How to pass the mission an old acquaintance stronghold. "Stronghold": passage, plot, graphics, characters, quests, game characteristics and system requirements. Bow workshop

When the King was captured by the barbarians, internecine wars began to rip England apart. Several nobles, including the protagonist's father, tried to end the wars, but were killed by a gang of unknown people. Wounded and worn out the main character gets to the neutral peninsula, where the last remnants of resistance, loyal to the former king, have gathered. The hero is driven by only one thing - the desire for revenge. Under the command of the wisest Lord Wolsack and the bravest Sir Longarm, the hero embarks on his first task: building a camp and providing food for the people of resistance. Unfortunately, this quest failed due to an unfortunate choice of the location of the camp. The hero built it right in the middle of the wolf path. By order of Sir Longarm, the hero occupies an abandoned fort and begins training archers with the goal of destroying all the wolves by winter. Unfortunately, the task was complicated by the fact that this neutral county bordered the counties of the Duke de Puce, nicknamed the Rat. During the extermination of the wolves, the Rat spies spotted the strangers and reported everything to their master.
Without waiting for orders from Lord Woolsack, Sir Longarm gives the hero the order to build a fort on the borders of the Rat lands in order to better judge the size of his army. The mission is carried out unofficially. Having erected a fort on the border and defeating a squad of spies of de Pus, the hero captures his first county. Sir Longarm gives the order to move on. The rat is in a panic over the invasion of one of the counties, but his neighbor underestimates the threat and offers to go hunting while a small party deals with the rebels. The hero, however, repels all attacks and captures the second County of the Rat, and he panics again. Snake asks the Rat to calm down and relax, saying that he has come up with a plan. The rat puts forward a proposal for a truce.

01. First Camp

02. Building a fort

03. Extermination of Wolves

04. Secret Outpost

5. Between a rock and a hard place

Chapter II. Strengthening positions

Lord Wolsack is indignant at the hero and Sir Longarm for openly confronting the Rat and therefore decides to agree to the Rat's proposal to withdraw all troops from the captured counties. Sir Longarm warns that this is a trap, because the hero's father was killed in exactly the same situation, and offers, on the contrary, to attack, but Lord Wolsack does not listen to him. Sir Longarm's prediction proved to be true. The entire vanguard was slaughtered like pigs. Having removed Lord Wolsack from command, Sir Longarm sends the hero to the aid of his masons and orders to build a powerful fortress and repel the attack of the cowardly de Pius. The hero succeeded again, and one more county in the pocket of the rebels. The Snake drops the Rat and escapes. The rebels rejoice with might and main at the hero's victories and are already anticipating the imminent fall of the Rat, and Sir Longarm even appoints him commander-in-chief. But soon a request for help came from Lord Mankin. Lord Mankin raised the people in other counties to fight the tyrants, and the Wolf did not like this at all. Under the pressure of the Wolf, the Rat gathers its last strength and throws it into the attack on the possessions of Mankin, but the garrison of Mankin under the command of the hero again repulsed the attack of the Rat. And then the Duke of Beauregard (Snake) appears and offers the hero cooperation. For 20 barrels of ale, the Snake sends part of his troops, and they help to deal with the Rat. The Rat fled from his own Country, and the Serpent captured one of his counties (which was later recaptured by Sir Longarm). Realizing that it's time to end with one traitor, the hero takes his abandoned castle and begins to rebuild. To the aid of the Rat, the Wolf sends the troops of the Pig, but under the command of the incompetent Rat, they are defeated. Soon the Rat, from last strength collecting huge army, himself rushes into the attack in order to reclaim his castle, but dies in the battle. One of the traitors is defeated, and his helmet will be a good trophy.

The hero receives an order from Sir Longarm to move on. The next traitor is the Snake, the cunning governor who trapped the hero's father. While the hero makes his way and, fighting the troops of the Snake, occupies his possessions, the Wolf and the Duke de Truff (Boar) who joined him begin to actively conquer the counties of the Rat, captured by the rebels. Meanwhile, Sir Longarm negotiates with the barbarians a ransom for the King's life, and Lord Wolsack opens a second front in the former lands of the Rat. But having invaded the Snake County, the hero himself found himself in a difficult position, for his estates bordered on the lands of the Wolf, the most ferocious, experienced and cruel of all traitors. Part of the Wolf's troops goes to the aid of the Serpent. People panic because they know that their archers are powerless against the Wolf swordsmen. A mysterious monk comes to the rescue, giving the hero plans for detailed drawings for the creation of crossbows. Quickly translating theory into practice, the hero begins to train crossbowmen. The Swordsmen of the Wolf were defeated and the County of the Serpent was recaptured. However, with the capture of one county, the rebels lost another, which was captured by the Boar, and Lord Wolsack was brutally tortured and eventually killed.

06. Rat makes a proposal

07. Breakthrough

08. Deal with the Devil

09. Finish the rat

10. The snake hunt has begun

11. First blood

Chapter III. And one warrior in the field

In order to collect the ransom, the hero attacks the camp where the Snake's treasury is located and steals all his money. The entire required amount was sent to the barbarians. Realizing that it is impossible to hesitate (the Wolf decided to take the rebels seriously), Sir Longarm gives the hero the order to storm the Serpent's castle and kill him. The boar troops come to the aid of the Serpent, but it did not help. Before his death, the Snake admits that he lured the hero's father into a trap, but did not kill, and falls dead. Realizing that the Wolf's army is already on the way, the hero retreats with the remaining troops.

Now you need to deal with the penultimate traitor. First, the hero has to go under cover of night to the County of Cabana, which is located in the mountains, and repulse his attacks. From Sir Longarm, the hero learns that he and the King are going across the sea to collect troops, and therefore he must provide a distraction so that they can safely go to sea. The maneuver was a success. The small army of the Boar is defeated, and Sir Longarm and the King safely sailed away. But the people are exhausted and tired, and the troops of the Wolf are stepping on their heels. The boar began his campaign of conquest through the counties of the rebels, imposing extortionate taxes there. Taking advantage of this, the hero decides to capture the family castle of the Boar (which he left during the campaign) and through it retreat to the swamps, where it will be difficult for the Wolf to get it, and he can easily deal with the Boar. Capturing the castle, the hero successfully retreats to the swamps. Tired of chasing him, the Wolf orders the Pig to deal with him. The boar is confident in his victory, for the hero is cornered. After the construction of the fortifications, the hero begins to collect the stone. The hero is again replaced by the Pig. Soon the hero is asked for help by the same monk who gave the drawing of the crossbow. He asks to protect the monastery from the Kaban people who are trying to find valuable manuscripts. Fortunately, they are looking in the wrong place, and the monk gives another secret - a fiery river and how to create it (in other words, this is the most ordinary moat with oil, set on fire by fiery arrows). With her help, the hero defeats the Boar.

