Added Extreme! difficulty to both Skirmish and Campaign modes. (Note: Extreme! difficulty in skirmish will give the AI an unfair gold advantage.)
Total troop limit in skirmish/multiplayer is increased. Example: troop limit in a 2 player game is increased from 200 to 300.
Added 2 new large keeps, Mongol Yurt and Tribal.
Selecting alternative skins for player’s Lord model will also change their keep type.
Updated Japanese voice lines for barracks troops.
Added diplomacy points to overall resource settings in Skirmish lobbies.
Motion blur can now be disabled/enabled via a setting stored in options.xml. (default is for it to be enabled.)
The minimap can now be configured to rotate/face North and scale to fit inside its box by default via new settings in options.xml.
Added a new 2 player skirmish map: Riverbend. Expect a tense push and pull battle as both players vie for control of the warlords guarding the path to their opponent's castle.
General fixes
Fix for saves crashing on Load due to incorrect refcounts. (Note: Old corrupt saves will still crash on load, but new saves will now Load correctly.)
Fixed “Defending Our Lands” from the Genghis Khan campaign so that it correctly shows the build menu.
Fix for pathfinding obstacles sometimes not clearing after walls are destroyed. This addresses mortars sometimes not being able to path through destroyed walls in ‘The Battle of Yehuling’.
Changed ruins on ‘Heart of an Empire’ and ‘Fortunes’ in the Economic Campaign to fix blocked mission progress. Please note existing saves from these missions will use old ruins types.
Fix for triangular wall pieces sometimes lingering around after adjacent square pieces have been destroyed.
Triangular wall pieces are now broken down more consistently to match the damage level of adjacent square walls (this has no effect on balance but gives a clearer impression of how damaged a section of wall is).
Lord portraits now appear correctly for MP/Skirmish human player non-AI skins in various UI places.
Increased fade distance of buildings on fire.
Updated popularity report formatting to accommodate longer localization texts.
Overhauled the ninja pathfinding system to handle many map and building layouts that could not previously be navigated.
Fixed an issue that could cause groups of Mongolian Horsemen to jostle back and forth after moving to a position.
Fixes for a number of cases where troops could get stuck (especially in gates) and not be able to move again.
Ballistas can no longer attempt to attack defensive stone buildings.
Fixed an issue where troops could get stuck repeatedly failing to attack warlord workers in melee.
Fixed an issue where actors would hover briefly before landing during their knockback animation.
Fixed an issue where actors could get stuck just on the edge of unpathable terrain after being knocked back.
Troops in rabble formation are more reliable at moving to target enemy units on rooftops.
Balance changes
Halved warrior monk area attack damage to 500, doubled cooldown time to 60 seconds.
Adjusted the way splash damage is applied to walls from siege projectiles, to make overall damage more consistent across diagonal and non-diagonal walls.
Warlords
Repair and Upgrade Castle edicts can no longer be used when the enemy is very close to the castle. If triggered before the enemy approaches, they will still finish if the enemy comes into range during the edict.
Warlord shipments now only display messages on their first and last shipment, in which they report Current/Total goods sent.
Added an icon to the diplomacy map for ongoing instant attacks.
AI Improvements
General
AI Lords now use their own respective keeps in Skirmish games.
Added several new overlord taunts.
Town
Many improvements to AI town building, including smarter positioning of different building types, fixes for several cases where the building layout could result in stuck workers, and increased maximum distance that buildings can be placed from the keep.
Improved granary placement to be more central inside the castle, making it better protected from attacks.
Fixed several issues with turrets and engine platforms not attaching to walls correctly.
The AI is better at calculating how many of each type of work building it needs to build its economy and train an army.
Fixed a bug that could get the AI stuck trying to build an embassy when it already had the max amount allowed.
Strategy
The AI now takes the number of players on their team into account when choosing whether to target an enemy player or warlord, allowing them to prioritise enemy players earlier in free-for-all games.
The AI is now more likely to target the warlord closest to them over other warlords.
The AI no longer attempts to influence warlords on Easy difficulty.
