I got Stronghold 3 not too long ago and have been enjoying it for the atmosphere and mechanics. The early bugs really killed it, but my only current gripe is that the buildings just feel too big. Stronghold 2 was definitely my favorite in terms of mechanics - estates were at their best, huge unit variety, humongous building options, crime and gong as a soft balance to high population/ale/etc. Warlords felt like it had the best unit design and balance, imo - bar the gunpowder stuff. Some things I'd like in a new stronghold game: More detailed morale system - Having something like this to personalize gameplay is big since stronghold games use a small variety of troops. - Multiple food types giving troops an hp buff (food IS morale after all!) - 'Good' and 'Bad' things give an attack buff/debuff (same as stronghold/crusader 1) Dairy/meat production rework - Make cheese production not suck. Make it a food chain, with cattle farms on farmland and a smaller, space effective building for milking/cheese near the granary. Otherwise, crusader 2 prolly had the best eco version. More sophisticated cavalry. - Swordsmen mount a horse to become heavy cavalry - Spearmen can mount a horse to become light cavalry - Ranger can mount a horse to become horse archers (where appropriate). - Melee units on horses gain modeled and +25% attack speed - Ranged units gain can shoot while moving, but have a very short range (think fire thrower) and fire 25% slower. - All cavalry units can mount and dismount on command and cannot attack/climb walls while mounted. Crossbowman/Archer rework - Most war bows were equal to better than crossbows against metal armor and in range. Crossbows had better accuracy and armor than archers, tho. - Crossbowman reworked to have a bit less damage vs metal armored units, but are more durable vs arrows and have a higher accuracy. - Rangers are reworked to be 'master' archers; have the same damage per shot and accuracy as crossbowmen, with the same fire rate as an archer. Keep the low hp and high speed of archers too. Religion works like it does in Stronghold/Crusader 1 - The other ideas are easier to manage, but are also very boring. A refined version of the early system would be more fun. - Max popularity given at +85% pop blessed - Churches have 3 priests which bless people, Cathedrals have 8, chapel are smaller - Can train monks to heal units. Churches can also train warrior monks. Cathedrals can also train temple knights (weaker swordsman that costs only gold like a mercenary). Other: - Keep hidden wall/elevation mechanics of early titles (damage reduction/miss change for units, durability for adjacency) - Fast placing method for pitch - Auto market - Setup multiple stockpiles/granaries in different locations.
All players really want is a game like the first two but with improvements like bigger maps, smarter and more dynamic AI, and just polishing of bugs and other stuff. Maybe new characters as well.
Glad to have let you know about the upcoming Stronghold Unreal. I will have future update videos on this channel, once Firefly tell us more. Thanks for watching :)
Stronghold 2 had a lot of potential, from a castle management standpoint it rely was the best in the series, but it fumbled too hard the story missions and the AI being dumb as hell. I want to hope it can pull off how things went in the first game, the "simpler" graphics made for a more balanced experience prior to the 3D graphics.
I agree, I think Firefly struggled to capture the same magic and balance with the second game in the series. Hopefully if Firefly revisit many of the mechanics they tried with Stronghold 2 and apply it to Strongold Unreal we will get the game the studio originally envisisioned when making Stronghold 2. Thanks for the comment :)
I follow every news about Stronghold Unreal and that's why I enjoy this video! I agree with everything you talk about. Now Stronghold Unreal has been in development for 3 years, I think we will see the release of this game in the fall of 2025. That's what I hope for. :)
Thank you for your comment :) Yes I am really excited for Stronghold Unreal too. My aim is to give updates as soon as we learn more. With it been 3 years in development it can't be long now 🤞
I got Stronghold 3 not too long ago and have been enjoying it for the atmosphere and mechanics. The early bugs really killed it, but my only current gripe is that the buildings just feel too big. Stronghold 2 was definitely my favorite in terms of mechanics - estates were at their best, huge unit variety, humongous building options, crime and gong as a soft balance to high population/ale/etc. Warlords felt like it had the best unit design and balance, imo - bar the gunpowder stuff.