13. Eye of the Snake

14. Mountain paths

15. Making our way to the swamps

Part IV: For the King and the Kingdom!

Then the hero receives news from Sir Longarm that he and the king have captured several more counties. The hero has to restrain the library of the church from the raids of the boar army for several more months. During the siege, he learns the most important secret - boiling oil (poured onto enemies). After the hero moves to the last county of the Cabana - his family castle. But since the previous siege, it was rebuilt again, a new garrison was hired, and in general it was strengthened. Using his small army, the hero proceeds to storm the castle. The siege lasts for several months, but at the end the hero overtakes the Boar and kills this "fat pig".

The wolf is furious and seriously fears for his life in front of such skill, which he did not expect at all. In despair, he threatens to kill the hero and organizes a siege on the hero's castle, using very "dirty" methods, namely plague (throwing dead cows inside the castle and further spreading the infection). Having been warned by Sir Longarm, the hero has an experienced healer with him, and the plague is not a hindrance to his people. Not without difficulty, he repels the attacks of the Wolf. The annoyed Wolf decides to lure the hero into a trap and announces to him that although the Snake had lured the hero's father into the trap, it was the Wolf who killed him. The hero decides that the time has come for revenge, and, without saying anything to the higher command, personally invades the Wolf's lair. Fortunately, people, seeing that the power of the Wolf is coming to an end, stand under the banner of the hero, and the hero himself receives a message from Sir Longarm. He tells him to take refuge in the castle abandoned by the Wolf and wait for reinforcements. Having repulsed another attack of the Wolf, the hero meets reinforcements. The time has come! The king personally asks the hero to take command over the entire army of the kingdom in the attack on the Wolf's lair! Wolf Castle was rumored to be impregnable! This rumor was dispelled by the hero who broke into the very Citadel of the Wolf. In the ensuing battle, the Wolf realizes his defeat and, holding out a sword to the hero, says: "You can kill me, but I'm not going to fall on my knees!" The hero pierces the Wolf and with the words "For my father!" turns the handle and pushes the Wolf off the parapet. The Wolf's cry echoes throughout the citadel.

Stronghold crusader- exciting and developing computer game... It represents and is dedicated to the crusades that took place in the Middle East.

for many years original game popular among personal computer users. It is simple, but it is distinguished by a variety of strategies and tactics.

Stronghold Crusader game features

The Stronghold Crusader player has fifty missions to complete. They are usually arranged in order of increasing difficulty. However, sometimes in the initial missions, super difficult ones happen, after which it is much easier to go through the next stages.

In the game Stronghold Crusader, you can change the speed. It is much easier to play at a lower speed, since your computer opponent will slowly develop at the same speed. If you play at a speed of 100, then while you mix only the market and additional warehouses, your enemy can restore the whole castle.

Stronghold Crusader Characters

The game has a large number of different characters. They help the protagonist to fight numerous trials: hunger, plague, fire. The main danger is the attack of powerful and strong enough opponents. The main figure of the game is a lord who must be constantly protected. The death of the main character means the end of the game.

The peasants provide their master-lord with food. The workers present in the Stronghold Crusader must mine iron, stones and wood. Warriors play an important role in the game. In order for the passage to be successful, it is necessary to constantly increase the ranks of the troops. They must be recruited from among the unoccupied peasants, pinmen, swordsmen, spearmen and archers.

In Stronghold Crusader, you can be a good lord. He cares about his people: feed well, build taverns for them, exempt from taxes, and so on. All these actions increase his popularity, but his people become lazy and there is a significant decrease in productivity. Due to this, an insufficient amount of weapons, food and production products is created. As a result, this leads to problems in protecting the castle.

The tyrant lord imposes exorbitant taxes on the people and employs executioners when necessary. Then his people begin to work at full strength and labor productivity rises. However, there is also a minus - the popularity of the lord is steadily falling, as a result of which people can leave the castle forever. This can lead to disastrous results, and there will be no one to protect and feed the main character.

The best option is to find a middle ground. The peasants must be taxed with feasible taxes. Taxation can be successfully offset by taverns or churches, which balances tax revenues and does not reduce the lord's popularity.

A barracks should be built for the troops. To build a barracks, you need stones that workers can get. In the strategy game, you can also use the services of hired soldiers. With their help, you can overcome a potential enemy much faster.

To build a camp for Arab mercenaries or a barn where peasants live, you need to get a tree. Everything that is grown and mined by peasants can be successfully sold or bought in a special mobile shop, which is also built from wood. Surplus weapons produced by artisans can also be sold.

The most interesting thing about Stronghold Crusader is the confrontation between teams that use various strategic and tactical techniques. Moreover, each of the participants has a specific task. The game should take into account the location of the lord's castle, the location of the iron mines and quarries. It is necessary to be the first to seize the field, not allowing the enemy to do it. The most important thing is to make important decisions independently and boldly, then the victory will be yours.

How much time do you spend on completing one (even the most simple mission)? 20-30 minutes, and sometimes an hour or two! The secret of high-speed passage (without codes and Artmoney) is this.

At the start of the mission, you should build a barn, 5–7 houses, a store and a mercenary camp. Sell ​​out all the goods you received (leave some food), and hire assassins mercenaries with all the money in the camp. After that, send them to the castle of the still undeveloped enemy. Since he has not yet managed to make a sufficient number of troops, there is a chance to kill the king and get at least 500 gold, and if there are several more opponents, you need to hire assassins for all the money and send them to another king :) Thus, you can destroy several opponents at once in a few minutes ... Here's an example.

Not satisfied with the distance from the warehouse to the resource extraction site? There is a chance to cut it. Here's how I do it.

During the game, remove the first tile (at the beginning of the mission) and all that you have built. Find the best place for a warehouse near the resource production, and build a warehouse there. P.S. The highest income comes from the immediate proximity of the warehouse to the iron ore mining sites. Here's an example.