There’s now a minimum time before the AI will attack any target, which varies by difficulty.
Harder AIs now better at picking Warlord Edicts and issue them more often.
When at very high gold levels, the AI will now aim for triple its normal popularity to get peasants spawning faster.
Castle
Defensive troops, turrets and engine platforms are now positioned more intelligently based on the direction to the closest enemy player.
Fixed an issue that could cause castles not to build when spawn points are rotated.
Fix for defensive troops on Genghis’ castle walls sometimes getting stuck.
Tweaked the tower positions in Hideyoshi’s castle.
Defensive troops now spend less time running back and forth between different positions on the walls.
On Easy difficulty the AI now only builds a single layer of castle walls.
Armies
The AI is now more willing to buy weapons to train troops when needed, to preserve the desired unit composition of their army.
Improved the balance of Barracks and Academy troops the AI will train, whether or not they have weapons available.
Fewer troops are now kept in reserve, allowing the AI to attack faster and with larger numbers when up to their troop limit.
Improved the distribution of different troop types in the types of armies sent out.
After capturing a warlord, armies will now sometimes guard the warlord for a period of time before moving to attack a new target.
Armies that encounter an enemy keep on route to their target will now switch targets rather than continuing to their original target.
Armies are better at navigating through allied estates to reach their target.
Fixes for several cases where armies could get stuck while moving to their target or reforming.
The AI will now more reliably start attacking with siege armies based on the number of attacks already made and their own economic development.
Armies are better at tracking enemy lords who have moved away from their keeps.
Fixed an issue that could stop attacks being launched once the AI reached their troop limit.
Fixed several issues with the placement of forward siege camps in Warlord estates.
Improved the AI’s ability to coincide Warlord attack edicts with their own attacks.
Expensive troops such as Generals and Samurai are no longer held back to guard siege weapons.
Fire oxen and rocket launchers no longer target warlord town buildings.
Armies made up of horse archers and other cavalry now have a strong preference to tail other armies when they can, given they tend to be ineffective against enemy warlords by themselves.
If individual troops in an AI army are unable to join the rest of the army for too long, they’ll now suicide in order to avoid the whole army getting stuck.
Improved AI handling of rocket launchers, to avoid firing in areas that may set the ground under their own troops on fire.
Genghis now sieges with more mortars and fewer rocket launchers.
Map Editor
Added support for WASD/arrow key camera movement (with ctrl for faster movement) and Q/E keys to rotate the camera.
The camera can now pitch closer to zero/ninety degrees, for easier editing.
Increased the render distance.
Spawn points now move up/down if the landscape tool is used underneath them.
Notes
We have set the achievement ‘Thucing Phantastic’ to hidden for now as it is not tracking correctly. This will be addressed in a future update.
While we have fixed the issue that was corrupting saves, old save games that were previously crashing on load will still crash. Saves made in newly started missions are fixed.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYuSRk1PPaA Today we reveal the first part of our post-release content roadmap for Stronghold: Warlords! This first phase in our overall roadmap of updates for Warlords covers the spring and early summer period, with additional smaller patches planned and more to come in the second half of the year. Everything covered in today's announcement will be added to the game free for all players, released as soon as it's ready.
Our content roadmap for Stronghold: Warlords is divided into two separate tracks of minor or major updates. Minor updates, starting this week with our first proper patch, will be aimed at improving the core gameplay and adding smaller improvements to Warlords. These include the addition of a new Extreme Difficulty mode, AI improvements, new maps and stability improvements. At the higher end of these 'minor updates' you'll find series staple features, such as the addition of invasions controls in Free Build mode.
When it comes to our planned major updates for the next few months we also have two substantial content additions scheduled, as part of this initial roadmap. Planned pre-launch and requested in post-release feedback, our new AI character (Sun Tzu) and later Skirmish Trail #1 update (including 10 missions, a new playable unit and two warlords) will aim to improve the content on offer in both single player and multiplayer modes.
We hope you enjoy this week's update and look forward to future additions to the game. If you're playing Stronghold: Warlords and would like to provide feedback please leave us a review on Steam and join the official Stronghold Discord.
