Stronghold Warlords
One of the key differences in gameplay compared to the previous games is the introduction of warlords, 8 neutral AI-controlled lords who each have different benefits available after subjugation by either military force or diplomacy. After coming under the player, the warlords can provide shipments of resources, provide forces, attack an enemy lord on command or rank up, by expending diplomacy points. Diplomacy points can be accrued over time, which is sped up by constructing some new buildings introduced in this game. This is also the first game in the series to have introduced gunpowder.
Stronghold Warlords
This free update has been released alongside the launch of our Rise of the Shogun Campaign DLC, which adds six missions and two warlords to the Stronghold: Warlords base game. Both the update and DLC are now available on Steam and GOG, with a 10% launch week discount for Rise of the Shogun.
At least the mission objectives have good variety and nod to some interesting historical battles. They definitely play fast and loose with history, but keep it interesting by alternating between more traditional base building, a few that have you trying to take down a castle with a fixed army and no ability to replenish troops, and some that are purely focused on building up your economy while defending a castle. Those last ones are the most fun, especially when combined with the system of militarily or diplomatically vassalizing AI warlords on each map to grant you various bonuses. It made me wish there was some kind of horde mode for skirmish or multiplayer, which could have taken the strongest part of Warlords and made it endlessly replayable.
The Stronghold: Warlords campaign is a good mix between explaining the mechanics and interesting scenarios. There are five campaigns each heavily inspired by Asian history with warlords, shoguns, and prestigious commanders. Thinking back to an Asian history course I took in college, these missions inspired me to look them up. To the point that I was comparing Stronghold: Warlords missions side by side with in-depth pages of sieges and conquests.
Recreating the historic Eastern time period of 3 B.C. to 1200 A.D., STRONGHOLD: WARLORDS challenges players to build a civilization, recruit neighboring warlords to the cause, fend off attacks from all enemies and conquer the world. This title relies on some tried-and-true civ-building mechanics and is another entry in a strong line of Stronghold titles. Warlords offers up different units based on the warlord selected by the player, and each warlord recruited will bring different perks to the empire. The game allows for a sandbox single-player game with an 'estates' map that shows neighbors to effectively plan strategy. Players will have the option to use diplomacy or trade, or just go for the jugular with an attack. Will you be able to rule over the land and defeat the other warlords that challenge your territory?
One of the major changes you'll find in Stronghold: Warlords is the change in setting. While the series has gone to the east in the past, particularly with titles like Stronghold: Crusader, here you'll find a move into far-east Asia, set between the 3rd century BC all the way through to the Mongol Empire in 1200 AD. In line with the setting - and title of the game - you'll find a brand new warlords system.
This isn't an inclusion that fundamentally changes what Stronghold is, you needn't worry about that. What it does, though, is add an extra tactical layer and element to the game. In each map, you're going to be building your castle in whatever area is allotted to you. In the map, there are also a group of warlords for you to interact with, whichever way you please. The main focus is to get them on your side.
In record time, I had all three warlords as part of my force and I was already building up my own base. I was positioning myself for a fight, and a fight I was about to have. To support myself, I was able to use extra diplomacy points to get the Turtle to build up his defences, the Tiger could be directed to send me troops and the Ox would send me supplies. The options available to me would increase if I levelled the warlords up with my points too.
Honestly, it was all fairly easy to pick up and play. Sure, I didn't actually know what I was doing with the warlords until I was told, I just knew that when I attacked them - I made their territory mine. I also found out instantly that I didn't have any direct control over them, aside from the commands I gave using the warlords/diplomacy system. I actually appreciate this to an extent though, because there's no doubt that if you were left to essentially control yourself and three other leaders at once, you'd be splitting yourself too thin. That and it's possible for enemies to control the warlords too.
All things considered, Stronghold: Warlords is looking like a good entry into the franchise and like it should be a good strategy game in general. With an aim for the game to have 8 warlords, a 24 mission campaign and online mode, there's no doubt there'll be a good amount of content to play through. When I asked I was told there are no plans to release the game in early access and it will hopefully be released around April or May 2020, on the PC (Steam).