Don't know who to choose as your allies?

I can recommend "Pig". There are many advantages to this.

1. In alliance with PIG, you will never feel hungry, because during the game you can repeatedly demand a large amount of cheese from it.
2. He is good in terms of combat tactics.
3. He almost never refuses a request for a joint attack on the enemy.

If the castle is built as close as possible to the sign from which the enemy soldiers are coming out. But not at the very last point, but a little further away, so that you can make fortifications of the castle, in particular, you need towers! Then, as soon as the enemy soldiers approach the sign, you can fire at them even before they are ungrouped!

1. First, if you are afraid of an imminent attack, you can reduce the speed of the game, this is done by pressing (digital) "+" and "-". Then, you need to build about 8 sawmills located, the closer to the trees the better, but do not forget that when the enemy attacks them, they can be destroyed, so it will be better if they are closer to your castle. You will need wood to build buildings and some weapons.

2. Immediately after that, you need to increase the warehouse (at least four times), otherwise you will not be able to put resources in it until you spend those that are.

3. The next thing you need to do is build a barn so that people are well fed and happy :-), i.e. to maintain popularity, which should be at least 100, otherwise, people will start leaving you, and there will be no one to work with.

4. Be sure to build houses (4 pieces to begin with), otherwise there will again be problems with the population.

5. After that, you need to take care of what you will feed them. It's up to you, well, the best I think is to build the following things:

• a mill for grain processing;
• grain farm (2-3 pcs.), for harvesting wheat;
• and a bakery for baking bread (about 4 or more).

You can also build either apple orchards, or dairy farms or hunting huts, if of course they are available to you, note that you will need more of them than grain farms. As the variety of food increases, the popularity increases.

6. If you are preparing for an imminent enemy attack, then I can advise the following.

• Since the best shooting units in this game are the crossbowmen, it's best to start with them. To do this, you need to build an armory, stone barracks and a market.
• After that, depending on how much money you have, you need to buy crossbows and leather armor in order to hire crossbowmen.
• And after that build the towers to which you will send them, for a start 2-3 should be enough.
• It is also advisable to install ballistae on the towers, to protect against siege weapons, and you can also put shields there.

Well, and further along the course of the play, you provide yourself with a stone, build pubs and all that they need for a day is a brewery (preferably 2) and a hop factory. You build a shooter's workshop, where you choose crossbows and a leather workshop, you also need to build a dairy farm for it, otherwise, where can he get the leather from :-). Don't forget about the taxes that people have to pay you for all the amenities.

There are many ways, you can't write everything, especially since it all depends on the design of the enemy's castle, on his defense and, of course, on who you are playing with. In general, the main thing in strategy, if you play with a person, is a non-standard approach, but there are things that are useful to know.

• Protecting your siege weapons with shields, they are still outrageously cheap.
• Not attacking a well-defended castle with a bunch of soldiers, it rarely helps.
• You need to choose the optimal distance for the siege, where the arrows will not reach you.
• If possible, you can use ballistae to set fire to the enemy castle, this will force the enemy to fork out for recovery, and if you are lucky, it will also reduce the number of enemy troops.
• If there are guns on the towers, then it is better to fire at the towers from the tribushe, although guns can be fired from the towers and up to them, but again they can be protected with shields.
• Do not strive to capture the castle quickly, there is no need to rush here.
• And it is advisable to bring the situation to the point that your arrows and ballistae stood next to the enemy castle, and boldly and with impunity fired at every soldier who appeared.
• Well, then you know what to do.

Read more about buildings and units in.

My city stood in spite of all deaths

And there would be another century.

But against evil, the city invented evil,

And the shrouds began to snow for him.

Maybe the sun will rise one more time

And melt the ice over the city,

But I'm afraid to imagine

The color of this melt water.

Nautilus Pompilius

Every year game industry makes a rapid leap towards the visual quality of new products. But it turns out that developers are paying less and less attention to what we call gameplay. As a result, beautiful dummies hit the shelves, breaking sales records, but not able to keep you at the computer for more than an hour.

Stronghold is a rare example modern game, where the main emphasis is not on graphics, but on the general game concept, which takes time to figure it out, but more than pays for the effort.
Interface

In this regard, the game does not shine with originality, well, thank God. The first thing that catches your eye besides the notorious card is an embittered peyzanin in the right corner, holding a prehistoric Talmud in his hands. Its pages display key data on the state of affairs in your settlement. The upper figure corresponds to your level of popularity, the middle one shows the state of the treasury, and the lower one is responsible for the number of houses built and occupied.

At the bottom left of the screen is the main control panel for your settlement. With the help of six small icons at the bottom, we select the type of buildings that we want to build, and on the panel itself - a specific building. Construction takes place instantly, without having to wait for the completion of the work.

Also, this panel is used to select the required units from a group of troops. That is, having selected a certain number of soldiers, we get complete information about who exactly we are commanding at the moment. Now, by clicking on one or another type of troops on the main panel, we can separate from the general crowd, for example, only archers or only knights.

Another interesting effect can be achieved by right-clicking on any part of the game screen: after that, impromptu panels appear around the cursor. The upper one allows you to look at the terrain from a different angle, the right one - zoom in / out, the lower one - to make buildings much lower in order to be able to more clearly assess the location of buildings and troops (almost the same effect is given by pressing the spacebar), and the left one removes the menu bar from the screen ...
The first steps
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I hasten to reassure you: understanding the interface doesn't mean anything. It's always difficult to start, but you have to;) So, first of all, mortgage your castle. Then the granary. Next, distribute several lumberjack huts on the map. When the work is completed, determine the most acceptable type of food, in accordance with which you will develop your food industry. At the first stages, these are hunters' huts and grain farms, in the future you can experiment with the rest of the buildings, but for a start, I recommend limiting yourself to the standard set.

If everything is approximately clear with the living creatures, then the grain is simply not suitable for food and requires further processing. First, it must be ground into flour, and then taken to the bakery to bake bread. This will require the creation of several more buildings, namely a mill and a couple of bakeries. Now your people will at least not starve to death.

The next point in the development of your settlement should be the establishment of a temporary defense. You should not swing at the construction of monumental fortifications, try to limit yourself to a minimum of troops and fortress walls, investing basic funds in the development of infrastructure.

The best thing that can be advised here is a dozen archers on a hill, inaccessible to direct attacks of the enemy.