It’s hard to believe that Stronghold: Warlords is finally out there and in your hands! Everyone at Firefly would like to thank our community across various platforms for all the enthusiasm, valuable feedback and constructive criticism you’ve given us. It’s been a blast watching so many of you having fun building up your castles, villages and besieging friends online.
We have put together this FAQ based on some of the feedback we’re seeing across the board. This includes some information that we have previously mentioned, but might have been missed.
We hope you find some satisfactory answers to any issues or queries you may have. If there’s something still on your mind that you'd like to discuss, then please join us on Discord using the invite link at bottom of this post.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will you be adding extra free content to the game? Yes. On June 21st 2021 we released the final part of our 'Spring/Summer' content roadmap for Warlords, with our v1.4 update. This update added the game's first skirmish trail, new maps, a brand new unit and warlords, with additional features and content added in earlier updates:
Our second Summer/Autumn Roadmap was revealed on July 27th 2021, alongside the release of Version 1.5. The following additional content is now in game and available on Steam:
Our third Autumn/Winter Roadmap was revealed on November 9th 2021 and concluded with our Version 1.10 Update. The following content is now in game and available on Steam, in addition to other minor updates such as an increased unit cap:
Our most recent (and final) release was Version 1.11 which added a new 12 mission skirmish trail, 2 multiplayer maps and new achievements! You can learn more about the update and future plans for the series by clicking here.
Are further bug fixes, stability improvements and optimisations planned? Fixes, improvements and optimisations will continue while we are still updating the game. Your feedback is very valuable to us and we’re focusing our energy into fixing any problems players have encountered. Beyond this feedback will be incorporated into future Stronghold titles.
I am encountering bugs and/or have a technical issue.
If possible include a link to a picture or video showing the issue, as this helps us identify and resolve issues faster. Please use IMGUR (or a similar site) to upload an image or YouTube (or similar) for video.
Please Note: The more detail you provide in a bug report the more likely it is we can replicate, find and then fix it. E.g. What level of the campaign were you on? How many players/AI were involved? Did you have 70 fire oxen all explode at once? Etc.
Where's my Special Edition Content? Within Steam Client you can find the official soundtrack. You can also access all Special Edition content after installing the game, navigate to the game folder and open up a folder titled ‘Special Edition’.
By default this is located at:
C: > Program Files (x86) > Steam > steamapps > common > Stronghold Warlords > Special Edition
Is mod support planned? No mod support outside of Steam Workshop unfortunately, but we'll keep it in mind going forward. For now you can create custom missions, scripted events and skirmishes in the included map editor.
The motion blur on the camera makes me feel sick! As of 24th March 2021, there is now a way to disable motion blur. Please refer to V1.1 Update notes for more detail.
Why did you choose Asia? I want to see more [Legends/Crusader] Put simply, we chose Asia for its castles, battles, gunpowder and bloody, expansive history! We’re so grateful for our community’s enthusiasm for our older games set in England and the Middle East, but this time, we wanted to creatively try something different. Who knows what the future holds for us, but in the meantime we are thankful to have your support and passion!
Can I change troop/building limits in Single Player? Warlords has been designed with specific troop and building limits in single player for gameplay and performance reasons. However we appreciate some people may wish to try playing the game with higher limits, in response to this we increased this limit just after launch in Version 1.1 and then again in v1.9.
To further alter these limits in SINGLE PLAYER: 1. Browse to the location of your Documents > Stronghold Warlords > Profiles folder. 2. Using a text editor (we recommend Notepad++) open the options.xml file. 3. On line 4 change the values for single_player_building_limit and single_player_troop_limit (make sure you retain the exact formatting used in the file). 4. Save the file.
PLEASE NOTE: These values only affect single player games not multiplayer games. Changing these values beyond the default limits may adversely affect game performance (depending on your computer).
What about Multiplayer Troop/Building Limits? As of 24th March 2021, we have increased the troop limit in skirmish mode and multiplayer. Please refer to V1.1 Update notes for more detail.
