Stronghold: Warlords sees Firefly Studios take their much-loved real-time strategy franchise in a new direction, away from Europe and into the vibrancy of East Asia. This change of direction allows the game to take on an entirely new feel; with new units, gameplay mechanics and more. It's Stronghold at heart but in a way we've never seen before.
TheGamer had the opportunity to play a demo campaign and was excited to test drive this new way of doing things. We found it to be engaging and also unique, with the new Warlords system bringing an intriguing new way to play.
PREVIOUSLY: Stronghold Warlords Demo: Fighting Fire With Fire Oxen
After playing the game we had some questions. Simon Bradbury, co-founder of Firefly Studios and lead developer of the game, was kind enough to answer them for us.
Traditionally the series has been set in ancient Europe, frequently comprised of a sea of beige and grey. It seems that the vibrant colors of the new location of East Asia were certainly a draw for new audiences, but this wasn't the only reason to change up the setting.
"The vibrant colors and sub-tropical setting definitely helped after years of level design with ‘beige and grey’, that’s for sure! Mainly though it seemed to be the last great historical setting involving castles that we had not covered.
There is a wealth of detail and interest in Asian strongholds and medieval life for us to explore. Gunpowder, in particular, appealed to us, as it is in its early years and so often unreliable, which works for us as it can go badly wrong or spectacularly right!
Ultimately though we are in a period where stone and steel still dominate."
A new setting, especially after so many games firmly planted in Europe, was a big risk. That's sure to cause some worry but Bradbury also discusses how the skepticism gave way to excitement as the concept was unpacked.
" Yes, we were worried. If you take a well-loved title and go somewhere new there’s always a risk. Ultimately we thought we’d already introduced the Middle East with Crusader and now this feels natural for us, so why not add a third setting?
The core is still essentially the same game with the Warlords system on top, but also introducing new unit types, defenses and a wealth of new castle sights and sounds to explore.
There were a few raised eyebrows at the initial announcement it’s fair to say, but as we spend more time explaining the game those initial worries are being replaced by excitement at what Warlords brings to Stronghold."
Working in a new setting can bring new challenges but Bradbury enjoyed the opportunity to discover more about this period in history.
"I am really enjoying working with a new setting. Unlike say a sequel where you are looking to recreate the same period, with a new setting I am getting to research a whole piece of history that is new to me. How they built their castles, lived their daily lives, fought and best of all the engineering of their siege engines and castle defenses!
All of this is both fun to learn and exciting to fit into Stronghold’s castle-based RTS gameplay."
This historical accuracy is important to the team, who take the time to research and understand the periods they hope to cover in their games in order to maintain a solid foundation based on real-life events. Finding the right resources is also a vital part of the process and they have their favorites.
"Myself and designer Stephen Richards spend a lot of time researching which is super important, especially with this title as it’s exploring new ground for us.
Initially Google is useful to map things out roughly at the start or to find specific details, however, there is still no substitute for actual academic reading material on the period. Both to quickly ingest a lot of accurate info and also get a flavor of the period.
Two bits of material I have to point out here. I really enjoyed Conn Iggulden’s exciting trilogy on the history of Ghengis and family! We couldn’t live without the Osprey series of books on ancient troops either, which is where our fire oxen originally came from!"
All this research has led to some new and intriguing changes. This includes 16 entirely new units from 3rd century BC China through to Vietnam and the Mongol Empire. It also includes the very first use of gunpowder in the game, something Bradbury explains was a huge draw.
"As we have progressed through the Stronghold series I’ve always found myself drawn to the little tweaks that we add to units. So Spearmen got a time-rechargeable spear in Stronghold 2, for example. That’s something we will do yet more of here with the burly Imperial Guard getting a recharged area attack and the Samurai a recharged knockback charge.
These are lovely little tactical enhancements to units and work well for me as a designer because the player doesn’t need to be taught them, they become obvious through use. Of course, I also think the many crude ways we are using gunpowder in bombs, trails, siege kit, and defenses will always be able to steal the show graphically and so are likely to become favorites!"
One of the new units is the exploding fire oxen, an unpredictable if somewhat cruel, new unit. Bradbury explains how this idea came about and the reaction it evoked from fans.
"Following on from above the fire oxen is a somewhat cruel, yet historically accurate addition to our repertoire!
The tale goes that T’ien Tan used 1000 fire oxen to help his beleaguered 7000 troops rout an enemy over 100,000. They had blades attached and burning pitch on their tails to help stampede their sleeping enemy.
Of course, we have added pots of gunpowder for added effect, but the result remains the same! And yes they always get a good laugh at demos."
The main completely new feature of the game is the Warlords system. It allows you to command others to provide you with resources, aid, and support. However, you have to earn it and we had a sneaking feeling that it won't always be so easy as it appears in the demo mission.
While we got a chance to explore the system briefly, Bradbury filled in some of the more complex details for us.
"We are getting a great reaction to the Warlords system which is fantastic to see and if I am honest, a relief.
The strength of the system lies in the fact that it is very simple. It sits on top of the classic Stronghold gameplay and adds a slower cycle level of strategy. You may only go to the warlords screen say 10 or 20 times in a mission and give a few high-level commands, but those choices can be the difference between victory and defeat. Alternatively, these commands could make for an easy win or a very sticky last few minutes!
It is simple to pick up and understand but quite deep, with each warlord type having a unique set of commands that can be issued to them as well as a unique perk and buffs. So for example at the moment a Turtle Warlord can pretty much only build castles, but these are strong and very upgradeable fortifications that provide protection. The Ox Warlord has several industry types he can help you with, but less in the way of military strength, whereas the Tiger Warlord… Well, I’ll leave you to guess how he works!
The skill is in choosing who to capture and when followed by your cleverness in selecting how to spend your precious Diplomacy Points in issuing these orders and upgrades."
After all this talk of changes, we wanted to find out which of the previous games was Bradbury's favorite.
With a franchise so long most developers have a soft spot for a specific title or two and he is no exception.
"It’s a boring answer but the original Stronghold has to have it for me. Not just because it was our first title and a blank canvas, but also because I got to do most of the coding on it! Something that I rarely get to do these days.
That said I also have a bit of a soft spot for Stronghold: Legends, mainly because it was so nuts!"
Finally, we look forward again to the future as Bradbury tells us what's next.
"We will certainly move on after Warlords, but whether this is to pastures old or new I can’t say just yet. It is a little early to say at this stage, with all the hard work on Warlords it may be that I am getting delirious!"
It sounds like someone has earned a rest!
Thank you to Simon Bradbury for taking the time to answer our questions. Keep on eye on TheGamer as we bring you more updates regarding Stronghold: Warlords as we move closer to the game's release.