Some things I'd like in a new stronghold game:
More detailed morale system - Having something like this to personalize gameplay is big since stronghold games use a small variety of troops.
- Multiple food types giving troops an hp buff (food IS morale after all!)
- 'Good' and 'Bad' things give an attack buff/debuff (same as stronghold/crusader 1)
Dairy/meat production rework - Make cheese production not suck. Make it a food chain, with cattle farms on farmland and a smaller, space effective building for milking/cheese near the granary. Otherwise, crusader 2 prolly had the best eco version.
More sophisticated cavalry.
- Swordsmen mount a horse to become heavy cavalry
- Spearmen can mount a horse to become light cavalry
- Ranger can mount a horse to become horse archers (where appropriate).
- Melee units on horses gain modeled and +25% attack speed
- Ranged units gain can shoot while moving, but have a very short range (think fire thrower) and fire 25% slower.
- All cavalry units can mount and dismount on command and cannot attack/climb walls while mounted.
Crossbowman/Archer rework - Most war bows were equal to better than crossbows against metal armor and in range. Crossbows had better accuracy and armor than archers, tho.
- Crossbowman reworked to have a bit less damage vs metal armored units, but are more durable vs arrows and have a higher accuracy.
- Rangers are reworked to be 'master' archers; have the same damage per shot and accuracy as crossbowmen, with the same fire rate as an archer. Keep the low hp and high speed of archers too.
Religion works like it does in Stronghold/Crusader 1 - The other ideas are easier to manage, but are also very boring. A refined version of the early system would be more fun.
- Max popularity given at +85% pop blessed
- Churches have 3 priests which bless people, Cathedrals have 8, chapel are smaller
- Can train monks to heal units. Churches can also train warrior monks. Cathedrals can also train temple knights (weaker swordsman that costs only gold like a mercenary).
Other:
- Keep hidden wall/elevation mechanics of early titles (damage reduction/miss change for units, durability for adjacency)
- Fast placing method for pitch
- Auto market
- Setup multiple stockpiles/granaries in different locations.
Thanks so much for sharing! Great ideas and far more in-depth than I can hope to achieve in a video 👍
All players really want is a game like the first two but with improvements like bigger maps, smarter and more dynamic AI, and just polishing of bugs and other stuff. Maybe new characters as well.
Exactly! Thanks for the comment :)
Some good requests 😎
Thank you! 🙂
I never understood the punishment system, maybe add a reward system too!
I definitely think it needs to be updated in some way with more features and changes here and there. Thanks for sharing!
I'm just finding out about this new game from you. Huge fan of Stronghold 1 and especially 2. Looking forward to the new one. Good video.
Glad to have let you know about the upcoming Stronghold Unreal. I will have future update videos on this channel, once Firefly tell us more. Thanks for watching :)
As long as they can make the AI smarter in skirmish mode, better the mechanics and graphics, I'll happy buyt it.
Thanks for your comment. Hopefully they will succeed in improving in the ways you say. Looking forward to an update from Firefly when the time comes 🙂
Stronghold 2 had a lot of potential, from a castle management standpoint it rely was the best in the series, but it fumbled too hard the story missions and the AI being dumb as hell. I want to hope it can pull off how things went in the first game, the "simpler" graphics made for a more balanced experience prior to the 3D graphics.
I agree, I think Firefly struggled to capture the same magic and balance with the second game in the series. Hopefully if Firefly revisit many of the mechanics they tried with Stronghold 2 and apply it to Strongold Unreal we will get the game the studio originally envisisioned when making Stronghold 2. Thanks for the comment :)
I follow every news about Stronghold Unreal and that's why I enjoy this video! I agree with everything you talk about. Now Stronghold Unreal has been in development for 3 years, I think we will see the release of this game in the fall of 2025. That's what I hope for. :)
Thank you for your comment :) Yes I am really excited for Stronghold Unreal too. My aim is to give updates as soon as we learn more. With it been 3 years in development it can't be long now 🤞