[Unit/Siege weapon] is too OP! We will be looking and managing the rebalance of units, etc with future updates and games. Please continue to give us feedback on this.
Will you continue to work on AI? We will continue to improve AI in the game with player feedback in mind for as long as we are updating the game. This started with our V1.1 Update and continued in subsequent updates, each introducing improvements to AI behaviour. Improving AI is a priority and you can expect further updates to the behaviour and challenge of opponents in future games.
Is Firefly a AAA studio? During development we had around 10 people working on Warlords, with many of us doing more than one job. We are flattered you think we might be a AAA studio, but we are very much an indie studio. Nevertheless, this did not stop us from making updates and improvements to the game post-launch.
How do I access the manual for Stronghold: Warlords? Right-click on Stronghold: Warlords in your Steam library, go to Properties, Local Files, Browse and there is a folder called Manuals.
Are you working on a new Stronghold game? Yes! We are currently in pre-production on the next entry in the Stronghold series. Check out our announcement video, Unreal 5 feature and Q&As for more:
- Fixed a bug that applied the UI scaling setting to the help file - Fixed the Qin Shi Huang end video playing incorrect Chinese speech - Fixed the Toyotomi Hideyoshi start video playing incorrect French speech - The manuals are also now available from the game installation folder as well as Steam (English, French, German, Spanish, Polish, Russian, Simplified Chinese)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KjLOm-zxwKI Fans of building, besieging and ‘wuselfaktor’ rejoice! The latest entry in our almost 20 year old ‘castle sim’ series, Stronghold: Warlords is now available on Steam. Today we celebrate the game's long awaited release with a final launch trailer featuring fresh gameplay, the full campaign map and a story preview narrated by the talented Rae Lim.
Including a 31 mission campaign with conflicts and sieges ranging from 300 BC China to 16th century Japan, Stronghold: Warlords both covers a wide historical period and (more importantly) introduces gunpowder to the series for the first time! Introducing legendary figures like Genghis Khan and lesser known rulers such as Thuc Phan, Warlords is designed to build on everything players know and love about Stronghold in an all new setting. Warlords has something for all Stronghold fans, whether you enjoy a single player campaign, unlimited castle building freedom in Free Build mode, offline skirmish or online multiplayer with friends and AI. The game comes complete with everything you expect from a mainline entry in the series, in addition to brand new gunpowder fuelled units, siege weapons and returning favourites like Siege Towers and Horse Archers.
With Stronghold: Warlords release we also have the introduction of the titular Warlords system, a new gameplay mechanic allowing players to conquer, upgrade and command AI ‘warlords’ across the battlefield. A flagging economy can be saved with an Ox or Pig Warlord, who can boost a players' industry and food reserves with their unique ‘Edict’ commands and passive perk abilities. Players looking to rain down fire and fury on their opponents can instead opt for a Dragon or Tiger Warlord, able to supply the player with special units and launch attacks in a pincer movement against their enemies! Whether players decide to forge these alliances through diplomatic buildings like the Consulate or simply by marching in an army and forcing warlords to bend the knee, these bonds can make or break their overall strategy.
Stronghold: Warlords - Special Edition is also available including Stronghold HD, ‘The Art of Stronghold: Warlords’ digital art book, a new soundtrack created by series composer Robert L. Euvino and a special ‘Making Of’ feature-length documentary.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1tojme-8vGY In our final pre-launch gameplay preview Aaron, Natasha and Nick go head to head with the AI in a triple threat 3v3 multiplayer match! Facing off against two Hard opponents (Genghis Khan and Toyotomi Hideyoshi) and one Medium (Thuc Phan), Firefly's marketing team experiments with incendiary bovines, thunder crash bombs and... Spelling their names out in gunpowder? Watch as we play through an hour-long six player game online, using the latest Stronghold: Warlords build, a Large sized map and four different warlords to spice things up.
