Hello!

I would like to preface this by stating I've been a player of the Stronghold series since I was a small boy and to this day I still get on Crusader near daily thanks to Gameranger and my lovely girlfriend whom I've recently introduced to this game.

As much as I absolutely adore Stronghold Crusader, I think its time that number 2 is made. The 1024x768 resolution looks aged on my 22inch HD monitor and the AI needs some work.

It has become very apparent that the majority of Stronghold players aren't much in the game for its story driven elements but its superb castle building gameplay as well as the skirmish mode in Crusader which is, without a doubt, the reason people still play to this day, myself included. I feel as though in spite of the abysmal launch of Stronghold 3, Firefly Studios could yet redeem its name with Crusader 2 provided they stay true to the original formula. Here is a list of things I would like to see in Crusader 2 and feel free to post below if you have any suggestions of your own:

*Without a doubt it should be 2D as the transition to 3D still feel awkward even in SH3. I know you guys have a talented art team and they could make some beautiful 2D images of buildings. Stronghold 1 is still good looking to this day. Also, with the extra system resources available due to advances in technology more CPU computing could go to AI intelligence.
*True HD resolution
*Intelligent AI that can flank, distract, tactically strike, and has the stomache for a full on siege (unlike Snake .)
*No mundane mechanics that detract away from the enthralling warfare (gong, rats, honor, and justice i'm looking at you.)
*Difficulty levels for AI as well as personality settings (ex. balanced, rusher, steamroller, turtle, etc.)
*Wall placing system similar to the originals. I didn't much care for the system built into SH3
*Peasants move when trying to place a building in a square they are currently occupying
*True online multiplayer built into the game
*A faster way to build siege engines (if you use wooden shields you know what i'm talking about)
*A limit on the number of catapults you may have or make them much more expensive. If you've played Crusader you know how easy it makes the game when you build any more than 20.
*I really enjoy the CG messages from the AI, but they could be a bit more varied. Multiple videos for each scenario perhaps.
*Toggleable fog of war for players who enjoy using it.

These are just the first possibilities that came to mind; how would you add to it and do you support Crusader 2? Let us know down below. (:

Agree with nearly everything you said,

Although I think things such as rats and gong could be included without taking too much time from the player.

A lot of people love Crusader due to it's free build mode. And if you remove all the things to do, you soon run out of things to do very quickly. In SH2 I loved having the crime system, kitchens and banquets etc. They were just a little complicated. I know SH3 included them slightly but, they slimmed them down so much that having a banquet just became a button to press and nothing to see!

Micro management shouldn't be a big deal, having a Faulkner post should be a simple thing, and one gong station per town should be plenty. They could make it a larger gong post like they did with the wood cutters camp in SH3.

I straight up hated gong and rats. You HAD to manage them, but i'm pretty sure kings didn't have to think about that. And there was no benefit for managing them effectively, only negatives for not doing it. They weren't fun and I personally want them gone as do a lot of other SH players. There's a reason those mechanics didn't show up in SH3 and SHL.

Yes, dealing with little things like that takes up so much space. I think it is fun to make large towns and castles with unstoppable armies. My main strategy just became a bunch of ballistae and traps. No more gong and rats, unless it does not distract from the game. I think crusader 2 should have maps with the stronghold 3 textures and units as well because 3 did not include skirmish mode. I remember tiring of the desert maps and wishing for an old stronghold skirmish mode to be added with the original stronghold style for some variety.

Maybe they could add an extreme mode like in Stronghold Crusader Extreme.

Hi, I also think that what was mentioned above is good. I certainly would not add anything to the SH2, no rats, garbage, or honor. I kept the original Al and added calmly and new, such as Lord Woolsack, who was in SH1, etc. Feel free and that's probably been mentioned here, I left the original graphics. It was written that there should be limited catapults and then that would be more expensive, I did all the troops, everyone knows how easy it was to train 300 archers on horseback and go to the enemy. I'm sorry that my English is not good, I C Czech and do not speak it very well. Thank you for your understanding.

Hey guys! I've been playing the Stronghold series since I was 4 years old. Stronghold Crusader was by FAR my favorite.
I feel if they -re-create the game they should also add a few new ideas. I once saw a mod for SH2 that allowed the player to physically be one of the troops. Maybe it is time to allow the king to be a playable character, haven't you ever wanted to walk the streets, and walls of your castle?
Another great idea would be king customization, allowing us to changer there headgear, armor, weapons. Firefly has allowed us to play as different characters in SH3, its time to make another step.
If another Stronghold Crusader is made, I feel they should keep the same opponents in skirmish, but add new ones as well. I feel the soundtrack and voice acting just stay just as SH3, to keep the nostalgic feel.
I firmly stand on the idea, that this game should be in 3D. In order to keep up in the advancing competition of other strategies. I feel that firefly should use the buildings from the original crusader and re-create them in 3d.
One thing I ABSOLUTELY adored, was how the game always verbally greeted me and called me Lord Luke, something I missed in SH3.
Mainly a second crusader would need to stay true to the original game, but adding a creative and exciting twist, that leaves this game a legend for years to come.

3D added nothing much to game play, mostly just eye candy. I think if FF could do a quality 2D remake of Crusader and port it to tablets and the like they would draw in more of the modern mobile market. SH3 won't run very well on my state-of-the-art (very expensive) gaming laptop from 4 years ago, which says something of the game's demanding specs. Why do so many ppl equate a good game with a game which has high resource demands on your PC? "whats that? The game needs an i7 min? I have to get it, that's gotta be a good game".

i think 3d better it make game more smoth and it look so live and real.

We don't need such advanced graphics like SH3. At least SH2. SH2 graphics were simple enough, didn't take a great computer, and satisfied a majority of the people. You see David, very few people would purchase a 2d strategy. If I was not accustomed to the stronghold games, I to would not purchase one of there new games made in 2d. I feel not even all of the current Stronghold players would purchase it either, because it is a large leap backwards. The depth and detail that 3D graphics offers is more serene and natural then 2D.

also your lords strenght increasing after completing certain amount of misions and ability to chose better troops as strenght advances