Stronghold: Warlords is the latest in Firefly Studios' classic 'castle sim' series. Besiege great Khans, imperial officers and Shōgun warlords as you build a castle economy, command new units and gunpowder-fuelled siege weapons. Recruit, upgrade and command AI warlords across the battlefield with unique perks and upgradeable abilities. Put them to work for your industry, fortifying borders, forging weapons or team up for a pincer attack!
The big draw with this newest release, other than the brand-new setting, is the introduction of warlords. These powerful neutral units are scattered across the map with a few defenses placed here and there. Capturing a warlord, either through attacking them or using diplomatic favor, can unlock powerful abilities for your clan.
On paper, it's a sound concept: warlords provide constant objectives on the map, and ways for players to mount both dominant victories and incredible comebacks. In practice, warlords feel incredibly, well, game-y.
They can't (really) be ignored, either, as each warlord has a powerful effect on the game. In the campaign, for example, many objectives are directly tied to warlords and, in skirmishes, ignoring them only allows your opponent to reap the rewards, putting you at a disadvantage.
On top of the frustrating way warlords are used, it's difficult to tell units apart at a glance, and there are often a lot of them in your army. In the thick of things, assigning certain troop types to perform specific tasks is messy.
From 3rd century BC China through to the coming of the Mongol Empire in 1200 AD, Stronghold: Warlords allows players to relive famous historical battles and sieges from across the Asian continent. Starting with the kingdom of Âu Lạc in Vietnam, players will take part in the founding of the Qin dynasty, Japanese shogunate and eventually the arrival of Genghis Khan on the world stage. Recruit warlords to your cause and conquer each kingdom using Imperial fire lancers, Mongolian bowmen, disciplined samurai and classic laddermen.
Stronghold: Warlords allows you to recruit, upgrade and command AI warlords across the battlefield. Each warlord under your command boosts your strategic prowess with their own unique perks, characteristics and upgradeable abilities. Use them to boost your industry, fortify defences or team up for a pincer attack.
The Consulate and Emissary buildings will both improve Diplomacy Point generation. Consulates can be built for 200 gold, with a build cap set at four, while Emissaries cost 500 gold to construct, with a build cap set at two. To make the system more efficient, you can connect the Consulates and Emissaries to your stronghold with roads, which will make each building pump out 33% more Diplomacy Points.
Supplementing the economic and military aspects is the Warlord system, which sprinkles neutral AI-controlled warlords around the map. Subjugating a warlord by diplomacy or by force folds them into your empire, allowing you to spend diplomacy points to manage their holdings, have recruits sent to join your armies or order shipments of resources. As you might imagine, leveraging the opportunities offered by warlords is key to victory.
The big new focus of the game is the Warlords and diplomacy system. Each map is inhabited by multiple different "warlords" that initially don't have any allegiance. These Warlords can be conquered by defeating the lord on top of each respective castle, or by using Diplomacy Points to force them to pledge loyalty, but the catch is that other players can do the same thing. Diplomacy Points accrue automatically like gold, but the rate they accrue can be increased by building consulates and embassies.
Besiege Great Khans, Imperial warlords and Shōgun commanders in Stronghold: Warlords, the latest 'castle sim' from Firefly Studios. Command AI warlords across the battlefield as you build a castle economy and new gunpowder-fuelled siege engines!
Stronghold: Warlords is the newest game in the series of popular real-time strategy games coming from FireFly Studios, with a focus on a region of Southeast Asia, during the era of Great Khans, Imperial warlords and Shogun commanders.In its basics, it is a good old Stronghold game we all know and love, but one of the key new elements are titular Warlords.if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined')ez_ad_units.push([[468,60],'ginx_tv-banner-1','ezslot_6',141,'0','0']);__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-ginx_tv-banner-1-0'); 041b061a72