Further, the strategy is fundamentally no different from the above. Balancing on the brink of productivity and military stability, we are leading the overall development of our settlement, gradually expanding the defensive ranks and erecting fortifications.
Basic concepts
Popularity

Among all the indicators characterizing the state of affairs in the settlement, one of the first places is occupied by the level of your popularity among the people. A green smiling face means everything is fine. Yellow - that not everyone is satisfied with your rule. And if the face turns red, then the peasants will begin to leave the castle.

Therefore, keep a close eye on the popularity level displayed in the lower right corner and do not let it go below 50.

There are only seven ways to influence the mood of peasants, but the main factors are two: food and taxes.
Food

Changing the food intake in the granary is one of the easiest and most effective ways to influence popularity. Both the amount of food and its variety matter.

Initially, the peasants are given a full (single) portion. Decreasing the diet will have a negative effect, but will save food reserves, while increasing it will have the opposite effect.
Tax

The set tax level also affects your popularity, and if there is a lot of gold in the treasury, then it makes sense to distribute it to the peasants from time to time.

An interesting effect can be achieved by increasing the portions of food and at the same time raising taxes (or vice versa). Thus, it turns out that we largely consume one of the resources, while holding on to the other.
Construction of walls

Walls are selected from the Castle Buildings category. They can be built either element by element, by placing only one section on the map, or by stretching the entire wall to any distance. Thus, by choosing to create a wall from the list, you move the mouse cursor until you are satisfied with the result.

If you have enough stone or wood in your reserve, and the terrain conditions do not interfere with the construction of this type of fortification, then by releasing the mouse button, you will receive a finished structure.

Walls can be built of any thickness, and it is much more difficult to break through multi-layer fortifications than single ones.
Construction of steps

Fortress walls are a guarantee of tranquility of any city, but if you want to take full advantage of the opportunities provided, then simply do not forget to provide your soldiers with access to them.

Ladders are built in the same way as walls, but must join either your standard walls or the edge of the gatehouse. To build them, select the Ladders and move the mouse pointer to the wall section. Now press and hold the left mouse button while moving it to the side. You will see the outlines of the stairs appear; when you are satisfied with the result, release the mouse button.
Fear factor

Workers' productivity largely depends on how harsh a ruler you are perceived to be. How better opinion about you people, the higher your popularity, but the worse they work. Accordingly, if you are known as a tyrant and usurper, then the level of popularity will remain low, but, fearing punishment, the peasants will work with great diligence.

Depending on what seems most reasonable to you at one time or another, you can influence the opinion of the people by placing around your castle either entertainment facilities (gardens, statues, agaves ...), or frightening (gallows, blocks, cesspools. ..).
Religion

The construction of religious buildings triggers an influx of priests who begin to bless you and your people, thereby raising the level of popularity. True, the effect of the blessing passes quickly, and it has to be repeated constantly.
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The more people from your village visit religious institutions, the greater the bonus to the popularity level you will receive. And don't forget that as the settlement develops, people will want ever more impressive and expensive religious buildings. If they are not built, then the level of popularity will begin to decline.
Tavern

The same as the Tavern.
Overpopulation

If all goes well, then over time the total number of your vassals will increase. In order not to face the problem of lack of housing, try to build new huts in a timely manner. If the state of affairs becomes critical, then the indicator located in the lower right corner of the screen will immediately remind you of this.

Overpopulation can also occur if multiple houses have been destroyed by you or destroyed by the enemy.
Fairs and exhibitions

During the game, travelers will visit your castle and arrange fairs and other entertainments. While they are in town, you will receive a temporary bonus to your overall popularity. But, unfortunately, these events are temporary in nature because it is not in your power to control the nomadic actors.
Building
Fortress

The most important building in the game and must be completed first. Here not only lives and holds the last line of defense during the siege of the Lord, but also your treasury. By left clicking on this building, you will see the treasury control panel and will be able to set the level of taxes levied.

The fortress is also home to some of your people, ranging from eight or more, depending on the size of the building.
Barracks

The creation of barracks is the first step towards the formation of an efficient army. Clicking on a building will open the conscription panel. If there are free peasants near your campfire, and the necessary weapons are in the arsenal, then you can simply click on the type of troops you want to train and they will be created. Requirements for the weapons required for each type of troops will be highlighted on the panel when you hover over the soldier icons.
Arsenal

As the name suggests, the arsenal is used to store weapons produced by artisans. In total, no more than 64 units and no more than 4 types of weapons can be simultaneously placed in the arsenal. If it is necessary to expand the arsenal, place another one next to the existing one, otherwise, after an overflow, the production of weapons will inevitably stall.

When creating troops, newly minted soldiers will independently take the type of weapon they need.
Wooden gate

Like other fortifications made of wood, these gates are not particularly durable. They rather create the illusion of protection, but as soon as the enemy is struck, nothing will remain of the oak foundation.

Of course, you can open or close the gate at any time, but when the enemy approaches, they will close automatically.

An alternative application of this type of gate can be to regulate the movement of wild animals on the map.
Wooden platform

A simple wooden platform gives your troops a height advantage, allowing them to fire at longer range and gain additional protection from incoming projectiles.

This type of platform should be built next to a wooden wall.
Stone gate
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The stone gate is an order of magnitude superior to its wooden counterpart. Since the enemy always considers the gate as the easiest way to penetrate the castle, then, if possible, try to timely replace the wooden copy with the stone one.

If necessary, and if there is a moat around the building, the stone gate can also be equipped with a drawbridge.
Drawbridge

A drawbridge allows peasants to cross the moat that surrounds your castle. It is very important to build it before starting to dig the ditch, because the bridge has a limited length and as a result it may simply not be enough.

You can raise and lower the bridge in the same way as opening and closing a regular gate.
Water moat

No matter how strong the wall is, anything can be destroyed. Therefore, the next level of defense after the construction of the fortress walls should be a moat with water. Despite the laboriousness of the process, believe me, it's worth it. The main thing is not to forget to place the drawbridges in time, because you can inadvertently lock yourself in your own castle.
Guild of Engineers

This building allows you to train high-altitude engineers and engineers who will later make your siege vehicles. By clicking on this building, you will see the recruitment panel, with which you can pay for them in gold.