At launch Stronghold: Warlords will allow for up to eight players total in Multiplayer, using a mix of four human and four AI opponents, in addition to the warlords themselves. Nine maps will be available to play ranging from Small to Large size, with support for Extra Large maps, a full map editor and Steam Workshop functionality at release. Co-op mode will also allow up to two pairs of players to share a castle estate and control of their forces, while traditional teams also feature for players that prefer to build and maintain their own feudal economy.
Stronghold: Warlords will be available on Steam next week from 6pm GMT on March 9th for $39.99, £29.99 and €34.99. A Special Edition will also be available including Stronghold HD, ‘The Art of Stronghold: Warlords’ digital art book, a new soundtrack created by series composer Robert L. Euvino and a special ‘Making Of’ feature-length documentary.
Along with eight unique warlord archetypes, Stronghold: Warlords will feature four fully realised opponents in the form of historical AI Lords. Covering unique historical periods from 300 BC Vietnam through to the rise of the Tokugawa shogunate in 16th century Japan, Warlords shifts the series into new territory with a brand new cast of characters. Featured in the game’s 31 mission single player campaign, but also playable in skirmish mode and multiplayer, Warlords’ main cast are legendary figures and formidable opponents.
This final developer diary (Don't worry - We still have other videos coming!) explores their battlefield prowess, tactics and quirks as AI opponents, providing a look at some of the strategies players will be facing at launch on March 9th. After several games using the same historical settings Genghis Khan, Thuc Phan, Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Qin Shi Huang were exciting prospects for the studio and a refreshing change of pace. The resulting cast of larger-than-life characters still feels very Stronghold, while living up to the game’s title in their unique castle designs, army composition, tactics and taunts.
With a completely new cast of ‘AI Lord’ opponents, we're also combining regional voice work with bespoke lines for certain characters and units. As with Arabic voice acting in the beloved Stronghold: Crusader series, the introduction of talented Japanese voice actors, in addition to those of Chinese and Vietnamese descent, is designed to both provide native language support and add to the immersion enjoyed by western players. In doing so we hopes to deliver the level of atmosphere Stronghold fans have come to enjoy, both in terms of authentic orchestral music and voice acting.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_0IFo_33DS0 With less than two weeks to go before the worldwide launch of Stronghold: Warlords, we thought it would it would be entertaining to give our developers a blind castle-building challenge! Tasked with building the ultimate castle in under 30 minutes, four Firefly devs are challenged (and judged!) on their time-limited castle building skills in this new video.
Paul, Aaron, Tom and Nick all begin on a new map with little to no preparation and a single objective: Build the ultimate castle! They must do so on the 'Jungle Clearing' medium-sized map within the time limit, with their creations judged by none other than Firefly Studios co-founder and Stronghold designer Simon Bradbury. These hastily-constructed castles are rigorously graded based on their castle aesthetics, economic efficiency and of course defensive strength. The series *is* called 'Stronghold' after all...
Also including a few minor feature additions, such as the ability to lock (or rotate) the mini-map and a helpful top-down castle view for building, today's gameplay is taken from our latest Warlords build. You can expect more videos from this build next week and during launch, as we explore multiplayer mode and the game's larger map sizes. In the meantime please wishlist Stronghold: Warlords to be notified of the game's release and any launch discount.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9TyFJ0Jbnkc While new gameplay footage is coming later this week, today we're releasing our third and final 'Making Of Stronghold: Warlords' teaser. Today's video is centred around the reveal of Stronghold: Warlords, which took place way back in June 2019. Featuring a snippet of what you can expect from the full documentary at launch, this quick look shows Paul and Simon discussing what goes into revealing a game to the press, as well as including a few behind the scenes E3 clips!
Available at launch as part of Stronghold: Warlords - Special Edition, this feature-length documentary takes a look behind the scenes with over two years of game development at Firefly Studios. Unpacking the complex process of creating a modern strategy/sim hybrid on PC, the documentary is designed to provide insight into these unique genres for those curious about their creation.
Stronghold: Warlords - Special Edition will be available at launch on Steam for $49.99, £34.99 and €39.99, with the base game also available for $39.99, £29.99 and €34.99.