Stronghold Crusader HD News

Dear Stronghold Community and Fans,

Last week we announced that we had come to the difficult decision to delay the release of Stronghold: Warlords for a second and final time. The release date will no longer be January 26th 2021. We will instead be launching Stronghold: Warlords six weeks later on March 9th 2021.

The reason behind this is that the game’s multiplayer mode is simply not ready to be released yet. We have run into some unexpected issues with it and - while we have worked very hard to resolve these with our current deadlines - we need more time to iron them out. We want to be as transparent as possible with you about this and we did consider releasing as planned, delaying Multiplayer to go live in a future update. However as we have promised Multiplayer functionality for Stronghold: Warlords at launch for over a year now, releasing without it wouldn’t be fair to players.



We want to thank you for your continued support and patience. Delays are never desired by any studio - especially this close to the announced release date - and we can only apologise for the disappointment it causes. It is however necessary if we want everyone to have an excellent, full experience with Stronghold: Warlords when it launches on March 9th, 2021.

In the meantime we have reactivated our old Warlords demo on Steam for anyone who missed it last year. Please bear in mind this build is from August 2020 and thus does not feature the polish, final feature set or roster of playable units you can expect from the game at launch.

To play the demo version please follow this link for full details on how to download it on Steam.



If you'd like to discuss the demo with fellow fans and developers at Firefly you can do that by joining the Official Stronghold Discord.

Thank You,
Firefly Studios

https://store.steampowered.com/app/907650/Stronghold_Warlords/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lEmuZGaWZX0
As you know Stronghold: Warlords will be the first game in our 'castle sim' strategy series to introduce gunpowder siege weapons. Coming in the form of thunder crash bombs, the fearsome mortar, hwacha fire arrow cart and more, each can be used in different ways to cripple and eventually conquer rival players. Spread fire across enemy farmlands by catapulting bombs over their walls, blow apart defences with massive cannonballs or breach their castle walls with ancient rocket launchers. Castle defences even benefit from the addition of gunpowder, with mounted hwacha able to mow down lightly armoured enemy infantry before they can approach your walls.



What you probably aren't aware of is that rocks and Chinese thunder crash bombs won't be the only thing you're launching over 300 meters come January 26th... That's right, diseased animal ammunition is returning to the series in Stronghold: Warlords! While the humble Pig featured early in our design documents as an intended option in siege warfare we weren't always sure about what other animals would be lucky enough to make the cut. Enter the Stronghold Discord community, who voted overwhelmingly for Water Buffalo over hot contenders like the 'Large Bactrian Camel' and 'A Horse With a Sore Throat'.



Whatever you decide to launch over the walls of your enemies next year Stronghold: Warlords should have your covered with 10 siege weapons, 16 units and a plethora of siege defences for those turtle players out there. These will all be playable at launch in multiplayer, free build, skirmish and also unlocked over the course of the game's 30 mission single player campaign. We can't wait for players to get their hands on Warlords as we approach launch on January 26th, 2021.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/907650/Stronghold_Warlords/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EsS5tinXmQM
Join us for a full rundown of Stronghold: Warlords' titular warlords system, straight from the mind of Stronghold series Lead Designer and Co-Founder Simon Bradbury. Once again taking the video hot seat, Simon walks us through the finer details of Warlords' new grand strategy gameplay elements. Accompanied by all new multiplayer footage, as well as a first look at the latest version of the warlords system itself, Simon goes in depth for the first time about what this new addition means for our 'castle sim' series.



Discussing the history of Stronghold's estates and their evolution into the current warlords system, today we're revealing new gameplay showing how this feature will work in multiplayer, the later stages of our campaign, skirmish and free build. In the final game players and computer opponents will battle it out military or politically, gaining 'influence' over warlords across the map by any means necessary. With the ability to force a warlord to bend the knee by military might or use diplomacy points to gain favour with them over other players, it is up to the player to decide how and when to conquer each warlord.



There's a lot to go over, so stick with us to find out more about the game's passive warlord perks, edicts which can be used to issue commands, upgrades to edicts and castles, different warlord archetypes and more! If you like the look of the new and improved warlords system please do wishlist Stronghold: Warlords on Steam to be notified of the game's release on January 26th 2021.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/907650/Stronghold_Warlords

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMvLtj3lhLc
In our final Stronghold: Warlords campaign preview to be released before launch we bring you over 45 minutes of unedited, uninterrupted and commentary-less gameplay! In response to community requests we've emphasised the new music, sound effects and raw gameplay in today's playthrough, which shows off the first mission from our Japanese campaign segment. Chronicling the exploits of key characters and events from 16th Century Japan, our single player campaign was always planned to take players across to the Land of the Rising Sun as of their building and besieging campaign.



Beginning at Inabayama Castle (now known as Gifu castle) in 1567, in Stronghold: Warlords we have Toyotomi Hideyoshi as our chosen Japanese AI Lord. Hideyoshi lived during the Sengoku period in Japan, in which the feudal states constantly fought each other for territorial control. Beginning his military career in the Oda clan as an army recruit to the Ashigaru, Hideyoshi's impressive service earned him a place as a retainer to the now somewhat famous clan leader Oda Nobunaga.



Featuring our latest beta build and a raft of player driven improvements and tweaks, made possible with the Stronghold Discord and some excellent player feedback from our recent demo, we really feel like Warlords is going from strength to strength as we make our way toward launch on January 26th 2021. If you have feedback on playable builds or what you've seen here today be sure to join the Discord and let us know!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/907650/Stronghold_Warlords/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8tZEYgdzp0
Firefly Studios’ Designer Stephen Richards and series creator Simon Bradbury have revealed four major improvements to AI behaviour found in their upcoming ‘castle sim’ sequel Stronghold: Warlords. This new entry in the historical real-time strategy series will usher in major improvements and refinements in how computer controlled opponents interact with the player, each other and any warlords present on the map.



AI behaviours related to castle management, skirmish combat and city building have been completely revamped for Stronghold: Warlords, in addition to being able to work with the new warlords system. Much like the archetypes of the warlords themselves - such as the Ox, Tiger and Crane - each enemy AI will adhere to a distinct style of play over a set of predetermined behaviours. The decisions made by computer opponents will now be made according to map layout, tactical positioning of warlords, available resources, current army composition and their priorities at different stages of gameplay.



In practical terms this means less hard coded, predictable behaviours and more flexibility in how AI opponents can outmanoeuvre the player, but also how it deals with the evolving situation within its own castle. Independent of the player, AI will build, sell resources and train their army according to changing priorities over the course of a skirmish match. Just as a human player would, the AI will adjust its focus between city building and RTS combat while also battling it out with the player for control over each map’s selection of warlords.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/907650/Stronghold_Warlords