Thus, if you have free peasants and a sufficient amount of money, then you can create an appropriate squad.
Underground Guild

Here everything is the same as in the case of the guild of engineers, only instead of them you have the opportunity to create detachments of diggers.
Wolf pit

These are deadly camouflaged traps dug out with the aim of providing as much trouble to your enemies as possible. Wolf pits are invisible to the enemy and absolutely safe for their own.
Resin pits

Unlike wolf pits, at the bottom they are not sharpened stakes, but resin extracted from swamps. At first glance, this does not pose any danger to the enemy, but, being set on fire, the resin is capable of causing significant damage to anyone. The flame will begin to spread from pit to pit, and if you are lucky, then after a while the entire enemy army will be in a fiery hell.

You can set fire to the resin using burning arrows.
Brazier

Braziers are used by archers to light arrows and should be built on the walls of the castle. Once construction is complete, any archer near the brazier will light their arrows before firing.

Ignited arrows are not much more effective than conventional arrows, so braziers are primarily used to ignite tar pits.
Melting furnace

This building allows you to process tar into boiling oil. When an engineer starts working in the smelting furnace, he will carry the resin from your warehouse and cook it until oil is obtained. To assign an engineer there, select one of the existing ones, and then move the mouse cursor over the furnace.

The oven holds a maximum of 9 pieces of resin. After filling it, your assigned engineers will begin to collect oil in pots, which can be placed on the walls and splashed on the heads of the attackers during the siege.
Stable
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The backbone of the defense is not at all archers, but engineers with pots of butter.

When you build a stable, knightly horses will be raised in it. The stable can accommodate up to 4 stallions in total. When you start recruiting riders, you should already have the horses in stock.

Also, do not forget that in the intervals between battles, horses need rest, so you can immediately forget about setting the production of mounted knights on the conveyor, limiting yourself to only four for each stable building.
Perimeter tower

These small stone towers are relatively cheap to build and therefore ideal for use in the first line of defense. They are much stronger than walls and allow archers stationed on them to fire at a much greater distance.

Unfortunately, the foundations of the towers are not very strong, which makes them vulnerable to diggers. Access to the tower is provided by the construction of a fortress wall next to it.
Large perimeter tower

This tower is more difficult to destroy than the previous one, but it is still vulnerable to attacks from miners.

The rest of the advantages include an even greater firing range and the number of people accommodated.
Square tower

This large stone tower has plenty of room to house a Mangonella or Ballista. Unlike previous versions, the square towers have a solid foundation, making them inaccessible to underground attacks by the miners.

They also withstand heavy fire, are of great height and accommodate a large garrison.
Round Tower

The strongest and most expensive of all towers in the game. Thanks to its round shape, it can withstand attacks from enemy throwing weapons. Like a square tower, it can accommodate a Mangonella or Ballista. She is protected from attacks by diggers, has good overview and accommodates a solid garrison. In other words, there would be money, and the rest will follow ...;)
Industrial buildings
Storage

All your resources are stored here, except for gold, food and weapons. All storages are located next to the fortress, which makes it easier to defend against enemies. Additional areas for storing resources can only be allocated in the vicinity of the existing ones, therefore, while developing your castle, try to leave room for possible expansion of the storage.

The appearance of the storage will give you approximate information about the degree of its filling; by clicking the mouse, you can get the exact numbers.
Lumberjack's hut

Wood is essential for the construction of almost all buildings. Therefore, the first thing that accompanies the successful development of any settlement is several loggers' huts. They should be located as close to the forest as possible, because the lumberjack spends most of the time moving between the house and the fallen tree, and only after collecting the required amount of wood, he takes it to the storage.

If there is not enough space in the storage, the logging will stop, and the lumberjack will hang around his hut until there is space.
Quarry

This building allows you to mine stone, which is necessary for the construction of defensive structures. It should be built near light gray boulders.

When three workers arrive at the quarry, they will begin to mine the stone and, giving it the correct cubic shape, store it around. When the place is over, work will stop and resume again only with the appearance of it.

But before using stones in construction, they must be transported to a warehouse. To do this, you need ox carts.
Leash bulls

Tethering of bulls is necessary exclusively for transporting mined stones from the quarry to the storage. As soon as the bull driver arrives, he will start loading the stone. So, for optimal production, try to balance the mining industry and the number of bull tethers.

The bull can be loaded with no more than 8 blocks at a time.
Ore mine

Iron is necessary to create the most advanced weapons, so when deciding to start a militaristic campaign, try to provide your industry with an uninterrupted supply of it. Iron ore mines can be located where you find rusty hilltops.

Ore mining employs two people. One directly mines and smelts the ore, and the second delivers it to the warehouse.
Cooking resin

Resin is an indispensable element in the defense of any fortress. It is used not only to fill tar ditches, but also to pour unlucky enemies over the heads. Therefore, if you are waiting for a serious invasion, then try to stock up on the viscous black liquid in time.

The resin plant can be placed where there are black oil bubbles in the swamps. One person is enough for extraction and delivery.
Market

The market is vital, it is the engine of the economy. After it is built, merchants will start coming to your castle to sell and buy goods. By clicking on the market, you will see a panel where you can select certain products that you are willing to sell, as well as evaluate the range of products offered by merchants.
Food buildings
Hunter's house
88

Eh, I set fire to the tar too early.

One of the quickest and easiest ways to feed your people is to hunt deer. Their nomadic herds look very tempting, therefore, by placing several hunting posts on the map, you can shoot animals, thereby ensuring a stable flow of food.

But in every case, a measure is needed, so do not overdo it, because by overly active shooting, you can completely exterminate the livestock and be left without a convenient source of food.
Milk farm

This farm allows you to produce cheese. A milkman will come here to graze the cows. As soon as there are three of those, he will begin to milk them and then deliver cheese made from milk to the store.

An obstacle to the development of dairy farms is the manufacture of leather armor, because leatherworkers will constantly need cow skins.
Wheat farm

Wheat farms are the first link in one of the most productive food chains in the castle. The harvested grain is delivered to the warehouse, where it is stored until grinding.

Wheat farms cannot be located on hills or uneven terrain. If the farm is far from the castle, then you may not have time to harvest the entire crop, and it will begin to rot.
Hop farm

Here, things are in many ways identical to wheat. Again, you should not locate the farm on heights and far from the castle, because the hops that have not been harvested in time will start to rot after a while.

