable at launch, alongside both the original military and economic campaigns.



The 14 missions of this new campaign will feature series antagonists The Rat and The Snake. As part of the larger overarching game narrative, players will be tasked with thwarting these nefarious lords from their pursuit of The Boy and the ruin of medieval England. Just as important will be their own hunt for the kin to another series favourite, the mighty Sir Longarm! With the campaign narrated in English by a new character, voiced by Stronghold series veteran actor Christopher Kent, players will be challenged like never before as they tackle brutal old foes and formidable new challenges.



We can't wait for you to experience this new set of missions, but also to experience the original two campaigns in all their definitive edition glory! In case you missed it we have a demo available on Steam right now. So if you haven't already done so, please join the 50,000 others who have downloaded our DE demo and give us your thoughts using the in-game feedback form. We will be removing this demo from Steam in one week, so play while you still can and get ready for more updates from us on Stronghold: Definitive Edition!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2140020/Stronghold_Definitive_Edition/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqV6DYBgFzI
Here it is... Every burning question we've seen online that we can answer at this point in development for Stronghold: Definitive Edition!

We have been absolutely overwhelmed by thousands of responses to our demo player survey, 35,000 demo downloads and 150,000 wishlists (It's gone up since we recorded this video!). It means a huge deal to us that you are so excited for and invested in our very first Definitive Edition, which we want to make as fun, polished and true to the original game as possible.



So while you can expect more updates and developer diaries in the future, digging into our process behind this new version of Stronghold, we decided to answer everything we can at this moment in time. Sourcing questions here on YouTube, but also from the official Stronghold Discord, TikTok, subreddit, Firefly Twitter and beyond, we have compiled a list of 27 frequently asked questions which we're comfortable answering just under three months from launch.



Please note that anything not covered today can be taken as something we're exploring, but cannot commit to either way at this stage. We are absolutely committed to more demos, continued feedback and iteration, with Stronghold: Definitive Edition but also beyond with the future of the series. So thank you again for taking the time to give us your feedback and please continue!

We hope to provide more exciting updates between now and launch, so please stay tuned for much more on DE in the coming weeks and months.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2140020/Stronghold_Definitive_Edition/

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2140020/Stronghold_Definitive_Edition/



We have now released our first public playable demo for Stronghold: Definitive Edition, coming to Steam on November 7th! Currently available via the game's Steam store page, this demo was previously shared with press and content creators as part of our full reveal last month.

This updated Alpha build demo contains new visuals, controls options, missions 4 and 11 from the original game's military campaign and a full tutorial for players new to the series. We are releasing this to gather as much feedback as possible ahead of launch later this year, with the demo remaining available until August 29th.

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After playing either mission 4 or 11 you will find a Feedback button in the main menu. Hit that, fill out our player survey and let us know what you think! We are dedicated to making every improvement possible between now and launch, which we can only do with your detailed feedback. We have already had a huge amount of positive suggestions and input across our Discord and wider social media, however there's always room for more.

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The eagle eyed among you may also notice that we have already implemented certain changes based on your feedback from the reveal on July 13th. Unit animations, buildings and characters have been improved, with many other changes coming based on both your suggestions and of course our own existing plans for the game.

We hope you enjoy our Alpha demo, add the game to your wishlist and look forward to more exciting Stronghold: Definitive Edition updates in the coming weeks!

A second season of videos now available on the Firefly Studios YouTube channel, The Lore of Stronghold 2 covers some of your favourite characters from the anticipated castle sim sequel!



Take heed and rejoice, for we bring glad tidings! Season 2 of the 'Lore of Stronghold', this time focusing on Stronghold 2, is here in full for your viewing pleasure. This new season covers the history behind Stronghold 2, our first 3D Stronghold featuring an all new cast of characters. Exploring our fictional narrative, we examine the lore that made Stronghold 2 a captivating place for series veterans, even without the original game's cast of now legendary characters.



From Sir William, a man who marched through hell on a quest for redemption and Matthew Steele, a boy who rose to weave his own tapestry of legend from nothing, to Lady Seren, a woman whose intensity of spirit and heart of steel would let nothing keep her from her goals. Stronghold 2 had an eclectic cast that we fondly remember today and will surely inspire us going forward.



When it first released in 2005, Stronghold 2's greater focus on cinematics and story driven gameplay went hand in hand with the technical progression of the series. This scope and ambition is inspiring today as we look back on where we've been and the road ahead. For now however join us as we look back on some of the most memorable Stronghold protagonists to grace our screens.



The Lore of Stronghold (Season 2)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QIyU5TMaRbM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDzF6-VkObo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=buj7JixeFtc