The collected hops are also stored in the warehouse.
Orchard

This is the largest of all the farms. Apples are grown here. As they mature, the gardener will carry them to storage, supplying you with another type of food.

Gardens should be located in fertile flat terrain, preferably not too high.
City buildings
House

Housing availability determines the maximum population that can reside in your castle. Initially, several peasants can live in the fortress, but over time it will overflow, and you will need to build houses for your wards. Each dwelling placed will increase the potential population by 8. The current and maximum population is displayed in the lower right corner of the screen.

But do not rush too actively to attract peasants, because in the case of an unsettled food sector, you risk depleting food supplies too quickly. And if you try to destroy already inhabited houses, it will greatly affect your reputation.

The computer game Stronghold was created in 2001 by the British company Firefly Studios. Its genre is a real-time strategy game. The game, whose name in translation from English sounds like "Citadel", invites its participants to build, storm, defend a medieval castle or develop the economy of the settlement.

Passage of quests "Stronghold" is a large-scale military and economic campaign, consisting of 21 missions. All the tasks offered to the players are story-related, which allows you to consistently go through each of the stages of the castle's development, from the construction of its main building to the use of troops for the assault.

The plot of the game takes us to Medieval England. All actions begin in 1066. However, tasks do not always have time limits. That is why some missions last for tens or even hundreds of "playable" years.

At the time of the game's release, the main aspects of its rules were an innovation of the genre. In this regard, Stronghold has been highly regarded by many for its uniqueness. It is worth noting that the number of fans of this game was so great that it was the reason for the creation of a large community. Its members took up the creation of various amateur modifications and game cards.

A little later, Stronghold was replenished with five sequels and two spin-offs. This is Stronghold Crusader, which appeared in 2002, and Stronghold 2 in 2005. In addition, the spin-off Stronghold Legends (2006), Stronghold Crusader Extreme, released in 2008, Stronghold 3 (2011), spin-off Stronghold Kingdoms (2012). The last sequel was released by the developers in 2014 under the name Stronghold Crusader 2.

During the implementation of the game, more than five million copies were sold.

Graphic arts

The first thing that each of the players is struck by the passage of "Stronghold" - the stunning beauty of nature. From the very beginning of the training missions, landscapes worthy of the paintings of Lucas Cranach the Elder appear on the screen. This is, for example, the blue surf, which is bewitchingly crushed at the very foot of the rocky cliffs. Not far from it you can see a herd of reindeer resting in a green forest glade. Sunbeams created by treetops fluttering in the wind also jump here. However, the player will simply have no time to admire this magnificence. After all, all his attention will be captured by the gameplay.

The fruits of civilization are no less picturesque. The fact is that when creating the castles, the authors used medieval engravings. This made it possible to thoroughly reproduce all the features and details of 12 types of structures that existed in reality.

The players also look with pleasure at other buildings - military and utility ones. They are also worked out to the smallest detail.

When passing "Stronghold", you can click on the image of a bakery or workshop. After that, what is happening inside them appears on the screen.

Farms are also pleasing to the eye. Their fields sprout very beautifully, then turn green and spike.

System requirements

Passage of "Stronghold 1" is possible if you have:

• 4 MB of video memory;
• 750 MB hard drive;
• 64 MB of RAM;
• Pentium II 300 MHz.

The game is controlled by the keyboard and mouse.

Stronghold modes

There are two of them in the game. This is a military way and a peaceful one. These modes represent the path of battles and economic development. What is provided by the authors here?

There is a military campaign in the battles. It includes multiplayer, siege and invasion. In the economic mode, there are missions that develop the settlement, as well as free construction.

The game has its own map editor. With it you can create maps of siege, construction, invasion, as well as economic, for siege missions and for network game... There is also a multiplayer mode. It makes it possible to play over the Internet or using local network.

Gameplay

During the passage of missions "Stronghold" the player becomes a lord, ruling a medieval castle along with its inhabitants, as well as the commander of his troops. The main character's task includes:

• providing the castle with raw materials and food;
• training troops for a siege and for striking the enemy;
• the establishment of a graying economy.

For the castle to flourish, the player will need to maintain popularity at a certain level. This indicator is estimated in points ranging from 0 to 100. At values ​​below 50, its inhabitants will begin to leave the castle. And if the popularity exceeds this threshold, then new people will appear in the settlement.

How to achieve the right level? To do this, it is necessary to have the optimal amount of food supplies and establish an adequate level of taxes. In addition, the number of residents will increase due to the construction of houses. But it should be borne in mind that in this case, large reserves of food will be required.

During the passage of the game "Stronghold" any task can be completed almost instantly. Soldiers are trained here without delay. But only for this, the player will need weapons produced in special workshops and financial resources.

The lord himself can also participate in the passage of the military campaign in the Stronghold. Together with other soldiers, he is able to fight on the battlefield. However, it should be borne in mind that the death of this hero will mean, accordingly, the end of the mission.

Construction and economics

When passing "Stronghold" the player is offered six types of tasks. With their help, you can build:

• castle structures (barracks, gates, towers, walls, etc.);
• buildings used for the extraction of resources (mines, quarries, sawmills, etc.);
• urban structures (churches, wells, houses, etc.);
• workshops for the manufacture of weapons and armor;
• buildings in which products will be processed (barns, etc.);
• agricultural structures (farms, etc.).

All construction is carried out instantly. At the request of the player, buildings can be demolished.

There are four types of resources in the castle. Among them are oil, iron, as well as stone and wood. They are mined in wells and mines, quarries and sawmills.

The player needs a tree to build almost all buildings. To do this, you will need to use the labor of lumberjacks. They will felled the tree, saw it, and then the finished boards will be delivered to the warehouse.

To build a castle, the player will need a stone. It is mined in quarries. Oxen must be used to transport this material.

Iron in the game is needed to make weapons and armor. It will also be needed for boilers in which oil will boil. Iron is mined in the mines.

The inhabitants of the castle need oil for oil, which will be brought to a boil and poured onto the heads of opponents. They can also fill the ditches, and then set them on fire. This will allow you to destroy the enemies that are in these ditches. Oil is extracted in wells.

In order to provide the inhabitants of the castle with food, the player needs to build dairy farms, hunters' huts, wheat fields and apple orchards. All this will allow you to get bread, apples, cheese and meat.

But not everything is so simple. The mined will need, first of all, to turn into flour. Only after that it will be possible to bake bread from it. The player needs to manually configure the products allowed by the Lord to be consumed in the system, as well as the speed of their use. This or that volume can seriously affect the level of popularity.

The player is given the right to build hops. They will grow the raw materials for ale. This hop drink is consumed in inns and also earns additional popularity points.

How efficiently any building will perform will depend in part on the deference shown by the player. He can erect a large number of May poles, monuments and gardens that increase his popularity. However, workers will spend most of their time not on work, but on walks.

On the other hand, the player can start building up instruments of intimidation and torture. This will lead to the loss of some of the popularity. However, in this case, workers will work more hours.

Popularity is also controlled through the construction of cathedrals, churches and chapels. You can also get gold in the game. This is done in two ways - through trade and taxes. However, it should be borne in mind that the market in the game is not always available, and purchases are made on it only in five units. Sales are carried out based on the amount of goods available in warehouses. In the future, the obtained gold must be used for the construction of siege weapons, as well as for the training of soldiers and city buildings.

The main dilemma for the player when completing missions is maintaining a balance between popularity and economic benefits.

War

There are no separate peoples and races in the Stronghold game. Each side has the same set of soldiers to recruit. In order to reproduce units, the player will need to build a barracks and an armory, filling it with swords and armor. Also, you cannot do without gold and free peasants. Soldiers are trained in the game instantly. Among them are units designed for ranged combat. These are crossbowmen and archers. Such soldiers attack the enemy automatically, already at its first appearance. There are units and melee. They are represented by knights and swordsmen, pikemen, infantrymen with maces and spearmen. All of them will be idle until they receive an order to attack a specific enemy.

The main focus of the game is on the defense and siege of the castle. That is why many of the ideas that the developers have applied are considered innovative. The player can allow the army to take a position on the towers and move along the walls of the castle, while firing at the enemy below.

The player can also storm the enemy's city, breaking the walls of his fortress or capturing them using ladders and he is also given the opportunity to organize an epidemic or fire.

Troops

There are two guilds in the game - sappers and engineers. In the barracks there are combat units, as well as knights. The latter are the only type of cavalry. There are also monks in the game. However, they cannot be hired. The developers fixed this gap a little later. So, during the passage of missions "Stronghold Crusader" monks can be hired in the cathedral.

Among the representatives of the guild of engineers are both the engineers themselves and the siege workers. The first of them do not have any weapons. However, the player can attach them to a vat of oil, to defensive weapons or to siege machines. They can also pour boiling oil over the heads of enemies.

The sappers guild is allowed to hire sappers-diggers. They are able to dig under the stone fortifications of enemies. Thanks to this, the walls of the fortress are crumbling.

Among the soldiers in the barracks, there are those who have special skills. The player can hire them to set fire to oil pits, climb siege ladders or dig ditches.

According to the plot of the game, the king, who led Medieval England, was captured by barbarians. The country was captured by greedy barons. The player is invited to lead the troops that remained loyal to the king, and gradually conquer England, captured by four villains - the Duke of Volpe (Wolf), the Duke of Beauregard (Serpent), the Duke de Truff (Boar) and the Duke de Puce (Rat).

Stronghold Crusader Modes

This computer game is an independent addition to the basic strategy. There are four historical campaigns available in it. Among them:

1. "To arms." This campaign is the simplest one. It is dedicated to the First Crusade, which took place in 1094-1099. During the passage of "Stronghold Crusader" the player needs to master the management of the castle, as well as the principles of siege and defense.
2. "The Conquests of Saladin". During the passage of this campaign, the Arab troops fall under the control of the player. All missions in this case are siege missions. This campaign is dedicated to the campaigns of Saladin, which were undertaken by him in 1187.
3. "Royal Crusade". This campaign was an attempt to liberate Jerusalem. It was undertaken by the King of England Richard the Lionheart, King of France Phillip II, and also the Emperor of Germany Frederick I Barbarossa. All missions in this campaign are defensive.
4. "Wars of the Crusaders". This campaign does not claim to be based on real events. However, it reflects well the spirit of the wars waged by the crusaders in the Middle East.

There is also a special campaign in the game. It is called "The Way of the Crusader". It includes 50 cards that are not related to each other by a specific plot. In order to get closer to the goal, the player will need to complete fifty missions. Each of them has its own allies and enemies.

To defeat the enemy, you can play in the mode individual cards... At the same time, it is possible to set the desired number of computer enemies, which can be from 1 to 7, as well as the initial conditions of the duel and alliances.

In the Stronghold Crusader, it is proposed to engage in the construction of a castle, villages, etc. This mode is known from the first part of the game. Construction can be carried out without any local restrictions. In this case, the F1 key is capable of calling the event editor.

War at the Stronghold Crusader

This system is compared to base game practically unchanged. Only Arab units were added. In part, they duplicate standard soldiers. Their list includes: an Arab archer and swordsman, a slave and a slinger, a flamethrower and a horse archer, as well as an assassin. All of these units must be hired for gold. For the passage of the Stronghold Crusader game, in addition to siege weapons, the authors also added fireballistas. With them, the player can set fire to enemy buildings or destroy units from the enemy army.

There is also a unique innovation in this game. They are assassins who, using cats, deftly climb the walls of the fortress. They kill the guards and open the gate. The rest combat system remained the same.

Economy

In this part, the passage of "Stronghold Crusader" remains the same. The authors decided to change only some prices for goods and buildings.

Building a castle

The player will need to build this structure using such defensive lines as towers, walls and barbicans in it. Auxiliary buildings will also be needed. Among them are the camp of mercenaries and barracks, guilds of engineers and sappers.

Barbicans are needed so that the player can pass his troops through the defensive system. On these structures, the army can climb the walls. Drawbridges can be attached to barbicans, which will allow units to overcome ditches.

As for the extraction of resources and the creation of weapons workshops, then there are no changes in new version was not provided. A significant difference in the field of agriculture was the location of farms. Now they can only be placed in oases. Compared to basic Stronghold major changes occurred in urban buildings. Now gold is needed to build temples. The construction of a cathedral or church automatically reads a bonus to the level of popularity of the ruler.

Stronghold 2

This game, just like the base game, is a real-time strategy game. Its system is more similar to the Stronghold Crusader.

• processor 1.4 Hz;
• 32 MB of video memory;
• RAM 256 MB;
• hard drive 2.5 GB.

Gameplay "Stronghold 2"

As in basic version, the player acts as a lord ruling a medieval castle. During the passage of the Stronghold 2 games, you also need to build military buildings and housing, buildings in which resources will be obtained, as well as workshops. There are peasants here who, given the availability of vacant places (buildings), will choose their own jobs. In this direction, player intervention is minimal. He should pay attention to military buildings.

The army also consists of hired peasants (recruits). In this case, military units can be controlled both in a group and individually. This is especially useful during the passage of the military campaign "Stronghold 2". Sometimes battles take place here. More than one hundred soldiers from each side take part in them. However, during the passage of the "Stronghold 2" military campaign, the authors changed the rules somewhat. Now the player can buy certain units. But he has the right to do this only if he has a certain level of "honor". This is a game resource that is given for balls, feasts and tournaments.

The new thing that can be seen during the passage of the mission "Stronghold 2" - estates. These are semi-autonomous villages without defensive walls and a castle. The player controls them, as well as artificial intelligence... The estates produce goods that can be sent by cart to the castle or to allies.

There are various modes in the game. Among them:

• military and economic missions;
• "Siege";
• "Fight for the crown";
• "Free construction";
• "The path of the conqueror".

Possible passage of "Stronghold 2" in the company of players. This allows for multiplayer.

All missions are guided by two advisors. Tom Simkins teaches economics. In combat battles, players are guided by Constable Briggs.

Stronghold of Legends

The main system requirements for this game are:

• 1.6 GHz - processor;
• RAM - 512 MB;
• 64 MB of video memory;
• hard drive - 2.5 GB.

For the passage of "Stronghold Legends" the authors have significantly changed game process... They removed some types of units, adding new ones. Also in this version, there are three types of games. Among them is a single-user one, which is subdivided into scenarios, as well as a network and a map editor.

The passage of almost every new mission begins with the construction of your castle. Next, you need to debug the extraction of necessary resources and production, as well as build defensive structures that are necessary to repel enemy attacks. After that, the player creates an army. He will need it to capture enemy castles located in another part of the map. Attacks on other people's fortifications occur gradually. The main tactical advantages in this part of the game are magic spells, as well as strong heroes that have additional capabilities.

Stronghold Crusader Extreme

This add-on to the game is the only one released by the official developer. It can be used as a standalone modification or installed on the standard version of the Stronghold Crusader. There are some additions to this game, namely:

• magic;
• additional computer opponents - 8 units;
• new maps;
• additional campaign, consisting of 20 missions;
• endless troops.

Passage of "Stronghold Extreme" is designed for experienced players. It's not so easy to manage unlimited amount units. When passing the "Stronghold Crusader Extreme" armies can reach tens of thousands of soldiers. Also, the game began to differ with a new structure and tactical capabilities.

To successfully use the version, players will need to have a personal computer with the following:

• processor "Pentium III" 1 GHz;
• 256 MB of memory;
• 4 MB of video memory;
• 1.1 GB of hard disk space;
• OS Windows 2000 / Vista / XP.

Stronghold 3

This version of the game has its own innovations. They consist in an improved system of building a castle, which allows you to get as close to reality as possible, delving into the intricacies of craftsmanship. In addition, the passage of "Stronghold 3" can please with its updated graphics. Added to the game and several modes, including night sieges. New opportunities also appear during the storming of the fortress walls.

The world that the player will admire during the passage of "Stronghold 3" is more similar to the one that was present in basic version... Interesting changes have been made to buildings. They will look different depending on their distance from the castle. The smaller it is, the richer the structure.

To complete the game "Stronghold 3" you need a computer that has:

• 2.8 GHz processor;
• 1 GB random access memory;
• 128 MB of video memory;
• 2 GB of free hard disk space.

The new version of the game announced high quality 3D graphics, day and night change. Now it is possible to destroy natural objects. A different, in comparison with the basic, system for the location of buildings has been developed. Many processes of the game have come to be controlled by artificial intelligence.

As before, in the course of the development of the settlement, they adhere to two directions - the economy and the military. Which path will be chosen depends on the player.

The plot of the game has become a continuation of the story of the basic version. All the action takes place in the same area, but only after seven years. The wolf managed to survive after falling from the tower and being seriously wounded in the battle with the protagonist. He fled to the East, where he recovered his strength. After 7 years, the Wolf returned to England, accompanied by his new ally, the Jackal. In addition, he was also joined by the sons of his henchmen, who were killed during the liberation of the country, the Rat - the Duke of Pus, and the Boar - the Duke of Truff.

"Stronghold Crusader 2"

The gameplay of this game, like the previous versions, is very much tied to the construction of castles, the maintenance of the settlement, as well as battles. The face of the war has changed very seriously. At first glance, the differences are difficult to notice. However, when the battles begin, the experienced player no longer recognizes the plot familiar to him. So, when passing the game "Stronghold Crusader 2" you can see a larger number of units. Now there are 20 of them. Those who switched from older versions of the game "learned" new tricks. In addition, the authors changed their protection and damage indicators. There are also such units that give bonuses to allies and restore their health. An archer has also become available to players, with whom he can stand up for himself in melee combat.

Not without losses. During the passage of "Stronghold Crusader 2" there are no longer miners, engineers and slaves with ladders. The authors also removed siege towers from the game. In return, players were provided with two types of catapults.

Castle sieges have become noticeably more effective and easier. This became possible due to the reduction of devices for protection and assault. Now the player can no longer direct the person carrying the ladder to the wall and ferry a dozen units across it. You will need to either break the wall, or capture the gate with the efforts of the Assanites.

The passage of "Stronghold Crusader 2" begins with a tutorial mission. To complete it, you will need to build gardens, provide the population with food and save the necessary resources. After that, the player will have to build a barn and a warehouse, several sawmills, and apple orchards. The next step is to kill the lions. To do this, you need to take several warriors and go with them to the lair of the beast. The lord is a very strong man. Dealing with lions is not a problem for him.

After eliminating the lions, you can take up the economy. For its prosperity, it is worth building 10 sawmills, 3-4 farms, as well as 5-6 apple orchards. After providing the inhabitants of the settlement with resources, an arsenal should be built, as well as workshops in which they will be engaged in the manufacture of swords and bows. Iron ore mining will allow the player to complete the main tasks. In this case, the mission will be considered successfully completed.